P-toluenesulfonylmethyl Isocyanide Research Articles

Modular Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted Pyrroles via an Annulative Migration Reaction of Allenyl Ketones and p-Toluenesulfonylmethyl Isocyanide.

The metal-free cyclization of allenyl ketones and p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC), promoted by Cs2CO3, provides a convenient access to tetrasubstituted pyrroles in which an acyl group undergoes 1,2-migration. This tandem Michael addition/annulative migration synthetic strategy is general and high-yielding for various substituted allenyl ketones. Moreover, a phosphoryl or ester moiety is also a suitable functionality to enable such migration.

Synthesis of Bisoxazole and Bromo-substituted Aryloxazoles

Herein, we report a bisoxazole derivative as well as a bromo-substituted oxazole derivatives via a simple approach. The synthesis begins with an inexpensive and readily available starting material, such as 2,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, hydroquinone, and p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC). This approach relies on the Van Leusen oxazole method and electrophilic aromatic bromination. The structures of bisoxazole and bromosubstituted aryloxazoles were fully supported by spectroscopic methods (IR, NMR, and HRMS) and further established using single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Fe(III)-Catalyzed N-Amidomethylation of Secondary and Primary Anilines with TosMIC.

A Fe(III)-catalyzed N-amidomethylation of secondary and primary anilines with p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) in water is described. TosMIC plays dual roles as the source of methylene as well as an amidating reagent to form α-amino amides in this multicomponent reaction. The combination of TosMIC and other isocyanides was also investigated to give the desired products in acceptable yields. The current protocol features use of iron catalyst and nontoxic media, broad substrate scope, mild conditions, and operational simplicity.

Selective sulfonylation and isonitrilation of para-quinone methides employing TosMIC as a source of sulfonyl group or isonitrile group.

Chemoselective sulfonylation and isonitrilation reactions for the divergent synthesis of valuable diarylmethyl sulfones and isonitrile diarylmethanes starting from easy-to-synthesize para-quinone methides (p-QMs) and commercially abundant p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) by using respectively zinc iodide and 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as catalysts were developed. The distinguishing feature of this method is that TosMIC plays a dual role from the same substrates in the reaction: as a sulfonyl source or as an isonitrile source. The synthetic utility of this protocol was also demonstrated in the synthesis of difluoroalkylated diarylmethane 5 and diarylmethane ketone derivatives 6 and 7, which are important core structures in natural products and medicines.

Discovering New Chemistry with an Autonomous Robotic Platform Driven by a Reactivity-Seeking Neural Network.

We present a robotic chemical discovery system capable of navigating a chemical space based on a learned general association between molecular structures and reactivity, while incorporating a neural network model that can process data from online analytics and assess reactivity without knowing the identity of the reagents. Working in conjunction with this learned knowledge, our robotic platform is able to autonomously explore a large number of potential reactions and assess the reactivity of mixtures, including unknown chemical spaces, regardless of the identity of the starting materials. Through the system, we identified a range of chemical reactions and products, some of which were well-known, some new but predictable from known pathways, and some unpredictable reactions that yielded new molecules. The validation of the system was done within a budget of 15 inputs combined in 1018 reactions, further analysis of which allowed us to discover not only a new photochemical reaction but also a new reactivity mode for a well-known reagent (p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide, TosMIC). This involved the reaction of 6 equiv of TosMIC in a “multistep, single-substrate” cascade reaction yielding a trimeric product in high yield (47% unoptimized) with the formation of five new C–C bonds involving sp–sp2 and sp–sp3 carbon centers. An analysis reveals that this transformation is intrinsically unpredictable, demonstrating the possibility of a reactivity-first robotic discovery of unknown reaction methodologies without requiring human input.

One-Pot, Three-Component Cascade Synthesis of New Imidazoles by Van Leusen Reaction from 2-Functionally Substituted 2-Alkenals, Amines, and p-Tosylmethylisocyanide

The reactivity of 2-alkoxy- and 2-alkylthiosubstituted 3-aryl(hetaryl)-2-propenals in a three-component reaction with primary amines and p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) to afford the functionalized 1,3-imidazoles in good yields (36–69%) has been studied.

Iron-Mediated Selective Sulfonylmethylation of Aniline Derivatives with p-Toluenesulfonylmethyl Isocyanide (TosMIC).

