Organic Electrophiles Research Articles

Solvated Nickel Complexes as Stoichiometric and Catalytic Perfluoroalkylation Agents**

AbstractThe acetonitrile‐solvated [(MeCN)Ni(C2F5)3]− was prepared in order to compare and contrast its reactivity with the known [(MeCN)Ni(CF3)3]− towards organic electrophiles. Both [(MeCN)Ni(CF3)3]− and [(MeCN)Ni(C2F5)3]− successfully react with aryl iodonium and diazonium salts as well as alkynyl iodonium salts to give fluoroalkylated organic products. Electrochemical analysis of [(MeCN)NiII(C2F5)3]− suggests that, upon electro‐oxidation to [(MeCN)nNiIII(C2F5)3], reductive homolysis of a perfluoroethyl radical occurs, with the concomitant formation of [(MeCN)2NiII(C2F5)2]. Catalytic C−H trifluoromethylations of electron‐rich arenes were successfully achieved using either [(MeCN)Ni(CF3)3]− or the related [Ni(CF3)4]2−. Stoichiometric reactions of the solvated nickel complexes reveal that “ligandless” nickel is exceptionally capable of serving as reservoir of CF3 groups under catalytically relevant conditions.

Iron-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions Tuned by Bulky Ortho-Phenylene Bisphosphine Ligands

Abstract The significant progress made in the context of iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions in the past several years has boosted competition with well-known nickel and palladium catalyst systems. Iron-catalyzed protocols not only benefit from economic and toxicology standpoints, but also exhibit a range of reactivities and tolerate many functional groups. To date several iron catalyst systems have been developed, ranging from the use of simple iron salts to more complex stoichiometric/catalytic modifiers. Effective N-heterocyclic carbenes and bisphosphine ligands have also been developed for the cross-coupling reactions of organic electrophiles using diverse organometallic reagents. Indeed, the use of bisphosphine ligands in the field of iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions is important for new applications in modern synthetic organic chemistry. This account summarizes the recent developments in practical and novel iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions employing bulky o-phenylene bisphosphine ligands and their mechanistic views.

Reactivity-directed analysis – a novel approach for the identification of toxic organic electrophiles in drinking water

Drinking water consumption results in exposure to complex mixtures of organic chemicals, including natural and anthropogenic chemicals and compounds formed during drinking water treatment such as disinfection by-products. The complexity of drinking water contaminant mixtures has hindered efforts to assess associated health impacts. Existing approaches focus primarily on individual chemicals and/or the evaluation of mixtures, without providing information about the chemicals causing the toxic effect. Thus, there is a need for the development of novel strategies to evaluate chemical mixtures and provide insights into the species responsible for the observed toxic effects. This critical review introduces the application of a novel approach called Reactivity-Directed Analysis (RDA) to assess and identify organic electrophiles, the largest group of known environmental toxicants. In contrast to existing in vivo and in vitro approaches, RDA utilizes in chemico methodologies that investigate the reaction of organic electrophiles with nucleophilic biomolecules, including proteins and DNA. This review summarizes the existing knowledge about the presence of electrophiles in drinking water, with a particular focus on their formation in oxidative treatment systems with ozone, advanced oxidation processes, and UV light, as well as disinfectants such as chlorine, chloramines and chlorine dioxide. This summary is followed by an overview of existing RDA approaches and their application for the assessment of aqueous environmental matrices, with an emphasis on drinking water. RDA can be applied beyond drinking water, however, to evaluate source waters and wastewater for human and environmental health risks. Finally, future research demands for the detection and identification of electrophiles in drinking water via RDA are outlined.

Recent Advancement of Ullmann Condensation Coupling Reaction in the Formation of Aryl-Oxygen (C-O) Bonding by Copper-Mediated Catalyst

Transition metal-catalyzed chemical transformation of organic electrophiles and organometallic reagents belong to the most important cross coupling reaction in organic synthesis. The biaryl ether division is not only popular in natural products and synthetic pharmaceuticals but also widely found in many pesticides, polymers, and ligands. Copper catalyst has received great attention owing to the low toxicity and low cost. However, traditional Ullmann-type couplings suffer from limited substrate scopes and harsh reaction conditions. The introduction of homogeneous copper catalyst with presence of bidentate ligands over the past two decades has totally changed this situation as these ligands enable the reaction promoted in mild condition. The reaction scope has also been greatly expanded, rendering this copper-based cross-coupling attractive for both academia and industry. In this review, we will highlight the latest progress in the development of useful homogeneous copper catalyst with presence of ligand and heterogeneous copper catalyst in Ullmann type C-O cross-coupling reaction. Additionally, the application of Ullmann type C-O cross coupling reaction will be discussed.

