Chiral paddle-wheel diruthenium complexes for asymmetric catalysis

The development of robust and reactive chiral catalysts is a fundamental aim in asymmetric catalysis, and crucial for providing efficient methods for synthesizing chiral molecules. Chiral paddle-wheel bimetallic complexes provide a highly tunable chiral environment in rhodium-catalysed asymmetric carbene/nitrene transfer reactions and Lewis acid-catalysed reactions. Chiral paddle-wheel complexes having other transition metals as the reactive metal centre, however, have not yet been identified in asymmetric catalysis. Here, we report the synthesis, structures and high catalytic performances of chiral paddle-wheel diruthenium complexes. The cationic chiral diruthenium complex [Ru2((S)-BPTPI)4]+ exhibited remarkable reactivity as a Lewis acid catalyst for asymmetric hetero-Diels–Alder reactions, achieving a turnover number of up to 1,880,000 with high enantioselectivity (>90% e.e.). The chiral diruthenium complexes also exhibited good reactivity and high enantioselectivity in C–H amination and cyclopropanation reactions under oxidizing conditions, indicating their high tolerance towards oxidation. Our results reveal the chiral paddle-wheel diruthenium scaffold as a promising platform for asymmetric catalysis. The development of chiral catalysts is of fundamental importance in asymmetric catalysis. Now, chiral paddle-wheel diruthenium complexes are reported that are stable under oxidizing conditions and effective in asymmetric C–C and C–N bond-forming reactions with turnover numbers of up to 1,880,000.