Enantioselective Intermolecular C-H Silylation of Heteroarenes for the Synthesis of Acyclic Si-Stereogenic Silanes

Intermolecular C-H silylation for the synthesis of acyclic silanes bearing a silicon-stereogenic center in one enantiomeric form remains unknown to date. Herein, we report the first enantioselective intermolecular C-H silylation of heteroarenes for the synthesis of acyclic silicon-stereogenic heteroarylsilanes. This process undergoes a rhodium-catalyzed direct intermolecular dehydrogenative Si-H/C-H cross-coupling, giving access to a variety of acyclic heteroarylated silicon-stereogenic monohydrosilanes, including bis-Si-stereogenic silanes, in decent yields with excellent chemo-, regio-, and stereo-control, which significantly enlarge the chemical space of the optically active silicon-stereogenic monohydrosilanes.

Construction of boron-stereogenic compounds via enantioselective Cu-catalyzed desymmetric B-H bond insertion reaction

Compared with the well-developed carbon-stereogenic chemistry, the construction of boron-stereogenic compounds remains undeveloped and challenging. Herein, the previously elusive catalytic enantioselective construction of boron-stereogenic compounds has been achieved through enantioselective desymmetric B-H bond insertion reaction. The B-H bond insertion reaction of 2-arylpyridine-boranes with versatile diazo compounds under chiral copper catalyst can afford boron-stereogenic compounds with good to excellent enantioselectivity. Moreover, the synthetic utility of this reaction is demonstrated by the scalability and downstream transformations. DFT calculations provide insights into the reaction mechanism and the origin of stereoselectivity.

Recent Progress in Transition Metal-Catalyzed Hydrosilanes-Mediated C-H Silylation

Organosilicon compounds are widely used in materials science, medicinal chemistry and synthetic chemistry. Recently, significant progress has been achieved in transition metal-catalyzed dehydrogenative C-H silylation. Particularly, recently developed monohydrosilane and dihydrosilane mediated C-H silylation have emerged as powerful tools in constructing C-Si bonds. Besides, dihydrosilane-mediated enantioselective asymmetric C-H silylation has successfully achieved the construction of central and helical silicon chirality. In addition, chiral organosilicon compounds have exhibited excellent photoelectric material properties and broad application prospects. Furthermore, organosilicon compounds could under a series of functional group transformations to enrich the diversity of silicon chemistry. This review will present a comprehensive picture of the development of transition metal-catalyzed hydrosilanes-mediated intramolecular C(sp 2 )-H and C(sp 3 )-H silylation organized by their reaction types and mechanisms. In addition, dihydrosilane-mediated enantioselective asymmetric C-H silylation to construct central and helical silicon chirality will also be highlighted in the review.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Sequential Site- and Stereoselective Hydrosilylation of 1,3- and 1,4-Enynes

Catalytic sequential hydrosilylation of 1,3-enynes and 1,4-enynes promoted by cobalt complexes derived from bisphosphines are presented. Site- and stereoselective Si-H addition of primary silanes to 1,3-enynes followed by sequential intramolecular diastereo- and enantioselective Si-H addition afforded enantioenriched cyclic alkenylsilanes with simultaneous construction of a carbon-stereogenic center and a silicon-stereogenic center. Reactions of 1,4-enynes proceeded through sequential isomerization of the alkene moiety followed by site- and stereoselective hydrosilylation. A wide range of alkenylsilanes were afforded in high efficiency and selectivity. Functionalization of the enantioenriched silanes containing a stereogenic center at silicon delivered a variety of chiral building blocks that are otherwise difficult to access.

Rhodium hydride enabled enantioselective intermolecular C–H silylation to access acyclic stereogenic Si–H

The tremendous success of stereogenic carbon compounds has never ceased to inspire researchers to explore the potentials of stereogenic silicon compounds. Intermolecular C–H silylation thus represents the most versatile and straightforward strategy to construct C–Si bonds, however, its enantioselective variant has been scarcely reported to date. Herein we report a protocol that allows for the enantioselective intermolecular C–H bond silylation, leading to the construction of a wide array of acyclic stereogenic Si–H compounds under simple and mild reaction conditions. Key to the success is (1) a substrate design that prevents the self-reaction of prochiral silane and (2) the employment of a more reactive rhodium hydride ([Rh]-H) catalyst as opposed to the commonly used rhodium chloride ([Rh]-Cl) catalyst. This work unveils opportunities in converting simple arenes into value-added stereogenic silicon compounds.

