Complete Regioselectivity Research Articles

Ni-Catalyzed Regioselective Reductive 1,3-Dialkenylation of Alkenes.

Dicarbofunctionalization is an important efficient synthetic technique for adding two chemical moieties across an alkene. Here, a novel method of reductive dicarbofunctionalization has been developed using a single alkenyl triflate as the electrophile, combined with an unactivated alkene. The reaction does not require an external auxiliary and proceeds with complete regioselectivity.

2 + 2 Trapping of Acyloxy-1,2-cyclohexadienes with Styrenes and Electron-Deficient Olefins.

Oxygenated-1,2-cyclohexadienes and their unsubstituted counterpart can be generated under mild conditions by fluoride-induced desilylation and undergo intermolecular [2 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions with a variety of alkene traps to afford bicyclo[4.2.0]octenes. Both styrenes and electron-deficient olefins react in good conversion and with complete regioselectivity in favor of cyclobutane formation at the unsubstituted C2/C3 carbons of the C1-substituted cyclic allenes. Diastereoselectivities are modest (1.1-5.7:1) with a preference for the exo-isomer.

Cross‐Dehydrogenative Homocoupling of 2‐Aryl‐N‐heterocycles and Application to the Synthesis of Phenylpyridine Borane Dimers

AbstractA method for the synthesis of 2‐aryl‐N‐heterocyclic dimers via a cross‐dehydrogenative homocoupling (homo‐CDC) has been developed using commercially available Ruthenium on charcoal as catalyst and iron trichloride as oxidant. A large variety of heterocyclic scaffolds and functional groups are tolerated and a complete regioselectivity resulting from the activation of the less sterically hindered C−H bonds was observed for meta‐substituted substrates. Starting from several homocoupling products obtained, a series of pyridine‐borane complexes was synthesized and the impact of the dimerization on their photophysical properties was studied and rationalized using theoretical calculations.

Rh(III)-Catalyzed annulative aldehydic C-H functionalization for accessing ring-fluorinated benzo[b]azepin-5-ones

A new Rh(III)-catalyzed aldehydic C-H activation/[4 + 3] annulation cascade of N-sulfonyl-2-aminobenzaldehydes with gem-difluorocyclopropenes is reported for the first time, and used to produce a range of hitherto unreported precedented β-monofluorinated benzo[b]azepin-5-ones with good yields and complete regioselectivity. This approach features a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and high regioselectivity, which may include Rh(III)-catalyzed aldehydic C−H activation, tandem site-/regioselective insertion, defluorinated ring-scission, and 1,2-elimination.

Base-Promoted Divergent Annulation of Conjugated Ynones and Methyl 2-(Cyanomethyl)benzoates to Access 1-Naphthols and Xanthones.

A facile and efficient base-mediated divergent annulation of methyl 2-(cyanomethyl)benzoates and conjugated ynones has been described. A broad range of 1-naphthols and xanthones were formed in moderate to excellent yields. The notable features of this protocol include readily available precursors, broad substrate scope, complete regioselectivity, and substrate-controlled divergent synthesis. The gram-scale preparation and synthetic transformations of the resulting 1-naphthols and xanthones demonstrate their utility.

Hydrogen Peroxide-Responsive Triggers Based on Borinic Acids: Molecular Insights into the Control of Oxidative Rearrangement.

Arylborinic acids represent new, efficient, and underexplored hydrogen peroxide-responsive triggers. In contrast to boronic acids, two concomitant oxidative rearrangements are involved in the complete oxidation of these species, which might represent a major limitation for an efficient effector (drug or fluorophore) release. Herein, a comprehensive study of H2 O2 -mediated unsymmetrical arylborinic acid oxidation to investigate the factors that could selectively guide their oxidative rearrangement is described. The o-CF3 substituent was found to be an excellent directing group allowing a complete regioselectivity on borinic acid models. This result was successfully applied to synthesizing new borinic acid-based fluorogenic probes, which exclusively release the fluorescent moiety upon H2 O2 treatment. These compounds maintained their superior kinetic properties compared to boronic acids, thus further enhancing the potential of arylborinic acids as valuable new H2 O2 -sensitive triggers.

Palladium-catalyzed allylic etherification of phenols with vinyl ethylene carbonate.

The palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative reactions of phenols and vinyl ethylene carbonate to produce allylic aryl ethers under mild conditions have been established. Adopting an inexpensive PdCl2(dppf) catalyst promotes the efficient conversion of phenols to the corresponding allylic aryl ethers via the formation of a new C-O bond in good isolated yields with complete regioselectivities, acceptable functional group tolerance and operational simplicity. The robust procedure could be completed smoothly by conducting a scaled-up reaction with comparable efficiency to afford the target product.

One-Pot Direct Synthesis of Siloles from 1-Bromo-2-silylethynylbenzenes or 1-Bromo-4-silyl-1,3-enynes.

