A class of bipyridyl alcohol ligands has been developed. A catalyst synthesized using a chromium(II)‐ligand promotes the enantioselective Nozaki–Hiyama–Kishi (NHK) allylation of aldehydes and ketones with allylic halides. The allylation of various aromatic, α,β‐unsaturated, and aliphatic aldehydes and ketones produces the desired homoallylic alcohols in satisfactory yields (up to 98%) and high enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). The present method can be applied widely and affords an efficient means of obtaining chiral homoallylic alcohols.
A direct enantioselective reaction of cyclopent‐2‐enone‐derived Morita–Baylis–Hillman alcohols with 4‐hydroxycoumarins has been developed under the catalysis of a chiral primary amine derived from cinchonine in combination with a Brønsted acid. The reaction provides pyranocoumarin products with three vicinal chiral carbon centers in highly regio‐, diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities through a tandem allylic alkylation/intramolecular oxa‐Michael addition.
A simple but efficient organocatalytic system with 5 mol% tetra‐n‐butylammonium bromide (TBAB) as the catalyst has been identified for alcohol oxidation for the first time. This organocatalytic system is compatible with a broad range of benzylic/allylic alcohols with various catalytically reactive groups. Besides, it shows excellent selectivity for secondary benzylic alcohols over aliphatic alcohols, and good selectivity over the primary benzylic alcohol site in 4‐(1‐hydroxyethyl)benzyl alcohol. Thus, the features of simplicity, high efficiency, selectivity and mildness of reaction conditions associated with this TBAB organocatalytic system suggest its potential for widespread use in synthetic chemistry.
A novel method for the synthesis of 3‐iodoquinolines was developed by copper‐catalyzed tandem annulation from diaryliodoniums, nitriles, and 1‐iodoalkynes. It is a method that is characterized by the most convenient operation and wide molecular diversity.
Palladium catalyzed conversion of 1‐(2‐aminophenyl)‐propargyl alcohols to 3‐alkynyl quinolines is realized via a cascade that involves aminopalladation, oxidative coupling with alkynes and dehydration. The method is shown to have a broad substrate scope with respect to propargyl alcohols as well as alkynes. Vinyl ketones as coupling partners in the same reaction afforded 3‐alkenyl quinolines with equal ease.
A metal‐free oxidative decarbonylative coupling of aliphatic aldehydes with various electron‐deficient heterocycles has been developed. This reaction is supposed to be realized via a Minisci‐type mechanism, based on the substrate scope, regioselectivity and radical trapping experiments. The ready availability of aliphatic aldehydes, metal‐free conditions and broad substrate scope should make this method attractive for the late‐stage alkylation of bioactive heterocycles.
We describe here a convenient and mild, carbon monoxide gas‐free palladium‐catalyzed procedure to obtain N‐substituted phthalimides with molybdenum hexacarbonyl as carbon monoxide precursor. These conditions tolerate a number of functional groups on the benzene ring as well as a number of amines and give the corresponding phthalimides in good to excellent yields.
The first successful gold(I)‐catalyzed reaction of aryl aldehydes with trimethyl(arylethynyl)silanes to furnish bis‐alkynylated derivatives is reported. Key C C bond‐forming events involved in the catalytic cycle are analyzed.
A novel, highly versatile and efficient method has been developed for the Barbier–Grignard‐type arylation of ketones and an unexpected cross‐coupling of phenolic ketones was observed using unactivated bromides and magnesium in tetrahydrofuran/toluene at 96 °C promoted by multicatalysts of cupric bromide (15 mol%), bismuth chloride (5 mol%) and silver bromide (10 mol%). The substituent and electronic effects on the reaction have been discussed. High yields of arylation and cross‐coupling have been attained under mild conditions. A novel reasonable mechanism involving a quinone intermediate is proposed. The high chemical selectivity in the cross‐coupling to the hydroxy group of phenolic ketones should help ketones find new applications.
Phosphonium salts are widely used in organic synthesis as the precursor of Wittig reagents but highly functionalized phosphonium salts are not readily available. We have developed a sequence of propargyl–allenyl isomerizations and electrocyclizations for the functionalization of phosphonium salts via simple starting materials, which may provide an efficient one‐pot synthesis of polysubstituted vinylbenzenes and naphthalenes.
A sequential benzoin/Michael/acetalization tandem reaction catalyzed by NHC and amine together has been developed to assemble aromatic aldehydes and enals into chiral tetrahydrofuran derivatives bearing multiple functional groups and stereogenic centers with high stereoselectivity of up to 95:5 dr and 96% ee. The high yield and stereocontrol of this process may be due to both acid‐promoted symmetrization of racemic acyloins and iminium ion activation of enals.
α‐Allenols were catalytically transformed into dihydrofurans in the presence of platinum dichloride. Notably, using platinum dichloride along with silver triflate as the catalytic system, α,β‐unsaturated ketones were obtained. Therefore, the role of the silver salt may not just consist in the activation of the platinum precatalyst.
