Palladium-catalyzed phosphination and amination through C[sbnd]H bond functionalization on biphenyl: Amido-substituent as directing group

Abstract

The formation of N-(2'-(diphenylphosphoryl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-yl)-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzamide (3_eaaa) has been achieved through the palladium-catalyzed and Ag(I)-assisted CH functionalization of N-([1,1′-biphenyl]-2-yl)-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzamide (1_eaa) via phosphination and in the presence of diphenylphosphine oxide (2_a). The reaction was accompanied with small amount of carbazole derivative, (9H-carbazol-9-yl)(perfluorophenyl)methanone (4_eaa). Crystal structures of 3_eaaa and 4_eaa were both determined by X-ray crystal diffraction methods. Indeed, phosphination took place at the ortho-position of inter-annular ring of 1_eaa. Substituents with various electron-withdrawing/donating capacities on the amido-fragment of 1 were found to greatly affect the ratio distribution of products 3 and 4. By contrast, substituents on various locations of the biphenyl in 1 do not influence much on the outcome of the products distribution. A reaction mechanism is proposed to account for these experimental observations. Computational studies employing Density Functional Theory methods (DFT) on this proposed mechanism found that the electron density property of the palladium metal center in the intermediate II is critical to the formation of either 3 or 4. A relatively electron-poor palladium metal center favors the pathway of forming 3. On the contrary, the pathway of producing 4 will be prevailed while the palladium metal center is having fair amount of electron-density in the proposed intermediate II.