Transition Metal Catalysis Controlled by Hydrogen Bonding in the Second Coordination Sphere

Transition metal catalysis is of utmost importance for the development of sustainable processes in academia and industry. The activity and selectivity of metal complexes are typically the result of the interplay between ligand and metal properties. As the ligand can be chemically altered, a large research focus has been on ligand development. More recently, it has been recognized that further control over activity and selectivity can be achieved by using the "second coordination sphere", which can be seen as the region beyond the direct coordination sphere of the metal center. Hydrogen bonds appear to be very useful interactions in this context as they typically have sufficient strength and directionality to exert control of the second coordination sphere, yet hydrogen bonds are typically very dynamic, allowing fast turnover. In this review we have highlighted several key features of hydrogen bonding interactions and have summarized the use of hydrogen bonding to program the second coordination sphere. Such control can be achieved by bridging two ligands that are coordinated to a metal center to effectively lead to supramolecular bidentate ligands. In addition, hydrogen bonding can be used to preorganize a substrate that is coordinated to the metal center. Both strategies lead to catalysts with superior properties in a variety of metal catalyzed transformations, including (asymmetric) hydrogenation, hydroformylation, C-H activation, oxidation, radical-type transformations, and photochemical reactions.

Yttrium-Catalyzed ortho-Selective C-H Borylation of Pyridines with Pinacolborane

This work reports a site-selective C-H borylation of pyridines at the ortho-position with pinacolborane enabled by an yttrocene catalyst. The reaction provides a new family of 2-pyridyl boronates with a broad substrate scope and high atom efficiency. The resultant boronates were able to undergo a variety of transformations, e.g., oxidation, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, Chan-Lam amination and etherification. Catalytic intermediates, including ortho-C-H metalated and borylated complexes, were isolated from stoichiometric experiments and confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Amide directed iridium C(sp3)-H borylation catalysis with high N-methyl selectivity

A bidentate monoanionic ligand system was developed to enable iridium catalyzed C(sp³)-H activation borylation of N-methyl amides. Borylated amides were obtained in moderate to good isolated yields, and exclusive mono-borylation allowed the amide to be the limiting reagent. Selectivity for C(sp³)-H activation was demonstrated in the presence of sterically available C(sp³)-H bonds. Competitive kinetic isotope studies revealed a large primary isotope effect, implicating C-H activation as the rate limiting step.

Recent Advances in the Construction of Fluorinated Organoboron Compounds

Fluorinated organoboron compounds are important synthetic building blocks that combine the unique characteristics of a fluorinated motif with the versatile synthetic applications of organoboron moiety. This review article guides the research on fluorinated organoboron compounds mainly from four aspects in recent years: selective monodefluoroborylation of polyfluoroarenes and polyfluoroalkenes, selective borylation of fluorinated substrates, selective fluorination of organoboron compounds, and borofluorination of alkynes/olefins. In addition, this review will provide a necessary guidance and inspiration for the research on the valuable synthetic building block fluorinated organoboron compounds.

Photoinduced remote regioselective radical alkynylation of unactivated C-H bonds

A method for the remote regioselective alkynylation of unactivated C(sp³)-H bonds in diverse aliphatic amides by photogenerated amidyl radicals has been developed. The site-selectivity is dominated via a 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) process of the amide. Mild reaction conditions and high regioselectivity are demonstrated in this methodology.

Selective Benzylic CH-Borylations by Tandem Cobalt Catalysis

Metal‐catalyzed C−H activations are environmentally and economically attractive synthetic strategies for the construction of functional molecules as they obviate the need for pre‐functionalized substrates and minimize waste generation. Great challenges reside in the control of selectivities, the utilization of unbiased hydrocarbons, and the operation of atom‐economical dehydrocoupling mechanisms. An especially mild borylation of benzylic CH bonds was developed with the ligand‐free pre‐catalyst Co[N(SiMe₃)₂]₂ and the bench‐stable and inexpensive borylation reagent B₂pin₂ that produces H₂ as the only by‐product. A full set of kinetic, spectroscopic, and preparative mechanistic studies are indicative of a tandem catalysis mechanism of CH‐borylation and dehydrocoupling via molecular Co^I catalysts.