Direct Exploitation of the Ethynyl Moiety in Calcium Carbide Through Sealed Ball Milling

Ball milling of calcium carbide (CaC2) enables the reaction of its ethynyl moiety with organic electrophiles. This was realized simply by co‐milling CaC2 with organic substrates in a sealed jar without the need for an additive or a catalyst. Various ketones including those bearing α‐hydrogens were ethynylated in good yields at short reaction times. Aryl halides are also amenable substrates for this protocol as they furnish aryl ethynes through a benzyne intermediate. This method offers a practical and cheap alternative to the established procedures for introducing ethynyl functionalities.

Di-tert-butyl Ethynylimidodicarbonate as a General Synthon for the β-Aminoethylation of Organic Electrophiles: Application to the Formal Synthesis of Pyrrolidinoindoline Alkaloids (±)-CPC-1 and (±)-Alline.

The reagent di-tert-butyl ethynylimidodicarbonate is demonstrated as a β-aminoethyl anion synthetic equivalent. It can be used to install ethyleneamine groups by exploiting its terminal alkyne reactivity with common organic electrophiles. Reactions exemplified with this terminal ynimide reagent include additions to imines, aldehydes, ketones, pyridinium salts, Michael acceptors, epoxides, and Pd-catalyzed Sonogashira couplings. Subsequent regioselective [3 + 2] cycloadditions of the alkynyl-imides (ynimides) generate N,N-di-Boc imide-functionalized triazole and isoxazole heterocycles. Reduction of the ynimides with Pd-catalyzed hydrogenation generates ethyleneimides with easily removable N,N-di-Boc-carbamate protecting groups, allowing for a flexible ynimide-based approach to ethyleneamine installation. The utility of this two-step aminoethylation strategy was demonstrated in the short formal syntheses of pyrrolidinoindoline alkaloids (±)-CPC-1 and (±)-alline. Analogously, the reagent (N,N,N')-tri-Boc 2-ethynylhydrazine serves as a β-hydrazinoethyl anion synthetic equivalent.

C–F Bond Activation of a Perfluorinated Ligand Leading to Nucleophilic Fluorination of an Organic Electrophile

We report a fluorine transfer reaction in which fluorine from a perfluorinated ligand undergoes C–F bond activation and transfers to an electrophile, resulting in the formation of a new fluorinated...

Chemistry of 1,2-diphospholide anions and 1,2-diphospholes

The main trends in the chemistry of 1,2-diphosphacyclopentadienes (1,2-diphospholes) and their derivatives 1,2-diphosphacyclopentadienide anions (1,2-diphospholide anions) were systematized, analyzed, and generalized. Methods for the generation of 1,2-diphospholide anions and their reactions with organic and organoelement electrophiles, as well as with transition metal complexes, were considered. Particular attention was paid to the cycloaddition reactions of 1-alkyl-1,2-diphospholes to obtain polycyclic chiral phosphines. A comparative analysis of the reactivity of 1,2-diphospholes and 1,2-diphospholide anions with respect to other representatives of phosphacyclopentadienes and phosphacyclopentadienide anions was carried out. The potential of application of 1,2-diphosphacyclopentadiene derivatives for the design of materials with magnetic, catalytic, and optical properties was shown.

Evolution of Ate‐Organoiron(II) Species towards Lower Oxidation States: Role of the Steric and Electronic Factors

Ate-iron(II) species such as [Ar3 FeII ]- (Ar=aryl) are key intermediates in Fe-catalyzed couplings between aryl nucleophiles and organic electrophiles. They can be active species in the catalytic cycle, or lead to Fe0 and FeI oxidation states, which can themselves be catalytically active or lead to unwished organic byproducts. Analysis of the reactivity of the intermediates obtained by step-by-step displacement of the mesityl groups in high-spin [Mes3 FeII ]- by less hindered phenyl ligands was performed, and uncovered the crucial role of both steric and electronic parameters in the formation of the Fe0 and FeI oxidation states. The formation of quaternized [Ar4 FeII MgBr(THF)]- intermediates allows the bielectronic reductive elimination energy required for the formation of Fe0 to be reduced. Similarly, the small steric pressure of the aryl groups in [Ar3 FeII ]- enables the formation of aryl-bridged [{FeII (Ar)2 }2 (μ-Ar)2 ]2- species, which afford the FeI oxidation state by bimetallic reductive elimination. These results are supported by 1 H NMR, EPR, and 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopies, as well as by DFT calculations.

Methyl Anion Affinities of the Canonical Organic Functional Groups.

