Charge‐Transfer Interactions: An Efficient Tool for Recycling Bis(oxazoline)‐Copper Complexes in Asymmetric Henry Reactions

Abstract

Abstract An anthracenyl‐modified chiral bis(oxazoline) copper complex has been demonstrated to efficiently promote nitroaldol reactions between structurally varying aldehydes and nitromethane or nitroethane. The catalyst was recovered through formation of a charge transfer complex between the chiral ligand and trinitrofluorenone and its subsequent precipitation with pentane. The efficiency of this procedure was proved through several consecutive catalytic cycles that allowed the sturdy formation of the expected product with a high enantioselectivity. The catalyst′s stability was also put to the test in an original multi‐substrate procedure. Following the same recovery concept, a new heterogeneous procedure was tested for which trinitrofluorenone was covalently linked to a silica support. Asymmetric heterogeneous catalysis was performed under these conditions as one of the few examples demonstrating the potential catalyst recycling in nitroaldol reactions through reversible, non‐covalent interactions.