Recent progress in rare-earth metal-catalyzed sp2 and sp3 C–H functionalization to construct C–C and C–heteroelement bonds

The review presents rare-earth metal-catalyzed C(sp2/sp3)–H functionalization accessing C–C/C–heteroatom bonds and olefin (co)polymerization, highlighting substrate scope, mechanistic realization, and origin of site-, enantio-/diastereo-selectivity.

Ruthenium–NHC complex-catalyzed P(iii)-directed C–H borylation of arylphosphines

Bidentate NHC-based ruthenium catalyst for P(III)-directed ortho C–H borylation of arylphosphines.

Inorganometallics (Transition Metal-Metalloid Complexes) and Catalysis

While the formation and breaking of transition metal (TM)–carbon bonds plays a pivotal role in the catalysis of organic compounds, the reactivity of inorganometallic species, that is, those involving the transition metal (TM)–metalloid (E) bond, is of key importance in most conversions of metalloid derivatives catalyzed by TM complexes. This Review presents the background of inorganometallic catalysis and its development over the last 15 years. The results of mechanistic studies presented in the Review are related to the occurrence of TM–E and TM–H compounds as reactive intermediates in the catalytic transformations of selected metalloids (E = B, Si, Ge, Sn, As, Sb, or Te). The Review illustrates the significance of inorganometallics in catalysis of the following processes: addition of metalloid–hydrogen and metalloid–metalloid bonds to unsaturated compounds; activation and functionalization of C–H bonds and C–X bonds with hydrometalloids and bismetalloids; activation and functionalization of C–H bonds with vinylmetalloids, metalloid halides, and sulfonates; and dehydrocoupling of hydrometalloids. This first Review on inorganometallic catalysis sums up the developments in the catalytic methods for the synthesis of organometalloid compounds and their applications in advanced organic synthesis as a part of tandem reactions.

Origin of the Enhanced Reactivity in the ortho C-H Borylation of Benzaldehydes with BBr3

The metal-free ortho C-H borylation of benzaldehyde derivatives using a transient imine directing group was recently developed by our group, providing an efficient strategy for the synthesis of organoboron reagents. Herein, we report on an extensive investigation of the reaction mechanism using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Computations for the reaction pathway with various imine substrates, as well as the effect of an added base were examined, and the experimentally observed reactivity enhancement is proposed to originate from the tunability of the destabilizing strain energies that results in a reversible complexation process with BBr₃.

Azolium Control of the Osmium-Promoted Aromatic C-H Bond Activation in 1,3-Disubstituted Substrates

The hexahydride complex OsH₆(PⁱPr₃)₂ promotes the C-H bond activation of the 1,3-disubstituted phenyl group of the [BF₄]^- and [BPh₄]^- salts of the cations 1-(3-(isoquinolin-1-yl)phenyl)-3-methylimidazolium and 1-(3-(isoquinolin-1-yl)phenyl)-3-methylbenzimidazolium. The reactions selectively afford neutral and cationic trihydride-osmium(IV) derivatives bearing κ²-C,N- or κ²-C,C-chelating ligands, a cationic dihydride-osmium(IV) complex stabilized by a κ³-C,C,N-pincer group, and a bimetallic hexahydride formed by two trihydride-osmium(IV) fragments. The metal centers of the hexahydride are separated by a bridging ligand, composed of κ²-C,N- and κ²-C,C-chelating moieties, which allows electronic communication between the metal centers. The wide variety of obtained compounds and the high selectivity observed in their formation is a consequence of the main role of the azolium group during the activation and of the existence of significant differences in behavior between the azolium groups. The azolium role is governed by the anion of the salt, whereas the azolium behavior depends upon its imidazolium or benzimidazolium nature. While [BF₄]^- inhibits the azolium reactions, [BPh₄]^- favors the azolium participation in the activation process. In contrast to benzimidazolylidene, the imidazolylidene resulting from the deprotonation of the imidazolium substituent coordinates in an abnormal fashion to direct the phenyl C-H bond activation to the 2-position. The hydride ligands of the cationic dihydride-osmium(IV) pincer complex display intense quantum mechanical exchange coupling. Furthermore, this salt is a red phosphorescent emitter upon photoexcitation and displays a noticeable catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation of 1-phenylethanol to acetophenone and of 1,2-phenylenedimethanol to 1-isobenzofuranone. The bimetallic hexahydride shows catalytic synergism between the metals, in the dehydrogenation of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and alcohols.

