Energy Transfer Catalysis Research Articles

Contra-thermodynamic E → Z isomerization of cinnamamides via selective energy transfer catalysis

A bio-inspired, photocatalytic E → Z isomerization of cinnamides is reported using inexpensive (−)-riboflavin (vitamin B2) under irradiation at λ = 402 nm. This operationally simple transformation is compatible with a range of amide derivatives including –NR2, –NHSO2R and N(Boc)2 (up to 99:1 Z:E). Selective energy transfer from the excited state photocatalyst to the starting E-isomer ensures that directionality is achieved: The analogous process with the Z-isomer is inefficient due to developing allylic strain causing chromophore deconjugation. This is supported by X-ray analysis and Stern-Volmer photo-quenching studies. Preliminary validation of the method in manipulating the conformation of a simple model Leu-enkephalin penta-peptide is disclosed via the incorporation of a cinnamamide-based amino acid.

Visible-Light-Driven Transformations of Phenols via Energy Transfer Catalysis

In the past decade, the field of visible-light-mediated photocatalysis has been particularly thriving by offering innovative synthetic tools for the construction of functionalized architectures from simple and readily available substrates. One strategy that has been of interest is energy transfer catalysis, which is a powerful way of activating a substrate or an intermediate by using the combination of light and a relevant photosensitizer. This review deals with recent advances in energy transfer catalysis applied to phenols, which are ubiquitous in chemistry both as starting materials and as high-added-value products. Processes involving energy transfer from the excited photosensitizer to ground state oxygen and to phenol-containing substrates will be described.1 Introduction2 Intermolecular Processes2.1 Reactions with Singlet Oxygen2.2 [2+2] Cycloadditions3 Intramolecular Transformations4 Conclusions and Outlook

Transforming Oxadiazolines through Nitrene Intermediates by Energy Transfer Catalysis: Access to Sulfoximines and Benzimidazoles.

Subtle differences in reaction conditions facilitated unprecedented photocatalytic reactions of oxadiazolines by energy transfer catalysis. A set of compounds, sulfoximines and benzimidazoles, were ingeniously prepared from oxadiazolines via nitrene intermediates by photocatalytic N-O/C-N bond cleavages. The synthesis of sulfoximines was realized through intermolecular N-S bond formation between nitrene intermediates and sulfoxides, whereas benzimidazoles were obtained via intramolecular aromatic substitution of the nitrene to the tethered aryl substituent.

Photosensitized Intermolecular Carboimination of Alkenes through the Persistent Radical Effect.

An intermolecular, two‐component vicinal carboimination of alkenes has been accomplished by energy transfer catalysis. Oxime esters of alkyl carboxylic acids were used as bifunctional reagents to generate both alkyl and iminyl radicals. Subsequently, addition of the alkyl radical to an alkene generates a transient radical for selective radical–radical cross‐coupling with the persistent iminyl radical. Furthermore, this process provides direct access to aliphatic primary amines and α‐amino acids by simple hydrolysis.

Photoaccelerated energy transfer catalysis of the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling through ligand regulation on Ir(iii)-Pd(ii) bimetallic complexes.

Three bimetallic Ir(iii)–Pd(ii) complexes [Ir(ppy)2(bpm)PdCl2](PF6) (ppy = 2-phenylpyridine, 1), [Ir(dfppy)2(bpm)PdCl2](PF6) (dfppy = (4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridine, 2), and [Ir(pq)2(bpm)PdCl2](PF6) (pq = 2-phenylquinoline, 3) were synthesized by using 2,2′-bipyrimidine (bpm) as a bridging ligand. The influences of the cyclometalated ligand at the Ir(iii) center on the photophysical and electrochemical properties as well as photocatalytic activity for the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction under mild conditions were evaluated. The results revealed that complex 3 enables dramatically accelerating the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction under visible light irradiation at room temperature, due to the effective absorption of visible light and appropriate locus of the excited chromophore. Mechanism studies showed that the chromophore [Ir(pq)2(bpm)] fragment absorbs visible light to produce the triplet excited state centering on the bridging ligand which boosts the formation of electron rich Pd(ii) units and facilitates the oxidative addition step of the catalytic cycle. Simultaneously, the excited chromophore undergoes energy transfer efficiently to the Pd(ii) reaction site to form the excited Pd(ii) species, resulting in enhancement of Pd(ii) reduction steps of the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction and increasing the reactivity of the catalyst. This provides a new strategy for designing photocatalysts for coupling reaction through altering the cyclometalated ligand to modulate the photophysical properties and the cooperation between two metal units.

