Catalytic Hydrothiolation: Counterion-Controlled Regioselectivity

Abstract

In this Article, we expand upon the catalytic hydrothiolation of 1,3-dienes to afford either allylic or homoallylic sulfides with high regiocontrol. Mechanistic studies support a pathway in which regioselectivity is dictated by the choice of counterion associated with the Rh center. Non-coordinating counterions, such as SbF₆^-, allow for η⁴-diene coordination to Rh complexes and result in allylic sulfides. In contrast, coordinating counterions, such as Cl^-, favor neutral Rh complexes in which the diene binds η² to afford homoallylic sulfides. We propose mechanisms that rationalize a fractional dependence on thiol for the 1,2-Markovnikov hydrothiolation while accounting for an inverse dependence on thiol in the 3,4- anti-Markovnikov pathway. Through the hydrothiolation of an essential oil (β-farnesene), we achieve the first enantioselective synthesis of (-)-agelasidine A.