Hydrogenation of 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione over Pt catalysts modified by cinchona alkaloid O-ethers and the kinetic resolution of the 1-hydroxyketones generated

Nine cinchona alkaloid O-ethers together with cinchonidine and cinchonine were studied as chiral modifiers in the enantioselective hydrogenation of 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione over Pt/Al2O3. The influence of the O-substituent on the reaction rate, selectivity and product distribution was investigated. Apparent rate constants for all hydrogenation steps were calculated using a first-order kinetic approach resulting in a good agreement between the experimentally recorded and predicted concentrations. The experimentally observed structure–selectivity effects indicate that the mechanisms of enantiodifferentiation over the catalyst modified by parent cinchona alkaloids and their ether derivatives differ from each other. Moreover, the modifier structure–selectivity dependence and the solvent effect were different for enantio- and diastereoselection in the 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione and 1-hydroxyketone hydrogenations. Correlation between the modifier substituent bulkiness and diastereoselectivity of the 1-hydroxyketone hydrogenation was observed. Data on the inversion of enantioselectivity of 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione hydrogenation, diastereoselectivity and the sense of kinetic resolution of the 1-hydroxyketones were presented. Due to the complexity of the reaction network, several competing mechanistic pathways may be present in a single reaction system.