We propose one-pot synthesis of siloles from readily available starting materials. This methodology is practical for the preparation of multisubstituted siloles in good to excellent yields with complete regioselectivity. Sequential reactions, such as lithiation, silylation, and diisobutylaluminum-hydride-promoted cyclization, enable the preparation of the siloles. This transformation provides siloles through two efficient C-Si bond formations in one vessel.

Synthesis of 13 C-labeled parabens from isotopically enriched phenols using the Houben-Hoesch reaction.

Parabens are antimicrobial additives found in a wide array of consumer products. However, the halogenated compounds formed from parabens during wastewater disinfection are a potential environmental concern. In order to identify these transformation products and investigate their mechanism of formation, a synthetic route to ethyl parabens labeled with the stable isotope carbon-13 at specific positions within the benzene ring was developed. This efficient two-step procedure starts from commercially available 13 C-labeled phenols and involves (1) initial acylation of the phenol via a Houben-Hoesch reaction with trichloroacetonitrile followed by (2) a modified haloform reaction of the resulting trichloromethyl ketone to afford the corresponding 13 C-labeled ethyl parabens in 65%-80% overall yield. The scope of the modified haloform reaction was also investigated, allowing for the synthesis of other parabens derived from primary or secondary alcohols, including 13 C- and deuterium-labeled esters. In addition, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid can be formed directly from the common trichloromethyl ketone intermediate upon treatment with lithium hydroxide. This protocol complements existing methods for preparing 13 C-labeled paraben derivatives and offers the specific advantages of exhibiting complete regioselectivity in the Houben-Hoesch reaction (to form the para-disubstituted product) and avoiding the need for protecting groups in the modified haloform reaction that forms the paraben esters.

Enhanced Reactivity for Aromatic Bromination via Halogen Bonding with Lactic Acid Derivatives.

We report a new method for regioselective aromatic bromination using lactic acid derivatives as halogen bond acceptors with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). Several structural analogues of lactic acid affect the efficiency of aromatic brominations, presumably via Lewis acid/base halogen-bonding interactions. Rate comparisons of aromatic brominations demonstrate the reactivity enhancement available via catalytic additives capable of halogen bonding. Computational results demonstrate that Lewis basic additives interact with NBS to increase the electropositive character of bromine prior to electrophilic transfer. An optimized procedure using catalytic mandelic acid under aqueous conditions at room temperature was developed to promote aromatic bromination on a variety of arene substrates with complete regioselectivity.

Isothiourea-Catalyzed Enantioselective Michael Addition of Malonates to α,β-Unsaturated Aryl Esters

An enantioselective Michael addition of malonates to α,β-unsaturated para-nitrophenyl esters was achieved using the Lewis basic isothiourea HyperBTM, giving excellent levels of product enantioselectivity (up to >99:1 enantiomeric ratio) in good yields and with complete regioselectivity (>20:1 regioselectivity ratio) in the presence of alternative (phenyl ketone and ethyl ester) Michael acceptors. Density functional theory calculations indicate that N-acylation is rate-limiting. This constitutes a rare example of a highly enantioselective addition of simple, readily available malonates to α,β-unsaturated esters.

Synthesis of Succinimide-Linked Indazol-3-ols Derived from Maleimides under Rh(III) Catalysis.

The structural modification of N-aryl indazolols as tautomers of N-aryl indazolones has been established as a hot topic in pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry. We herein disclose the rhodium(III)-catalyzed 1,4-addition reaction of maleimides with N-aryl indazol-3-ols, which provides the succinimide-bearing indazol-3-ol scaffolds with complete regioselectivity and a good functional group tolerance. Notably, the versatility of this protocol is demonstrated by the use of drug-molecule-linked and fluorescence-probe-linked maleimides.

Regiocontrolled Annulation of Benzocyclobutenols with Alkynes.

A tandem reaction that involves an unprecedented Rh-catalyzed intramolecular annulation of benzocyclobutenols with alkynes and subsequent ZnCl2-promoted dehydration was developed, offering an efficient approach to 2H-furan-, pyran-, and oxepine-fused naphthalenes. Furthermore, the 2H-furan motif may undergo a ring-opening reaction through Fe-catalyzed reductive C-O bond cleavage. As a consequence, the formal intermolecular annulation of 2-hydroxybenzocyclobutenols with alkynes was realized with complete regioselectivity through a two-step protocol.

Planar Chiral Pseudo‐Isocoumarins by Copper Catalysed Desymmetrisation

A new copper catalysed desymmetrisation reaction of bisalkynyl ferrocenecarboxylic acids results in the first asymmetric synthesis of planar chiral pseudo-isocoumarins in up to 64 % enantiomeric excess and up to 99 % yield. The absolute configuration of the chiral heterocycles is proven by chemical correlation and circular dichroism spectroscopy, opening the way for the rational extension of this method to produce bioactive isocoumarin-fused ferrocene derivatives.