Inverting External Asymmetric Induction via Selective Energy Transfer Catalysis: A Strategy to β-Chiral Phosphonate Antipodes.

Enantiodivergent, catalytic reduction of activated alkenes relays stereochemical information encoded in the antipodal chiral catalysts to the pro‐chiral substrate. Although powerful, the strategy remains vulnerable to costs and availability of sourcing both catalyst enantiomers. Herein, a stereodivergent hydrogenation of α,β‐unsaturated phosphonates is disclosed using a single enantiomer of the catalyst. This enables generation of the R‐ or S‐configured β‐chiral phosphonate with equal and opposite selectivity. Enantiodivergence is regulated at the substrate level through the development of a facile E → Z isomerisation. This has been enabled for the first time by selective energy transfer catalysis using anthracene as an inexpensive organic photosensitiser. Synthetically valuable in its own right, this process enables subsequent RhI‐mediated stereospecific hydrogenation to generate both enantiomers of the product using only the S‐catalyst (up to 99:1 and 3:97 e.r.). This strategy out‐competes the selectivities observed with the E‐substrate and the R‐catalyst.

Sequential Energy Transfer Catalysis: A Cascade Synthesis of Angularly-Fused Dihydrocoumarins.

An operationally simple one-pot protocol has been developed to enable the conversion of diversely substituted cinnamic acid derivatives into angularly-fused dihydrocoumarins (up to 94%). Inspired by coumarin biosynthesis, this reaction cascade harnesses photochemical E → Z alkene isomerization enabled by energy transfer catalysis using inexpensive thioxanthen-9-one (TX) under irradiation at 402 nm. Subsequent lactonization generates the heterocyclic core prior to a second photosensitization event to induce a [2 + 2] cycloaddition, again mediated by TX. The tetracyclic products are generated efficiently, and proof of the structure was established by X-ray crystallography. Mechanistic investigations, including structural probes and NMR reaction monitoring, support the postulated order of events. The study underscores the synthetic value of inexpensive small-molecule organic photocatalysts in the generation of structural complexity via sequential π-bond activation.

Energy Transfer Catalysis by Visible Light: Atrop‐ and Regio‐Selective Intermolecular [2+2]‐Photocycloaddition of Maleimide with Alkenes

Intermolecular [2+2]‐photocycloaddition of atropisomeric phenyl maleimide has been evaluated with substituted alkenes with complete control over regiochemistry. We were also successful in carrying out atropselective reactions with the removal of axial chirality leading to enantio‐enriched photoproducts. Based on detailed photophysical studies, a mechanistic rationale is proposed for the observed selectivity.

Dearomative [4 + 2] Cycloaddition of Pyridine via Energy-Transfer Catalysis

In this issue of Chem, Glorius and coworkers report the first photocatalytic dearomative cycloaddition of pyridine with alkene. High-value isoquinuclidines could be easily assembled from N-cinamoyl picolinamides under mild and operationally simple conditions.

Direct Dearomatization of Pyridines via an Energy-Transfer-Catalyzed Intramolecular [4+2] Cycloaddition

Summary The catalytic dearomatization of pyridines, accessing medicinally relevant N-heterocycles, is of high interest. Currently direct, dearomative strategies rely generally on reduction or nucleophilic addition, thus limiting the architecture of the dearomatized products to a six-membered ring. We herein introduce a catalytic, dearomative cycloaddition reaction with pyridines using photoinduced energy transfer catalysis, thereby advancing dearomatization methodology and increasing the topology of pyridine dearomatization products. This unprecedented method features high yields, broad substrate scope (44 examples), excellent functional group tolerance, and facile scalability. Furthermore, a recyclable and sustainable polymer immobilized photocatalyst was employed. Computational and experimental investigations support a mechanism in which a cinnamyl moiety is promoted to its corresponding excited triplet state through visible-light-mediated energy transfer catalysis, followed by a regioselective and dearomative [4+2] cycloaddition to pyridines. This work demonstrates the contribution of visible light catalysis toward enabling thermally challenging organic transformations.

