Investigation of the mechanism of C(sp3)-H bond cleavage in Pd(0)-catalyzed intramolecular alkane arylation adjacent to amides and sulfonamides

Mechanistic insight into Cu/Ag-cocatalyzed C–H activation of arenes with oxygen as the terminal oxidant

The possible transition states of C–H activation on the dehydrogenate coupling of arenes with alcohols employing Ag(i) additives were investigated using B3LYP density functional theory.

Synthesis of biaryl sultams using visible-light-promoted denitrogenative cyclization of 1,2,3,4-benzothiatriazine-1,1-dioxides

A novel approach has been reported for the preparation of biaryl sultams using visible-light-promoted denitrogenative cyclization of 1,2,3,4-benzothiatriazine-1,1-dioxides.

DFT studies on the mechanism of palladium catalyzed arylthiolation of unactive arene to diaryl sulfide

The cleavage of S–N bond prefers to take place via concerted σ-bond metathesis rather than oxidative addition proposed in experiment.

Enantioselective palladium(0)-catalyzed intramolecular cyclopropane functionalization: access to dihydroquinolones, dihydroisoquinolones and the BMS-791325 ring system

Taddol-based phosphoramidite ligands enable enantioselective palladium(0)-catalyzed C-H arylation of cyclopropanes. The cyclized products are obtained in high yields and enantioselectivities. The reported method provides efficient access to a broad range of synthetically attractive cyclopropyl containing dihydroquinolones and dihydroisoquinolones as well as allows for an efficient enantioselective construction of the 7-membered ring of the cyclopropyl indolobenzazepine core of BMS-791325.

Mechanistic Insights into the Palladium-Catalyzed Aziridination of Aliphatic Amines by C-H Activation

Detailed kinetic studies and computational investigations have been performed to elucidate the mechanism of a palladium-catalyzed C-H activation aziridination. A theoretical rate law has been derived that matches with experimental observations and has led to an improvement in the reaction conditions. Acetic acid was found to be beneficial in controlling the formation of an off-cycle intermediate, allowing a decrease in catalyst loading and improved yields. Density functional theory (DFT) studies were performed to examine the selectivities observed in the reaction. Evidence for electronic-controlled regioselectivity for the cyclopalladation step was obtained by a distortion-interaction analysis, whereas the aziridination product was justified through dissociation of acetic acid from the palladium(IV) intermediate preceding the product-forming reductive elimination step. The understanding of this reaction mechanism under the synthesis conditions should provide valuable assistance in the comprehension and design of palladium-catalyzed reactions on similar systems.

Mechanistic Details of Pd(II)-Catalyzed C-H Iodination with Molecular I2: Oxidative Addition vs Electrophilic Cleavage

Transition metal-catalyzed C-H bond halogenation is an important alternative to the highly utilized directed-lithiation methods and increases the accessibility of the synthetically valuable aryl halide compounds. However, this approach often requires impractical reagents, such as IOAc, or strong co-oxidants. Therefore, the development of methodology utilizing inexpensive oxidants and catalyst containing earth-abundant transition metals under mild experimental conditions would represent a significant advance in the field. Success in this endeavor requires a full understanding of the mechanisms and reactivity governing principles of this process. Here, we report intimate mechanistic details of the Pd(II)-catalyzed C-H iodination with molecular I2 as the sole oxidant. Namely, we elucidate the impact of the: (a) Pd-directing group (DG) interaction, (b) nature of oxidant, and (c) nature of the functionalized C-H bond [C(sp(2))-H vs C(sp(3))-H] on the Pd(II)/Pd(IV) redox and Pd(II)/Pd(II) redox-neutral mechanisms of this reaction. We find that both monomeric and dimeric Pd(II) species may act as an active catalyst during the reaction, which preferentially proceeds via the Pd(II)/Pd(II) redox-neutral electrophilic cleavage (EC) pathway for all studied substrates with a functionalized C(sp(2))-H bond. In general, a strong Pd-DG interaction increases the EC iodination barrier and reduces the I-I oxidative addition (OA) barrier. However, the increase in Pd-DG interaction alone is not enough to make the mechanistic switch from EC to OA: This occurs only upon changing to substrates with a functionalized C(sp(3))-H bond. We also investigated the impact of the nature of the electrophile on the C(sp(2))-H bond halogenation. We predicted molecular bromine (Br2) to be more effective electrophile for the C(sp(2))-H halogenation than I2. Subsequent experiments on the stoichiometric C(sp(2))-H bromination by Pd(OAc)2 and Br2 confirmed this prediction.The findings of this study advance our ability to design more efficient reactions with inexpensive oxidants under mild experimental conditions.

