Catalysts for Cross-Coupling Reactions with Non-activated Alkyl Halides

Palladium-catalyzed desulfonylative aminocarbonylation of benzylsulfonyl chlorides with o-aminobenzaldehydes/o-aminoacetophenones for the synthesis of quinoin-2(1H)-ones

A straightforward and efficient synthesis of quinoin-2(1H)-ones has been explored via a palladium-catalyzed desulfonylative aminocarbonylation of benzylsulfonyl chlorides with o-aminobenzaldehydes/o-aminoacetophenones.

Palladium-Catalyzed Reductive Desulfonative Aminocarbonylation of Benzylsulfonyl Chlorides with Nitroarenes to Phenylacetamides

Herein, we demonstrate a new procedure for the direct using benzylsulfonyl chlorides as versatile C(sp3) electrophiles in a palladium-catalyzed reductive desulfonative aminocarbonylation reaction. Using nitroarenes as readily accessible and stable...

Recent developments in enantioselective nickel(ii)-catalyzed conjugate additions

This review updates the field of enantioselective nickel-catalyzed conjugate additions since 2016.

Ligand-controlled cobalt-catalyzed remote hydroboration and alkene isomerization of allylic siloxanes

The Co-catalyzed remote hydroboration and alkene isomerization of allylic siloxanes were realized by a ligand-controlled strategy. The remote hydroboration with dcype provided borylethers, while xantphos favored the formation of silyl enol ethers.

Nickel-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Coupling of Redox-Active Esters with Aliphatic Aldehydes

The addition of alkyl fragments to aliphatic aldehydes is a highly desirable transformation for fragment couplings, yet existing methods come with operational challenges related to the basicity and instability of the nucleophilic reagents commonly employed. We report herein that nickel catalysis using a readily available bioxazoline (BiOx) ligand can catalyze the reductive coupling of redox-active esters with aliphatic aldehydes using zinc metal as the reducing agent to deliver silyl-protected secondary alcohols. This protocol is operationally simple, proceeds under mild conditions, and tolerates a variety of functional groups. Initial mechanistic studies suggest a radical chain pathway. Additionally, alkyl tosylates and epoxides are suitable alkyl precursors to this transformation providing a versatile suite of catalytic reactions for the functionalization of aliphatic aldehydes.

Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive C-Ge Coupling of Aryl/Alkenyl Electrophiles with Chlorogermanes

Cross-electrophile coupling has emerged as a promising tool for molecular synthesis; however, current studies have focused mainly on forging C-C bonds. We report a cross-electrophile C-Ge coupling reaction and thereby demonstrate the possibility of constructing organogermanes from carbon electrophiles and chlorogermanes. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions and offers access to both aryl and alkenyl germanes. Electron-rich, electron-poor, and ortho-/meta-/para-substituted (hetero)aryl electrophiles, as well as cyclic and acyclic alkenyl electrophiles, were coupled. Gram-scale reaction, incorporation of the -GeR₃ moiety into complex biologically active molecules, and derivatization of formed organogermanes are demonstrated.

Pd-catalyzed bidentate auxiliary assisted remote C(sp3)-H functionalization

Pd-catalyzed C-H functionalisation affords effective synthetic tools to construct C-C and C-X bonds. Despite the challenges, the distal functionalization of C(sp³)-H bonds has witnessed significant developments and the use of bidentate auxiliaries has garnished this area by providing an opportunity to control reactivity as well as selectivity beyond proximal sites. This article covers the recent developments on the Pd-catalyzed bidentate auxiliary-assisted distal C(sp³)-H functionalization and is categorized based on the nature of functionalizations.

