Iridium-catalyzed Borylation Research Articles

2-Aminophenanthroline Ligands Enable Mild, Undirected, Iridium-Catalyzed Borylation of Alkyl C-H Bonds.

The catalytic, undirected borylation of alkyl C-H bonds typically occurs at high reaction temperatures or with excess substrate, or both, because of the low reactivity of alkyl C-H bonds. Here we report a new iridium system comprising 2-anilino-1,10-phenanthroline as the ligand that catalyzes the borylation of alkyl C-H bonds with little to no induction period and with high reaction rates. This superior activation and reactivity profile of 2-aminophenanthroline-ligated catalysts leads to broader reaction scope, including reactions of sensitive substrates, such as epoxides and glycosidic acetals, enhanced diastereoselectivity, and higher yields of borylated products. These catalysts also enable the borylation of alkanes, amines, and ethers at room temperature for the first time. Mechanistic studies imply that facile N-borylation occurs under the reaction conditions and that iridium complexes containing N-boryl aminophenanthrolines are competent precatalysts for the reaction.

Atroposelective Ir-Catalyzed C-H Borylation of Phthalazine Heterobiaryls.

The atroposelective iridium-catalyzed borylation of menthyloxy-substituted phthalazine heterobiaryls with diborons is reported. Utilizing [Ir(OMe)(COD)]2/2-aminopyridine as a rarely used efficient catalyst system, the heterobiaryls were selectively borylated in the 2-position of the carbocycle, exclusively yielding only one of the atropisomers, depending on the substitution of the phthalazine with (+)-menthyl or (-)-menthyl moieties. Exemplary further functionalization of a borylated atropisomer demonstrated that nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling with an aryl halide was able to provide stereoretention to a certain degree (up to 75% de).

Catalytic undirected borylation of tertiary C-H bonds in bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes and bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes.

Catalytic borylations of sp3 C-H bonds occur with high selectivities for primary C-H bonds or secondary C-H bonds that are activated by nearby electron-withdrawing substituents. Catalytic borylation at tertiary C-H bonds has not been observed. Here we describe a broadly applicable method for the synthesis of boron-substituted bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes and (hetero)bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes by an iridium-catalysed borylation of the bridgehead tertiary C-H bond. This reaction is highly selective for the formation of bridgehead boronic esters and is compatible with a broad range of functional groups (>35 examples). The method is applicable to the late-stage modification of pharmaceuticals containing this substructure and the synthesis of novel bicyclic building blocks. Kinetic and computational studies suggest that C-H bond cleavage occurs with a modest barrier and that the turnover-limiting step of this reaction is an isomerization that occurs prior to reductive elimination that forms the C-B bond.

Understanding the Regioselectivity of Ion-Pair-Assisted Meta-Selective C(sp2)-H Activation in Conformationally Flexible Arylammonium Salts.

The lack of directionality and the long-range nature of Coulomb interactions have been a bottleneck to achieve chemically precise C-H activation using ion-pairs. Recent report by Phipps and co-workers of the ion-pair-directed regioselective Iridium-catalyzed borylation opens a new direction toward harnessing noncovalent interactions for C-H activation. In this article, the mechanism and specific role of ion-pairing are investigated using density functional theory (DFT). Computational studies reveal that meta C-H activation is kinetically more favorable than the para analogue due to stronger electrostatic interactions between the ion-pairs in closer proximity [d(NMe3+···SO3-)TSP1m = 3.93 Å versus d(NMe3+···SO3-)TSP1p = 4.30 Å]. The electrostatic interactions overwhelm the Pauli repulsion and distortion interactions incurred in bringing the oppositely charged ions in close contact for the rate-limiting meta transition state (TSP1m). Multiple linear regression shows that the free energies of activation correlate well with descriptors like the charge densities on the meta carbon and Ir atom along with that on the cation and anion with R2 = 0.74. Tuned range-separated DFT calculations demonstrate accurately the localization of charge separation in the reactant complex and transition state for the meta selectivity.

Extended sulfonated bipyridine ligands targeting the para-selective borylation of arenes

Iridium-catalysed borylation of arenes is one of the most widely used metal-catalysed C–H activation processes to elaborate aromatic rings. Exercising catalyst control over regioselectivity of the C–H oxidative addition step remains an area of active research. In this paper we describe the synthesis of a selection of sulfonated bipyridine ligands in which there is an arene spacer between the sulfonate group and the bipyridine backbone. In comparison to our previous work which achieved meta-selective borylation and in which the sulfonated bipyridine bore no spacer, we hoped that these extended ligands may allow a larger macrocyclic transition state for C–H activation thus favouring the para-position. The synthesised ligands have been evaluated on a series of arenes bearing amides and quaternary ammonium salts at varying distances from the aromatic ring.