An iron-mediated highly selective C-H sulfonylmethylation of aniline derivatives with p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide in a mixture solvent of H2O and PEG400 under an Ar atmosphere has been realized. This transformation proceeds with operational convenience, use of earth-abundant metal catalyst and nontoxic media, broad substrate scope, and good functional group tolerance. The current methodology could be applied to the regioselective C-H sulfonylmethylation of indolines, tetrahydroquinolines, and tertiary anilines.

Stabilizing the interphasial layer of Ni-rich cathode and graphite anode for lithium ion battery with multifunctional additive

As a promising cathode candidate in high energy density lithium-ion batteries, Nickel-rich cathode LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (LNCAO) has received extensive attention for its high specific capacity and low cost, while it is subject to fast capacity fading due to the inferior interphasial stability. This work aims to improve the cyclic stability of LNCAO cathode by using a multifunctional electrolyte additive, p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TOSMIC). DFT calculation shows that the high reduction activity of TOSMIC additive is mainly contributed by its sulfone group, while the high oxidation activity is primarily caused by its phenyl group. The obtained experimental results indicate that TOSMIC simultaneously generates effective cathode electrolyte interphase and solid electrolyte interphase layer on LNCAO and graphite surface, respectively, leading to greatly enhanced cyclic stability of LNCAO cathode and increased rate performance of graphite anode. On the other hand, application of TOSMIC could suppress the hydrolyzation reaction of LiPF6, and therefore, hindering the generation of harmful product HF and dissolution of transition metal from LNCAO cathode during cycling. Application of such multifunctional electrolyte additive significantly improves the cycle life of the LNCAO/graphite full cell.

Novel synthesis of N-unsubstituted imidazoles via the cycloaddition of N-(tert-butylsulfinyl)imines and TosMIC

A facile and efficient method was developed for the synthesis of N-unsubstituted imidazoles via the cycloaddition of N-sulfinyl imines and p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC). This methodology is operationally simple and useful for the preparation of various aromatic and heteroaromatic imidazoles in good to excellent yields.

Employing TosMIC as a C1N1 “Two-Atom Synthon” in Imidazole Synthesis by Neighboring Group Assistance Strategy

We report an I2/FeCl3-co-promoted formal [2 + 2+1] annulation of aryl methyl ketones, 2-aminobenzyl alcohols, and p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) by neighboring group (-CH2OH) assistance. This is a novel example of using the Van Leusen reagent as a unique C1N1 "two-atom synthon" in the synthesis of imidazoles. Preliminary mechanism studies showed that TsCH2NH2 might be the key intermediate in this reaction. Furthermore, this reaction not only unlocks a novel strategy for imidazole synthesis, but also exploits a new reactivity of TosMIC.

Iron-Catalyzed C–H Sulfonylmethylation of Indoles in Water–PEG400

An iron-catalyzed C–H sulfonylmethylation of indoles in water–PEG400 has been developed using p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide. This protocol enables direct regioselective construction of Csp2–Csp3 bond at the C3 position of indoles with a broad range of substrate compatibility in moderate to good yields, which is cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Pd/Cu-catalyzed facile approach to stilbenes: A novel diversity of TosMIC as an aryl source

Pd/Cu-catalyzed Heck type cross-coupling reaction of p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) with various styrenes to access stilbenes in DMSO solvent under mild conditions is developed. This efficient and simple approach employs TosMIC as an aryl source for the first time and demonstrates the novel diversity of TosMIC.

Catalytic Enantio- and Diastereoselective Mannich Addition of TosMIC to Ketimines.

Chiral amines bearing a stereocenter in the α position are ubiquitous compounds with many applications in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical sectors, as well as in catalysis. Catalytic asymmetric Mannich additions represent a valuable method to access such compounds in enantioenriched form. This work reports the first enantio- and diastereoselective addition of commercially available p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) to ketimines, affording 2-imidazolines bearing two contiguous stereocenters, one of which is fully-substituted, with high yields and excellent stereocontrol. The reaction, catalyzed by silver oxide and a dihydroquinine-derived N,P-ligand, is broad in scope, operationally simple, and scalable. Derivatization of the products provides enantioenriched vicinal diamines, precursors to NHC ligands and sp3 -rich heterocyclic scaffolds. Computations are used to understand catalysis and rationalize stereoselectivity.