Construction of chiral organosilicon compounds could have implications in photophysical, biological, and chemical fields, as silicon is isoelectronic with carbon, and can mimic carbon atoms while providing slightly different properties. Here the authors present an intermolecular, enantioselective C–H silylation of heterocycles via rhodium catalysis.

Regiodivergent hydrosilylation in the nickel(0)-catalyzed cyclization of 1,6-enynes

The divergent nickel(0)-catalyzed hydrosilylation/cyclization of 1,6-enynes has been developed, providing an efficient synthetic route for vinyl silanes or alkyl silanes from the same starting materials.

Highly Regio- and Enantioselective Hydrosilylation of gem-Difluoroalkenes via Nickel Catalysis

The synthesis of small organic molecules with a difluoromethylated stereocenter is particularly attractive in drug discovery. Herein, we developed an efficient method for the direct generation of difluoromethylated stereocenters through Ni(0)-catalyzed regio - and enantioselective hydrosilylation of gem -difluoroalkenes. The reaction also represents the enantioselective construction of carbon(sp 3 )-silicon bonds with nickel catalysis, which provides an atom- and step-economical synthesis route of high-value optically active α-difluoromethylsilanes. This protocol features with readily available starting materials and commercial chiral catalysis, broad substrates spanning a range of functional groups with high yield (up to 99% yield) and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 96% ee). The enantioenriched products undergo a variety of stereospecific transformations. Preliminary mechanistic studies were performed.

Direct synthesis and applications of solid silylzinc reagents

The increased synthetic utility of organosilanes has motivated researchers to develop milder and more practical synthetic methods. Silylzinc reagents, which are typically the most functional group tolerant, are notoriously difficult to synthesize because they are obtained by a pyrophoric reaction of silyllithium, particularly Me3SiLi which is itself prepared by the reaction of MeLi and disilane. Furthermore, the dissolved LiCl in silylzinc may have a detrimental effect. A synthetic method that can avoid silyllithium and involves a direct synthesis of silylzinc reagents from silyl halides is arguably the simplest and most economical strategy. We describe, for the first time, the direct synthesis of PhMe2SiZnI and Me3SiZnI reagents by employing a coordinating TMEDA ligand, as well as single crystal XRD structures. Importantly, they can be obtained as solids and stored for longer periods at 4 °C. We also demonstrate their significance in cross-coupling of various free alkyl/aryl/alkenyl carboxylic acids with broader functional group tolerance and API derivatives. The general applicability and efficiency of solid Me3SiZnI are shown in a wide variety of reactions including alkylation, arylation, allylation, 1,4-addition, acylation and more.

Nickel(0)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Ring Expansion Toward Enantioenriched Silicon-Stereogenic Benzosiloles

The development of a straightforward strategy to obtain enantioenriched silicon-stereogenic benzosiloles remains a challenging yet appealing synthesis venture due to their potential future application in chiral electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this context, all of the existing methods rely on Rh-catalyzed systems and are somewhat limited in scope. Herein, we disclose the first Ni⁰ -catalyzed ring expansion process that enables the preparation of benzosiloles possessing tetraorganosilicon stereocenters in excellent yields and enantioselectivities. The presented catalysis strategy is further applied to the asymmetric synthesis of silicon-stereogenic bis-silicon-bridged π-extended systems. Preliminary studies reveal that such compounds exhibit fluorescence emission, Cotton effects and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity.

