Tetrathiaheterohelicene phosphanes as helical-shaped chiral ligands for catalysis

Tetrathia[7]helicene-based phosphanes thiaheliphos (2a), nPr-thiaheliphos (2b) and di-nPr-thiaheliphos (2c) have been prepared from the 2,13-dilithio derivatives of thiahelicenes 1a–c by reaction with an excess of Ph2PCl. Protection of the air-sensitive products as BH3 adducts, from which the phosphanes 2a–c are easily regenerated on heating with ethanol, is described. New rhodium(I) complexes 8 and 9 were obtained by reaction of 2c with [Rh(COD)2]+[BF4]– and [BARF]–, respectively, which were converted by oxidation into the chelating phosphane–phosphane oxide RhI complexes 10 and 11. The monophosphane 5 was similarly prepared, andreaction of the dilithio species with ClP(O)(OEt)2 gave the diphosphonate 17, which was characterized by X-ray crystallography. Comparison of data from DFT calculations (B3LYP/SVP) on 2c, 8 and 10 and X-ray data for 17 reveals a strong tension within the thiaheliphos ligands that is partially relaxed by increasing the Rh–P distances and the bite angle of the chelating ligand. Compound (P)-(+)-1c, obtained by chromatographic resolution, was transformed into optically pure (P)-(+)-2c, which was used in the asymmetric hydrogenation of itaconic acid ester and methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate (product ees up to 40%).