Intermolecular Anti-Markovnikov Hydroamination of Unactivated Alkenes with Sulfonamides Enabled by Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

Catalyst- and Reagent-Free Formal Aza-Wacker Cyclizations Enabled by Continuous-Flow Electrochemistry

The development of efficient and sustainable methods to access saturated N-heterocycles is of great importance because of the prevalence of these structures in natural products and bioactive compounds. Pd-catalyzed aza-Wacker type cyclization is a powerful method and provides access to N-heterocycles bearing an alkene moiety available for further synthetic manipulations from readily available materials. Herein we disclose a catalyst- and reagent-free formal aza-Wacker type cyclization reaction for the synthesis of functionalized saturated N-heterocycles. Key to the success is to conduct the reactions in a continuous-flow electrochemical reactor without adding supporting electrolyte or additives. The reactions are characterized by broad tolerance of di-, tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes.

In-vitro and In-vivo Photocatalytic Cancer Therapy with Biocompatible Iridium(III) Photocatalysts

Photocatalytic anticancer profile of a Ir^III photocatalyst (Ir3) with strong light absorption, high turnover frequency, and excellent biocompatibility is reported. Ir3 showed selective photo-cytotoxicity against cisplatin- and sorafenib-resistant cell lines while remaining dormant to normal cell lines in the dark. Ir3 exhibited excellent photo-catalytic oxidation of cellular co-enzyme, the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and amino acids via a single electron transfer mechanism. The photo-induced intracellular redox imbalance and change in mitochondrial membrane potential resulted in necrosis and apoptosis of cancer cells. Importantly, Ir3 exhibited high biocompatibility and photo-catalytic anticancer efficiency as evident from in vivo zebrafish and mouse cancer models. To the best of our knowledge, Ir3 is the first Ir^III based photocatalyst with such a high biocompatibility and photocatalytic anticancer therapeutic effect.

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.

Photocatalytic intermolecular anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of unactivated alkenes with N-hydroxyphthalimide

A visible-light-induced/phosphite-promoted anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of alkenes with N-hydroxyphthalimide was successfully realized, which was initiated by a proton-coupled electron transfer to enable direct cleavage of its N–O bond.

Photoredox-neutral alkene aminoarylation for the synthesis of 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridazines

A mild and redox-neutral protocol is developed for the synthesis of 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridazines via photoredox catalysis.

Visible light photocatalysis in the late-stage functionalization of pharmaceutically relevant compounds

The late stage functionalization (LSF) of complex biorelevant compounds is a powerful tool to speed up the identification of structure-activity relationships (SARs) and to optimize ADME profiles. To this end, visible-light photocatalysis offers unique opportunities to achieve smooth and clean functionalization of drugs by unlocking site-specific reactivities under generally mild reaction conditions. This review offers a critical assessment of current literature, pointing out the recent developments in the field while emphasizing the expected future progress and potential applications. Along with paragraphs discussing the visible-light photocatalytic synthetic protocols so far available for LSF of drugs and drug candidates, useful and readily accessible synoptic tables of such transformations, divided by functional groups, will be provided, thus enabling a useful, fast, and easy reference to them.

Manganese-Catalyzed N-F Bond Activation for Hydroamination and Carboamination of Alkenes

A visible-light-promoted method for generating amidyl radicals from N-fluorosulfonamides via a manganese-catalyzed N-F bond activation strategy is reported. This protocol employs a simple manganese complex, Mn₂(CO)₁₀, as the precatalyst and a cheap silane, (MeO)₃SiH, as both the hydrogen-atom donor and the F-atom acceptor, enabling intramolecular/intermolecular hydroaminations of alkenes, two-component carboamination of alkenes, and even three-component carboamination of alkenes. A wide range of valuable aliphatic sulfonamides can be readily prepared using these practical reactions.

Intermolecular oxidative amination of unactivated alkenes by dual photoredox and copper catalysis

Oxidative amination of alkenes via amidyl radical addition is potentially an efficient method to generate allylic amines, which are versatile synthetic intermediates to bioactive compounds and organic materials. Here by combining photochemical generation of amidyl radicals with Cu-mediated β-H elimination of alkyl radicals, we have developed an intermolecular oxidative amination of unactivated alkenes. The reaction relies on tandem photoredox and copper catalysis, and works for both terminal and internal alkenes. The radical nature of the reaction and the mild conditions lead to high functional group tolerance.

