Reductive Cross-electrophile Coupling Research Articles

Synthesis of (Hetero)biaryls via Nickel Catalyzed Reductive Cross-Electrophile Coupling Between (Hetero)aryl Iodides and Bromides.

(Hetero)biaryls are fundamental building blocks in the pharmaceutical industry and rapid access to these scaffolds is imperative for the success of numerous medicinal chemistry campaigns. Herein, a highly general, mild, and chemoselective reductive cross-electrophile coupling between (hetero)aryl iodides and heteroaryl bromides is reported. By employing more reactive (hetero)aryl halides, a broad range of successful substrates (45 examples) were identified. The reaction was also found to be chemoselective for C(sp2)-C(sp2) bond formation between (hetero)aryl iodides and bromides over (hetero)aryl chlorides, which were generally inert under the described reaction conditions. The efficiency of the procedure is also further demonstrated in parallel synthesis library format, on gram scale, as well as in the formal synthesis of Ruxolitinib, a potent JAK inhibitor. As such, we anticipate this method will find widespread utility in the assembly of (hetero)biaryls for medicinal chemistry efforts.

Trideuteromethylation of Alkyl and Aryl Bromides by Nickel-Catalyzed Electrochemical Reductive Cross-Electrophile Coupling

AbstractA new nickel-catalyzed electrochemical, reductive cross-coupling for the trideuteromethylation of alkyl and aryl bromides is reported in which CD3 arenesulfonate derivatives were used as effective and readily available CD3 sources. The CD3-labeled products were obtained with good yields. It was demonstrated that this methodology is scalable and can be efficiently used for various methylations, including 13CH3 and 13CD3 labeling.

Nickel-Catalyzed Acid Chlorides with Tetrasulfides for the Synthesis of Thioesters and Acyl Disulfides.

Herein, we report a novel method for the synthesis of thioesters and acyl disulfides via nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-electrophile coupling of acid chlorides with tetrasulfides. This approach for the synthesis of thioesters and acyl disulfides is convenient and practical under mild reaction conditions, relying on easy availability. In addition, a wide range of thioesters and acyl disulfides were obtained in medium to good yields with good functional group tolerance. Moreover, thioesters and acyl disulfides can also be prepared at the gram scale, indicating that they have certain potential for industrial application.

Metal Cations from Sacrificial Anodes Act as a Lewis Acid Co-Catalyst in Electrochemical Cross-Coupling of Aryl Bromides and Aziridines

An efficient method for the reductive cross-electrophile coupling of aziridines with aryl halides using nickel electrocatalysis is reported. This reaction provides valuable phenethylamines at room temperature in good yields. The reaction was successfully applied to the electro-reductive cross-coupling of less reactive, unsubstituted N-tosylaziridine. Additionally, we were even able to couple challenging alkyl bromides with aryl aziridines. Control experiments and voltammetric studies confirm that the mechanism is distinct from conventional and photochemical couplings. Furthermore, the role of both Ni(II) organometallic complexes and electrodes was examined, providing insight into the reaction mechanism and the beneficial role of the sacrificial anode in electrochemical cross-couplings.

Ni-Catalyzed Electro-Reductive Cross-Electrophile Couplings of Alkyl Amine-Derived Radical Precursors with Aryl Iodides.

In recent years, the "Escape-from-Flatland" trend has prompted the synthetic community to develop a set of cross-coupling strategies to introduce sp3-carbon-based fragments in organic compounds. This study presents a novel nickel-catalyzed electrochemical methodology for reductive cross-electrophile coupling. The method enables C(sp2)-C(sp3) linkages using inexpensive amine-derived radical precursors and aryl iodides. The use of electrochemistry as a power source reduces waste and avoids chemical reductants, making this approach a more sustainable alternative to traditional cross-coupling methods.

Enantioselective C(sp3)–C(sp3) Reductive Cross-Electrophile Coupling of Unactivated Alkyl Halides with α-Chloroboronates via Dual Nickel/Photoredox Catalysis

Substantial advances in enantioconvergent C(sp3)-C(sp3) bond formations have been made with nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling of racemic alkyl electrophiles with organometallic reagents or nickel-hydride-catalyzed hydrocarbonation of alkenes. Herein, we report an unprecedented enantioselective C(sp3)-C(sp3) reductive cross-coupling by the direct utilization of two different alkyl halides with dual nickel/photoredox catalysis system. This highly selective coupling of racemic α-chloroboronates and unactivated alkyl iodides furnishes chiral secondary alkyl boronic esters, which serve as useful and important intermediates in the realm of organic synthesis and enable a desirable protocol to fast construction of enantioenriched complex molecules.

Visible-light induced cross-electrophile coupling of imines and anhydrides to synthesize α-amino ketones.