First-Row d-Block Element-Catalyzed Carbon-Boron Bond Formation and Related Processes

Organoboron reagents represent a unique class of compounds because of their utility in modern synthetic organic chemistry, often affording unprecedented reactivity. The transformation of the carbon-boron bond into a carbon-X (X = C, N, and O) bond in a stereocontrolled fashion has become invaluable in medicinal chemistry, agrochemistry, and natural products chemistry as well as materials science. Over the past decade, first-row d-block transition metals have become increasingly widely used as catalysts for the formation of a carbon-boron bond, a transformation traditionally catalyzed by expensive precious metals. This recent focus on alternative transition metals has enabled growth in fundamental methods in organoboron chemistry. This review surveys the current state-of-the-art in the use of first-row d-block element-based catalysts for the formation of carbon-boron bonds.

Regioselective Hydroalkylation of Vinylarenes by Cooperative Cu and Ni Catalysis

Disclosed here is a dual copper and nickel catalytic system with a silyl hydride source for promoting the linear selective hydroalkylation of vinylarenes. This carbon-carbon bond-forming protocol is applied to couple a variety of functionalized vinylarenes with alkyl halides applying a nickel(II) NNN pincer complex in the presence of an NHC-ligated copper catalyst. This combination allows for a 1 mol % loading of the nickel catalyst leading to turnover numbers of up to 72. Over 40 examples are presented, including applications for pharmaceutical diversification. Labeling experiments demonstrated the regioselectivity of the reaction and revealed that the copper catalyst plays a crucial role in enhancing the rate for formation of the reactive linear alkyl nickel complex. Overall, the presented work provides a complimentary approach for hydroalkylation reactions, whilst providing a preliminary mechanistic understanding of the cooperativity between the copper and nickel complexes.

Ligand-Regulated Palladium-Catalyzed Regiodivergent Hydroarylation of the Distal Double Bond of Allenamides with Aryl Boronic Acid

The ligand-regulated regiodivergent hydroarylation of the distal double bond of allenamides with aryl boronic acid was achieved in the presence of palladium(II) catalysts, delivering a variety of functionalized enamide with excellent E selectivity and Markovnikov/anti-Markovnikov selectivity. Two possible coordination intermediates were proposed to be responsible for the regiodivergent hydroarylation: (1) The coordination Intermediate I, which was proposed to be formed through the coordination of MeCN, distal double bond, phenyl to palladium, led to the aryl group away from the Intermediate I, inducing excellent E selectivity and anti-Markovnikov selectivity. (2) A switch of regioselectivity to 1,2-Markovnikov hydroarylation was obtained using bidentate phosphine ligand (dppf or Xantphos). The formed coordination Intermediate II led to the N-tether away from the Intermediate II and at the trans position of aryl, resulting in excellent E selectivity and Markovnikov selectivity. Meanwhile, tentative investigation on the mechanism proved that the hydron source of this hydroarylation is more likely to be boronic acid. The transmetallation between aryl boronic acid and palladium catalyst was the initial step of this transformation.

Dual Photoredox/Nickel-Promoted Alkylation of Heteroaryl Halides with Redox-Active Esters

Herein a method for the radical alkylation of heteroaryl halides that relies upon the combination of photoredox and nickel catalysis is described. The use of aliphatic N-(acyloxy)phthalimides as redox-active esters affords primary and secondary radicals for the decarboxylative dual cross-coupling with pyrimidine and pyridine heteroaryl chlorides, bromides, and iodides. The method provides an additional synthetic tool for the incorporation of medicinally relevant heterocyclic motifs.

Unactivated Alkyl Chloride Reactivity in Excited-State Palladium Catalysis

Excited-state palladium catalysis is an efficient process for the alkylation of diverse organic compounds via the generation of alkyl radicals from alkyl bromides and iodides. However, the generation of alkyl radicals from more stable alkyl chlorides remains challenging. Herein, we demonstrate the excited-state palladium-catalyzed synthesis of oxindoles and isoquinolinediones via alkylation/annulation reaction by overcoming inherent limitations associated with unactivated C(sp³)-Cl bond activation at room temperature.

Synthesis of Indoles via Intermolecular and Intramolecular Cyclization by Using Palladium-Based Catalysts

As part of natural products or biologically active compounds, the synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles is becoming incredibly valuable. Palladium is a transition metal that is widely utilized as a catalyst to facilitate carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom coupling; it is used in the synthesis of various heterocycles. This review includes the twelve years of successful indole synthesis using various palladium catalysts to establish carbon-carbon or carbon-nitrogen coupling, as well as the conditions that have been optimized.

