Iridium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Allylic Alkylation using Chiral Phosphoramidite Ligand Bearing an Amide Moiety

New chiral phosphoramidites with an amide moiety were used for iridium‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions. The best results were obtained with a ligand bearing an oxazolidinone moiety. The reaction of cinnamyl acetate with diethyl sodiomalonate without the use of lithium chloride gave the branched product with 94% ee.     

One‐Pot Palladium‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Selectively Substituted Phenanthridines by Sequential Aryl‐Aryl and Heck Couplings,Aza‐Michael and Retro‐Mannich Reactions

A catalytic synthesis of selectively substituted phenanthridines is achieved through a reaction sequence involving palladium/norbornene‐catalyzed unsymmetrical aryl‐aryl and Heck couplings followed by aza‐Michael and retro‐Mannich reactions. In spite of the many steps involved the method is very simple and allows the formation of selectively substituted phenanthridines under mild conditions in a straightforward one‐pot reaction starting from readily available aryl iodides and bromides.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Cascade Reactions of Substituted 4‐Iodopyrazolecarbaldehydes with 1,2‐Phenylenediamines and 2‐Aminophenols

A new approach for the synthesis of novel annulated‐pyrazoles is presented. This protocol includes an intermolecular condensation followed by a copper‐mediated intramolecular C N or C O coupling reaction. The method is applied to a range of substituted 4‐iodopyrazolecarbaldehydes which react with 1,2‐phenylenediamines or 2‐aminophenols to yield substituted 2,4‐ or 1,4‐dihydrobenzo[b]pyrazolo[4,3‐e][1,4]diazepines or substituted‐2H‐ or 1H‐benzo[b]pyrazolo[3,4‐f][1,4]oxazepines, respectively.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Coupling of Indoles with Dimethylformamide as a Methylenating Reagent

By using N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) as a methylenating reagent, the copper‐catalyzed C H activation of indole was demonstrated as an efficient and facile protocol for synthesizing 3,3′‐diindolylmethane (DIM) and its derivatives. The results indicate that copper chloride was the best catalyst among the investigated transition metal salts, which affords an excellent regioselectivity and good yield when tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) was used as an oxidant.

     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Highly Selective Hydrovinylation of α‐Ketals of Vinylarenes

A nickel‐catalyzed hydrovinylation of α‐ketal derivatives of vinylarenes has been developed, providing a new method for preparing functional olefins with a quarternary carbon center in high yields and selectivities.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of Allylamine Derivatives by Iodine‐ Catalyzed Three‐Component Reaction of N‐Heterocycles,Paraformaldehyde and Styrenes

The molecular iodine‐catalyzed three‐component reaction of amides or amide derivatives, paraformaldehyde and styrenes allows for the clean generation of allylamine derivatives in good yields and high regioselectivities. The reaction, forming water as the sole co‐product, is an experimentally easy to conduct transformation in the absence of transition metals under mild conditions.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed and Hybrid Acids‐Assisted Synthesis of [60]Fulleroazepines in One Pot under Mild Conditions: Annulation of N‐Sulfonyl‐2‐aminobiaryls with [60]Fullerene through Sequential C‐H Bond Activation,C‐C and C‐N Bond Formation

An extraordinarily efficient hybrid acids‐assisted, palladium‐catalyzed and chelating‐group‐assisted C H bond activation of N‐sulfonyl‐2‐aminobiaryls and their annulations with [60]fullerene via sequential C C and C N bond formation at room temperature to afford [60]fulleroazepines is demonstrated. The formation of [60]fulleroazepines is highly regioselective and tolerant to both electron‐withdrawing and electron‐donating groups on the aryl moiety and the reaction gives monofunctionalized fullerenes in good yields (up to 54% isolated yield and 92% based on converted C₆₀).     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Selectively Substituted Phenanthridine Derivatives

Selectively substituted phenanthridine derivatives are obtained by a facile reaction of o‐alkylated aryl iodides, o‐bromoarenesulfonylanilines and activated olefins in the presence of palladium and norbornene as catalysts. The reaction takes place under mild conditions to give the products in satisfactory yields using readily available starting materials.     

Microwave‐Assisted Fast Cyclohexane Oxygenation Catalyzed by Iron‐Substituted Polyoxotungstates

Under microwave irradiation, iron‐substituted polyoxotungstates (Fe‐POMs) catalyze cyclohexane oxygenation to A/K oil with 90–95% selectivity, unmatched turnover frequencies (40–400 h⁻¹), and multi‐turnover regime (>1000 TON). Such a rapid reaction protocol allowed the screening of so‐called inorganic Fe‐synzymes with 1–4 nuclearity, including a family of Krebs‐type isostructural complexes. Product distribution, kinetic analysis, mechanistic probes and fitting calculations, are consistent with a radical chain oxidation propagated by Fe‐catalysed decomposition of organic peroxides which ultimately depends on the redox‐properties and structural arrangement of the iron moiety within the POM cage.     

Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Indole Derivatives From Pyrimidyl‐Substituted Anilines and Diazo Compounds

An efficient method for the synthesis of indole derivatives from readily available pyrimidyl‐substituted anilines and diazo compounds via rhodium(III)‐catalyzed C H bond activation has been developed. This cyclization reaction displays excellent functional group compatibility and regioselectivity, which overcomes some drawbacks of the classical indole synthetic methods and provides a facile approach for the construction of multi‐substituted indole derivatives. The redox‐neutral intermolecular annulation procedure comprises tandem C H bond activation, cyclization, and condensation steps, releasing water and nitrogen as by‐products.