α-Amino ketones are important motifs in synthetic and medicinal chemistry. Efficient methods to directly access these motifs from feasible precursors are, however, limited. Herein, a visible-light mediated reductive cross-electrophile coupling of readily available imines and anhydrides was developed. Under mild reaction conditions, the umpolung reactivity of diverse imines engaged with anhydrides gives a variety of α-amino ketones with good yields and a broad functional group compatibility. Primary mechanistic studies revealed that this transformation might proceed through a radical-radical cross coupling pathway dominantly.

Direct Synthesis of α-Aryl-α-Trifluoromethyl Alcohols via Nickel Catalyzed Cross-Electrophile Coupling.

A nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-electrophile coupling between the redox-active N-trifluoroethoxyphthalimide and iodoarenes is documented. The protocol reproduces a formal arylation of trifluoroacetaldehyde under mild conditions in high yields (up to 88 %) and with large functional group tolerance (30 examples). A combined computational and experimental investigation revealed a pivotal solvent assisted 1,2-Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) process to generate a nucleophilic α-hydroxy-α-trifluoromethyl C-centered radical for the Csp2 -Csp3 bond forming process.

Zinc-Free, Scalable Reductive Cross-Electrophile Coupling Driven by Electrochemistry in an Undivided Cell.

Nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-electrophile coupling reactions are becoming increasingly important in organic synthesis, but application at scale is limited by three interconnected challenges: a reliance on amide solvents (complicated workup, regulated), the generation of stoichiometric Zn salts (complicated isolation, waste disposal issue), and mixing/activation challenges of zinc powder. We show here an electrochemical approach that addresses these three issues: the reaction works in acetonitrile with diisopropylethylamine as the terminal reductant in a simple undivided cell (graphite(+)/nickel foam(-)). The reaction utilizes a combination of two ligands, 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine and 4,4',4''-tri-tert-butyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine. Studies show that, alone, the bipyridine nickel catalyst predominantly forms protodehalogenated aryl and aryl dimer, whereas the terpyridine nickel catalyst predominantly forms bialkyl and product. By combining these two unselective catalysts, a tunable, general system results because excess radical formed by the terpyridine catalyst can be converted to product by the bipyridine catalyst. As the aryl bromide becomes more electron rich, the optimal ratio shifts to have more of the bipyridine nickel catalyst. Lastly, examination of a variety of flow-cell configurations establishes that batch recirculation can achieve higher productivity (mmol product/time/electrode area) than single-pass, that high flow rates are essential to maximizing current, and that two flow cells in parallel can nearly halve the reaction time. The resulting reaction is demonstrated on gram scale and should be scalable to kilogram scale.

Catalytic enantioselective reductive domino alkyl arylation of acrylates via nickel/photoredox catalysis

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug derivatives (NSAIDs) are an important class of medications. Here we show a visible-light-promoted photoredox/nickel catalyzed approach to construct enantioenriched NSAIDs via a three-component alkyl arylation of acrylates. This reductive cross-electrophile coupling avoids preformed organometallic reagents and replaces stoichiometric metal reductants by an organic reductant (Hantzsch ester). A broad range of functional groups are well-tolerated under mild conditions with high enantioselectivities (up to 93% ee) and good yields (up to 90%). A study of the reaction mechanism, as well as literature precedence, enabled a working reaction mechanism to be presented. Key steps include a reduction of the alkyl bromide to the radical, Giese addition of the alkyl radical to the acrylate and capture of the α-carbonyl radical by the enantioenriched nickel catalyst. Reductive elimination from the proposed Ni(III) intermediate generates the product and forms Ni(I).

Ni-Catalyzed Cross-Electrophile Coupling of Aryl Triflates with Thiocarbonates via C-O/C-O Bond Cleavage.

A nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of aryl triflates with thiocarbonates is reported here. Both electron-rich and -deficient aryl C(sp2)-O electrophiles as well as a class of O-tBu S-alkyl thiocarbonates are compatible with the optimized reaction conditions, as evidenced by 49 examples. The reaction also proceeds with good chemoselective cleavage of the C-O bond with regard to thioesters. This work broadens the scope of nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-electrophile coupling reactions.

Development and Execution of an Ni(II)-Catalyzed Reductive Cross-Coupling of Substituted 2-Chloropyridine and Ethyl 3-Chloropropanoate

We describe the development and scale-up of a nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-electrophile coupling reaction between a substituted 2-chloropyridine and ethyl 3-chloropropanoate using manganese dus...

Desulfonylative Arylation of Redox-Active Alkyl Sulfones with Aryl Bromides.

