title: Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of chiral phthalides by efficient reductive cyclization of 2-acylarylcarboxylates under aqueous transfer hydrogenation conditions.
abstract: A new diamine ligand for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) was discovered. The reductive cyclization of 2-acylarylcarboxylates was found to proceed highly stereoselectively by the new Ru complex-catalyzed ATH and subsequent in situ lactonization under aqueous conditions. It enables efficient access to a wide variety of 3-substituted phthalides in enantiomerically pure form.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry of Natural Substances, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ming-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Guo-Qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001572:Benzofurans / Q000737:chemistry*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D003500:Cyclization; D003959:Diamines / Q000737:chemistry; D006865:Hydrogenation; D008024:Ligands; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D003959:Diamines; D008024:Ligands; D014867:Water; D012428:Ruthenium; C082022:phthalide