The preparation and utility of bis(sulfinyl)imidoamidine ligands for the copper-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction.

The design and preparation of a novel class of ligands based on the sulfinyl imine functionality is described. In particular, an efficient and modular synthesis of bis(sulfinyl)imidoamidine (siam) ligands is reported. The versatility of the synthetic sequence is demonstrated by the preparation of various analogues to explore the effect of substitution about the ligand framework on catalytic activity. The utility of the siam ligands in asymmetric catalysis is demonstrated in the Cu(II)-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction where highly enantio- and diastereoselective reactions are reported for a range of N-acyloxazolidinone dienophile and diene substrate combinations. Of particular note is the efficiency of these asymmetric catalysts for reactions involving challenging and relatively unreactive acyclic diene substrates. Finally, structural data are provided for several ligands as well as metal-ligand complexes.