DFT insight into asymmetric alkyl-alkyl bond formation via nickel-catalysed enantioconvergent reductive coupling of racemic electrophiles with olefins

A DFT study has been conducted to understand the asymmetric alkyl-alkyl bond formation through nickel-catalysed reductive coupling of racemic alkyl bromide with olefin in the presence of hydrosilane and K3PO4. The key findings of the study include: (i) under the reductive experimental conditions, the Ni(ii) precursor is easily activated/reduced to Ni(0) species which can serve as an active species to start a Ni(0)/Ni(ii) catalytic cycle. (ii) Alternatively, the reaction may proceed via a Ni(i)/Ni(ii)/Ni(iii) catalytic cycle starting with a Ni(i) species such as Ni(i)-Br. The generation of a Ni(i) active species via comproportionation of Ni(ii) and Ni(0) species is highly unlikely, because the necessary Ni(0) species is strongly stabilized by olefin. Alternatively, a cage effect enabled generation of a Ni(i) active catalyst from the Ni(ii) species involved in the Ni(0)/Ni(ii) cycle was proposed to be a viable mechanism. (iii) In both catalytic cycles, K3PO4 greatly facilitates the hydrosilane hydride transfer for reducing olefin to an alkyl coupling partner. The reduction proceeds by converting a Ni-Br bond to a Ni-H bond via hydrosilane hydride transfer to a Ni-alkyl bond via olefin insertion. On the basis of two catalytic cycles, the origins for enantioconvergence and enantioselectivity control were discussed.