Transition Metal-catalyzed Reactions Research Articles

Copper-catalyzed yne-allylic substitutions: concept and recent developments.

The catalytic (asymmetric) allylation and propargylation have been established as powerful strategies allowing access to enantioenriched α-chiral alkenes and alkynes. In this context, combining allylic and propargylic substitutions offers new opportunities to expand the scope of transition metal-catalyzed substitution reactions. Since its discovery in 2022, copper-catalyzed yne-allylic substitution has undergone rapid development and significant progress has been made using the key copper vinyl allenylidene intermediates. This review summarizes the developments and illustrates the influences of copper salt, ligand, and substitution pattern of the substrate on the regioselectivity and stereoselectivity.

Remote Migratory Reductive Arylation of Unactivated Alkenes Enabled by Electrochemical Nickel Catalysis.

Transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between organometallic reagents and electrophiles is a potent method for constructing C(sp2)-C(sp3) bonds. Given the characters of organometallic reagents, cross-reductive coupling is emerging as an alternative strategy. The resurgence of electrochemistry offers an ideal method for electrochemical reductive of cross-coupling electrophiles. Inspired by the mechanism of electrochemical metal hydride, our study proposed that Ni-H electrochemically catalyze the hydroarylation coupling of unactivated alkenes with aryl halides. 1,1-Diarylalkanes can be produced effectively. This method have advantages including mild conditions, excellent regioselectivity, and satisfactory yields.

Navigating Ball Mill Specifications for Theory-to-Practice Reproducibility in Mechanochemistry.

The rising prospects of mechanochemically assisted syntheses hold promise for both academia and industry, yet they face challenges in understanding and, therefore, anticipating respective reaction kinetics. Particularly, dependencies based on variations in milling equipment remain little understood and globally overlooked. This study aims to address this issue by identifying critical parameters through kinematic models, facilitating the reproducibility of mechanochemical reactions across the most prominent mills in laboratory settings, namely planetary and mixer mills. Through a series of selected experiments replicating major classes of organic, organometallic, transition metal-catalyzed, and inorganic reactions from literature, we rationalize the independence of kinematic parameters on reaction kinetics when the accumulated energy criterion is met. As a step forward and to facilitate the practicability of our findings, we provide a freely accessible online tool[†] that allows the calculation of respective energy parameters for different planetary and mixer mills. Our work advances the current understanding of mechanochemistry and lays the foundation for future rational exploration in this rapidly evolving field.

Photoinduced Copper-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Acylsilanes with Heteroarenes via Bimetallic Relay.

The transition metal-catalyzed direct coupling reactions involving electron-rich Fischer carbene species are largely underdeveloped and remain a big challenge. Here, a direct coupling reaction of azoles and azine N-oxides is reported with Fischer copper carbene species bearing an α-siloxy group i, which can be in situ generated from acylsilanes catalytically under photoirradiation and redox-neutral conditions. This coupling reaction between electron-rich α-siloxy Fischer Cu-carbene species with hard carbanion nucleophiles may undergo a bimetallic relay process, which is confirmed by the kinetic analysis and in situ NMR analysis. This reaction features mild conditions and remarkable heterocycle compatibility. Notably, this protocol tolerates a series of azole or azine N-oxide derivatives, including benzoxazole, benzothiazole, benzoimidazole, benzoisoxazole, oxazole, oxadiazole, triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine, purine, caffeine, pyridine N-oxide, quinoline N-oxide, pyrazine N-oxide, pyridazine N-oxide, etc. The synthetic value of this approach is demonstrated by the efficient synthesis of a histamine h4 receptor ligand and a marketed drug carbinoxamine.

Unveiling the Significance of tert-Butoxides in Transition Metal-Free Cross-Coupling Reactions.

The astounding reactivity of tert-butoxides in transition metal-free coupling reactions is driving the scientific community towards a new era of environmental friendly, as well as cost-effective, transformation strategies. Transition metal-catalyzed coupling reactions generate hazardous wastes and require harsh reaction conditions, mostly at elevated temperature, which increases not only costs but also environmental concerns regarding the methodology. Tert-butoxide-catalyzed/mediated coupling reactions have several advantages and potential applications. They can form carbon-carbon, carbon-heteroatom, and heteroatom-heteroatom bonds under mild reaction conditions. Mechanistic insights into these reactions include both ionic and radical pathways, with the fate of the intermediates depending on the reaction conditions and/or additives used in the reactions. Among all of the known tert-butoxides, potassium tert-butoxide has pronounced applications in transition metal-free coupling reactions as compared to other tert-butoxides, such as sodium and lithium tert-butoxides, because of the higher electropositivity of potassium compared to sodium and lithium. Moreover, potassium tert-butoxide can act as a source of base, nucleophile and single electron donors in various important transformations. In this review, we provide an extensive overview and complete compilation of transition metal-free cross-coupling reactions catalyzed/promoted by tert-butoxides during the past 10years.

