Diastereo- and Enantioselective Dearomatization of Rhenium-Bound Naphthalenes

Dihapto-coordinated naphthalene complexes of the form TpRe(CO)(L)(η2-naphthalene) (L = PMe3, pyridine, or 1-methylimidazole) undergo electrophilic addition with dimethoxymethane and with various Michael acceptors to generate 1H-naphthalenium species. These naphthalenium complexes undergo intra- or intermolecular nucleophilic addition reactions with stabilized enolates, silyl ketene acetals, or enols to form the corresponding dihydronaphthalene complexes. Oxidative decomplexation generates the free dihydronaphthalene. When a resolved form of the rhenium dearomatization agent is used, these reactions can be performed enantioselectively. DFT calculations provide a useful guide in explaining the observed stereochemistry. Depending on reaction conditions, a Michael−Michael ring-closure sequence (MIMIRC) or a net [2 + 4] cycloaddition with the bound naphthalene is also observed, and the corresponding tricyclic molecules can be removed from the metal in high yield.