Challenge In Synthetic Organic Chemistry Research Articles

Zirconium and hafnium catalyzed C–C single bond hydroboration

Selective cleavage and subsequent functionalization of C−C single bonds present a fundamental challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. Traditionally, the activation of C−C single bonds has been achieved using stoichiometric transition-metal complexes. Recently, examples of catalytic processes were developed in which use is made of precious metals. However, the use of inexpensive and Earth-abundant group IV metals for catalytic C−C single-bond cleavage is largely underdeveloped. Herein, the zirconium-catalyzed C−C single-bond cleavage and subsequent hydroboration reactions is realized using Cp2ZrCl2 as a catalytic system. A series of structures of various γ-boronated amines are readily obtained, which are otherwise difficult to obtain. Mechanistic studies disclose the formation of a N–ZrIV species, and then a β-carbon elimination route is responsible for C–C single bond activation. Besides zirconium, hafnium exhibits a similar performance for this transformation.

Ligand-Controlled Regiodivergent Nickel-Catalyzed Hydroaminoalkylation of Unactivated Alkenes.

Ligand modulation of transition-metal catalysts to achieve optimal reactivity and selectivity in alkene hydrofunctionalization is a fundamental challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. Hydroaminoalkylation, an atom-economical approach for alkylating amines using alkenes, is particularly significant for amine synthesis in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and fine chemical industries. However, the existing methods usually require specific substrate combinations to achieve precise regio- and stereoselectivity, which limits their practical utility. Protocols allowing for regiodivergent hydroaminoalkylation from the same starting materials, controlling both regiochemical and stereochemical outcomes, are currently absent. Herein, we report a ligand-controlled, regiodivergent nickel-catalyzed hydroaminoalkylation of unactivated alkenes with N-sulfonyl amines. The reaction initiates with amine dehydrogenation and involves aza-nickelacycle intermediates. Tritert-butylphosphine promotes branched regioselectivity and syn diastereoselectivity, whereas ethyldiphenylphosphine enables linear selectivity, yielding regioisomers with inverse orientation. Systematic evaluation of diverse monodentate phosphine ligands reveals distinct regioselectivity cliffs, and % Vbur (min), a ligand steric descriptor, was established as a predictive parameter correlating ligand structure to regioselectivity. Computational investigations supported experimental findings, offering mechanistic insights into the origins of regioselectivity. Our method provides an efficient and predictable route for amine synthesis, demonstrating broad substrate scope, excellent tolerance toward various functional groups, and practical advantages. These include the use of readily available starting materials and cost-effective nickel(II) salts as precatalysts.

Exploring the Glycosylation Reaction Inside the Resorcin[4]arene Capsule.

In the past decade, there has been an increased interest in applying supramolecular capsule and cage catalysis to the current challenges in synthetic organic chemistry. In this context, we recently reported the resorcin[4]arene capsule-catalyzed conversion of α-glycosyl halides into β-glycosides with high selectivity. Interestingly, this methodology enabled the formation of a wide range of β-pyranosides as well as β-furanosides, although these two donor classes exhibit different reactivities and usually require different reaction conditions and catalysts. Evidence was provided that a proton wire plays a key role in this reaction by enabling dual activation of the glycosyl donor and acceptor. Here, we describe a detailed investigation of several aspects of this reactivity. Besides a mechanistic study, we elucidated the size limitation, the origin of catalytic turnover, and the electrophile scope of nonglycosylic halides. Moreover, a screening of the sensitivity to changes in the reaction conditions provides guidelines to facilitate reproducibility. Furthermore, we demonstrate the compatibility with environmentally benign solvent alternatives, including the renewable solvent limonene.

A biocatalytic platform for asymmetric alkylation of α-keto acids by mining and engineering of methyltransferases

Catalytic asymmetric α-alkylation of carbonyl compounds represents a long-standing challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. Herein, we advance a dual biocatalytic platform for the efficient asymmetric alkylation of α-keto acids. First, guided by our recently obtained crystal structures, we develop SgvMVAV as a general biocatalyst for the enantioselective methylation, ethylation, allylation and propargylation of a range of α-keto acids with total turnover numbers (TTNs) up to 4,600. Second, we mine a family of bacterial HMTs from Pseudomonas species sharing less than 50% sequence identities with known HMTs and evaluated their activities in SAM regeneration. Our best performing HMT from P. aeruginosa, PaHMT, displays the highest SAM regeneration efficiencies (TTN up to 7,700) among HMTs characterized to date. Together, the synergistic use of SgvMVAV and PaHMT affords a fully biocatalytic protocol for asymmetric methylation featuring a record turnover efficiency, providing a solution to the notorious problem of asymmetric alkylation.

Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Three Chiral Oxazolidinones with Different Ring Conformations

The preparation of new, enantiomerically pure, α-amino acids from easily available starting materials is an ongoing challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. Here, we describe the syntheses and crystal structures of three chiral oxazolidinone derivatives prepared from L-alanine and pivalaldehyde to form a Schiff base intermediate and then reaction with the appropriate acid chloride to form the heterocycle. In each compound, the methyl and tert-butyl substituents lie to the same side of the molecule: these homochiral ‘cis’ structures were separated from their trans diastereomers by fractional crystallisation. The five-membered rings in these structures adopt various conformations including envelopes with either a C or O atom as the flap and twisted about a C–O bond. The extended structures of two of these compounds feature C(6) chains of molecules linked by C–H···O hydrogen bonds: one of these has a notably short H···O separation of 2.24 (3) Å.

Recent Developments in Nucleophilic Fluorination with Potassium Fluoride (KF): A Review

AbstractFluorinated compounds act as a link between synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry and compel researchers to explore modified and innovative methods for the syntheses of fluorinated motifs. The identification of reliable and efficient methods for the fluorination of organic moieties remains a major challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. Nucleophilic fluorination reactions using a combination of potassium fluoride (KF) and various catalysts or promoters emerged as a viable strategy and provided access to versatile organofluorine compounds. This review will emphasize recent advancements in nucleophilic fluorination reactions using KF: aliphatic nucleophilic fluorination, aromatic nucleophilic fluorination, and heteroatomic nucleophilic fluorination with ionic liquids, modified crown ethers, and transition metal‐catalysts in various protic and aprotic media.

Photobiocatalysis for Abiological Transformations.

Harnessing biocatalysts for novel abiological transformations is a longstanding goal of synthetic chemistry. Combining the merits of biocatalysis and photocatalysis allows for selective transformations fueled by visible light and offers many advantages including new reactivity, high enantioselectivity, greener syntheses, and high yields. Photoinduced electron or energy transfer enables synthetic methodologies that complement conventional two electron processes or offer orthogonal pathways for developing new reactions. Enzymes are well suited and can be tuned by directed evolution to exert control over open-shell intermediates, thereby suppressing undesirable reactions and delivering high chemo- and stereoselectivities. Within the past decade, the combination of biocatalysis and photocatalysis was mainly focused on exploiting light-regenerated cofactors to function native enzymatic activity. However, recent developments have demonstrated that the combination can unlock new-to-nature chemistry. Particularly, the discovery and application of new strategies are well poised to expand the applications of photobiocatalysis.In the past five years, our lab has been studying the combinations of photocatalysis and biocatalysis that can be applied to create new synthetic methodologies and solve challenges in synthetic organic chemistry. Our efforts have expanded the strategies for combining external photocatalysts with enzymes through the construction of a synergistic cooperative stereoconvergent reduction system consisting of photosensitized energy transfer and ene-reductase-catalyzed alkene reduction. Additionally, our efforts have also extended the capability of cofactor-dependent photoenzymatic systems to include enantioselective bimolecular radical hydroalkylations of alkenes by irradiating electron donor-acceptor complexes comprised of enzymatic redox active cofactors and unnatural substrates.In this Account, we highlight strategies developed by our group and others for combining biocatalysis and photocatalysis with the aim of introducing non-natural reactivity to enzymes. Presently, strategies applied to achieve this goal include the repurposing of natural photoenzymes, the elucidation of new photoreactivity within cofactor-dependent enzymes, the combination of external photocatalysts with enzymes, and the construction of artificial photoenzymes. By demonstrating the successful applications of these strategies for achieving selective new-to-nature transformations, we hope to spur interest in expanding the scope of photobiocatalytic systems through the use and extension of these strategies and creation of new strategies. Additionally, we hope to elucidate the intuition in synergizing the unique capabilities of biocatalysis and photocatalysis so that photobiocatalysis can be recognized as a potential solution to difficult challenges in synthetic organic chemistry.

Development of Novel Methodology Using Diazo Compounds and Metal Catalysts.

