Investigations of the asymmetric intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition and its application as a simple access to novel C-2-symmetric chelating bisphosphanes bearing a cyclobutane backbone

The asymmetric intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of alpha,beta-enoates was evaluated as a simple access to the novel Ct-symmetric bisphosphanes 22 and 27 possessing a cyclobutane backbone. A source of different chiral auxiliaries for investigations of the photochemical key step was provided by the transacetalization of dialkyl tartrates 3 with the corresponding 3,3-dialkoxybutan-2-ones 4. An insight into the selection mechanism was gained by temperature dependent measurements on the irradiation of the dicinnamates 10a-d, since the corresponding Eyring diagram discloses strictly linear functions as well as an isoselective relationship. Diol 8a turned out to be a structurally optimized auxiliary in terms of chiral induction and product crystallization and was also successfully applied in the first asymmetric photodimerization of 2-indenecarboxylic acid esters. Indeed, in this case excellent diastereoselectivities were achieved, too, but head-to-tail dimers 16a and 16b were formed predominantly. Diesters 11a and 16a were converted by standard procedures into the desired enantiopure 1,4-diphosphane 22 and 1,5-diphosphane 27. Furthermore, the hitherto unknown absolute configuration of delta-truxinic acid was elucidated from a single crystal X-ray structure analysis of 11a.