We describe the development of the first reductive cross-electrophile coupling between alkyl sulfones and aryl bromides. The use of alkyl sulfones offers strategic advantages over other alkyl electrophiles as they can be incorporated into molecules in unique ways and permit α-functionalization prior to coupling. The conditions developed here enable incorporation of a wide array of aromatic rings onto (fluoro)alkyl scaffolds with broad functional group tolerance and generality, making this a practical method for late-stage diversification.

Copper-Catalyzed Reductive Trifluoromethylation of Alkyl Iodides with Togni's Reagent.

This work illustrates a reductive cross-electrophile coupling protocol for trifluoromethylation of alkyl iodides under Cu-catalyzed/Ni-promoted reaction conditions. The use of diboron esters as the terminal reductant allows the effective generation of the alkyl-CF3 products with excellent functional group tolerance and broad substrate scope. A mechanism involving a reaction of alkyl-Cu with Togni's reagent was proposed.

Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted Alkenes by Tandem Metallacycle Formation/Cross-Electrophile Coupling.

Nickel-catalyzed cross-electrophile couplings have recently emerged as highly effective and practical methods for the formation of C-C bonds. By merging this process with well-established π-π coupling chemistry, a new method for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted alkenes has been developed. The procedure relies on the use of chlorosilanes as a means of generating reactive vinylnickel intermediates, which are capable of undergoing a reductive cross-electrophile coupling with alkyl halides. The method not only generates highly substituted allylic alcohol derivatives but also obviates the need for stoichiometric organometallic nucleophiles and provides greatly improved scope and functional group tolerance compared with previously developed methods.

Remote Migratory Cross-Electrophile Coupling and Olefin Hydroarylation Reactions Enabled by in Situ Generation of NiH.

A highly efficient strategy for remote reductive cross-electrophile coupling has been developed through the ligand-controlled nickel migration/arylation. This general protocol allows the use of abundant and bench-stable alkyl bromides and aryl bromides for the synthesis of a wide range of structurally diverse 1,1-diarylalkanes in excellent yields and high regioselectivities under mild conditions. We also demonstrated that alkyl bromide could be replaced by the proposed olefin intermediate while using n-propyl bromide/Mn0 as a potential hydride source.

Reductive Decarboxylative Alkynylation of N-Hydroxyphthalimide Esters with Bromoalkynes.

A new method for the synthesis of terminal and internal alkynes from the nickel-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling of N-hydroxyphthalimide esters and bromoalkynes is presented. This reductive cross-electrophile coupling is the first to use a C(sp)-X electrophile, and appears to proceed via an alkynylnickel intermediate. The internal alkyne products are obtained in yields of 41-95 % without the need for a photocatalyst, light, or a strong oxidant. The reaction displays a broad scope of carboxylic acid and alkyne coupling partners, and can tolerate an array of functional groups, including carbamate NH, halogen, nitrile, olefin, ketone, and ester moieties. Mechanistic studies suggest that this process does not involve an alkynylmanganese reagent and instead proceeds through nickel-mediated bond formation.

Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Conjugate Addition of Primary Alkyl Bromides to Enones To Form Silyl Enol Ethers.

Conjugate addition of organometallic reagents to enones to form silyl enol ether products is a versatile method to difunctionalize activated olefins, but the organometallic reagents required can be limiting. The reductive cross-electrophile coupling of unhindered primary alkyl bromides with enones and chlorosilanes to form silyl enol ether products is catalyzed by a nickel-complexed ortho-brominated terpyridine ligand. The conditions are compatible with a variety of cyclic/acyclic enones and functional groups.

Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Electrophile Coupling of Alkyl Fluorides: Stereospecific Synthesis of Vinylcyclopropanes.

The stereospecific reductive cross-electrophile coupling reaction of 2-vinyl-4-halotetrahydropyrans for vinylcyclopropane synthesis is reported. The nickel-catalyzed reaction occurs with both alkyl fluorides and alkyl chlorides. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported cross-electrophile coupling reaction of an alkyl fluoride. Ring contraction proceeds with high stereospecificity, providing selective synthesis of either diastereomer of di- and trisubstituted cyclopropanes. The utility of this methodology is demonstrated by several synthetic applications including the synthesis of the natural product dictyopterene A. 2-Vinyl-4-fluorotetrahydrofurans also undergo stereospecific ring contractions, providing access to synthetically useful hydroxymethyl cyclopropanes.

Intra- and Intermolecular Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Cross-Electrophile Coupling Reactions of Benzylic Esters with Aryl Halides.

Nickel-catalyzed cross-electrophile coupling reactions of benzylic esters and aryl halides have been developed. Both inter- and intramolecular variants proceed under mild reaction conditions. A range of heterocycles and functional groups are tolerated under the reaction conditions. Additionally, the first example of a stereospecific cross-electrophile coupling of a secondary benzylic ester is described.