Synthesis and Optical Resolution of Configurationally Stable Zwitterionic Pentacoordinate Silicon Derivatives

Stereogenic silicon centres in functionalised tetracoordinated organosilanes generally exhibit very high configurational stability under neutral conditions. This stability drops completely when higher coordination states of the silicon centre are reached due to rapid substituent exchange. Herein we describe the synthesis of chiral and neutral pentacoordinate silicon derivatives with high configurational stability. The zwitterionic nature of these air- and water-tolerant species allows for the first time their direct and efficient optical resolution using chiral HPLC techniques. By means of this method, pentacoordinate silicon compounds exhibiting high Si-inversion have been obtained as single enantiomers. A rationalisation of the enantiomerisation pathways has been also carried out using DFT calculations.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Silicon-Stereogenic Monohydrosilanes by Rhodium-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydrosilylation

Enantiopure monohydrosilanes are versatile chiral reagents for alcohol resolution and mechanistic investigation. Herein, we have demonstrated the asymmetric synthesis of monohydrosilanes via an intramolecular hydrosilylation strategy. This protocol is suitable for the synthesis of five- and six-membered cyclic monohydrosilanes, including a class of chiral oxasilacycles, with excellent diastereo-, regio-, and enantioselectivities. Notably, the catalyst loading could be reduced to 0.1 mol % which makes this one of the most efficient methods to access chiral monohydrosilanes. Mechanistic studies and DFT calculations indicate this Rh-catalyzed intramolecular asymmetric hydrosilylation reaction might proceed via a Chalk-Harrod mechanism, and the enantio-determining step was predicted to be oxidative addition of Si-H bond.

Silver nanomaterials: synthesis and (electro/photo) catalytic applications

In view of their unique characteristics and properties, silver nanomaterials (Ag NMs) have been used not only in the field of nanomedicine but also for diverse advanced catalytic technologies. In this comprehensive review, light is shed on general synthetic approaches encompassing chemical reduction, sonochemical, microwave, and thermal treatment among the preparative methods for the syntheses of Ag-based NMs and their catalytic applications. Additionally, some of the latest innovative approaches such as continuous flow integrated with MW and other benign approaches have been emphasized that ultimately pave the way for sustainability. Moreover, the potential applications of emerging Ag NMs, including sub nanomaterials and single atoms, in the field of liquid-phase catalysis, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis as well as a positive role of Ag NMs in catalytic reactions are meticulously summarized. The scientific interest in the synthesis and applications of Ag NMs lies in the integrated benefits of their catalytic activity, selectivity, stability, and recovery. Therefore, the rise and journey of Ag NM-based catalysts will inspire a new generation of chemists to tailor and design robust catalysts that can effectively tackle major environmental challenges and help to replace noble metals in advanced catalytic applications. This overview concludes by providing future perspectives on the research into Ag NMs in the arena of electrocatalysis and photocatalysis.

Catalytic Enantioselective Construction of Chiroptical Boron-Stereogenic Compounds

The construction of main group heteroatom-stereogenic compounds is of great importance due to their intriguing chemical, physical, biological, and stereoelectronic properties. Despite that organoboron compounds are widely used in organic chemistry, the creation of a tetrahedral boron-stereogenic center in one enantiomeric form remains highly challenging. Given the labile nature of ligands attached to the tetracoordinate boron atom, only a handful of enantioenriched boron-stereogenic compounds have been reported via resolution or a chiral substrate-induced diastereoselective approach. To date catalytic asymmetric synthesis of boron-stereogenic compounds has remained unknown. Here, we demonstrate the first catalytic enantioselective construction of boron-stereogenic compounds via an asymmetric copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. This enantioselective CuAAC reaction not only gives access to a wide range of novel highly functionalized boron-stereogenic heterocycles in high yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities but also produces optically active terminal alkyne and triazole moieties with various potential application prospects. Further transformation of the chiral tetracoordinate boron compounds delivers several complex heterocyclic entities bearing boron-stereogenic centers without the loss of enantiopurity. Moreover, the X-ray structure, the barrier to racemization, and the HOMO/LUMO gap of selected tetracoordinate boron compounds are investigated. Notably, these novel N,N π-conjugated boron-stereogenic compounds exhibit bright fluorescence. The optical properties, including circular dichroism, quantum yield, and circular polarized luminescence spectroscopies, are examined. These features expand the chemical space of the chiroptical boron-based dye platform, which could have great potential applications in chiral optoelectronic materials.

