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.     

Highly Enantioselective Copper‐Phosphoramidite‐Catalyzed Conjugate Addition of Dialkylzinc Reagents to Acyclic α,β‐Unsaturated Imides

A new and practical way to introduce an alkyl fragment in the β‐position of aliphatic carboxylic acid derivatives with high enantioselectivities by the use of a commercially available chiral ligand is reported. N‐Acylpyrrolidinones, as simple derivatives of an α,β‐unsaturated carboxylic acid, were found to be the substrates of choice featuring good reactivity and high enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee).     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Coupling of Fluoroarenes and Amines

The combination of bis(cyclooctadiene)nickel [Ni(COD)₂] and 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene hydrochloride (IPr⋅HCl) effectively catalyzes coupling of fluoroarenes with amines in the presence of sodium tert‐butoxide (t‐BuONa). Activated, unactivated and deactivated fluoroarenes as well as fluoropyridines can react with cyclic or acyclic aliphatic amines. The reactions tolerate various functional groups in the fluorides including PhC(O), C(O)NEt₂, CF₃, OMe and vinyl groups.

     

Ligand Control in Enantioselective Desymmetrization of Bicyclic Hydrazines: Rhodium(I)‐Catalyzed Ring‐Opening versus Hydroarylation

The efficient desymmetrization of 2,3‐bicyclic hydrazines with boronic acids through rhodium‐catalyzed ring‐opening or reductive arylation is described. Excellent levels of enantioselectivity are achieved in ring‐opening with ortho‐substituted boronic acids, using Josiphos‐type ligands. Alternatively, reductive arylation occurs selectively with electron‐poor Josiphos and Walphos ligands. A C H activation/1,4‐migration mechanism was established through deuterium transfer experiments.     

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.     

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.     

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.

     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Selective Synthesis of 4‐Substituted Benzofurans and Indoles via Directed Cyclodehydration

A directed cyclization‐dehydration cascade of α‐aryloxy ketones and α‐arylamino ketones was efficiently catalyzed by a cationic iridium‐BINAP complex, which afforded various types of 4‐substituted benzofurans and indoles in high yields with complete regioselectivity. The newly developed protocol also enabled the enantioselective preparation of chiral 4‐acetyloxindole using a chiral iridium catalyst.     

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.     

Aerobic Ligand‐Free Suzuki Coupling Reaction of Aryl Chlorides Catalyzed by In Situ Generated Palladium Nanoparticles at Room Temperature

An aerobic, ligand‐free Suzuki coupling reaction catalyzed by in situ generated palladium nanoparticles in polyethylene glycol with an average molecular weight of 400 Da (PEG‐400) at room temperature has been developed. This catalytic system is a very simple and highly active protocol for the Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides with arylboronic acids, which proceed smoothly in excellent yields in short times using low catalyst loadings. Control experiments demonstrated that the Suzuki reaction catalyzed by the in situ generated palladium nanoparticles can be carried out much quicker than that using the preprepared particles under the same conditions. The formation of palladium nanoparticles in PEG‐400 was promoted by arylboronic acids.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling of a Tertiary Iodocyclopropane with Wide Boronic Acid Substrate Scope: Coupling Reaction Outcome Depends on Radical Species Stability

We describe a nickel‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura arylation of a tertiary iodocyclopropane with arylboronic acids; this is an efficient and convergent strategy for providing various enantioenriched arylcyclopropanes with a quaternary stereogenic center. This is the first metal‐catalyzed coupling between a tertiary alkyl electrophile and a wide range of aromatics, including heteroaromatics. We found that the outcome of the Ni‐catalyzed coupling with halides as electrophiles was dependent on the stability of the radical species formed during the reaction. The use of tert‐butyl alcohol (t‐BuOH) as the reaction solvent was very effective, because of its stability under the radical‐generating reaction 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).     

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.     