Ni(II)-catalyzed asymmetric alkenylation and arylation of aryl ketones with organoborons via 1,5-metalate shift

Chiral tertiary alcohols are an important structural motif, however, the general and efficient methodologies for their synthesis are less reported. Herein, we report a Ni(ІІ)-catalyzed asymmetric alkenylation and arylation of aryl ketones with organoborons under air via a 1,5-metalate shift strategy to obtain chiral tertiary allylic alcohols and diaryl alcohols. The reaction demonstrates good functional group tolerance and delivers chiral tertiary alcohols with good to excellent results. Furthermore, this method can be applied to the late-stage modification of drugs and the efficient synthesis of natural products. Notably, the reaction proceeds through an outer-sphere mechanism. The Ni(II) complex functions both as a Lewis acid to activate the ketone and create a chiral environment, and as coordination bridge linking the ketone and the organoboron-derived “ate” complex, facilitating the 1,5-metalate shift without forming a C-Ni bond. This approach contrasts with traditional transition metal-catalyzed nucleophilic addition reactions that involve carbon-metal bond formation.

Coplanar Atropochiral 5H-Cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dipyridine Ligands: Synthesis and Applications in Asymmetric Ring-Opening Reaction.

Bipyridines represent a class of ligands renowned for their versatility and efficacy in numerous transition metal-catalyzed reactions. Chiral bipyridine ligands are noted for their distinctive reactivity and stereoselectivity. In this work, we have designed and synthesized a class of bipyridine ligands endowed with an axially chiral scaffold. These ligands feature: (a) a precisely aligned coplanar bipyridine framework that is beneficial for metal chelation; (b) a spacious environment around the metal-bipyridine complexes, capable of hosting substrates with substantial steric bulk; (c) a chiral pocket induced by the axially chiral architecture. These atropochiral planar bipyridine ligands were successfully applied in copper-catalyzed ring-opening reactions of cyclic diaryliodoniums with bulky secondary amines, achieving high efficiency and stereoselectivity that were unsuccessful in our previous efforts.

Gold-Catalyzed Alkoxy-Carbonylation of Aryl and Vinyl Iodides.

Herein, for the first time, we disclose the gold-catalyzed alkoxy-carbonylation of aryl and vinyl iodides utilizing ligand-enabled Au(I)/Au(III) redox catalysis. The present methodology is found to be general, efficient, employs mild reaction conditions and showcases a broad substrate scope even with structurally complex molecules. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed mechanistic pathways distinct from those of conventional transition metal-catalyzed carbonylation reactions.

C–H/C–H Aromative carbonylation of diarylalkynes enabled palladium-catalyzed by 6-endo-dig carbocyclization

Transition metal-catalyzed cycloaromatization reactions of diarylalkynes offer a swift and versatile approach to synthesizing a wide array of polycyclic aromatic compounds. However, the specific mechanism of Pd-catalyzed C–H/C–H aromative carbonylation of diarylalkynes, particularly those bearing adjacent functional groups, remains a relatively unexplored area. Herein, we present a palladium-catalyzed C–H/C–H aromative carbonylation of diarylalkynes, which proceeds through an exclusive 6-endo-dig carbocyclization pathway, followed by the incorporation of CO to yield carbonyl compounds. This methodology provides a novel and efficient route for generating complex aromatic structures, thus expanding the potential applications in organic synthesis.

Computational Design of Ligands for the Ir-Catalyzed C5-Borylation of Indoles through Tuning Dispersion Interactions.

The indole moiety is ubiquitous in natural products and pharmaceuticals. C-H borylation of the benzenoid moiety of indoles is a challenging task, especially at the C5 position. We have combined computational and experimental studies to introduce multiple noncovalent interactions, especially dispersion, between the substrate and catalytic ligand to realize C5-borylation of indoles with high reactivity and selectivity. The successful computational predictions of new ligands should be suitable for ligand design in other transition-metal catalyzed reactions.