Substrate- and temperature-controlled divergence in reactions of alcohols with TosMIC catalyzed by BF3 · Et2O: Facile access to sulfinates and sulfones

ABSTRACTAn efficient BF3 · Et2O-catalyzed divergent synthesis of sulfinate esters and sulfones through C–O and C–S bond formation has been achieved from alcohols and p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC). Various alcohols reacted smoothly with TosMIC under the present conditions at room temperature providing sulfinate esters exclusively. By tuning the reaction temperature, the alcohols that provide highly stabilized carbocation in the reaction medium afforded sulfones as sole products. This study was aimed at understanding the regioselectivity of ambidentate sulfinate ion and to elucidate the interpretation of sulfinate/sulfone scaffolds.

A Novel Methodology for Synthesis of 1,5,6-Trisubstituted 2(1<i>H</i>)-Pyrazinones of Biological Interest

In this report, we describe a new method for the synthesis of densely functionalized 2(1H)-pyrazinones. Treatment of mesoionic 1,3-oxazolium-5-olates with carbanions derived from activated methylene isocyanides (p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) and ethyl isocyanoacetate) causes a novel ring transformation affording 2(1H)-pyrazinones in moderate to high yields. The cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of some of the obtained products were studied and some of the products exhibited tumor-specific cytotoxicity.

ChemInform Abstract: Unexpected Role of p‐Toluenesulfonylmethyl Isocyanide as a Sulfonylating Agent in Reactions with α‐Bromocarbonyl Compounds.

The reactions of p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) with α-bromocarbonyl compounds leading efficiently to α-sulfonated ketones, esters, and amides were reported, in which an explicit new role of TosMIC as the sulfonylating agent was uncovered for the first time. Mechanistic study by control experiments and DFT calculations suggested that the reaction is initiated by Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed hydration of TosMIC to form a formamide intermediate, which undergoes facile C–S bond cleavage under the mediation of a Cs2CO3 additive.

Reactivity of p-Toluenesulfonylmethyl Isocyanide: Iron-Involved C–H Tosylmethylation of Imidazopyridines in Nontoxic Media

A novel iron-involved tosylmethylation of imidazo[1,2-α]pyridines with p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide in a solvent mixture of H2O and PEG400 under an Ar atmosphere has been developed. This protocol provides a facile synthetic route for the functionalization of the imidazo[1,2-α]pyridine scaffold with broad substrate compatibility, which is less expensive and environmentally friendly. The current methodology could further enable regioselective C-H tosylmethylation of indole at the C3 position. Also, p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide was utilized as the tosylmethylating reagent for the first time.

Unexpected Role of p-Toluenesulfonylmethyl Isocyanide as a Sulfonylating Agent in Reactions with α-Bromocarbonyl Compounds.

The reactions of p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) with α-bromocarbonyl compounds leading efficiently to α-sulfonated ketones, esters, and amides were reported, in which an explicit new role of TosMIC as the sulfonylating agent was uncovered for the first time. Mechanistic study by control experiments and DFT calculations suggested that the reaction is initiated by Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed hydration of TosMIC to form a formamide intermediate, which undergoes facile C-S bond cleavage under the mediation of a Cs2CO3 additive.

ChemInform Abstract: Modular Synthesis of Sulfonyl Benzoheteroles by Silver‐Catalyzed Heteroaromatization of Propargylic Alcohols with p‐Toluenesulfonylmethyl Isocyanide (TosMIC): Dual Roles of TosMIC.

A new silver-catalyzed heteroaromatization of propargylic alcohols with p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) has been developed that provides an efficient and modular approach to sulfonyl benzoheteroles. For the first time, TosMIC plays a dual role in one reaction: sulfonyl source and ligand. An unprecedented deoxysulfonylation/hydration/condensation reaction pathway is disclosed.

Copper-catalyzed three-component synthesis of benzothiazolethiones from o-iodoanilines, isocyanide, and potassium sulfide.

An efficient copper catalyzed strategy for the synthesis of a variety of benzothiazolethione derivatives has been developed. In the presence of CuCl, the three-component reaction of o-iodoanilines and K2S with p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide proceeded smoothly to obtain the corresponding benzothiazolethiones in good to excellent isolated yields. Notably, isocyanide functioned as a carbon source and K2S functioned as a sulfur source in this reaction.