Enantioselective Reductive Homocoupling of Allylic Acetates Enabled by Dual Photoredox/Palladium Catalysis: Access to C2-Symmetrical 1,5-Dienes

Transition-metal-catalyzed reductive coupling reactions have emerged as powerful protocols to construct C-C bonds. However, the development of enantioselective C(sp³)-C(sp³) reductive coupling remains challenging. Herein, we report a highly regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective reductive homocoupling of allylic acetates through cooperative palladium and photoredox catalysis using diisopropylethylamine or Hantzsch ester as a homogeneous organic reductant. This straightforward protocol enables the stereoselective construction of C(sp³)-C(sp³) bonds under mild reaction conditions. A series of C₂-symmetrical chiral 1,5-dienes were easily prepared with excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee), diastereoselectivities (up to >95:5 dr), and regioselectivities (up to >95:5 rr). The resultant chiral 1,5-dienes can be directly used as chiral ligands in asymmetric synthesis, and they can be also transformed into other valuable chiral ligands.

A fluorescent probe for the discrimination of oxidation states of palladium

Palladium-based catalysts are widely used in pharmaceutical industries, which can sometimes cause palladium contamination in pharmaceutical drug manufacture. It is important to separately quantify the different oxidation states of palladium (Pd⁰ and Pd²⁺) in pharmaceuticals as they react with scavengers differently. Although palladium sensors have been under intense investigation, oxidation state differentiators are very rare. Here, we report a simple porphyrin–coumarin conjugate, PPIX-L2, that can selectively discriminate between the oxidation states of palladium. The reaction of PPIX-L2 with Pd⁰ showed a 24-fold fluorescence increase of the coumarin emission, meanwhile, the presence of Pd²⁺ led to a 98% quenching of the porphyrin emission. Fluorescent responses of PPIX-L2 towards Pd⁰ and Pd²⁺ are specific, and its sensitivity towards both palladium species is significantly increased with a detection limit of 75 nM and 382 nM for Pd⁰ and Pd²⁺ respectively.

A simple porphyrin–coumarin conjugate PPIX-L2 was developed for the discrimination of different oxidation states of palladium (Pd⁰ and Pd²⁺), and with a significantly improved sensitivity.

Palladium-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Iodination of Aryl Carboxylic Acids Enabled by Ligand-Assisted Halide Exchange

We report an efficient and broadly applicable palladium-catalyzed iodination of inexpensive and abundant aryl and vinyl carboxylic acids via in situ activation to the acid chloride and formation of a phosphonium salt. The use of 1-iodobutane as iodide source in combination with a base and a deoxychlorinating reagent gives access to a wide range of aryl and vinyl iodides under Pd/Xantphos catalysis, including complex drug-like scaffolds. Stoichiometric experiments and kinetic analysis suggest a unique mechanism involving C-P reductive elimination to form the Xantphos phosphonium chloride, which subsequently initiates an unusual halogen exchange by outer sphere nucleophilic substitution.

Progress and perspectives on directing group-assisted palladium-catalysed C-H functionalisation of amino acids and peptides

Peptide modifications can unlock a variety of compounds with structural diversity and abundant biological activity. In nature, peptide modifications, such as functionalisation at the side-chain position of amino acids, are performed using post-translational modification enzymes or incorporation of unnatural amino acids. However, accessing these modifications remains a challenge for organic chemists. During the past decades, selective C-H activation/functionalisation has attracted considerable attention in synthetic organic chemistry as a pathway to peptide modification. Various directing group strategies have been discovered that assist selective C-H activation. In particular, bidentate directing groups that enable tuneable and reversible coordination are now recognised as one of the most efficient methods for the site-selective C-H activation and functionalisation of numerous families of organic compounds. Synthetic peptide chemists have harnessed bidentate directing group strategies for selective functionalisation of the β- and γ-positions of amino acids. This method has been expanded and recognised as an effective device for the late stage macrocyclisation and total synthesis of complex peptide natural products. In this review, we discuss various β-, γ-, and δ-C(sp³)-H bond functionalisation reactions of amino acids for the formation of C-X bonds with the aid of directing groups and their application in late-stage macrocyclisation and the total synthesis of complex peptide natural products.