Catalyst Engineering through Heterobidentate (N–X-Type) Ligand Design for Iridium-Catalyzed Borylation

AbstractIridium-catalyzed C–H activation and borylation reactions operate under mild conditions that enable easy and atom-economical installation of the versatile boronate ester group in (het)arenes and alkanes. The standard catalytic system for iridium-catalyzed borylation uses [Ir(cod)(OMe)]2 as a precatalyst, a bipyridine type ligand, and B2pin2 or HBpin as the borylating agent. Initially, a bipyridine-ligated trisboryl–iridium complex is generated that enables the borylation reaction and the regioselectivity is mainly governed by the sterics of substituents present on the ring. As a result, monosubstituted and 1,2-disubstituted arenes give mixtures of isomers. Significant efforts by several research groups have overcome the selectivity issue for directed proximal C–H borylation by introducing a directing group and newly developed ligands. This short review aims to summarize recent elegant discoveries in directed C(sp2)–H and C(sp3)–H borylation by using heterobidentate ligand (P/N–Si, N–B, and N–C) coordinated iridium catalysts.1 Introduction2 Iridium-Catalyzed Directed C–H Borylation of C(sp2)–H Bonds3 Iridium-Catalyzed Directed C–H Borylation of C(sp3)–H Bonds4 Conclusions

Site selective C\u2013H functionalization of Mitragyna alkaloids reveals a molecular switch for tuning opioid receptor signaling efficacy

Mitragynine (MG) is the most abundant alkaloid component of the psychoactive plant material “kratom”, which according to numerous anecdotal reports shows efficacy in self-medication for pain syndromes, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. We have developed a synthetic method for selective functionalization of the unexplored C11 position of the MG scaffold (C6 position in indole numbering) via the use of an indole-ethylene glycol adduct and subsequent iridium-catalyzed borylation. Through this work we discover that C11 represents a key locant for fine-tuning opioid receptor signaling efficacy. 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7OH), the parent compound with low efficacy on par with buprenorphine, is transformed to an even lower efficacy agonist by introducing a fluorine substituent in this position (11-F-7OH), as demonstrated in vitro at both mouse and human mu opioid receptors (mMOR/hMOR) and in vivo in mouse analgesia tests. Low efficacy opioid agonists are of high interest as candidates for generating safer opioid medications with mitigated adverse effects.

Better boron placement

Organic Chemistry Over the past two decades, iridium-catalyzed borylation has proven to be a versatile method for substituting carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds that are otherwise relatively inert. Hoque et al. now report a pyridyl thiophene ligand for this reaction that induces the catalyst to target carbonyl-adjacent aryl C–H bonds or nitrogen-adjacent alkyl C–H bonds specifically. Heteroarenes were borylated next to their nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur substituent. The iridium–ligand complex (bound datively at the pyridine nitrogen but metallated at a thiophene carbon) was conveniently compatible with open-air conditions. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143 , 5022 (2021).

Iridium-catalysed borylation of pyrene – a powerful route to novel optoelectronic materials

We summarized the Ir-catalysed borylation of PAHs, especially pyrene, and the optoelectronic materials generated by following this chemistry. The optoelectronic properties of pyrene derivatives have also been discussed.

Iridium-Catalysed C-H Borylation of Heteroarenes: Balancing Steric and Electronic Regiocontrol.

The iridium‐catalysed borylation of aromatic C−H bonds has become the preferred method for the synthesis of aromatic organoboron compounds. The reaction is highly efficient, tolerant of a broad range of substituents and can be applied to both carbocyclic and heterocyclic substrates. The regioselectivity of C−H activation is dominated by steric considerations and there have been considerable efforts to develop more selective processes for less constrained substrates. However, most of these have focused on benzenoid‐type substrates and in contrast, heteroarenes remain much desired but more challenging substrates with the position and/or nature of the heteroatom(s) significantly affecting reactivity and regioselectivity. This review will survey the borylation of heteroarenes, focusing on the influence of steric and electronic effects on regiochemical outcome and, by linking to current mechanistic understandings, will provide insights to what is currently possible and where further developments are required.

Synthesis and Properties of Perylene-Bridge-Anchor Chromophoric Compounds.

The quest to control chromophore/semiconductor properties to enable new technologies in energy and information science requires detailed understanding of charge carrier dynamics at the atomistic level, which can often be attained through the use of model systems. Perylene-bridge-anchor compounds are successful models for studying fundamental charge transfer processes on TiO2, which remains among the most commonly investigated and technologically important interfaces, mostly because of perylene's advantageous electronic and optical properties. Nonetheless, the ability to fully exploit synthetically the substitution pattern of perylene with linker (= bridge-anchor) units remains little explored. Here we developed 2,5-di-tert-butylperylene (DtBuPe)-bridge-anchor compounds with t-Bu group substituents to prevent π-stacking and one or two linker units in both the peri and ortho positions, by employing a combination of Friedel-Crafts alkylations, bromination, iridium-catalyzed borylation, and palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Photophysical characterization and computational analysis by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) were carried out on four DtBuPe acrylic acid derivatives with a single or a double linker in peri (12b), ortho (15b), peri,peri (18b), and ortho,ortho (21b). The energies of the unoccupied orbitals {LUMO, LUMO + 1, LUMO + 2} are strongly affected by the presence of a π-conjugated linker, resulting in a stabilization of these states and a red shift of their absorption and emission spectra, as well as the loss of vibronic structure in the spectrum of the peri,peri compound, consistent with the strong bonding character of this substitution pattern.