Oxidative amination via amidyl radical addition of unactivated alkenes was realized by dual photoredox and copper catalysis.

Primary Sulfonamide Synthesis Using the Sulfinylamine Reagent N-Sulfinyl-O-(tert-butyl)hydroxylamine, t-BuONSO

Sulfonamides have played a defining role in the history of drug development and continue to be prevalent today. In particular, primary sulfonamides are common in marketed drugs. Here we describe the direct synthesis of these valuable compounds from organometallic reagents and a novel sulfinylamine reagent, t-BuONSO. A variety of (hetero)aryl and alkyl Grignard and organolithium reagents perform well in the reaction, providing primary sulfonamides in good to excellent yields in a convenient one-step process.

Synthesis of β-Diamine Building Blocks by Photocatalytic Hydroamination of Enecarbamates with Amines, Ammonia and N-H Heterocycles

3‐Amino‐substituted saturated nitrogen heterocycles are an important subclass of β‐diamines, appearing in a number of clinical agents. Herein, we report a unified approach to these products based upon the regioselective photoredox‐mediated hydroamination of enecarbamates. The amine coupling partner can encompass diverse amine types under a single set of reaction conditions, including primary alkyl amines, ammonia, aryl and heteroaryl amines, and N−H heterocycles. The method enables the synthesis of a wide range of pharmaceutically relevant building blocks.

Catalysis and regioselectivity in hydrofunctionalization reactions of unsaturated carbon bonds. Part II. Hydroamination

This review continues consideration of the regioselectivity problem in the catalyzed hydrofunctionalization of unsaturated organic compounds and addresses hydroamination of unsaturated hydrocarbons. Particular parts of the review deal with reactions of alkenes, alkynes, allenes and dienes. It is shown that the selectivity of hydroamination depends on the natures of the reactants and the catalyst. Conditions of the reactions are described; in some cases, reaction mechanisms are discussed. Reactions for which divergent regioselectivity is possible are noted.

The bibliography includes 249 references.

Dedicated to the memory of V.V.Markovnikov.

Boron tribromide as a reagent for anti-Markovnikov addition of HBr to cyclopropanes

Although radical formation from a trialkylborane is well documented, the analogous reaction mode is unknown for trihaloboranes. We have discovered the generation of bromine radicals from boron tribromide and simple proton sources, such as water or tert-butanol, under open-flask conditions. Cyclopropanes bearing a variety of substituents were hydro- and deuterio-brominated to furnish anti-Markovnikov products in a highly regioselective fashion. NMR mechanistic studies and DFT calculations point to a radical pathway instead of the conventional ionic mechanism expected for BBr3.

Arene dearomatization through a catalytic N-centered radical cascade reaction

Arene dearomatization reactions are an important class of synthetic technologies for the rapid assembly of unique chemical architectures. Herein, we report a catalytic protocol to initiate a carboamination/dearomatization cascade that proceeds through transient sulfonamidyl radical intermediates formed from native sulfonamide N-H bonds leading to 1,4-cyclohexadiene-fused sultams. Importantly, this work demonstrates a facile approach to employ two-dimensional aromatic compounds as modular building blocks to generate richly substituted, three-dimensional compounds. These reactions occur at room temperature under visible light irradiation and are catalyzed by the combination of an iridium(III) photocatalyst and a dialkyl phosphate base. Reaction optimization, substrate scope, mechanistic features, and synthetic applications of this transformation are presented.

Arene dearomatization through a catalytic N-centered radical cascade reaction

Arene dearomatization reactions are an important class of synthetic technologies for the rapid assembly of unique chemical architectures. Herein, we report a catalytic protocol to initiate a carboamination/dearomatization cascade that proceeds through transient sulfonamidyl radical intermediates formed from native sulfonamide N-H bonds leading to 1,4-cyclohexadiene-fused sultams. Importantly, this work demonstrates a facile approach to employ two-dimensional aromatic compounds as modular building blocks to generate richly substituted, three-dimensional compounds. These reactions occur at room temperature under visible light irradiation and are catalyzed by the combination of an iridium(III) photocatalyst and a dialkyl phosphate base. Reaction optimization, substrate scope, mechanistic features, and synthetic applications of this transformation are presented.