A Process Chemistry Benchmark for sp2-sp3 Cross Couplings

As sp²-sp³ disconnections gain acceptance in the medicinal chemist's toolbox, an increasing number of potential drug candidates containing this motif are moving into the pharmaceutical development pipeline. This raises a new set of questions and challenges around the novel, direct methodologies available for forging these bonds. These questions gain further importance in the context of process chemistry, where the focus is the development of scalable processes that enable the large-scale delivery of clinical supplies. In this paper, we describe our efforts to apply a wide variety of standard, photo-, and electrochemical sp²-sp³ cross-coupling methods to a pharmaceutically relevant intermediate and optimize each through a combination of high throughput and mechanistically guided experimentation. With data regarding the performance, benefits, and limitations of these novel methods, we evaluate them against a more traditional two-step palladium-catalyzed process. This work reveals trends and similarities between these sp²-sp³ bond-forming methods and suggests a path forward for further refinements.

Palladium-Catalyzed Aryl-Furanylation of Alkenes: Synthesis of Benzofuran-Containing 3,3-Disubstituted Oxindoles

A novel palladium-catalyzed aryl-furanylation of alkenes is described. This protocol provided a straightforward route to the synthesis of various benzofuran-containing 3,3-disubstitutedoxindole derivatives bearing a quarternary carbon center. In the cascade process, one C(sp²)-O bond, two C(sp²)-C(sp³) bonds, an oxindole, and a furan ring are formed in a single chemical operation.

Copper-catalyzed monochloromethylazidation to access transformable terminal alkyl chlorides using stoichiometric BrCH2Cl

Efficient copper-catalyzed 1,2-difunctionalization of alkenes with commercially available BrCH2Cl as a chloromethylating source was carried out, in which mild conditions, high reactivity, excellent functional-group tolerance, and late-stage modification of a bioactive molecule are demonstrated. This strategy offers a solution for the diverse syntheses of nitrogen-containing terminal alkyl chlorides, a common synthetic handle that is promising for multiple derivatizations. Mechanistic studies indicate that a chloromethyl radical is involved in the catalytic cycle.

Site-Selective C-H alkylation of Complex Arenes by a Two-Step Aryl Thianthrenation-Reductive Alkylation Sequence

Herein, we present an undirected para-selective two-step C-H alkylation of complex arenes useful for late-stage functionalization. The combination of a site-selective C-H thianthrenation with palladium-catalyzed reductive electrophile cross-coupling grants access to a diverse range of synthetically useful alkylated arenes which cannot be accessed otherwise with comparable selectivity, diversity, and practicality. The robustness of this transformation is further demonstrated by thianthrenium-based reductive coupling of two complex fragments.

Nickel-Catalyzed Guerbet Type Reaction: C-Alkylation of Secondary Alcohols via Double (de)Hydrogenation

Acceptorless double dehydrogenative cross-coupling of secondary and primary alcohols under nickel catalysis is reported. This Guerbet type reaction provides an atom- and a step-economical method for the C-alkylation of secondary alcohols under mild, benign conditions. A broad range of substrates including aromatic, cyclic, acyclic, and aliphatic alcohols was well tolerated. Interestingly, the C-alkylation of cholesterol derivatives and the double C-alkylation of cyclopentanol with various alcohols were also demonstrated.