Geometric E→Z Isomerisation of Alkenyl Silanes by Selective Energy Transfer Catalysis: Stereodivergent Synthesis of Triarylethylenes via a Formal anti-Metallometallation.

An efficient geometrical E→Z isomerisation of alkenyl silanes is disclosed via selective energy transfer using an inexpensive organic sensitiser. Characterised by operational simplicity, short reaction times (2 h), and broad substrate tolerance, the reaction displays high selectivity for trisubstituted systems (Z/E up to 95:5). In contrast to thermal activation, directionality results from deconjugation of the π‐system in the Z‐isomer due to A1,3‐strain thereby inhibiting re‐activation. The structural importance of the β‐substituent logically prompted an investigation of mixed bis‐nucleophiles (Si, Sn, B). These versatile linchpins also undergo facile isomerisation, thereby enabling a formal anti‐metallometallation. Mechanistic interrogation, supported by a theoretical investigation, is disclosed together with application of the products to the stereospecific synthesis of biologically relevant target structures.

Regulatory Mechanism and Kinetic Assessment of Energy Transfer Catalysis Mediated by Visible Light

The visible-light-mediated energy transfer catalysis plays a pivotal role in the photochemical synthesis. Although many significant advances in this field have been achieved within the past decade, the knowledge of the photochemically tunable metal–ligand interaction for photocatalysts, the manipulation principle of excited-state properties, and the available electronic excitation for the free and bound substrates, which makes it possible to design some photo- and auxiliary catalysts based on the proposed mechanism, is still sparse. In the present work, we investigated the paradigm example of intermolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reactions for 2′-hydroxychalcones coordinated by the chiral Lewis acids, using tris(bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) as a photosensitizer. The electronic structure calculations at the CASPT2//CASSCF/PCM level of theory, as well as the kinetic assessment of energy transfer process using the Fermi’s golden rule and the Dexter model, were performed to provide useful benchmarks for the e...

Energy transfer catalysis mediated by visible light: principles, applications, directions.

Harnessing visible light to access excited (triplet) states of organic compounds can enable impressive reactivity modes. This tutorial review covers the photophysical fundamentals and most significant advances in the field of visible-light-mediated energy transfer catalysis within the last decade. Methods to determine excited triplet state energies and to characterize the underlying Dexter energy transfer are discussed. Synthetic applications of this field, divided into four main categories (cyclization reactions, double bond isomerizations, bond dissociations and sensitization of metal complexes), are also examined.

Wiring-Up Hydrogenase with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Many envision a future where hydrogen is the centerpiece of a sustainable, carbon-free energy supply. For example, the energy in sunlight may be stored by splitting water into H2 and O2 using inorganic semiconductors and photoelectrochemical approaches or with artificial photosynthetic systems that seek to mimic the light absorption, energy transfer, electron transfer, and redox catalysis that occurs in green plants. Unfortunately, large scale deployment of artificial water-splitting technologies may be impeded by the need for the large amounts of precious metals required to catalyze the multielectron water-splitting reactions. Nature provides a variety of microbes that can activate the dihydrogen bond through the catalytic activity of [NiFe] and [FeFe] hydrogenases, and photobiological approaches to water splitting have been advanced. One may also consider a biohybrid approach; however, it is difficult to interface these sensitive, metalloenzymes to other materials and systems. Here we show that surfactant-suspended carbon single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) spontaneously self-assemble with [FeFe] hydrogenases in solution to form catalytically active biohybrids. Photoluminescence excitation and Raman spectroscopy studies show that SWNTs act as molecular wires to make electrical contact to the biocatalytic region of hydrogenase. Hydrogenase mediates electron injection into nanotubes having appropriately positioned lowest occupied molecular orbital levels when the H2 partial pressure is varied. The hydrogenase is strongly attached to the SWNTs, so mass transport effects are eliminated and the absolute potential of the electronic levels of the nanotubes can be unambiguously measured. Our findings reveal new nanotube physics and represent the first example of "wiring-up" an hydrogenase with another nanoscale material. This latter advance offers a nonprecious metal route to the design of new biohybrid architectures and building blocks for hydrogen-related technologies.