Perfect Partners: Biocatalytic Halogenation and Metal Catalysis for Protein Bioconjugation.

Flavin-dependent halogenases (FDHs) are the most extensively researched halogenases and show great potential for biotransformation applications. These enzymes use chloride, bromide, or iodide ions as halogen donors to catalyze the oxygen-dependent halogenation of electron-rich aryl moieties, requiring stochiometric amounts of FADH2 in the process. This makes FDH-catalyzed aryl halogenation a highly selective and environmentally friendly tool for the synthesis of aryl halides. The latter in turn serve as valuable intermediates for transition metal catalyzed cross coupling reactions for C-C bond formation. Previous research made extensive use of this approach to halogenate small molecules as building blocks for late-stage functionalization by transition-metal catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Based on these results, several groups have managed to expand this research to protein targets over the past two years. Their work indicates an emerging methodology for bioconjugation using late-stage biocatalytic halogenation in conjunction with biorthogonal Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling. This strategy could present an attractive alternative to existing approaches due to the stability of the C-C bond bridging the generated biaryl moiety and the ease of late-stage enzymatic modification while maintaining excellent selectivity under mild conditions.

Radical-Based Enantioconvergent Reductive Couplings of Racemic Allenes and Aldehydes.

Transition metal-catalyzed radical-based enantioconvergent reactions have become a powerful strategy to synthesize enantiopure compounds from racemic starting materials. However, existing methods primarily address precursors with central chirality, neglecting those with axial chirality. Herein, we describe the enantioconvergent reductive coupling of racemic allenes with aldehydes, facilitated by a photoredox, chromium, and cobalt triple catalysis system. This method selectively affords one product from sixteen possible regio- and stereoisomers. The protocol leverages CoIII-H mediated hydrogen atom transfer (MHAT) and Cr-catalyzed radical-polar crossover for efficient stereoablation of axial chirality and asymmetric addition, respectively. Supported by mechanistic insights from control experiments, deuterium labeling, and DFT calculations, our approach offers synthetic chemists a valuable tool for creating enantioenriched chiral homoallylic alcohols, promising to advance radical-based strategies for synthesizing complex chiral molecules.

Influence of ligand field strength on the kinetics of transition metal-catalyzed reactions

Influence of ligand field strength on the kinetics of transition metal-catalyzed reactions

Silver-Catalyzed Carbamoylation and Carbonylative Cyclization of Alkenes with Oxamic Acids.

Transition metal-catalyzed carbonylation functionalization reaction of alkenes is an attractive research area in modern organic chemistry. However, there have been very few reports on silver-catalyzed reactions in carbonylation reactions. Herein we developed a silver-catalyzed carbamoylation and carbonylative cyclization of alkenes with oxamic acids to obtain 2-acetylamino-1-tetralone derivatives. Various desired cyclized products were formed in moderate to good yields through radical intermediates.

Photosensitized Reductive Elimination of Gold(III) to Enable Esterification of Aryl Iodides with Carboxylic Acids.

Compared to the well-established transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, Au(I)/Au(III)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions have lagged behind. Despite some advancements, achieving gold-catalyzed C-O coupling with carboxylic acids via an Au(III) carboxylate intermediate remains challenging due to the thermal unfavorability of the critical reductive elimination step. Here, we present the first photosensitized reductive elimination of gold(III) to enable esterification of aryl iodides with carboxylic acids. In the presence of a (P, N)-gold(I) catalyst and a photosensitizer benzophenone under blue LED irradiation, esterification derivatives were obtained from aryl iodides with both aryl and alkyl (1°, 2°, 3°) carboxylic acids. Mechanistic and modeling studies support that energy transfer (EnT) from a photosensitizer produces an excited-state gold(III) complex that couples aryl iodides with carboxylic acids. This photoinduced energy-transfer strategy has been applied in several other photosensitized gold catalysis reactions, indicating its potential for further applications.

Construction of Vicinal Quaternary Centers via Ru-Catalyzed Enantiospecific Allylic Substitution with Lithium Ester Enolates.

The installation of vicinal quaternary centers with absolute stereocontrol constitutes a considerable challenge in organic synthesis. Herein, we introduce a novel [Cp*Ru(MeCN)3]PF6/phenoxythiazoline catalyst system that achieves enantiospecific allylic substitution of tertiary carbonates with α,α-disubstituted lithium ester enolates to give products containing vicinal quaternary centers. Noteworthy features include the direct use of nonstabilized ester enolates, a class of nucleophiles which has rarely been used in transition metal-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions. The approach is demonstrated for a broad scope of tertiary electrophiles as well as ester enolates and accomplishes stereoretentive substitution with excellent conservation of ee (89-99%) and branched/linear regioselectivities (up to 40:1).