Chemically robust and readily available quinoline-based PNN iron complexes: application in C-H borylation of arenes

Iron catalysts have been used for over a century to produce ammonia industrially. However, the use of iron catalysts generally remained quite limited until relatively recently, when the abundance and low toxicity of iron spurred the development of a variety of iron catalysts. Despite the fact that iron catalysts are being developed as alternatives to precious metal catalysts, their reactivities and stabilities are quite different because of their unique electronic structures. In this context, our group previously developed a new family of quinoline-based PNN pincer-type ligands for low- to mid-valent iron catalysts. These chemically robust PNN ligands provide air- and moisture-tolerant iron complexes, which exhibit excellent catalytic performances in the C-H borylation of arenes. This feature article summarises our recent work on PNN iron complexes, including their conception and design, as well as related reports on iron pincer complexes and iron-catalysed C-H borylation reactions.

BBr3 -Mediated P(III)-Directed C-H Borylation of Phosphines

Transition-metal-catalyzed C-H borylation has been widely used in the preparation of organoboron compounds. Here, we developed a general protocol on metal-free P(III)-directed C-H borylation of phosphines mediated by BBr₃ , resulting in the formation of products bearing both phosphorus and boron. The development of the metal-free strategy to mimic previous metallic processes has shown low cost, superior practicality, and environmental friendliness. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate the preferred pathway for this metal-free directed C-H borylation process.

Total Synthesis of (-)-Kopsifoline A and (+)-Kopsifoline E

We report the first total synthesis of (-)-kopsifoline A and (+)-kopsifoline E. Our synthetic strategy features a biogenetically inspired regioselective C17-functionalization of a versatile intermediate containing the pentacyclic core of aspidosperma alkaloids. The vinylogous urethane substructure of this intermediate affords (-)-kopsifoline D via C3-C21 bond formation under the Mitsunobu reaction conditions, while it enables selective C17-functionalization en route to (-)-kopsifoline A and (+)-kopsifoline E.

Effect of Pincer Methylation on the Selectivity and Activity in (PNP)Cobalt-Catalyzed C(sp2)-H Borylation

Cobalt complexes supported by a tetramethylated PNP pincer ligand (Me₄ ^iPrPNP = 2,6-(ⁱPr₂PCMe₂)₂(C₅H₃N)) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Examples include cobalt(I)-choride, -methyl, -aryl and -benzofuranyl derivatives. The performance of these compounds was evaluated in the catalytic borylation of fluorinated arenes using B₂Pin₂ as the boron source. While P-C bond cleavage, a known deactivation pathway in [(PNP)Co]-catalyzed borylation was suppressed, the overall activity and selectivity of the borylation of fluoroarenes was reduced as compared to the previously reported [(PNP)Co] catalyst lacking isopropylene spacers. Stoichiometric reactions support an increased barrier for oxidative addition to cobalt(I), a result of the increased steric profile and decreased conformational flexibility of the pincer resulting from methylation distal to the active site. With a more activated substrate such as benzofuran, catalytic borylation with cobalt(I) precatalysts and HBPin was observed. Monitoring the progress of the reaction by NMR spectroscopy revealed the presence of cobalt(III) intermediates during the course of the borylation, supporting a cobalt(I)-(III) redox cycle.

Selective divergent radical cyclization of 1,6-dienes with alkyl nitriles

An efficient, selective, and step economical radical cyclization of 1,6-dienes with alkyl nitriles initiated by α-C(sp³)-H functionalization under the Sc(OTf)₃ and Ag₂CO₃ system is described here. The selective divergent cyclization relies on the substitution effect at the α-position of the acrylamide moiety and nitriles, which is terminated by hydrogen abstraction, direct cyclization with the aryl ring, or further cyclization with the CN bond and hydrolysis, respectively.

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.

Saturated Boronic Acids, Boronates, and Trifluoroborates: An Update on Their Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry

This review discusses recent advances in the chemistry of saturated boronic acids, boronates, and trifluoroborates. Applications of the title compounds in the design of boron-containing drugs are surveyed, with special emphasis on α-amino boronic derivatives. A general overview of saturated boronic compounds as modern tools to construct C(sp³ )-C and C(sp³ )-heteroatom bonds is given, including recent developments in the Suzuki-Miyaura and Chan-Lam cross-couplings, single-electron-transfer processes including metallo- and organocatalytic photoredox reactions, and transformations of boron "ate" complexes. Finally, an attempt to summarize the current state of the art in the synthesis of saturated boronic acids, boronates, and trifluoroborates is made, with a brief mention of the "classical" methods (transmetallation of organolithium/magnesium reagents with boron species, anti-Markovnikov hydroboration of alkenes, and the modification of alkenyl boron compounds) and a special focus on recent methodologies (boronation of alkyl (pseudo)halides, derivatives of carboxylic acids, alcohols, and primary amines, boronative C-H activation, novel approaches to alkene hydroboration, and 1,2-metallate-type rearrangements).