Palladium-Catalyzed Silylacylation of Allenes Using Acylsilanes.

We have developed a palladium-catalyzed addition of a C-Si bond of acylsilanes across a range of unactivated allenes. The reaction proceeds with complete regioselectivity, in which a silyl group binds to the central carbon of the allene, allowing for the straightforward access to functionalized alkenylsilane derivatives.

Palladium‐Catalyzed Silylacylation of Allenes Using Acylsilanes

AbstractWe have developed a palladium‐catalyzed addition of a C−Si bond of acylsilanes across a range of unactivated allenes. The reaction proceeds with complete regioselectivity, in which a silyl group binds to the central carbon of the allene, allowing for the straightforward access to functionalized alkenylsilane derivatives.

Convergent Synthesis of 1,4-Dicarbonyl Z-Alkenes through Three-Component Coupling of Alkynes, α-Diazo Sulfonium Triflate, and Water.

We report a general protocol for the convergent synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl Z-alkenes form alkynes using α-diazo sulfonium triflate and water. The C═O, C═C, and C-H bonds are formed under mild conditions with a wide range of functional groups tolerated. The reaction exhibits excellent Z-selectivity and complete regioselectivity. The resulting 1,4-dicarbonyl Z-alkenes can smoothly undergo follow-up conversion to a variety of heteroaromatic scaffolds. Moreover, the reaction also provides a facile access to the corresponding deuterated Z-alkenes and deuterated heteroarenes with a high level of deuterium incorporation (90-97% D-inc.) by directly using D2O, thus rendering the method highly valuable. The comprehensive mechanistic studies indicate that a free carbyne radical intermediate is formed via the photocatalytic single electron transfer process, and KH2PO4 plays a crucial role in significant improvements on yield and selectivity based on density-functional theory calculations, providing a new direction for radical coupling reactions of diazo compounds.

3-Alkynylindoles as Building Blocks for the Synthesis of Electronically Tunable Indole-Based Push-Pull Chromophores.

In this study, two different classes of push–pull chromophores were synthesized in modest to excellent yields by formal [2+2] cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclization (CA-RE) reactions. N-Methyl indole was introduced as a new donor group to activate alkynes in the CA-RE transformations. Depending on the side groups’ size and donor/acceptor characteristics, N-methyl indole-containing compounds exhibited λmax values ranging between 378 and 658 nm. The optoelectronic properties of the reported D–A-type structures were studied by UV/vis spectroscopy and computational studies. The complete regioselectivity observed in the products was elaborated by one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR studies, and the electron donor strength order of N-alkyl indole and triazene donor groups was also established. The intramolecular charge-transfer characteristics of the target push–pull chromophores were investigated by frontier orbital depictions, electrostatic potential maps, and time-dependent density functional theory calculations. Overall, the computational and experimental results match each other. Integrating a new donor group, N-alkyl indole, into the substrates used in formal [2+2] cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclizations has significant potential to overcome the limited donor-substituted substrate scope problem of CA-RE reactions.

New 1,2,3-Triazoles from (R)-Carvone: Synthesis, DFT Mechanistic Study and In Vitro Cytotoxic Evaluation.

Aseries of novel 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized from an (R)-carvone terminal alkyne derivative via a Cu (I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction using CuSO4,5H2O as the copper (II) source and sodium ascorbate as a reducing agent which reduces Cu (II) into Cu (I). All the newly synthesized 1,2,3-triazoles 9a–h were fully identified on the basis of their HRMS and NMR spectral data and then evaluated for their cell growth inhibition potential by MTS assay against HT-1080 fibrosarcoma, A-549 lung carcinoma, and two breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) cell lines. Compound 9d showed notable cytotoxic effects against the HT-1080 and MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 25.77 and 27.89 µM, respectively, while compound 9c displayed significant activity against MCF-7 cells with an IC50 value of 25.03 µM. Density functional calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory were used to confirm the high reactivity of the terminal alkyne as a dipolarophile. Quantum calculations were also used to investigate the mechanism of both the uncatalyzed and copper (I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC). The catalyzed reaction gives complete regioselectivity via a stepwise mechanism streamlining experimental observations. The calculated free-energy barriers 4.33 kcal/mol and 29.35 kcal/mol for the 1,4- and 1,5-regioisomers, respectively, explain the marked regioselectivity of the CuAAC reaction.

Rh(II)-catalyzed synthesis of 5H-isochromeno[3,4-b]indolizines from 4-diazoisochroman-3-imines and pyridines.

A Rh(II)-catalyzed (3 + 2) annulation of pyridines with 4-diazoisochroman-3-imines leading to 5H-isochromeno[3,4-b]indolizines is presented. This methodology provides straightforward access to a wide variety of substituted 5H-isochromeno[3,4-b]indolizines with moderate to good yields (up to 84%) and complete regioselectivity.