Metal-Free C(sp2)–H/N–H Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling of Quinoxalinones with Aliphatic Amines under Visible-Light Photoredox Catalysis

Visible-light enabled photochemical reduction of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds by Hünig's base

A visible-light enabled, chemoselective photoreduction of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds by using Hünig's base as reductant is reported.

C–H benzylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones via visible-light riboflavin photocatalysis

An efficient visible light promoted riboflavin-catalyzed direct benzylation of substituted quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones for the synthesis of various C3-benzylated quinoxalin-2(1H)-one derivatives has been developed under mild conditions.

Alkylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones using phosphonium ylides as alkylating reagents

A practical and efficient methodology for the construction of 3-alkylquinoxalinones through base promoted direct alkylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with phosphonium ylides as alkylating reagents under metal- and oxidant-free conditions was developed. Various 3-alkylquinoxalin-2(1H)-ones were easily obtained in good to excellent yields. Tentative mechanistic studies suggest that this reaction is likely to involve a nucleophilic addition-elimination process.

Visible-Light-Induced C(sp2)-C(sp3) Cross-Dehydrogenative-Coupling Reaction of N-Heterocycles with N-Alkyl-N-methylanilines under Mild Conditions

Disclosed herein is a cross-dehydrogenative-coupling reaction of N-heterocycles including 1,2,4-triazine-3,5(2H, 4H)-diones and quinoxaline-2(1H)-ones with N-methylanilines to form C(sp²)-C(sp³) under visible-light illumination and ambient air at room temperature. In this process, easily available Ru(bpy)₃Cl₂·6H₂O serves as the catalyst, and air acts as the green oxidant. This method features high atom economy, environmental friendliness, and convenient operation and provides an efficient and practical access to aminomethyl-substituted N-heterocycles with extensive functional group compatibility in 40-86% yields.

On-DNA Derivatization of Quinoxalin-2-ones by Visible-Light-Triggered Alkylation with Carboxylic Acids

An efficient visible-light-induced alkylation of DNA-tagged quinoxaline-2-ones was described. The methodology demonstrated moderate-to-excellent conversions under mild conditions. The reaction was found to be tolerant with both N-protected α-amino acids and aliphatic carboxylic acids and could be applied to the synthesis of focused DNA-encoded quinoxalin-2-one libraries.

Visible Light-Driven and Singlet Oxygen-Mediated Photochemical Cross-Dehydrogenative C3-H Sulfenylation of 4-Hydroxycoumarins with Thiols Using Rose Bengal as a Photosensitizer

A visible light (white light-emitting diode/direct sunlight)-driven photochemical synthesis of a new series of biologically interesting 3-(alkyl/benzylthio)-4-hydroxy-2H-chromen-2-ones has been achieved through a cross-dehydrogenative C₃-H sulfenylation of 4-hydroxycoumarins with thiols at ambient temperature in the presence of rose bengal in acetonitrile under an oxygen atmosphere. The notable features of this newly developed method are mild reaction conditions, energy efficiency, metal-free synthesis, good to excellent yields, use of low-cost materials, and eco-friendliness.

Metal-Free Direct C-H Functionalization of Quinoxalin-2(1H)-Ones to Produce 3-Vinylated Quinoxalin-2(1H)-Ones in the Presence of Alkenes

A novel and efficient C 3-H vinylation reaction with quinoxalin-2(1H)-one as the substrate, in the presence of alkenes, under metal-free conditions, is reported herein. The reaction leads to the formation of new carbon-carbon bonds that exhibit moderate to good reactivities. The vinylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones, in the presence of alkenes, is an attractive process that can be potentially utilized to produce biologically active 3-vinylated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones.

An organophotoredox-catalyzed C(sp2)-N cross coupling reaction of cyclic aldimines with cyclic aliphatic amines

An organophotocatalyzed C(sp2)-H/N-H cross-dehydrogenative coupling of cyclic aldimines with aliphatic amines has been developed, which represents the first example of visible-light-induced C-H amination of N-sulfonylated imines. This methodology enables the streamline assembly of amine derivatives via radical mediated C-N bond formation. The current protocol features transition-metal-free, mild conditions, good functional group tolerance and good yields.

Eosin: a versatile organic dye whose synthetic uses keep expanding

Organic dyes, which absorb light in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, offer a lower cost, greener alternative to precious metals in photocatalysis. In this context, the organic dye eosin's uses are currently expanding at a significant rate. For a long time, its action as an energy transfer agent dominated, more recently, however, there has been a growing interest in its potential as an electron transfer agent. In this short review, we highlight some recent (from 2016 onwards) contributions to the field with a focus on the breadth of the reactions eosin can catalyse.

O-Perhalopyridin-4-yl Hydroxylamines: Amidyl-Radical Generation Scaffolds in Photoinduced Direct Amination of Heterocycles

Reported herein is the design and synthesis of new O-perhalopyridin-4-yl hydroxylamines as shelf-stable and versatile amidyl-radical precursors. The novel amination reagents can be easily prepared via a single synthetic step from inexpensive commercially available starting materials using monoprotected HONH₂ as amino source. The synthetic potency of the developed reagents was well demonstrated by direct amination of a series of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones and their analogues under photocatalytic conditions, even without any additive and photocatalysts.

