A new protocol for the direct reductive cobalt‐catalyzed arylation of benzyl chlorides has been developed in order to form functionalized diarylmethanes. A variety of reactive groups either on the aryl or the benzyl halide was employed. This represents the first cobalt‐catalyzed reductive cross‐coupling which does not require any ligand and pyridine. A reaction pathway is proposed involving a radical benzyl species.
N‐Alkenylated triazolinone ylides were generated through copper‐catalyzed oxy‐N‐alkenylation of triazolopyridines. The mechanistic course of this aerobic tandem reaction has been experimentally elucidated and primary photophysical data of the ylide products are also given.
A copper‐catalyzed three‐component (arenes, iodohydrocarbon, and sulfur powder) synthesis of substituted aryl sulfides has been developed. Water is used as the green solvent in a simple and environmentally friendly procedure. Various functional groups attached to the substrates were well tolerated in this process to afford the corresponding products in moderate to good yields.
A facile method to synthesize 3‐halobenzo‐heterocyclic‐2‐carbonyl compounds is described. Mechanistic studies suggested that a halo‐cyclization process, which generated the unstable spiro‐acetal transition state and readily convertible to the corresponding carbonyl compound might be involved. Diverse 3‐halobenzo‐heterocyclic‐2‐carbonyl compounds could be synthesized with up to 95 % yield in mild conditions with inexpensive starting materials.
A highly enantioselective one‐pot synthesis of important building blocks, α‐chiral γ‐keto esters, has been developed by combining a quinine‐catalyzed Michael addition of malononitrile to trans‐enones followed by magnesium monoperoxyphthalate (MMPP) oxidation. These synthons proved to be useful reagents for a simple access to challenging cis‐α,γ‐disubstituted γ‐butyrolactones in good diastereoselectivity and high enantiocontrol.
We report here that a cobalt catalyst generated from a cobalt(II) salt and a ligand using magnesium metal is capable of promoting hydroarylation reactions through chelation‐assisted C−H activation. With the appropriate choice of the ligand and other reaction conditions, ketimine‐ or aldimine‐directed branched selective hydroarylations of styrenes and ketimine‐directed hydroarylations of vinylsilane have been achieved. The reported catalytic systems may serve as more convenient alternatives to previously developed catalytic systems employing Grignard reagents as reducing agents.
A robust method for the synthesis of benzo[c]isothiazole 2‐oxides has been developed providing a range of functionalized derivatives starting from anilines and DMSO. The reaction sequence can be performed on a gram scale and leads to products that can easily be modified by standard cross‐coupling reactions.
An asymmetric total synthesis of ent‐ancistrocladinium A was developed via chiral phosphoric acid‐catalyzed asymmetric reductive amination of 1‐aryl‐2‐propanone and naphthylamine followed by a Bischler–Napieralski reaction. Direct use of the naphthyl moiety in the amine as a key building block in the natural product allowed us to achieve the total synthesis of ancistrocladinium A in only three steps from the known starting materials.
An efficient multi‐enzyme cascade reaction for the synthesis of (R)‐ or (S)‐2‐hydroxybutyric acid [(R)‐ or (S)‐2‐HB] from l ‐threonine was developed by using recombinant Escherichia coli cells expressing separately or co‐expressing l ‐threonine deaminase from Escherichia coli K‐12 (ilvA), formate dehydrogenase (FDH) from Candida boidinii and l ‐lactate dehydrogenase (l ‐LDH) from Oryctolagus cuniculus or d ‐lactate dehydrogenase (d ‐LDH) from Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228. Up to 750 mM of l ‐threonine were completely transformed to (R)‐ or (S)‐2‐HB in optically pure form (>99% ee) with high isolated yields. This one‐pot multi‐enzyme transformation provides a new practical method for the synthesis of these important optically pure compounds.
The bis(N‐heterocyclic carbene)(diphenylacetylene)palladium complex [Pd(ITMe)2(PhC≡CPh)] (ITMe=1,3,4,5‐tetramethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene) acts as a highly active pre‐catalyst in the diboration and silaboration of azobenzenes to synthesize a series of novel functionalized hydrazines. The reactions proceed using commercially available diboranes and silaboranes under mild reaction conditions.
The improved synthesis of γ‐, δ‐ and ϵ‐lactones using a dinuclear N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐gold(I) catalyst is reported. This solvent‐free process provides access to γ‐ and δ‐lactones in high regio‐ and stereoselectivity. Reactions were performed at low catalyst loadings and without the need for any additives. The use of a digold pre‐catalyst provides a new synthetic route to functionalised ϵ‐lactones, poorly accessible using previous methodologies.
An efficient and easy method for C −C homocoupling was developed using cobalt bromide as catalyst. A series of functionalized alkyl bromides and alkyl chlorides were coupled in high yields under mild conditions. This reaction seems to involve a radical intermediate.
Catalyzed by a Cinchona‐based thiourea, the [3+2] cycloadditions of barbiturate‐based olefins with 3‐isothiocyanatooxindoles proceeded readily, and furnished dispirobarbiturates in excellent chemical yields with excellent diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities. The absolute configuration of dispirobarbiturates was firmly confirmed by an X‐ray single crystal structure analysis. A reaction mechanism was proposed to account for the enantioselective formation of dispirobarbiturates.
Cobalt‐catalyzed C−H amination of arenes with alkylamines by the assistance of 8‐aminoquinoline as auxiliary through sp2 C−H bond functionalization has been achieved. Attractive features of this protocol include the low loading of the cobalt catalyst and the readily available reagents.
A simple and practical method of fluoroalkylthiolation using fluoroalkylsulfonyl chlorides (RfSO2Cl, Rf=CF3, C4F9, C8F17, CF2H and CH2CF3) has been developed. These easy‐to‐handle reagents are powerful and can be used for electrophilic fluoroalkylthiolation of electron‐rich arenes and thiols using diethyl phosphite as reducing agent.
The sodium iodide/hydrogen peroxide‐mediated oxidation/lactonization of indolepropionic acids was achieved, affording the corresponding spirocyclic oxindole‐lactones in moderate to high yields. This metal‐free procedure features mild reaction conditions, non‐toxicity and easy handling, with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a clean oxidant.
We have developed a metal‐free, N‐iodosuccinimide (NIS)‐promoted, cascade strategy for the efficient synthesis of biologically important indeno[1,2‐c]pyrroles via a [3+2] annulation process of enamine‐alkynes. This methodology had shown a very broad scope for diversely functionalized enamines and alkynes. We have also developed a one‐pot, multicomponent strategy for the direct synthesis of indeno‐pyrroles from diynones via enamine‐alkynes. Control experiments supported the involvement of NIS as an electrophilic activator via an ionic mechanism rather than a radical pathway.
A natural quinine‐catalyzed, efficient and practical asymmetric α‐hydroxylation of 4‐substituted pyrazolones has been developed, delivering a broad spectrum of pyrazolones bearing an oxygen‐attached carbon stereocenter at C‐4 in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities. The broad substrate scope, ready availability of the catalyst, ease of operation, and valuable transformation of the product highlight the practical utility of this process.
A palladium‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of activated amides with arylboronic acids has been developed via C–N bond cleavage. This approach demonstrated high tolerance to a variety of alkyl, aryl, heterocyclic and vinyl substituents. Unsymmetrical ketones could be achieved in excellent yield under mild conditions with 1% catalyst loadings.