Development of Chiral Ligands for the Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Enantioselective Silylation and Borylation of C-H Bonds

Enantioselective reactions that install functional groups at the positions of unactivated C-H bonds can be envisioned to produce intermediates for the synthesis of the active ingredients in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals directly from simple feedstocks. Among these C-H bond functionalization reactions, those that form carbon-silicon (C-Si) and carbon-boron (C-B) bonds have been pursued because the products of these reactions can be converted to those containing a wide range of functional groups and because compounds containing silicon and boron possess unique properties that can be valuable for medicinal and materials chemistry. Although the silylation and borylation of C-H bonds have undergone extensive development during the past two decades, enantioselective versions of these reactions were not known until a few years ago. In this Minireview, we present the rapid development of enantioselective silylation and borylation of C-H bonds, with an emphasis on the design and development of the types of chiral ligands needed to achieve these reactions and an intention to inspire an expansion of these types of transformations.

Recent advances in asymmetric borylation by transition metal catalysis

Chiral organoboronates have played a critical role in organic chemistry and in the development of materials science and pharmaceuticals. Much effort has been devoted to exploring synthetic methodologies for the preparation of these compounds during the past few decades. Among the known methods, asymmetric catalysis has emerged as a practical and highly efficient strategy for their straightforward preparation, and recent years have witnessed remarkable advances in this respect. Approaches such as asymmetric borylative addition, asymmetric allylic borylation and stereospecific cross-coupling borylation, have been extensively explored and well established employing transition-metal catalysis with a chiral ligand. This review provides a comprehensive overview of transition metal-catalysed asymmetric borylation processes to construct carbon-boron, carbon-carbon, and other carbon-heteroatom bonds. It summarises a range of recent achievements in this area of research, with considerable attention devoted to the reaction modes and the mechanisms involved.

Zinc catalysed C3-H borylation of indoles and 1,1-diboration of terminal alkynes

A low catalyst loading Zn(OTf)₂-catalysed C3-H borylation of indoles with pinacolborane was developed. This transformation represents the use of an abundant, cheap and environmentally benign zinc catalyst in catalytic direct aromatic C-H borylation and offers a simple and prompt route towards the synthesis of C3-borylated indoles. The 1,1-diboration of terminal alkynes was also achieved using the same catalytic system to produce 1,1-diborylated alkenes.

Rhodium Indenyl NHC and Fluorenyl-Tethered NHC Half-Sandwich Complexes: Synthesis, Structures and Applications in the Catalytic C-H Borylation of Arenes and Alkanes

Indenyl (Ind) rhodium N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes [Rh(η⁵ -Ind)(NHC)(L)] were synthesised for 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene (SIPr) with L=C₂ H₄ (1), CO (2 a) and cyclooctene (COE; 3), for 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene (SIMes) with L=CO (2 b) and COE (4), and 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) with L=CO (2 c) and COE (5). Reaction of SIPr with [Rh(Cp*)(C₂ H₄ )₂ ] did not give the desired SIPr complex, thus demonstrating the "indenyl effect" in the synthesis of 1. Oxidative addition of HSi(OEt)₃ to 3 proceeded under mild conditions to give the Rh silyl hydride complex [Rh(Ind){Si(OEt)₃ }(H)(SIPr)] (6) with loss of COE. Tethered-fluorenyl NHC rhodium complexes [Rh{(η⁵ -C₁₃ H₈ )C₂ H₄ N(C)C₂ H_x NR}(L)] (x=4, R=Dipp, L=C₂ H₄ : 11; L=COE: 12; L=CO: 13; R=Mes, L=COE: 14; L=CO: 15; x=2, R=Me, L=COE: 16; L=CO: 17) were synthesised in low yields (5-31 %) in comparison to good yields for the monodentate complexes (49-79 %). Compounds 3 and 1, which contain labile alkene ligands, were successful catalysts for the catalytic borylation of benzene with B₂ pin₂ (Bpin=pinacolboronate, 97 and 93 % PhBpin respectively with 5 mol % catalyst, 24 h, 80 °C), with SIPr giving a more active catalyst than SIMes or IMes. Fluorenyl-tethered NHC complexes were much less active as borylation catalysts, and the carbonyl complexes were inactive. The borylation of toluene, biphenyl, anisole and diphenyl ether proceeded to give meta substitutions as the major product, with smaller amounts of para substitution and almost no ortho product. The borylation of octane and decane with B₂ pin₂ at 120 and 140 °C, respectively, was monitored by ¹¹ B NMR spectroscopy, which showed high conversions into octyl and decylBpin over 4-7 days, thus demonstrating catalysed sp³ C-H borylation with new piano stool rhodium indenyl complexes. Irradiation of the monodentate complexes with 400 or 420 nm light confirmed the ready dissociation of C₂ H₄ and COE ligands, whereas CO complexes were inert. Evidence for C-H bond activation in the alkyl groups of the NHC ligands was obtained.