Visible Light Induced Reduction and Pinacol Coupling of Aldehydes and Ketones Catalyzed by Core/Shell Quantum Dots

We present an efficient and versatile visible light-driven methodology to transform aryl aldehydes and ketones chemoselectively either to alcohols or to pinacol products with CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots as photocatalysts. Thiophenols were used as proton and hydrogen atom donors and as hole traps for the excited quantum dots (QDs) in these reactions. The two products can be switched from one to the other simply by changing the amount of thiophenol in the reaction system. The core/shell QD catalysts are highly efficient with a turn over number (TON) larger than 4 × 10⁴ and 4 × 10⁵ for the reduction to alcohol and pinacol formation, respectively, and are very stable so that they can be recycled for at least 10 times in the reactions without significant loss of catalytic activity. The additional advantages of this method include good functional group tolerance, mild reaction conditions, the allowance of selectively reducing aldehydes in the presence of ketones, and easiness for large scale reactions. Reaction mechanisms were studied by quenching experiments and a radical capture experiment, and the reasons for the switchover of the reaction pathways upon the change of reaction conditions are provided.

C(sp2)-H functionalization in non-aromatic azomethine-based heterocycles

Direct C(sp2)-H functionalization of the endocyclic azomethine and aldonitrone moieties in non-aromatic azaheterocycles has established itself as a promising methodology over the last decade. Transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, α-metalation-electrophile quenching protocols, and (metal-free) nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen reactions (SNH) are the major routes applied on cyclic imines and their derivatives. In this overview, we show the tangible progress made in this area during the period from 2008 to 2020.

Iron-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative C–H amidation of benzofurans and benzothiophenes with anilines

An efficient iron-catalyzed radical cross-dehydrogenative aromatic C–H amidation provides a straightforward access to structurally diverse diarylamine derivatives incorporating benzofuran/benzothiophene motifs.

I2-Catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenative tandem cyclization of 2-methylquinolines, arylamines and 1,4-dioxane

A novel I2-catalyst oxidative dehydrogenative tandem cyclization of 2-methylquinolines, arylamines and 1,4-dioxane for the construction of 2-([2,2′-biquinolin]-3-yloxy)ethan-1-ol derivatives has been developed under metal-free conditions.

Metal-free visible-light-induced aerobic oxidation of α-diazoesters leading to α-ketoesters in air

A metal-free and visible-light-induced strategy has been established for the construction of α-ketoesters via aerobic oxidation of α-diazoesters with dioxygen in air at room temperature.

A visible-light photoredox-catalyzed four-component reaction for the construction of sulfone-containing quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones

A visible-light photoredox-catalyzed four component reaction of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones, alkenes, aryldiazonium, and sodium metabisulfite leading to sulfone-containing quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones has been developed.

Transition metal-free C-3 functionalization of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones: recent advances and sanguine future

A gradual shift from metal-catalyzed to metal-free methods is occurring, as the latter are more environmentally benign. This review discusses sustainable protocols for the construction of C–C, C–N, C–P, C–S, and C–O bonds via C–H functionalization of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones.

Synthesis of (E)-Quinoxalinone Oximes through a Multicomponent Reaction under Mild Conditions

Herein, a novel method for the gram-scale synthesis of (E)-quinoxalinone oximes through a multicomponent reaction under mild conditions is described. Such a transformation was performed under transition-metal-free conditions, affording (E)-oximes in a moderate-to-good yield through recrystallization. Our methodology demonstrates a successful combination of a Mannich-type reaction and radical coupling, providing a green and practical approach for the synthesis of potentially bioactive quinoxalinone-containing molecules.

Palladium-Catalyzed Q-Tube-Assisted Protocol for Synthesizing Diaza-dibenzo[a,e]azulene and Diaza-benzo[a]fluorene Derivatives via O2 Acid-Promoted Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling

An appropriate and efficient Q-tube-assisted palladium-catalyzed strategy for the synthesis of novel, unparalleled diaza-dibenzo[a,e]azulene and diaza-benzo[a]fluorene derivatives has been sophisticated, which includes oxygen and AcOH-induced oxidative C(sp³)-C(sp²) cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions of 1-amino-2-imino-4-arylpyridine-3-carbonitriles with benzocyclic ketones such as benzosuberone, tetralone, thiochromone, and chromone, respectively. This Q-tube gas purging kit assisted-protocol features safe due to easy pressing and sealing, a wide substrate scope, easy workup and purifying phases, and the use of O₂ as a benign oxidant, in addition to being scalable and having a high atom economy. The suggested mechanistic pathway includes a formal dehydrative step followed by palladium AcOH-induced CH(sp³)-CH(sp²) oxidative cross-coupling. In this study, X-ray crystallographic analysis has been used to authenticate the targeted products.

Visible-Light-Induced Phosphorylation of Imidazo-Fused Heterocycles under Metal-Free Conditions

A metal-free and base-free procedure for the phosphorylation of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines with phosphine oxides under the irradiation of visible light at room temperature in green solvent was reported, featuring mild and sustainable conditions, convenient operation, as well as good functional group compatibility.

Copper-catalyzed chemoselective C-H functionalization of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with hexafluoroisopropanol

An unexpected three-component reaction of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB), and hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) is described. Under CuBr-catalyzed and TBPB-oxidized conditions, a variety of hydroxyhexafluoroisobutylated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones were formed. Furthermore, the first hexafluoroisopropoxylation of the quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with HFIP is also demonstrated with Cu2O as the catalyst and PhI(OAc)2 as the oxidant. These new transformations of HFIP furnish previously unknown and potentially useful fluorinated quinoxalin-2(1H)-one derivatives.