Copper-Catalyzed Carbonylative Coupling of Alkyl Halides

Transition metal-catalyzed carbonylation reactions represent a direct and atom-economical approach to introduce oxygen functionality into organic compounds, with CO acting as an inexpensive and readily available C1 feedstock. Despite the long history of carbonylation catalysis, including many processes that have been industrialized at bulk scale, there remain several challenges to tackle. For example, noble metals such as Pd, Rh, and Ir are typically used as catalysts for carbonylation reactions, rather than earth-abundant alternatives. Additionally, while carbonylation of C(sp²)-hybridized substrates (e.g., aryl halides) is well-known, carbonylation of unactivated alkyl electrophiles, especially where β-hydride elimination can compete with desired CO migratory insertion at the catalyst site, remains challenging for many systems. Recently, base metal catalysis based on Mn, Co, and other metals has enabled advances in carbonylative coupling of alkyl electrophiles, though the nucleophiles are often limited to alcohols or amines to generate esters or amides as products. Thus, we have targeted base metal-catalyzed carbonylative C-C and C-E (E = N, H, Si, B) coupling reactions as a method for approaching diverse carbonyl compounds of synthetic importance.Initially, we designed a heterobimetallic catalyst platform for carbonylative C-C coupling of alkyl halides with arylboronic esters (i.e., carbonylative Suzuki-Miyaura coupling) to generate aryl alkyl ketones. Subsequently, we developed multicomponent carbonylation reactions of alkyl halides using NHC-Cu catalysts (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene). These reactions operate by radical mechanisms, converting alkyl halides into either acyl radical or acyl halide intermediates that undergo subsequent C-C or C-E coupling at the Cu site. This mechanistic paradigm is relatively novel in the metal-catalyzed carbonylation area, allowing us to discover a previously unexplored chemical space in carbonylative coupling catalysis. We have successfully developed the following reactions: (a) hydrocarbonylative coupling of alkynes with alkyl halides; (b) borocarbonylative coupling of alkynes with alkyl halides; (c) reductive aminocarbonylation of alkyl halides with nitroarenes; (d) reductive carbonylation of alkyl halides; (e) carbonylative silylation of alkyl halides; (f) carbonylative borylation of alkyl halides. These reactions provide a broad range of valuable products including ketones, allylic alcohols, β-borylenones, amides, alcohols, acylsilanes, and acylborons in an efficient manner. Notably, the preparation of some of these products has previously required multistep syntheses, harsh conditions, or specialized reagents. By contrast, the multicomponent coupling platform that we have developed requires only readily available building blocks and rapidly increases molecular complexity in a single synthetic manipulation.

Pd-catalyzed formal Mizoroki-Heck coupling of unactivated alkyl chlorides

The use of alkyl chlorides in Pd-catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck coupling reactions remains an unsolved problem despite their significant potential for synthetic utility and applicability. The combination of the high thermodynamic barrier of alkyl chloride activation and kinetic propensity of alkylpalladium complexes to undergo undesired β-hydride elimination provides significant challenges. Herein, a variety of alkyl chlorides, even tertiary chlorides, are shown to efficiently participate in Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling reactions with excellent functional group compatibility under mild reaction conditions via photoinduced Pd catalysis. The reaction is applied to late-stage functionalizations of diverse biologically significant scaffolds and iterative double Mizoroki-Heck annulations, affording high molecular complexity in a single step. Notably, studies on the kinetic isotope effects in combination with density functional theory (DFT)-computations completely exclude the involvement of a previously proposed β-hydride elimination in the catalytic cycle, revealing that the chlorine atom transfer process is the key catalytic turnover step. This distinctive single-electron transfer mediated reaction pathway resolves a longstanding challenge in traditional two-electron based Pd-catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling with alkyl electrophiles, wherein the β-hydride elimination is involved in the formation of both the desired product and undesired by-products.

Radical generation from electroreduction of aryl and benzyl ammonium salts: synthesis of organoboronates

We report a direct electrocatalytic borylation of aryl and benzyl trimethylammonium salts with bis(pinacolato)diboron at room temperature.

A palladium/Et3N·HI-catalyzed highly selective 7-endo alkyl-Heck-type reaction of epoxides and a DFT study on the mechanism

A highly efficient 7-endo alkyl-Heck reaction was achieved via palladium catalyzed ring-opening of epoxides, providing a variety of 6-aryl-2,3,4,7-tetrahydro-1H-azepin-3-ols and 6-aryl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydrooxepin-3-ols.

