Recyclable polystyrene-supported siloxane-transfer agent for palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

The rational design, synthesis, and validation of a significantly improved insoluble polymer-supported siloxane-transfer agent has been achieved that permits efficient palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The cross-linked polystyrene support facilitates product purification with excellent siloxane recycling. Drawbacks of a previous polymer-supported siloxane-transfer agent, relating to reaction efficiency and polymer stability after repeated cycles, have been addressed.

Beyond C–H and C–O activation: the evolution of components in cross-coupling reactions

C–H and C–O bonds are two of the most abundant chemical bonds in nature. Direct application of C–H and C–O bonds to take place of C–X bonds in cross coupling reactions exhibited numerous advantages since the pre-activation and the emission of harmful wastes can be avoided. In this synopsis, a variety of novel transformations related to cross coupling reactions based on direct C–H and C–O activation are described.

Highly diastereoselective hydrosilylations of allylic alcohols

The highly syn-selective hydrosilylation of allylic alcohols was developed which, following oxidation, provided 1,3 alcohols containing two contiguous stereocentres. Through judicious choice of silane the complementary anti-selective hydrosilylation was also developed. This protocol was applied to the synthesis of an all syn polyketide stereotriad.

Copper-catalyzed Hiyama cross-coupling using vinylsilanes and benzylic electrophiles

Copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of vinylsiloxanes with benzyl bromides allowing a mild and simple access to important allyl arene compounds.

Nanoporous palladium catalyzed silicon-based one-pot cross-coupling reaction of aryl iodides with organosilanes

One-pot cross-coupling of aryl iodides with organosilanes is realized using dealloyed nanoporous palladium as a sustainable and heterogeneous catalyst.

Carbopalladation of bromoene-alkynylsilanes: mechanistic insights and synthesis of fused-ring bicyclic silanes and phenols

Palladium-catalyzed cyclizations of silylated bromoenynes lead to bicyclic cyclohexadienes that are precursors to enones and phenols. Novel cyclization pathways and mechanistic insights are also disclosed.

Photoinduced HBr-catalyzed C–Si bond cleavage of benzylsilanes and their subsequent oxidation into benzoic acids with air as the terminal oxidant

A photoinduced highly efficient C–Si bond cleavage reaction of benzylsilanes under the catalysis of HBr was developed. The in situ generated benzyl radical intermediates were aerobically oxidized into benzoic acids highly chemoselectively.

Transition-metal-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions: a remarkable advance from palladium to nickel catalysts

In the transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, the use of the first row transition metals as catalysts is much more appealing than the precious metals owing to the apparent advantages such as cheapness and earth abundance. Within the last two decades, particularly the last five years, explosive interests have been focused on the nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura reactions. This has greatly advanced the chemistry of transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Most notably, a broad range of aryl electrophiles such as phenols, aryl ethers, esters, carbonates, carbamates, sulfamates, phosphates, phosphoramides, phosphonium salts, and fluorides, as well as various alkyl electrophiles, which are conventionally challenging, by applying palladium catalysts can now be coupled efficiently with boron reagents in the presence of nickel catalysts. In this review, we would like to summarize the progress in this reaction.

Regioselective allene hydrosilylation catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of nickel and palladium

Regioselective methods for allene hydrosilylation have been developed, with regioselectivity being governed primarily by the choice of metal. Alkenylsilanes are produced via nickel catalysis with larger N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands, and allylsilanes are produced via palladium catalysis with smaller NHC ligands. These complementary methods allow either regioisomeric product to be obtained with exceptional regiocontrol.

Silyl-Heck Reactions for the Preparation of Unsaturated Organosilanes

Few methods exist to directly install silyl functionality onto olefins. This Synpacts highlights the state of the art of the silyl-Heck reaction and our recently developed conditions for preparing allyl and vinyl silanes from terminal alkenes using this method.

Copper-catalyzed Hiyama coupling of (hetero)aryltriethoxysilanes with (hetero)aryl iodides

A Cu(I)-catalyzed Hiyama coupling was achieved, which proceeds in the absence of an ancillary ligand for aryl-heteroaryl and heteroaryl-heteroaryl couplings. A P,N-ligand is required to obtain the best product yields for aryl-aryl couplings. In addition to facilitating transmetalation, CsF is also found to function as a stabilizer of the [CuAr] species, potentially generated as an intermediate after transmetalation of aryltriethoxysilanes with Cu(I)-catalysts in the absence of ancillary ligands.