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Silicon-Stereogenic Dihydrodibenzosilines: Silicon Central-to-Axial Chirality Relay

A Rh-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of silicon-stereogenic dihydrodibenzosilines featuring axially chiral 6-membered bridged biaryls is demonstrated. In the presence of a Rh^I catalyst with a chiral diphosphine ligand, a wide range of dihydrodibenzosilines containing both silicon-central and axial chiralities are conveniently constructed in excellent enantioselectivities via dehydrogenative C(sp³ )-H silylation. Absolute configuration analysis by single-crystal X-ray structures revealed a novel silicon central-to-axial chirality relay phenomenon, which we believe will inspire further research in the field of asymmetric catalysis and chiroptical materials.

Crystal structure of (R)-6-(benzo[b]thiophen-5-yl)-2-methyl-2,6-dihydrobenzo [5,6] silino[4,3,2-cd]indole, C23H17NSSi

C23H17NSSi, orthorhombic, P212121 (no. 19), a = 7.7862(5) Å, b = 9.0728(6) Å, c = 25.3797(16) Å, V = 1792.9(2) Å3, Z = 4, R gt (F) = 0.0301, wR ref (F 2) = 0.0778, T = 100.0 K.

Silylative aromatization of p-quinone methides under metal and solvent free conditions

A base-mediated silylation reaction leading to benzyl silanes has been developed. Under transition-metal and solvent free conditions, the silylation of a wide array of p-quinone methides is achieved using a Cs₂CO₃ catalyst in yields up to 96%. Carboxylation of the as-obtained organosilane with gaseous CO₂ provides a new synthetic protocol for the preparation of carboxylic acid.

A novel and efficient synthetic protocol is reported for the synthesis of benzyl silanes from readily available silylborane and p-quinone methides using 5% cesium carbonate under solvent-free conditions.

Catalytic Enantioselective Dehydrogenative Si-O Coupling to Access Chiroptical Silicon-Stereogenic Siloxanes and Alkoxysilanes

A rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective construction of triorgano-substituted silicon-stereogenic siloxanes and alkoxysilanes is developed. This process undergoes a direct intermolecular dehydrogenative Si-O coupling between dihydrosilanes with silanols or alocohols, giving access to a variety of highly functionalized chiral siloxanes and alkoxysilanes in decent yields with excellent stereocontrol, that significantly expand the chemical space of the silicon-centered chiral molecules. Further utility of this process was illustrated by the construction of CPL-active (circularly polarized luminescence) silicon-stereogenic alkoxysilane small organic molecules. Optically pure bis-alkoxysilane containing two silicon-stereogenic centers and three pyrene groups displayed a remarkable g_lum value with a high fluorescence quantum efficiency (g_lum = 0.011, Φ_F = 0.55), which could have great potential application prospects in chiral organic optoelectronic materials.

Enantioselective construction of six- and seven-membered triorgano-substituted silicon-stereogenic heterocycles

The exploitation of chirality at silicon in asymmetric catalysis is one of the most intriguing and challenging tasks in synthetic chemistry. In particular, construction of enantioenriched mediem-sized silicon-stereogenic heterocycles is highly attractive, given the increasing demand for the synthesis of novel functional-materials-oriented silicon-bridged compounds. Here, we report a rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective construction of six- and seven-membered triorgano-substituted silicon-stereogenic heterocycles. This process undergoes a direct dehydrogenative C-H silylation, giving access to a wide range of triorgano-substituted silicon-stereogenic heterocycles in good to excellent yields and enantioselectivities, that significantly enlarge the chemical space of the silicon-centered chiral molecules. Further elaboration of the chiral monohydrosilane product delivers various corresponding tetraorgano-substituted silicon-stereogenic heterocycles without the loss of enantiopurity. These silicon-bridged heterocycles exhibit bright blue fluorescence, which would have potential application prospects in organic optoelectronic materials.