Nickel-catalyzed formation of quaternary carbon centers using tertiary alkyl electrophiles

This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent advances in nickel-catalyzed reactions employing tertiary alkyl electrophiles for the construction of quaternary carbon centers.

Ni-catalyzed reductive decyanation of nitriles with ethanol as the reductant

Ethanol, as an environmentally friendly and renewable reagent, was applied as a hydride donor to convert C–CN to C–H bonds in this nickel-catalyzed protocol.

Remote C(sp3)–H functionalization via catalytic cyclometallation: beyond five-membered ring metallacycle intermediates

Despite impressive recent momentum gained in C(sp3)–H activation, achieving high regioselectivity in molecules containing different C–H bonds with similar high energy without abusing tailored substitution remains as one of the biggest challenges.

Decarboxylative Borylation of Stabilized and Activated Carbon Radicals

Redox-active esters (RAEs) as active radical precursors have been extensively studied for C-B bond formations. However, the analogous transformations of stabilized radicals from the corresponding acid precursors remain challenging owing to the strong preference towards single-electron oxidation to the stable carbocations. This work describes a general strategy for rapid access to various aliphatic and aromatic boronic esters by mild photoinduced decarboxylative borylation. Both aryl and alkyl radicals could be generated from the leaving group-assisted N-hydroxybenzimidoyl chloride esters, even α-CF₃ substituted substrates could be activated for further elaboration.

Nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of homoenolates and their higher homologues with unactivated alkyl bromides

The catalytic generation of homoenolates and their higher homologues has been a long-standing challenge. Like the generation of transition metal enolates, which have been used to great affect in synthesis and medicinal chemistries, homoenolates and their higher homologues have much potential, albeit largely unrealized. Herein, a nickel-catalyzed generation of homoenolates, and their higher homologues, via decarbonylation of readily available cyclic anhydrides has been developed. The utility of nickel-bound homoenolates and their higher homologues is demonstrated by cross-coupling with unactivated alkyl bromides, generating a diverse array of aliphatic acids. A broad range of functional groups is tolerated. Preliminary mechanistic studies demonstrate that: (1) oxidative addition of anhydrides by the catalyst is faster than oxidative addition of alkyl bromides; (2) nickel bound metallocycles are involved in this transformation and (3) the catalyst undergoes a single electron transfer (SET) process with the alkyl bromide.

Nickel-Catalyzed Cyanation of Unactivated Alkyl Sulfonates with Zn(CN)2

Cyanation of unactivated primary and secondary alkyl mesylates with Zn(CN)₂ catalyzed by nickel has been developed. The reaction provides an efficient route for the synthesis of alkyl nitriles with wide substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and compatibility with heterocyclic compounds. Mechanistic studies indicate that alkyl iodide generated in situ serves as the reactive intermediate and the gradual release of alkyl iodide is crucial for the success of the reaction.

Second Comes First: Switching Elementary Steps in Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions

The electron-poor palladium(0) complex L3 Pd (L=tris[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]phosphine) reacts with Grignard reagents RMgX and organolithium compounds RLi via transmetalation to furnish the anionic organopalladates [L2 PdR]- , as shown by negative-ion mode electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. These palladates undergo oxidative additions of organyl halides R'X (or related SN 2-type reactions) followed by further transmetalation. Gas-phase fragmentation of the resulting heteroleptic palladate(II) complexes results in the reductive elimination of the cross-coupling products RR'. This reaction sequence corresponds to a catalytic cycle, in which the order of the elementary steps of transmetalation and oxidative addition is switched relative to that of palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions proceeding via neutral intermediates. An attractive feature of the palladate-based catalytic system is its ability to mediate challenging alkyl-alkyl coupling reactions. However, the poor stability of the phosphine ligand L against decomposition reactions has so far prevented its successful use in practical applications.