Calculated methyl anion affinities are known to correlate with experimentally determined Mayr E parameters for individual organic functional group classes but not between neutral and cationic organic electrophiles. We demonstrate that methyl anion affinities calculated with a solvation model (MAA*) give a linear correlation with Mayr E parameters for a broad range of functional groups. Methyl anion affinities (MAA*), plotted on the log scale of Mayr E, provide insights into the full range of electrophilicity of organic functional groups. On the Mayr E scale, the electrophilicity toward the methyl anion spans 180 orders of magnitude.

Mechanistic Studies into the Oxidative Addition of Co(I) Complexes: Combining Electroanalytical Techniques with Parameterization.

The oxidative addition of organic electrophiles into electrochemically generated Co(I) complexes has been widely utilized as a strategy to produce carbon-centered radicals when cobalt is ligated by a polydentate ligand. Changing to a bidentate ligand provides the opportunity to access discrete Co(III)-C bonded complexes for alternative reactivity, but knowledge of how ligand and/or substrate structures affect catalytic steps is pivotal to reaction design and catalyst optimization. In this vein, experimental studies that can determine the exact nature of elementary organometallic steps remain limited, especially for single-electron oxidative addition pathways. Herein, we utilize cyclic voltammetry combined with simulations to obtain kinetic and thermodynamic properties of the two-step, halogen-atom abstraction mechanism, validated by analyzing kinetic isotope and substituent effects. Complex Hammett relationships could be disentangled to allow understanding of individual effects on activation energy barriers and equilibrium constants, and DFT-derived parameters used to build predictive statistical models for rates of new ligand/substrate combinations.

Iron(II) Corrole Anions.

Reduction of [Fe(TPC)(THF)] (TPC = trianion of 5,10,15-triphenylcorrole) with KC8 generates the iron(II) corrole anion, K(THF)2[FeII(TPC)] (3a). Compound 3a represents the first example of an isolated and crystallographically characterized corrole complex of divalent iron. The compound adopts an intermediate-spin state (S = 1), displaying square-planar geometry about the iron atom. All-electron density functional theory (OLYP and B3LYP) calculations with STO-TZP basis sets indicate two essentially equienergetic d electron configurations, dxy2dz22dxz1dyz1 (occupation 1) and dxy2dz21dxz1dyz2 (occupation 2), as likely contenders for the ground state of [FeII(TPC)]-, with the optimized geometry of the former in slightly better agreement with the low-temperature X-ray structure. Solutions of 3a react with carbon monoxide to afford the low-spin (S = 0) complex, [Fe(TPC)(CO)]-, whereas introduction of oxygen at -78 °C leads to a putative O2 adduct, [Fe(TPC)(O2)]-, which decays rapidly even at low temperatures. Treatment of 3a with organic electrophiles results in formal oxidative addition to give both iron(III) and iron(IV) corrole species. With iodomethane, [Fe(TPC)Me] is produced, illustrating the first instance of alkyl ligand coordination in an iron corrole complex.

Regiodivergent enantioselective C-H functionalization of Boc-1,3-oxazinanes and application to the synthesis of β2 and β3-amino acids.

β2- and β3-Amino acids are important chiral building blocks for the design of new pharmaceuticals and peptidomimetics. Here we report a straightforward regio- and enantiodivergent access to these compounds using a one-pot reaction composed of sparteine-mediated enantioselective lithiation of a Boc-1,3-oxazinane, transmetallation to zinc and direct or migratory Negishi coupling with an organic electrophile. The regioselectivity of the Negishi coupling was highly ligand-controlled and switchable to obtain the C4- or the C5-functionalized product exclusively. High enantioselectivities were achieved on a broad range of examples, and a catalytic version in chiral diamine was developed using the (+)-sparteine surrogate. Selected C4- and C5-functionalized Boc-1,3-oxazinanes were subsequently converted to highly enantio-enriched β2- and β3-amino acids with the (R) or (S) configuration, depending on the sparteine enantiomer employed in the lithiation step.

Sterically Unprotected Nucleophilic Boron Cluster Reagents

A cornerstone of modern synthetic chemistry rests on the ability to manipulate the reactivity of a carbon center by rendering it either electrophilic or nucleophilic. However, accessing a similar reactivity spectrum with boron-based reagents has been significantly more challenging. While classical nucleophilic carbon-based reagents normally do not require steric protection, readily accessible, unprotected boron-based nucleophiles have not yet been realized. Herein, we demonstrate that the bench stable closo-hexaborate cluster anion can engage in a nucleophilic substitution reaction with a wide array of organic and main group electrophiles. The resulting molecules containing B‒C bonds can be further converted to tricoordinate boron species widely used in organic synthesis.