Atomic Pt-Catalyzed Heterogeneous Anti-Markovnikov C-N Formation: Pt10 Activating N-H for Pt1δ+-Activated C═C Attack

C-N formation is of great significance to synthetic chemistry, as N-containing products are widely used in chemistry, medicine, and biology. Addition of an amine to an unsaturated carbon-carbon bond is a simple yet effective route to produce new C-N bonds. But how to effectively conduct an anti-Markovnikov addition with high selectivity has been a great challenge. Here, we proposed a strategy for highly regioselective C-N addition via hydroamination by using supported Pt. It has been identified that atomic-scale Pt is the active site for C-N addition with Pt₁²⁺ for Markovnikov C-N formation and atomic Pt (Pt₁^δ+ and Pt₁⁰) contributing to anti-Markovnikov C-N formation. A selectivity of up to 92% to the anti-Markovnikov product has been achieved with atomic Pt in the addition of styrene and pyrrolidine. A cooperating catalysis for the anti-Markovnikov C-N formation between Pt₁^δ+ and Pt₁⁰ has been revealed. The reaction mechanism has been studied by EPR spectra and in situ FT-IR spectra of adsorption/desorption of styrene and/or pyrrolidine. It has been demonstrated that Pt₁⁰ activates amine to be electrophilic, while Pt₁^δ+ activates C═C by π-bonding to make β-C nucleophilic. The attack of nucleophilic β-C to electrophilic amine affords the anti-Markovnikov addition. This strategy proves highly effective to a variety of substrates in anti-Markovnikov C-N formation, including aromatic/aliphatic amines reacting with aromatic olefins, aromatic/aliphatic olefins with aromatic amines, and linear aliphatic olefins with secondary aliphatic amines. It is believed that the results provide evidence for the function of varied chemical states in monatomic catalysis.

Recent advances in photoredox and nickel dual-catalyzed cascade reactions: pushing the boundaries of complexity

Cascade reactions that produce multiple chemical bonds in one synthetic operation are important in the efficient construction of complex molecules. In addition, photoredox and nickel dual catalysis opens a new and powerful avenue for transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. By combining these two concepts, photoredox and nickel dual-catalyzed cascade reactions have been recently established, and they provide an efficient and mild method for accessing a series of valuable organic compounds.

Catalyst-controlled doubly enantioconvergent coupling of racemic alkyl nucleophiles and electrophiles

Stereochemical control in the construction of carbon-carbon bonds between an alkyl electrophile and an alkyl nucleophile is a persistent challenge in organic synthesis. Classical substitution reactions via S_N1 and S_N2 pathways are limited in their ability to generate carbon-carbon bonds (inadequate scope, due to side reactions such as rearrangements and eliminations) and to control stereochemistry when beginning with readily available racemic starting materials (racemic products). Here, we report a chiral nickel catalyst that couples racemic electrophiles (propargylic halides) with racemic nucleophiles (β-zincated amides) to form carbon-carbon bonds in doubly stereoconvergent processes, affording a single stereoisomer of the product from two stereochemical mixtures of reactants.

Enantioselective Hydroamination of Alkenes with Sulfonamides Enabled by Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

An enantioselective, radical-based method for the intramolecular hydroamination of alkenes with sulfonamides is reported. These reactions are proposed to proceed via N-centered radicals formed by proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) activation of sulfonamide N-H bonds. Noncovalent interactions between the neutral sulfonamidyl radical and a chiral phosphoric acid generated in the PCET event are hypothesized to serve as the basis for asymmetric induction in a subsequent C-N bond forming step, achieving selectivities of up to 98:2 er. These results offer further support for the ability of noncovalent interactions to enforce stereoselectivity in reactions of transient and highly reactive open-shell intermediates.

Visible-light-promoted N-centered radical generation for remote heteroaryl migration

An efficient visible-light-mediated organocatalyzed N–H heteroarylation was accomplished via remote heteroaryl ipso-migration.