Transition metal-catalyzed organic reactions in undivided electrochemical cells

Transition metal-catalyzed organic electrochemistry is a rapidly growing research area owing in part to the ability of metal catalysts to alter the selectivity of a given transformation. This conversion mainly focuses on transition metal-catalyzed anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction and great progress has been achieved in both areas. Typically, only one of the half-cell reactions is involved in the organic reaction while a sacrificial reaction occurs at the counter electrode, which is inherently wasteful since one electrode is not being used productively. Recently, transition metal-catalyzed paired electrolysis that makes use of both anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction has attracted much attention. This perspective highlights the recent progress of each type of electrochemical reaction and relatively focuses on the transition metal-catalyzed paired electrolysis, showcasing that electrochemical reactions involving transition metal catalysis have advantages over conventional reactions in terms of controlling the reaction activity and selectivity and figuring out that transition metal-catalyzed paired electrolysis is an important direction of organic electrochemistry in the future and offers numerous opportunities for new and improved organic reaction methods.

Homogeneous catalytic C(sp3)-H functionalization of gaseous alkanes

The conversion of light alkanes into bulk chemicals is becoming an important challenge as it effectively avoids the use of prefunctionalized alkylating reagents. The implementation of such processes is, however, hampered by their gaseous nature and low solubility, as well as the low reactivity of the C-H bonds. Efforts have been made to enable both polar and radical processes to activate these inert compounds. In addition, these methodologies also benefit significantly from the development of a suitable reactor technology that intensifies gas-liquid mass transfer. In this review, we critically highlight these developments, both from a conceptual and a practical point of view. The recent expansion of these mechanistically-different methods have enabled the use of various gaseous alkanes for the development of different bond-forming reactions, including C-C, C-B, C-N, C-Si and C-S bonds.

Creating High Regioselectivity by Electronic Metal-Support Interaction of a Single-Atomic-Site Catalyst

Ligands are the most commonly used means to control the regioselectivity of organic reactions. It is very important to develop new regioselective control methods for organic synthesis. In this study, we designed and synthesized a single-atomic-site catalyst (SAC), namely, Cu1-TiC, with strong electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) effects by studying various reaction mechanisms. π cloud back-donation to the alkyne on the metal catalytic intermediate was enhanced during the reaction by using transient electron-rich characteristics. In this way, the reaction achieved highly linear-E-type regioselective conversion of electronically unbiased alkynes and completely avoided the formation of branched isomers (ln:br >100:1, TON up to 612, 3 times higher than previously recorded). The structural elements of the SACs were designed following the requirements of the synthesis mechanism. Every element in the catalyst played an important role in the synthesis mechanism. This demonstrated that the EMSI, which is normally thought to be responsible for the improvement in catalytic efficiency and durability in heterogeneous catalysis, now first shows exciting potential for regulating the regioselectivity in homogeneous catalysis.