Molybdenum and rhenium carbonyl complexes containing thiolato ligands

The reaction of fac-[M(OTf)(CO)3(N–N)](M = Mn, Re; N–N = 2,2′-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline) complexes with in situ generated LiSEt afforded immediately, in THF at low temperature, the corresponding mononuclear terminal thiolato complexes fac-[M(SEt)(CO)3(N–N)](1-2a,b). Using an analogous synthetic strategy, tungsten and molybdenum (II) alkyl- and arylthiolatos of formula cis-[M(SR)(η3-allyl)(CO)2(N–N)] (3-6a,b) have been obtained. Preliminary reactions of the more reactive molybdenum thiolato complexes towards dimethylacetylenedicarboxylate led to Z-alkenyl products (7a,b), resulting from the insertion of the organic unsaturated electrophile into the Mo–S bond. For each new type of compound, one representative has been characterized in the solid state by X-ray diffraction.

Ni-Catalyzed Carbon-Carbon Bond-Forming Reductive Amination.

This report describes a three-component, Ni-catalyzed reductive coupling that enables the convergent synthesis of tertiary benzhydryl amines, which are challenging to access by traditional reductive amination methodologies. The reaction makes use of iminium ions generated in situ from the condensation of secondary N-trimethylsilyl amines with benzaldehydes, and these species undergo reaction with several distinct classes of organic electrophiles. The synthetic value of this process is demonstrated by a single-step synthesis of antimigraine drug flunarizine (Sibelium) and high yielding derivatization of paroxetine (Paxil) and metoprolol (Lopressor). Mechanistic investigations support a sequential oxidative addition mechanism rather than a pathway proceeding via α-amino radical formation. Accordingly, application of catalytic conditions to an intramolecular reductive coupling is demonstrated for the synthesis of endo- and exocyclic benzhydryl amines.

Metal Heptafluoroisopropyl (M-hfip) Complexes for Use as hfip Transfer Agents

New coinage-metal heptafluoroisopropyl (LnM-hfip) complexes are synthesized from the metal fluoride and inexpensive hexafluoropropene (M = Ag, Cu; L = PPh3, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (Htmp)). Reaction of the silver Htmp complex with a Ni dibromide complex led to efficient hfip transfer to afford L2NiBr(hfip) (L = 2-ethylpyridine). Treatment of the Ni-hfip complex with ZnPh2 gave the corresponding L2NiPh(hfip) complexes, which were investigated for reductive elimination of PhCF(CF3)2. Although the desired reductive elimination proved unsuccessful, addition of carbon monoxide to L2NiPh(hfip) effected an efficient heptafluoroisopropyl carbonylative cross-coupling. Further, while the silver complex does not undergo hfip transfer to organic electrophiles, the copper complex (phen)(PPh3)Cu(hfip) (3b) effectively transfers the hfip unit to various substrates. We investigated the scope of 3b with acid chlorides toward the synthesis of perfluoroisopropyl aryl ketones. Additionally, reaction conditions for hfip...

Stereospecific Stille Cross-Couplings Using Mn(II)Cl2.

Cross-coupling reactions are a staple in organic synthesis, especially for C-C bond formation with sp- and sp2-carbon electrophiles. In recent years, the range of accessible C-C bonds has been extended to stereogenic centers which expedites access to greater molecular complexity. However, these reactions predominantly depend upon late transition metal (LTM) catalysts whose cost, toxicity, and/or environmental impact have come under increasing scrutiny and governmental regulation. Here, we report Mn(II)Cl2 complexes alone, or with assistance from copper, catalyze the stereospecific cross-coupling of α-alkoxyalkylstannanes with organic electrophiles with complete retention of configuration.

Borazine-CF3- Adducts for Rapid, Room Temperature, and Broad Scope Trifluoromethylation.

A fluoroform-derived borazine CF3- transfer reagent is used to effect rapid nucleophilic reactions in the absence of additives, within minutes at 25 °C. Inorganic electrophiles spanning seven groups of the periodic table can be trifluoromethylated in high yield, including transition metals used for catalytic trifluoromethylation. Organic electrophiles included (hetero)arenes, enabling C-H and C-X trifluoromethylation reactions. Mechanistic analysis supports a dissociative mechanism for CF3- transfer, and cation modification afforded a reagent with enhanced stability.

Borazine‐CF3− Adducts for Rapid, Room Temperature, and Broad Scope Trifluoromethylation

AbstractA fluoroform‐derived borazine CF3− transfer reagent is used to effect rapid nucleophilic reactions in the absence of additives, within minutes at 25 °C. Inorganic electrophiles spanning seven groups of the periodic table can be trifluoromethylated in high yield, including transition metals used for catalytic trifluoromethylation. Organic electrophiles included (hetero)arenes, enabling C−H and C−X trifluoromethylation reactions. Mechanistic analysis supports a dissociative mechanism for CF3− transfer, and cation modification afforded a reagent with enhanced stability.