Redox-neutral photocatalytic strategy for selective C-C bond cleavage of lignin and lignin models via PCET process

It remains challenging to achieve the selective cleavage of C-C bonds in lignin or lignin model compounds to produce aromatic products in high yield and selectivity. We have developed a redox-neutral photocatalytic strategy to accomplish this goal in both β-O-4 and β-1 lignin models at room temperature (RT) via proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process without any pretreatments of substrate, by adjusting the alkalinity of base to obtain a lignin models/base PCET pair with a bond dissociation free energy close to 102 kcal/mol. Without breaking down C_β-C_γ bond and any C-O bonds, this PCET method is 100% atom economy and produces exclusive C_α-C_β bond cleavage products, such as benzaldehydes (up to 97%) and phenyl ethers (up to 96%), in high to excellent yields and selectivities. Preliminary studies indicated that the PCET strategy is also effective for the depolymerization of native lignin at RT, thus providing significantly important foundation to the depolymerization of lignin.

Anti-Markovnikov Hydroamination of Unactivated Alkenes with Primary Alkyl Amines

We report here a photocatalytic method for the intermolecular anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of unactivated olefins with primary alkyl amines to selectively furnish secondary amine products. These reactions proceed through aminium radical cation (ARC) intermediates and occur at room temperature under visible light irradiation in the presence of an iridium photocatalyst and an aryl thiol hydrogen atom donor. Despite the presence of excess olefin, high selectivities are observed for secondary over tertiary amine products, even though the secondary amines are established substrates for ARC-based olefin amination under similar conditions.

Internal acidity scale and reactivity evaluation of chiral phosphoric acids with different 3,3'-substituents in Brønsted acid catalysis

NMR H-bond analysis reveals an offset of internal and external acidities of catalysts and allows for a detailed reactivity analysis.

The concept of hydrogen bonding for enhancing substrate binding and controlling selectivity and reactivity is central in catalysis. However, the properties of these key hydrogen bonds and their catalyst-dependent variations are extremely difficult to determine directly by experiments. Here, for the first time the hydrogen bond properties of a whole series of BINOL-derived chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) catalysts in their substrate complexes with various imines were investigated to derive the influence of different 3,3′-substituents on the acidity and reactivity. NMR ¹H and ¹⁵N chemical shifts and ¹J_NH coupling constants of these hydrogen bonds were used to establish an internal acidity scale corroborated by calculations. Deviations from calculated external acidities reveal the importance of intermolecular interactions for this key feature of CPAs. For CPAs with similarly sized binding pockets, a correlation of reactivity and hydrogen bond strengths of the catalyst was found. A catalyst with a very small binding pocket showed significantly reduced reactivities. Therefore, NMR isomerization kinetics, population and chemical shift analyses of binary and ternary complexes as well as reaction kinetics were performed to address the steps of the transfer hydrogenation influencing the overall reaction rate. The results of CPAs with different 3,3′-substituents show a delicate balance between the isomerization and the ternary complex formation to be rate-determining. For CPAs with an identical acidic motif and similar sterics, reactivity and internal acidity correlated inversely. In cases where higher sterical demand within the binary complex hinders the binding of the second substrate, the correlation between acidity and reactivity breaks down.

Photocatalytic Reductive Formation of α-Tertiary Ethers from Ketals

A general photocatalytic reductive strategy for the construction of unsymmetrical α-tertiary dialkyl ethers is reported. By merging Lewis acid-mediated ketal activation and visible-light photocatalytic reduction, in situ-generated α-alkoxy radicals were found to engage in addition reactions with a variety of olefinic partners. Good reaction efficiency is demonstrated with a range of ketals of aromatic and aliphatic ketones. Extension to acetal substrates is also described, demonstrating the overall synthetic utility of this methodology for complex ether synthesis.