Para-Selective C-H Borylation of Common Arene Building Blocks Enabled by Ion-Pairing with a Bulky Countercation.

The selective functionalization of C–H bonds at the arene para position is highly challenging using transition metal catalysis. Iridium-catalyzed borylation has emerged as a leading technique for arene functionalization, but there are only a handful of strategies for para-selective borylation, which operate on specific substrate classes and use bespoke ligands or catalysts. We describe a remarkably general protocol which results in para-selectivity on some of the most common arene building blocks (anilines, benzylamines, phenols, benzyl alcohols) and uses standard borylation ligands. Our strategy hinges upon the facile conversion of the substrates into sulfate or sulfamate salts, wherein the anionic arene component is paired with a tetrabutylammonium cation. We hypothesize that the bulk of this cation disfavors meta-C–H borylation, thereby promoting the challenging para-selective reaction.

Facile Synthesis of Halogen Decorated para-/meta-Hydroxy­benzoates by Iridium-Catalyzed Borylation and Oxidation

Hydroxybenzoates are an important class of phenols that are widely used as preservatives and antiseptics in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In this report, a facile preparation of 2,6- and 2,3-disubstituted 4/5-hydroxybenzoates by iridium-catalyzed borylation of respective disubstituted benzoate esters followed by oxidation is described. This synthetic route allows for the incorporation of halogens in the final hydroxybenzoates with substitution patterns not readily accessible by the traditional routes of aromatic functionalization.

Iridium-Catalyzed, Silyl-Directed, peri-Borylation of C-H Bonds in Fused Polycyclic Arenes and Heteroarenes.

peri-Disubstituted naphthalenes exhibit interesting physical properties and unique chemical reactivity, due to the parallel arrangement of the bonds to the two peri-disposed substituents. Regioselective installation of a functional group at the position peri to 1-substituted naphthalenes is challenging due to the steric interaction between the existing substituent and the position at which the second one would be installed. We report an iridium-catalyzed borylation of the C-H bond peri to a silyl group in naphthalenes and analogous polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The reaction occurs under mild conditions with wide functional group tolerance. The silyl group and the boryl group in the resulting products are precursors to a range of functional groups bound to the naphthalene ring through C-C, C-O, C-N, C-Br and C-Cl bonds.

Iridium-Catalysed C–H Borylation of 2-Pyridones; Bisfunctionalisation of CC4

The high regioselectivity associated with the iridium-catalysed borylation of pyridones has been exploited to provide a very direct and efficient entry to C(10) doubly substituted CC4 variants of cytisine. Two approaches have been evaluated based on (i) C–H activation of cytisine (or an N-substituted derivative) followed by N-alkylation (to enable dimer formation) and (ii) direct C–H activation and borylation of CC4 itself. Both approaches provide access to C(10)-functionalized CC4 derivatives, but direct borylation of CC4 allows for a wider range of functional group interconversions to be tolerated.

C(5) Site-Selective Functionalization of (S)-Cotinine.

(S)-(-)-Cotinine 2 undergoes direct and site-selective iridium-catalyzed borylation to provide boronate ester 3 and bromide 4 which offer flexible entry to a range of C(5)-substituted cotinine variants.

Iridium-Catalyzed ortho-Selective Borylation

Iridium-Catalyzed ortho-Selective Borylation

Iridium-Catalyzed para-Selective Borylation of Aromatic Esters

Iridium-Catalyzed para-Selective Borylation of Aromatic Esters

Synthesis of putative clausenal from carbazole using sequential C–H borylations

A synthesis of the putative clausenal structure has been achieved from commercially available carbazole using a five-step sequence that features three iridium-catalyzed C–H borylation reactions. This conceptually disparate approach to carbazole synthesis further demonstrates the utility of the iridium-catalyzed borylation reaction in heteroaromatic C–H functionalization. The spectroscopic data of the synthetic sample casts doubt on the structure assigned to the natural product.

Iridium-catalysed regioselective borylation of carboranes via direct B\u2013H activation

Carboranes are carbon–boron molecular clusters, which can be viewed as three-dimensional analogues to benzene. They are finding many applications in medicine, materials and organometallic chemistry. On the other hand, their exceptional thermal and chemical stabilities, as well as 3D structures, make them very difficult to be functionalized, in particular the regioselective functionalization of BH vertex among ten similar B–H bonds. Here we report a very efficient iridium-catalysed borylation of cage B(3,6)–H bonds of o-carboranes with excellent yields and regioselectivity using bis(pinacolato)diboron (B2pin2) as a reagent. Selective cage B(4)–H borylation has also been achieved by introducing a bulky TBDMS (tert-butyldimethylsilyl) group to one cage carbon vertex. The resultant 3,6-(Bpin)2-o-carboranes are useful synthons for the synthesis of a wide variety of B(3,6)-difunctionalized o-carboranes bearing cage B–X (X=O, N, C, I and Br) bonds.