Mechanistic Studies on the Palladium‐Catalyzed Direct C‐5 Arylation of Imidazoles: The Fundamental Role of the Azole as a Ligand for Palladium

An in‐depth mechanistic study on the palladium‐catalyzed direct arylation of imidazoles at the C‐5 position is presented. The interactions of triphenylphosphine (PPh₃)‐ligated aryl‐Pd species with 1,2‐dimethyl‐1H‐imidazole (dmim) have been studied in detail. In contrast with previous suggestions, phosphine‐ligated organo‐Pd species are not active and the reaction proceeds through imidazole‐ligated organo‐Pd intermediates. The kinetics of the oxidative addition of aryl halides with dmim‐ligated Pd(0) species have been characterized in a Pd(dba)₂/dmim model system. A thorough study of the equilibria involving novel [ArPd(dmim)₂X] complexes (X=I, OAc) and the unexpected cationic [ArPd(dmim)₃]⁺ is also reported. The ability of these species to effect the C H arylation of dmim at room temperature in the presence of acetate is also demonstrated.

     

An Unprecedented Rhodium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Intermolecular Hydroacylation Reaction with Salicylaldehydes

An unprecedented enantio‐ and diastereoselective rhodium‐catalyzed intermolecular hydroacylation reaction of salicylaldehydes with norbornenes is reported in which the corresponding aryl ketones are obtained in high diastereomeric and moderate enantiomeric excesses. It was found that monodentate phosphoramidite ligands gave rise to endo products, while bidentate phosphine ligands catalyzed the reaction to form exo products predominantly.     

Modular Furanoside Diphosphite Ligands for Pd‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Substitution Reactions: Scope and Limitations

We have synthesized a library of furanoside diphosphite ligands for the Pd‐catalyzed allylic substitution reactions of acyclic and cyclic allylic esters. The library has been designed to rapidly screen the ligands to uncover their important structural features and to determine the scope of diphosphite ligands in these catalytic reactions. After the systematic variation of the sugar backbone, the substituent at C‐5 and the phosphite moieties, the diphosphite ligand 4c was found to be optimal in the Pd‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution of hindered ( S1 ) and unhindered ( S2 – S5 ) substrates, yielding high activities [TOFs up to >3000 mol×(mol×h)⁻¹] and enantioselectivities (ees up to 99%). In addition, the screening of the library enabled us to find other suitable ligands for hindered disubstituted linear substrate S1 (ligands 1b – d, g and 4b, d, g ) and for unhindered cyclic substrates S3 – S5 ( ligands 6c and 7c ).     

Sulfonic Acid‐Catalyzed Autoxidative Carbon‐Carbon Coupling Reaction under Elevated Partial Pressure of Oxygen

An aerobic organocatalytic oxidative C C bond formation reaction of benzylic C H bonds with various C‐nucleophiles is described. The coupling reaction proceeds by simply stirring the substrates under elevated partial pressure of oxygen in the presence of a sulfonic acid catalyst at room temperature. Elevation of the pressure enables the reaction of a broad scope of nucleophile substrates otherwise showing poor reactivity at ambient pressure. The benzylic C H bonds of xanthene, acridanes, isochromane and related heterocycles could be functionalized with nucleophiles including ketones, 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds and aldehydes. Electron‐rich arenes could be utilized as nucleophiles at elevated temperatures. The reactions are believed to proceed via autoxidation of the benzylic C H bonds to the hydroperoxides and subsequent nucleophilic substitution catalyzed by sulfonic acids.     

New Carbohydrate‐Based Phosphite‐Oxazoline Ligands as Highly Versatile Ligands for Palladium‐Catalyzed Allylic Substitution Reactions

We have designed and synthesized a new family of readily available phosphite‐oxazoline ligands for Pd‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions. These ligands can be tuned in two regions to explore their effect on catalytic performance. By carefully selecting the ligand components, we obtained high enantioselectivities in the Pd‐catalyzed allylic substitution in substrates with different steric properties     

Oxaphosphole‐Based Monophosphorus Ligands for Palladium‐Catalyzed Amination Reactions

A novel class of C‐2‐substituted oxaphosphole‐based monophosphines 1–4 has been synthesized. Palladium complexes derived from these ligands and their C‐2‐unsubstituted analogs provide general catalysts for amination reactions of challenging aryl and heteroaryl halides with sterically hindered anilines and alkylamines.