Hemilabile and Redox-Active Quinone Ligands Unlock sp3-Rich Couplings in Nickel-Catalyzed Olefin Carbosulfenylation.

Abstract

A three-component coupling approach toward structurally complex dialkylsulfides is described via the nickel-catalyzed 1,2-carbosulfenylation of unactivated alkenes with organoboron nucleophiles and alkylsulfenamide (N-S) electrophiles. Efficient catalytic turnover is facilitated using a tailored N-S electrophile containing an N-methyl methanesulfonamide leaving group, allowing catalyst loadings as low as 1 mol%. Regioselectivity is controlled by a collection of monodentate, weakly coordinating native directing groups, including sulfonamides, amides, sulfinamides, phosphoramides, and carbamates. Key to the development of this transformation is the identification of quinones as a family of hemilabile and redox-active ligands that tune the steric and electron properties of the metal throughout the catalytic cycle. DFT calculations show that the duroquinone (DQ) ligand adopts different coordination modes in different stages of the Ni-catalyzed 1,2-carbosulfenylation-binding as an η6 capping ligand to stabilize the precatalyst/resting state and prevent catalyst decomposition, binding as an X-type redox-active durosemiquinone radical anion to promote alkene migratory insertion with a less distorted square planar Ni(II) center, while binding as an η1 L-type ligand to promote N-S oxidative addition at a relatively more electron-rich and sterically less crowded Ni(I) center.