Mechanistic studies on the Pd-catalyzed vinylation of aryl halides with vinylalkoxysilanes in water: the effect of the solvent and NaOH promoter

The mechanism of the Pd-catalyzed vinylation of aryl halides with vinylalkoxysilanes in water has been studied using different catalytic precursors. The NaOH promoter converts the initial vinylalkoxysilane into a highly reactive water-soluble vinylsilanolate species. Similarly, deuterium-labeling experiments have shown that, irrespective of the catalytic precursor used, vinylation occurs exclusively at the CH vinylic functionality via a Heck reaction and not at the C-Si bond via a Hiyama cross-coupling. The involvement of a Heck mechanism is interpreted in terms of the reduced nucleophilicity of the base in water, which disfavors the transmetalation step. The Heck product (β-silylvinylarene) undergoes partial desilylation, with formation of a vinylarene, by three different routes: (a) hydrolytic desilylation by the aqueous solvent (only at high temperature); (b) transmetalation of the silyl olefin on the PdH Heck intermediate followed by reductive elimination of vinylarene; (c) reinsertion of the silyl olefin into the PdH bond of the Heck intermediate followed by β-Si syn-elimination. Both the Hiyama and Heck catalytic cycles and desilylation mechanisms b and c have been computationally evaluated for the [Pd(en)Cl2] precursor in water as solvent. The calculated Gibbs energy barriers support the reinsertion route proposed on the basis of the experimental results.

Copper-catalyzed electrophilic amination of organolithiums mediated by recoverable siloxane transfer agents

The development and validation of copper-catalyzed, electrophilic amination of aryl and heteroaryl organolithiums with N,N-dialkyl-O-benzoylhydroxylamines have been achieved exploiting recoverable siloxane transfer agents. Given the ready availability of organolithium compounds, the mild reaction conditions, the ease of product purification, and the ready recovery of the siloxane transfer agents, this transformation comprises a useful tactic to access diverse aryl and heteroaryl amines.

Preparation of vinyl silyl ethers and disiloxanes via the silyl-Heck reaction of silyl ditriflates

Vinyl silyl ethers and disiloxanes can now be prepared from aryl-substituted alkenes and related substrates using a silyl-Heck reaction. The reaction employs a commercially available catalyst system and mild conditions. This work represents a highly practical means of accessing diverse classes of vinyl silyl ether substrates in an efficient and direct manner with complete regiomeric and geometric selectivity.

Polymer-supported siloxane transfer agents for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

The design, synthesis, and validation of a ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) polymer supporting siloxane transfer agents have been achieved that permit efficient palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The solubility properties of the polymer facilitate not only product purification but also polymer recycling without significant loss of cross-coupling activity.

Direct catalytic cross-coupling of organolithium compounds

Catalytic carbon-carbon bond formation based on cross-coupling reactions plays a central role in the production of natural products, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and organic materials. Coupling reactions of a variety of organometallic reagents and organic halides have changed the face of modern synthetic chemistry. However, the high reactivity and poor selectivity of common organolithium reagents have largely prohibited their use as a viable partner in direct catalytic cross-coupling. Here we report that in the presence of a Pd-phosphine catalyst, a wide range of alkyl-, aryl- and heteroaryl-lithium reagents undergo selective cross-coupling with aryl- and alkenyl-bromides. The process proceeds quickly under mild conditions (room temperature) and avoids the notorious lithium halogen exchange and homocoupling. The preparation of key alkyl-, aryl- and heterobiaryl intermediates reported here highlights the potential of these cross-coupling reactions for medicinal chemistry and material science.

The design, synthesis and validation of recoverable and readily reusable siloxane transfer agents for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

The development of competent, recoverable and reusable 1-oxa-2-silacyclopentene (siloxane) transfer agents for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions (CCRs) of organolithium reagents with aryl and alkenyl iodides has been achieved. Drawbacks of the first-generation siloxane-transfer agent (1), relating to facile recovery for potential recycling, have been addressed.

Gold-catalyzed direct arylation

Biaryls (two directly connected aromatic rings, Ar(1)-Ar(2)) are common motifs in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and organic materials. Current methods for establishing the Ar(1)-Ar(2) bond are dominated by the cross-coupling of aryl halides (Ar(1)-X) with aryl metallics (Ar(2)-M). We report that, in the presence of 1 to 2 mole percent of a gold catalyst and a mild oxidant, a wide range of arenes (Ar(1)-H) undergo site-selective arylation by arylsilanes (Ar(2)-SiMe(3)) to generate biaryls (Ar(1)-Ar(2)), with little or no homocoupling (Ar(1)-Ar(1)/Ar(2)-Ar(2)). Catalysis proceeds at room temperature and tolerates a broad range of functional groups, including those incompatible with cross-coupling. These features expedite biaryl preparation, as demonstrated by synthesis of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory diflunisal.