The ability to control the reactions of highly active chemical species to enable straightforward synthesis of valuable compounds such as bioactive natural products and pharmaceuticals is a continuing challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. This review describes the development of a methodology using reactive metal-carbene species and its synthetic application in our laboratory. First, regioselective synthesis of γ-amino acid equivalents to take advantage of their metal-dependent reactivities and the mechanistic rationale are presented. Chemoselective and enantioselective dearomatization reactions of several arenes with silver-carbene are also discussed. In the second half of the review, we discuss a carbene-insertion reaction into an amide and urea C-N bond for the assembly of nitrogen-bridged cyclic molecules.

One-Pot Synthesis of Benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones Using a Hybrid Catalyst Supported on Magnetic Nanoparticles in Green Solvents.

The conversion of soluble polyoxometalate into insoluble polyoxometalate is considered to be one of the major challenges in synthetic organic chemistry. Here, polyoxometalate was bonded to the salt part of an organic branch immobilized on the silica‐coated Fe3O4 nanoparticle and characterized using various techniques. The fabricated complex was used as a heterogeneous catalyst in a novel one‐pot reaction for synthesis of benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2‐a]pyrimidin‐2‐ones using aromatic amines, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD), derivatives of benzaldehyde and 2‐aminobenzimidazole in water/ethanol as a green solvent. 21 derivatives of benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2‐a]pyrimidin‐2‐one were synthesized by this method and fully characterized. The high stability of the catalyst showed that it can be reused for 6 times without decreasing in activity. The combination of new synthetic method, new ferromagnetic heterogeneous nano‐catalyst, green solvent and simple separation method were presented in this work.

Molecular Capsule Catalysis: Ready to Address Current Challenges in Synthetic Organic Chemistry?

Self-assembled molecular capsules, host structures that form spontaneously when their building blocks are mixed, have been known since the 1990s. They share some basic similarities with enzyme pockets, as they feature defined hydrophobic binding pockets that are able to bind molecules of appropriate size and shape. The potential to utilize such host structures for catalysis has been explored since their discovery; however, applications that solve current challenges in synthetic organic chemistry have remained limited. In this short article, we discuss the challenges associated with the use of molecular capsules as catalysts, and highlight some recent applications of supramolecular capsules to overcome challenges in synthetic organic chemistry.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Hydroamination of Alkenes with 5-Substituted Tetrazoles: Facile Access to 2,5-Disubstituted Tetrazoles and Asymmetric Intermolecular Hydroaminations.

Herein, we describe a novel synthetic method for 2,5-disubstituted tetrazoles from 5-substituted tetrazoles using cobalt-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination reaction of nonactivated olefins. Owing to its mild conditions, the method enabled the use of substrates having acid-labile functional groups, such as silyloxy and methoxymethyloxy groups. By using optically active cobalt complexes, asymmetric intermolecular hydroamination of nonactivated olefins, a longstanding challenge in synthetic organic chemistry, was developed to produce optically active disubstituted tetrazoles.

Ammonium hydroxide as the ultimate amino source for the synthesis of N-unprotected 3-tetrasubstituted aminooxindoles via catalyst-free direct amination

The direct use of ammonium hydroxide in amination for the synthesis of primary amines is considered to be one of the major challenges in synthetic organic chemistry.

Endo-Selective Construction of Spiro-[butyrolactone-pyrrolidine] via Ag(I)/CAAA-Amidphos-Catalyzed 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition between Azomethine Ylides and α-Methylene-γ-Butyrolactone

Construction of spirocyclic pyrrolidines bearing a spiro quaternary stereocenter is an enormous challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. In this report, we introduce a Ag(I)/CAAA-amidphos-catalyzed enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between azomethine ylides and α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone as an effective strategy for the construction of excellent endo-selective spiro-[butyrolactone-pyrrolidine] derivatives. Meanwhile, the catalytic system was also successfully applied in the three-component one-pot reaction of azomethine ylides formed in situ under the action of N,N′-diisopropylcarbodiimide serving as a dehydrator. Under the optimal conditions, endo-pyrrolidine derivatives bearing a spiro quaternary stereocenter were obtained with high to excellent yields (up to 95% yield) and enantioselectivities (up to 93% ee).

Palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of thioureas or thioamides

Cross-coupling reactions involving metal carbene intermediates play an increasingly important role in C–C bond formation. Expanding the carbene precursors to a broader range of starting materials and more diverse products is an ongoing challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. Herein, we report a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction of in situ-generated Pd–carbene complexes via desulfurization of thioureas or thioamides. This strategy enables the preparation of a broad array of substituted amidinium salts and unsymmetrical diaryl ketones. The reaction is readily scalable, compatible with bromo groups on aromatic rings, tolerant to moisture and air and has a broad substrate scope. Furthermore, a single crystal structure of Pd-diaminocarbene complex is obtained and proven to be the key intermediate in both catalytic and stoichiometric reactions. Preliminary mechanistic studies demonstrate the dual role of the silver salt as a desulfurating reagent assisting the elimination of sulfur and as oxidant facilitating the PdII/Pd0/PdII catalytic cycle.

Unified synthesis of diverse building blocks for application in the discovery of bioactive small molecules

The synthesis of large numbers of diverse molecular scaffolds with controlled molecular properties is a significant challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. A modular unified synthesis was developed, and was exploited in the synthesis of sixteen diverse three-dimensional scaffolds. The approach exploited two cyclisation precursors to be converted, using a toolkit of cyclisation reactions, into spirocyclic and fused-ring scaffolds. Remarkably, Pd-catalysed aminoarylation of substituted N-Boc-hex-5-enylamine cyclisation precursors to yield N-Boc piperidine-containing scaffolds was successful which was ascribed to a significant Thorpe−Ingold effect. Computational property analysis showed that the decorated scaffolds are shape-diverse, and enable diverse lead-like chemical space to be targeted.

Ammonia as Ultimate Amino Source in Synthesis of Primary Amines via Nickel-Promoted C-H Bond Amination.

The direct use of ammonia in transition-metal promoted C-H bond amination for the synthesis of primary amines is considered to be one of the major challenges in synthetic organic chemistry. Herein, we report that such transformation can be successfully achieved via nickel-promoted amination of inert arene C-H bonds with ammonia gas assisted by an 8-amino-quinoline directing group.

Free Amino Group-Directed γ-C(sp3)-H Arylation of α-Amino Esters with Diaryliodonium Triflates by Palladium Catalysis.

Free amino group-directed C(sp3)-H functionalization of aliphatic amines is a fundamental challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. Also, the NH2-directed C(sp3)-H functionalization of α-amino acids and their derivatives remains barely explored. With palladium as the catalyst and Ag2O as the additive, we developed the first NH2-directed γ-C(sp3)-H arylation of α-amino esters with diaryliodonium triflates for the construction of synthetically useful γ-aryl-α-amino esters, and the result of the KIE study suggested that the catalytic reaction involved an irreversible C-H cleavage as the rate-determining step.

Phosphine-Catalyzed (3+2) Annulation of Isoindigos with Allenes: Enantioselective Formation of Two Vicinal Quaternary Stereogenic Centers.

Construction of contiguous all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers is a long-standing challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. In this report, a phosphine-catalyzed enantioselective (3+2) annulation reaction between allenes and isoindigos, containing either two identical or different oxindole moieties, is introduced as a powerful strategy for the construction of spirocyclic bisindoline alkaloid core structures. The reported reactions feature high chemical yields, excellent enantioselectivities, and very good regioselectivities, and are highly useful for creating structurally challenging bisindoline natural products.

Phosphine‐Catalyzed (3+2) Annulation of Isoindigos with Allenes: Enantioselective Formation of Two Vicinal Quaternary Stereogenic Centers

AbstractConstruction of contiguous all‐carbon quaternary stereogenic centers is a long‐standing challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. In this report, a phosphine‐catalyzed enantioselective (3+2) annulation reaction between allenes and isoindigos, containing either two identical or different oxindole moieties, is introduced as a powerful strategy for the construction of spirocyclic bisindoline alkaloid core structures. The reported reactions feature high chemical yields, excellent enantioselectivities, and very good regioselectivities, and are highly useful for creating structurally challenging bisindoline natural products.

Meta‐ and para‐Selective C−H Functionalization using Transient Mediators and Noncovalent Templates

AbstractThe efficient functionalization of nonactivated aromatic C−H bonds has emerged out as one of the most viable synthetic tools with respect to its versatile synthetic potential. The most successful approach for achieving positional selectivity has involved directing‐group manipulations. However, selective functionalization of distal C−H bonds, in particular those remote from the reactive functional group or the directing group, remains a daunting challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. However, several recent approaches have been developed to address this issue, including the use of transient mediators and noncovalent templates, which are discussed in this Focus Review.