     

2‐Aminopyridines as an α‐Bromination Shuttle in a Transition Metal‐Free One‐Pot Synthesis of Imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines

A wide range of imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines are accessible from cheap and readily available 2‐aminopyridines and 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds using a unique CBrCl₃/2‐aminopyridine system for bromination at the α‐carbon. 2‐Aminopyridine is not only the substrate but also acts as a bromination shuttle, transferring the bromine atom from CBrCl₃ to the α‐carbon of the 1,3‐dicarbonyl. The reaction mechanism involves a series of reversible steps, including an addition reaction with cyclic transition state, to form a bromo‐hemiaminal intermediate. Isolated yields of up to 97% were obtained under mild conditions and at short reaction times in this transition metal‐free, one‐pot synthesis.

     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Direct Arylations of 1,2,3‐Triazoles with Aryl Chlorides using Conventional Heating

Generally applicable, palladium‐catalyzed direct arylations of 1,2,3‐triazoles with aryl chlorides were accomplished through conventional heating at reaction temperatures of 105–120 °C. Thereby, intra‐ and intermolecular C H bond functionalizations were achieved with a variety of differently substituted chlorides as electrophiles, bearing numerous valuable functional groups.     

Recent Applications of Palladium‐Catalyzed Coupling Reactions in the Pharmaceutical,Agrochemical, and Fine Chemical Industries

Palladium‐catalyzed coupling reactions have become a central tool for the synthesis of biologically active compounds both in academia and industry. Most of these transformations make use of easily available substrates and allow for a shorter and more selective preparation of substituted arenes and heteroarenes compared to non‐catalytic pathways. Notably, molecular‐defined palladium catalysts offer high chemoselectivity and broad functional group tolerance. Considering these advantages, it is not surprising that several palladium‐catalyzed coupling reactions have been implemented in the last decade into the industrial manufacture of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. In this review different examples from 2001–2008 are highlighted, which have been performed at least on a kilogram scale in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.     

A Novel Rhodium‐Catalyzed Cascade Cyclization: Direct Synthesis of 3‐Substituted Phthalides from Aldehydes and Aromatic Acids

A novel rhodium(III)‐catalyzed direct functionalization of ortho C H bonds of benzoic acid derivatives and an intramolecular cyclization sequence generates 3‐substituted phthalides in moderate to good yields. This cascade cyclization involves a Grignard‐type arylation of an aldehyde and subsequent intramolecular nucleophilic substitution. No theoretical waste except for water is generated in the reaction.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Dienylation of Haloalkynes using 2,3‐Butadienyl Acetates: A Facile Access to (1Z)‐1,2‐Dihalo‐ 3‐vinyl‐1,3‐dienes

A highly efficient and stereoselective method for the synthesis of (1Z)‐1,2‐dihalo‐3‐vinyl‐1,3‐dienes featuring palladium‐catalyzed coupling of haloalkynes and 2,3‐butadienyl acetates was developed. The resulting products were smoothly converted into cis‐1,2‐dihalostyrene derivatives using the Diels–Alder/aromatization sequence.     

Vinylogous Mannich‐Type Reaction Catalyzed by an Iodine‐Substituted Chiral Phosphoric Acid

2‐Trimethylsiloxyfuran underwent a vinylogous Mannich‐type reaction with aldimines under the action of a new chiral phosphoric acid, bearing iodine on the 6,6′‐positions of the binaphthyl group, as a chiral Brønsted acid to give γ‐butenolide derivatives bearing an amino functionality with high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivity.     

Intermolecular versus Intramolecular Palladium‐Catalyzed Direct Arylations between 1‐(2‐Bromobenzyl)imidazoles and Aryl Bromides

Herein, we report on the sequential palladium‐catalyzed intermolecular followed by intramolecular direct arylations of 1‐(2‐bromobenzyl)imidazoles. We found that, in the presence of 1 mol% palladium acetate and potassium acetate as base, the intermolecular reaction between 1‐(2‐bromobenzyl)imidazole derivatives and electron‐deficient aryl bromides proceeded faster than the intramolecular reaction, allowing us to prepare medium‐size polycyclic imidazoles after a second Pd‐catalyzed intramolecular arylation. These iterative direct arylations allowed the synthesis of fused nitrogen‐containing heterocycles with a 5‐ or 7‐membered‐ring in only two steps. Some reactions have also been performed as a one‐pot procedure using 2 mol% of palladium acetate in the presence of a larger amount of base (3 equiv.).

     

Synthesis of Isoquinoline Derivatives through Rhodium(III)‐ Catalyzed Reactions of Benzylamines with Non‐Terminal Alkynes

A new rhodium(III)‐catalyzed N‐annulation reaction of benzylamines with internal alkynes has been developed. Observations made during these efforts suggest that the mechanistic pathway followed in this process involves direct participation of benzylamines without their preliminary oxidative dehydrogenation. Moreover, N‐annulation reactions of primary benzylamines result in the formation of mixtures of isoquinolines and 8‐vinylisoquinolines. Finally, secondary and tertiary benzylamines undergo rhodium(III)‐catalyzed N‐annulation reactions to generate the respective isoquinolinium and hydroisoquinolinium salt products.

     

Copper‐Catalyzed Selective Oxidative Acylation of Secondary Anilines with Ethyl Glyoxalate: Domino Synthesis of Indoline‐2,3‐diones

A novel, easy and useful copper‐catalyzed selective acylation of secondary anilines with ethyl glyoxalate has been developed, and the corresponding indoline‐2,3‐dione derivatives were prepared. The procedure comprises the sequential intermolecular copper‐catalyzed selective oxidative ortho‐site aromatic acylation of the NH group in secondary anilines and intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the NH group to the ester. The inexpensive, easy and efficient method should provide a new strategy for synthesis of dicarbonyl compounds.