Palladium-promoted asymmetric cycloaddition reaction of arsole via an unusual exo–endo stereochemically controlled method

Asymmetric cycloaddition reaction between 3,4-dimethyl-1-phenylarsole and ethyl vinyl ketone was promoted by the palladium complex containing ortho-metalated (S)-[1-(dimethylamino)ethyl]naphthalene as the chiral auxiliary. The keto group in the resulting arsanorbornene cycloadducts could be located stereospecifically in the endo or exo position by controlling the electronic properties of the organopalladium promoter. In the intermolecular cycloaddition reaction, a pair of separable diastereomeric palladium complexes was obtained in the ratio of 2:1. In the intramolecular process, however, only one As–O bidentate arsanorbornene palladium complex was produced stereoselectively. The arsenic-elimination reaction was readily observed on the corresponding endo- and exo-ketoarsine ligands. The absolute configuration and the coordination property of the enantiomerically pure endo-cycloadduct had been established by single-crystal X-ray analysis.