Chiral porphyrin complexes of cobalt(II) and ruthenium(II) in catalytic cyclopropanation and amination reactions

We report here the syntheses of two new metal complexes (M = Co, 2; M = Ru, 3) of the chiral porphyrin TmyrtP (1) (TmyrtP = dianion of the meso-tetrakis[(1R)-apopinen-2-yl]porphyrin). Both complexes exist as a mixture of atropisomers. Complexes 2 and 3 activate aromatic azides for the amination under mild conditions of unsaturated hydrocarbons. Even though the observed ee values are low, this is the first asymmetric transfer of the nitrene residue of aryl azides to a prochiral olefin catalyzed by a transition metal complex to be reported in the literature. Complex 3 also showed a good catalytic activity in cyclopropanation reactions with ethyldiazoacetate even at low temperatures (−30 °C) but a poor diastereo- and enantioselectivity were observed.