Easy Access to Enantiomerically Pure Heterocyclic Silicon-Chiral Phosphonium Cations and the Matched/Mismatched Case of Dihydrogen Release

Phosphonium ions are widely used in preparative organic synthesis and catalysis. The provision of new types of cations that contain both functional and chiral information is a major synthetic challenge and can open up new horizons in asymmetric cation-directed and Lewis acid catalysis. We discovered an efficient methodology towards new Si-chiral four-membered CPSSi* heterocyclic cations. Three synthetic approaches are presented. The stereochemical sequence of anchimerically assisted cation formation with B(C6 F5 )3 and subsequent hydride addition was fully elucidated and proceeds with excellent preservation of the chiral information at the stereogenic silicon atom. Also the mechanism of dihydrogen release from a protonated hydrosilane was studied in detail by the help of Si-centered chirality as stereochemical probe. Chemoselectivity switch (dihydrogen release vs. protodesilylation) can easily be achieved through slight modifications of the solvent. A matched/mismatched case was identified and the intermolecularity of this reaction supported by spectroscopic, kinetic, deuterium-labeling experiments, and quantum chemical calculations.

The Discovery of Multifunctional Chiral P Ligands for the Catalytic Construction of Quaternary Carbon/Silicon and Multiple Stereogenic Centers

The development of highly effective chiral ligands is a key topic in enhancing the catalytic activity and selectivity in metal-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis. Traditionally, the difficulty of ligand synthesis, insufficient accuracy in controlling the stereoselectivity, and poor universality of the systems often become obstacles in this field. Using the concept of nonequivalent coordination to the metal, our group has designed and synthesized a series of new chiral catalysts to access various carbon/silicon and/or multiple stereogenic centers containing products with excellent chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity.In this Account, we summarize a series of new phosphine ligands with multiple stereogenic centers that have been developed in our laboratory. These ligands exhibited good to excellent performance in the transition-metal-catalyzed enantioselective construction of quaternary carbon/silicon and multiple stereogenic centers. In the first section, notable examples of the design and synthesis of new chiral ligands by non-covalent interaction-based multisite activation are described. The integrations of axial chirality, atom-centered chirality, and chiral anions and multifunctional groups into a single scaffold are individually highlighted, as represented by Ar-BINMOLs and their derivative ligands, HZNU-Phos, Fei-Phos, and Xing-Phos. In the second, third, and fourth sections, the enantioselective construction of quaternary carbon stereocenters, multiple stereogenic centers, and silicon stereogenic centers using our newly developed chiral ligands is summarized. These sections refer to detailed reaction information in the chiral-ligand-controlled asymmetric catalysis based on the concept of nonequivalent coordination with multisite activation. Accordingly, a wide array of transition metal and main-group metal catalysts has been applied to the enantioselective synthesis of chiral heterocycles, amino acid derivatives, cyclic ketones, alkenes, and organosilicon compounds bearing one to five stereocenters.This Account shows that this new model of multifunctional ligand-controlled catalysts exhibits excellent stereocontrol and catalytic efficiency, especially in a stereodivergent and atom-economical fashion. Furthermore, a brief mechanistic understanding of the origin of enantioselectivity from our newly developed chiral catalyst systems could inspire further development of new ligands and enhancement of enantioselective synthesis by asymmetric metal catalysis.

Multifunctional P-ligand-controlled “silicon-centered” selectivity in Rh/Cu-catalyzed Si–C bond cleavage of silacyclobutanes

A newly developed Ar-BINMOL-Phos-controlled Rh/Cu-catalyzed (4+2) annulation of silacylcobutanes with arylpropiolate-type internal alkynes gave silicon-stereogenic 1-sila-2-cyclohexene derivatives with good ee and excellent chemoselectivity.

Asymmetric total synthesis and antidepressant activity of (−)-sila-mesembranol bearing a silicon stereocenter

Asymmetric total synthesis of (−)-sila-mesembranol, the silicon analog of the natural alkaloid (−)-mesembranol has been achieved in 3.3% yield over 11 steps. The synthetic (−)-sila-mesembranol in mice exhibits better antidepressant effects than its carbon counterpart.