Electrochemical Generation of Aryl Radicals from Organoboron Reagents Enabled by Pulsed Electrosynthesis.

Aryl radicals play a pivotal role as reactive intermediates in chemical synthesis, commonly arising from aryl halides and aryl diazo compounds. Expanding the repertoire of sources for aryl radical generation to include abundant and stable organoboron reagents would significantly advance radical chemistry and broaden their reactivity profile. While traditional approaches utilize stoichiometric oxidants or photocatalysis to generate aryl radicals from these reagents, electrochemical conditions have been largely underexplored. Through rigorous mechanistic investigations, we identified fundamental challenges hindering aryl radical generation. In addition to the high oxidation potentials of aromatic organoboron compounds, electrode passivation through radical grafting, homocoupling of aryl radicals, and decomposition issues were identified. We demonstrate that pulsed electrosynthesis enables selective and efficient aryl radical generation by mitigating the fundamental challenges. Our discoveries facilitated the development of the first electrochemical conversion of aryl potassium trifluoroborate salts into aryl C-P bonds. This sustainable and straightforward oxidative electrochemical approach exhibited a broad substrate scope, accommodating various heterocycles and aryl chlorides, typical substrates in transition-metal catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Furthermore, we extended this methodology to form aryl C-Se, C-Te, and C-S bonds, showcasing its versatility and potential in bond formation processes.

Redox Approaches to Carbene Generation in Catalytic Cyclopropanation Reactions.

Transition metal-catalyzed carbene transfer reactions have a century-old history in organic chemistry and are a primary method for the synthesis of cyclopropanes. Much of the work in this field has focused on the use of diazo compounds and related precursors, which can transfer a carbene fragment to a catalyst with concomitant loss of a stable byproduct. Despite the utility of this approach, there are persistent limitations in the scope of viable carbenes, most notably those lacking stabilizing substituents. By coupling carbene transfer chemistry with two-electron redox cycles, it is possible to expand the available starting materials that can be used as carbene precursors. In this Minireview, we discuss emerging catalytic reductive cyclopropanation reactions using either gem-dihaloalkanes or carbonyl compounds. This strategy is inspired by classic stoichiometric transformations, such as the Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation and the Clemmensen reduction, but instead entails the formation of a catalytically generated transition metal carbene or carbenoid. We also present recent efforts to generate carbenes directly from methylene (CR2H2) groups via a formal 1,1-dehydrogenation. These reactions are currently restricted to substrates containing electron-withdrawing substituents, which serve to facilitate deprotonation and subsequent oxidation of the anion.

Polydentate Amidinato-Silylenes, -Germylenes and -Stannylenes.

This review article focuses on amidinatotetrylenes that potentially can (or have already shown to) behave as bi- or tridentate ligands because they contain at least one amidinatotetrylene moiety (silylene, germylene or stannylene) and one (or more) additional coordinable fragment(s). Currently, they are being widely used as ligands in coordination chemistry, small molecule activation and catalysis. This review classifies those that have been isolated as transition metal-free compounds into five families that differ in the position(s) of the donor group(s) (D) on the amidinatotetrylene moiety, namely: ED{R1NC(R2)NR1}, EX{DNC(R2)NR1}, EX{R1NC(D)NR1}, EX{DNC(R2)ND} and E{R1NC(R2)ND}2 (E=Si, Ge or Sn). Those that do not exist as transition metal-free compounds but have been observed as ligands in transition metal complexes are cyclometallated and ring-opened amidinatotetrylene ligands. This article presents schematic descriptions of their structures, the approaches used for their syntheses and a quick overview of their involvement (as ligands) in transition metal-catalysed reactions. The literature is covered up to the end of 2023.

Recent Advances in Metal-Catalyzed Approaches for the Synthesis of Quinazoline Derivatives.

Quinazolines are an important class of heterocyclic compounds that have proven their significance, especially in the field of organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry because of their wide range of biological and pharmacological properties. Thus, numerous synthetic methods have been developed for the synthesis of quinazolines and their derivatives. This review article briefly outlines the new synthetic methods for compounds containing the quinazoline scaffold employing transition metal-catalyzed reactions.