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The development of efficient synthetic methods for accessing enantioenriched α-chiral amines is of great importance in the disciplines of medicinal and synthetic organic chemistry. Enantioselective Rh-catalyzed 1,2-addition reactions to activated imine derivatives are regarded as useful protocols for forming α-chiral amines. This personal account outlines our efforts to develop chiral bicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene ligands for Rh-catalyzed asymmetric additions of various organoboron reagents to a wide range of imine derivatives. Transformations of the thus-obtained adducts into known natural products or molecules of pharmaceutical importance serve to confirm their synthetic usefulness.

A chiral rhodium(I)-diene catalyst enabled the one-step synthesis of β-aryl β-imido sulfones under mild reaction conditions. By selection of the chiral diene ligand L1a or L2, each enantiomer of the chiral β-aryl β-imido sulfone target can be accessed with high stereoselectivity. Demonstration of the scope of the reaction, which includes the synthesis of an N-protected chiral β-amino β-phenyl sulfone, culminated with the efficient synthesis of the heteroatom-rich active pharmaceutical ingredient apremilast.

The 1-aryl tetrahydroisoquinolines (1-aryl THIQs) are omnipresent in biologically active molecules. Here we report on the direct asymmetric synthesis of these valuable compounds via the reaction of 3,4-dihydroisoquinolinium tetraarylborates. The dual roles of anionic tetraarylborates, which function as both prenucleophiles and stabilizers of 3,4-dihydroisoquinolinium cations, enable this rhodium(I)-catalyzed protocol to convergently provide enantioenriched 1-aryl THIQs in good yields (≤95%) with ≤97% ee, as demonstrated by the formal synthesis of (-)-solifenacin and the facile synthesis of (-)-Cryptostyline I.

Reported herein is a method for the efficient syntheses of optically active 1-alkyl homoallylic amines in yields up to 95%, 13.5:1 dr, and 98% ee under mild, aqueous reaction conditions, via the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric allylation of aliphatic aldimines. This method provides a streamlined synthetic platform for the preparation of indolizidine and piperidine alkaloids, thus demonstrating its usefulness.

The unprecedented development of asymmetric Rh-catalyzed 1,2-allylation of N-Ts- and N-Ns-aldimines is achieved. This protocol utilizes potassium allyltrifluoroborates and various aldimines to generate enantioenriched homoallylic amines in the presence of 3.0 mol % of Rh(I)/L1b catalyst with up to 90% yield, 98% ee (R = H), and 10:1 diastereoselectivity (R = Me or Ph), yielding the same major diastereomer when using potassium (E)- and (Z)-crotyltrifluoroborate. Its synthetic utility is also illustrated in the total synthesis of (−)-crispine A.