C-H Alkylation via Multisite-Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer of an Aliphatic C-H Bond

The direct, site-selective alkylation of unactivated C(sp³)-H bonds in organic substrates is a long-standing goal in synthetic chemistry. General approaches to the activation of strong C-H bonds include radical-mediated processes involving highly reactive intermediates, such as heteroatom-centered radicals. Herein, we describe a catalytic, intermolecular C-H alkylation that circumvents such reactive species via a new elementary step for C-H cleavage involving multisite-proton-coupled electron transfer (multisite-PCET). Mechanistic studies indicate that the reaction is catalyzed by a noncovalent complex formed between an iridium(III) photocatalyst and a monobasic phosphate base. The C-H alkylation proceeds efficiently using diverse hydrocarbons and complex molecules as the limiting reagent and represents a new approach to the catalytic functionalization of unactivated C(sp³)-H bonds.

Visible Light Driven Alkylation of C(sp3)-H Bonds Enabled by 1,6-Hydrogen Atom Transfer/Radical Relay Addition

A visible-light-driven sulfamate esters guided alkylation of unactivated C(sp³)-H bonds enabled by a 1,6-HAT/radical addition cascade is described. Not only structurally diverse Michael acceptors but also styrenes are amenable to this alkylation reaction. Notably, the N-H bonds activation radical relay refrained from prefunctionalization and using excess external oxidants.

Catalytic protodeboronation of pinacol boronic esters: formal anti-Markovnikov hydromethylation of alkenes

Pinacol boronic esters are highly valuable building blocks in organic synthesis. In contrast to the many protocols available on the functionalizing deboronation of alkyl boronic esters, protodeboronation is not well developed. Herein we report catalytic protodeboronation of 1°, 2° and 3° alkyl boronic esters utilizing a radical approach. Paired with a Matteson-CH2-homologation, our protocol allows for formal anti-Markovnikov alkene hydromethylation, a valuable but unknown transformation. The hydromethylation sequence was applied to methoxy protected (-)-Δ8-THC and cholesterol. The protodeboronation was further used in the formal total synthesis of δ-(R)-coniceine and indolizidine 209B.

Transition State Asymmetry in C-H Bond Cleavage by Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

The selective transformation of C-H bonds is a longstanding challenge in modern chemistry. A recent report details C-H oxidation via multiple-site concerted proton-electron transfer (MS-CPET), where the proton and electron in the C-H bond are transferred to separate sites. Reactivity at a specific C-H bond was achieved by appropriate positioning of an internal benzoate base. Here, we extend that report to reactions of a series of molecules with differently substituted fluorenyl-benzoates and varying outer-sphere oxidants. These results probe the fundamental rate versus driving force relationships in this MS-CPET reaction at carbon by separately modulating the driving force for the proton and electron transfer components. The rate constants depend strongly on the pK_a of the internal base, but depend much less on the nature of the outer-sphere oxidant. These observations suggest that the transition states for these reactions are imbalanced. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to generate an internal reaction coordinate, which qualitatively reproduced the experimental observation of a transition state imbalance. Thus, in this system, homolytic C-H bond cleavage involves concerted but asynchronous transfer of the H⁺ and e^-. The nature of this transfer has implications for synthetic methodology and biological systems.

Direct Intermolecular Anti-Markovnikov Hydroazidation of Unactivated Olefins

We herein report a direct intermolecular anti-Markovnikov hydroazidation method for unactivated olefins, which is promoted by a catalytic amount of bench-stable benziodoxole at ambient temperature. This method facilitates previously difficult, direct addition of hydrazoic acid across a wide variety of unactivated olefins in both complex molecules and unfunctionalized commodity chemicals. It conveniently fills a synthetic chemistry gap of existing olefin hydroazidation procedures, and thereby provides a valuable tool for azido-group labeling in organic synthesis and chemical biology studies.

Catalytic Ring Expansions of Cyclic Alcohols Enabled by Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

We report here a catalytic method for the modular ring expansion of cyclic aliphatic alcohols. In this work, proton-coupled electron transfer activation of an allylic alcohol substrate affords an alkoxy radical intermediate that undergoes subsequent C-C bond cleavage to furnish an enone and a tethered alkyl radical. Recombination of this alkyl radical with the revealed olefin acceptor in turn produces a ring-expanded ketone product. The regioselectivity of this C-C bond-forming event can be reliably controlled via substituents on the olefin substrate, providing a means to convert a simple N-membered ring substrate to either n+1 or n+2 ring adducts in a selective fashion.