Enantioselective Silylation of Aliphatic C-H Bonds for the Synthesis of Silicon-Stereogenic Dihydrobenzosiloles

A rhodium(I)-catalyzed enantioselective silylation of aliphatic C-H bonds for the synthesis of silicon-stereogenic dihydrobenzosiloles is demonstrated. This reaction involves a highly enantioselective intramolecular C(sp³ )-H silylation of dihydrosilanes, followed by a stereospecific intermolecular alkene hydrosilylation leading to the asymmetrically tetrasubstituted silanes. A wide range of dihydrosilanes and alkenes displaying various functional groups are compatible with this process, giving access to a variety of highly functionalized silicon-stereogenic dihydrobenzosiloles in good to excellent yields and enantioselectivities.

The Power of Iron Catalysis in Diazo Chemistry

The use of iron catalysis to enable reactions with diazo compounds has emerged as a valuable tool to forge carbon–carbon or carbon–heteroatom bonds. While diazo compounds are often encountered with toxic and expensive metal catalysts, such as Rh, Ru, Pd, Ir, and Cu, a resurgence of Fe catalysis has been observed. This short review will showcase and highlight the recent advances in iron-mediated reactions of diazo compounds.

1 Introduction

2 Insertion Reactions

2.1 Insertion into B–H Bonds

2.2 Insertion into Si–H Bonds

2.3 Insertion into N–H Bonds

2.4 Insertion into S–H bonds

3 Ylide Formation and Subsequent Reactions

3.1 Doyle–Kirmse Rearrangement

3.2 [1,2]-Stevens and Sommelet–Hauser Rearrangements

3.3 Olefination Reactions

3.4 Cycloaddition Reactions

3.5 gem-Difluoroalkenylation

4 Three-Component Reactions

5 Miscellaneous

6 Conclusion

Catalytic Asymmetric trans-Selective Hydrosilylation of Bisalkynes to Access AIE and CPL-Active Silicon-Stereogenic Benzosiloles

Chirality widely exists in a diverse array of biologically active molecules and life forms, and the catalytic constructions of chiral molecules have triggered a heightened interest in the fields of chemistry and materials and pharmaceutical sciences. However, the synthesis of silicon-stereogenic organosilicon compounds is generally recognized as a much more difficult task than that of carbon-stereogenic centers because of no abundant organosilicon-based chiral sources in nature. Herein, we reported a highly enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed trans-selective hydrosilylation of silicon-tethered bisalkynes to access chiral benzosiloles bearing a silicon-stereogenic center. This protocol featured with chiral Ar-BINMOL-Phos bearing hydrogen-bond donors as a privileged P-ligand for catalytic asymmetric hydrosilylation that is operationally simple and has 100% atom-economy with good functional group tolerability as well as high enantioselectivity (up to >99:1 er). Benefiting from the trans-selective hydrosilylation with the aid of Rh/Ar-BINMOL-Phos-based asymmetric catalysis, the Si-stereogenic benzosiloles exhibited pronounced aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity.

Enantioselective Si-H Insertion Reactions of Diarylcarbenes for the Synthesis of Silicon-Stereogenic Silanes

We report the first example of enantioselective, intermolecular diarylcarbene insertion into Si-H bonds for the synthesis of silicon-stereogenic silanes. Dirhodium(II) carboxylates catalyze an Si-H insertion using carbenes derived from diazo compounds where selective formation of an enantioenriched silicon center is achieved using prochiral silanes. Fourteen prochiral silanes were evaluated with symmetrical and prochiral diazo reactants to produce a total of 25 novel silanes. Adding an ortho substituent on one phenyl ring of a prochiral diazo enhances enantioselectivity up to 95:5 er with yields up to 98%. Using in situ IR spectroscopy, the impact of the off-cycle azine formation is supported based on the structural dependence for relative rates of diazo decomposition. A catalytic cycle is proposed with Si-H insertion as the rate-determining step, supported by kinetic isotope experiments. Transformations of an enantioenriched silane derived from this method, including selective synthesis of a novel sila-indane, are demonstrated.