Protodeboronation of (Hetero)Arylboronic Esters: Direct versus Prehydrolytic Pathways and Self-/Auto-Catalysis

The kinetics and mechanism of the base-catalyzed hydrolysis (ArB(OR)₂ → ArB(OH)₂) and protodeboronation (ArB(OR)₂ → ArH) of a series of boronic esters, encompassing eight different polyols and 10 polyfluoroaryl and heteroaryl moieties, have been investigated by in situ and stopped-flow NMR spectroscopy (¹⁹F, ¹H, and ¹¹B), pH-rate dependence, isotope entrainment, ²H KIEs, and KS-DFT computations. The study reveals the phenomenological stability of boronic esters under basic aqueous-organic conditions to be highly nuanced. In contrast to common assumption, esterification does not necessarily impart greater stability compared to the corresponding boronic acid. Moreover, hydrolysis of the ester to the boronic acid can be a dominant component of the overall protodeboronation process, augmented by self-, auto-, and oxidative (phenolic) catalysis when the pH is close to the pK_a of the boronic acid/ester.

Electrochemical Borylation of Alkyl Halides: Fast, Scalable Access to Alkyl Boronic Esters

Herein, a fast, scalable, and transition-metal-free borylation of alkyl halides (X = I, Br, Cl) enabled by electroreduction is reported. This process provides an efficient and practical access to primary, secondary, and tertiary boronic esters at a high current. More than 70 examples, including the late-stage borylation of natural products and drug derivatives, are furnished at room temperature, thereby demonstrating the broad utility and functional-group tolerance of this protocol. Mechanistic studies disclosed that B₂cat₂ serves as both a reagent and a cathodic mediator, enabling electroreduction of difficult-to-reduce alkyl bromides or chlorides at a low potential.

Enzyme-like Supramolecular Iridium Catalysis Enabling C-H Bond Borylation of Pyridines with meta-Selectivity

The use of secondary interactions between substrates and catalysts is a promising strategy to discover selective transition metal catalysts for atom-economy C-H bond functionalization. The most powerful catalysts are found via trial-and-error screening due to the low association constants between the substrate and the catalyst in which small stereo-electronic modifications within them can lead to very different reactivities. To circumvent these limitations and to increase the level of reactivity prediction in these important reactions, we report herein a supramolecular catalyst harnessing Zn⋅⋅⋅N interactions that binds to pyridine-like substrates as tight as it can be found in some enzymes. The distance and spatial geometry between the active site and the substrate binding site is ideal to target unprecedented meta-selective iridium-catalyzed C-H bond borylations with enzymatic Michaelis-Menten kinetics, besides unique substrate selectivity and dormant reactivity patterns.

Generation of non-stabilized alkyl radicals from thianthrenium salts for C-B and C-C bond formation

Sulfonium salts bearing a positively charged sulfur atom with three organic substituents have intrigued chemists for more than a century for their unusual structures and high chemical reactivity. These compounds are known to undergo facile single-electron reduction to emerge as a valuable and alternative source of aryl radicals for organic synthesis. However, the generation of non-stabilized alkyl radicals from sulfonium salts has been a challenge for several decades. Here we report the treatment of S-(alkyl) thianthrenium salts to generate non-stabilized alkyl radicals as key intermediates granting the controlled and selective outcome of the ensuing reactions under mild photoredox conditions. The value of these reagents has been demonstrated through the efficient construction of alkylboronates and other transformations, including heteroarylation, alkylation, alkenylation, and alkynylation. The developed method is practical, and provides the opportunity to convert C-OH bond to C-B and C-C bonds.

New horizons for catalysis disclosed by supramolecular chemistry

The adoption of a supramolecular approach in catalysis promises to address a number of unmet challenges, ranging from activity (unlocking of novel reaction pathways) to selectivity (alteration of the innate selectivity of a reaction, e.g. selective functionalization of C-H bonds) and regulation (switch ON/OFF, sequential catalysis, etc.). Supramolecular tools such as reversible association and recognition, pre-organization of reactants and stabilization of transition states upon binding offer a unique chance to achieve the above goals disclosing new horizons whose potential is being increasingly recognized and used, sometimes reaching the degree of ripeness for practical use. This review summarizes the main developments that have opened such new frontiers, with the aim of providing a guide to researchers approaching the field. We focus on artificial supramolecular catalysts of defined stoichiometry which, under homogeneous conditions, unlock outcomes that are highly difficult if not impossible to attain otherwise, namely unnatural reactivity or selectivity and catalysis regulation. The different strategies recently explored in supramolecular catalysis are concisely presented, and, for each one, a single or very few examples is/are described (mainly last 10 years, with only milestone older works discussed). The subject is divided into four sections in light of the key design principle: (i) nanoconfinement of reactants, (ii) recognition-driven catalysis, (iii) catalysis regulation by molecular machines and (iv) processive catalysis.