Transition-metal-catalyzed C-N bond forming reactions using organic azides as the nitrogen source: a journey for the mild and versatile C-H amination

Owing to the prevalence of nitrogen-containing compounds in functional materials, natural products and important pharmaceutical agents, chemists have actively searched for the development of efficient and selective methodologies allowing for the facile construction of carbon-nitrogen bonds. While metal-catalyzed C-N cross-coupling reactions have been established as one of the most general protocols for C-N bond formation, these methods require starting materials equipped with functional groups such as (hetero)aryl halides or their equivalents, thus generating stoichiometric amounts of halide salts as byproducts. To address this aspect, a transition-metal-catalyzed direct C-H amination approach has emerged as a step- and atom-economical alternative to the conventional C-N cross-coupling reactions. However, despite the significant recent advances in metal-mediated direct C-H amination reactions, most available procedures need harsh conditions requiring stoichiometric external oxidants. In this context, we were curious to see whether a transition-metal-catalyzed mild C-H amination protocol could be achieved using organic azides as the amino source. We envisaged that a dual role of organic azides as an environmentally benign amino source and also as an internal oxidant via N-N2 bond cleavage would be key to develop efficient C-H amination reactions employing azides. An additional advantage of this approach was anticipated: that a sole byproduct is molecular nitrogen (N2) under the perspective catalytic conditions. This Account mainly describes our research efforts on the development of rhodium- and iridium-catalyzed direct C-H amination reactions with organic azides. Under our initially optimized Rh(III)-catalyzed amination conditions, not only sulfonyl azides but also aryl- and alkyl azides could be utilized as facile amino sources in reaction with various types of C(sp(2))-H bonds bearing such directing groups as pyridine, amide, or ketoxime. More recently, a new catalyst system using Ir(III) species was developed for the direct C-H amidation of arenes and alkenes with acyl azides under exceptionally mild conditions. As a natural extension, amidation of primary C(sp(3))-H bonds could also be realized on the basis of the superior activity of the Cp*Ir(III) catalyst. Mechanistic investigations revealed that a catalytic cycle is operated mainly in three stages: (i) chelation-assisted metallacycle formation via C-H bond cleavage; (ii) C-N bond formation through the in situ generation of a metal-nitrenoid intermediate followed by the insertion of an imido moiety to the metal carbon bond; (iii) product release via protodemetalation with the concomitant catalyst regeneration. In addition, this Account also summarizes the recent advances in the ruthenium- and cobalt-catalyzed amination reactions using organic azides, developed by our own and other groups. Comparative studies on the relative performance of those catalytic systems are briefly described.

Sequential decarboxylative azide-alkyne cycloaddition and dehydrogenative coupling reactions: one-pot synthesis of polycyclic fused triazoles

Herein, we describe a one-pot protocol for the synthesis of a novel series of polycyclic triazole derivatives. Transition metal-catalyzed decarboxylative CuAAC and dehydrogenative cross coupling reactions are combined in a single flask and achieved good yields of the respective triazoles (up to 97% yield). This methodology is more convenient to produce the complex polycyclic molecules in a simple way.

Computational organic chemistry: bridging theory and experiment in establishing the mechanisms of chemical reactions

Understanding the mechanisms of chemical reactions, especially catalysis, has been an important and active area of computational organic chemistry, and close collaborations between experimentalists and theorists represent a growing trend. This Perspective provides examples of such productive collaborations. The understanding of various reaction mechanisms and the insight gained from these studies are emphasized. The applications of various experimental techniques in elucidation of reaction details as well as the development of various computational techniques to meet the demand of emerging synthetic methods, e.g., C-H activation, organocatalysis, and single electron transfer, are presented along with some conventional developments of mechanistic aspects. Examples of applications are selected to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of these techniques. Some challenges in the mechanistic studies and predictions of reactions are also analyzed.

The mechanism of a ligand-promoted C(sp3)-H activation and arylation reaction via palladium catalysis: theoretical demonstration of a Pd(II)/Pd(IV) redox manifold

Density functional theory (DFT) computations (BP86 and M06-L) have been utilized to elucidate the detailed mechanism of a palladium-catalyzed reaction involving pyridine-type nitrogen-donor ligands that significantly expands the scope of C(sp(3))-H activation and arylation. The reaction begins with precatalyst initiation, followed by substrate binding to the Pd(II) center through an amidate auxiliary, which directs the ensuing bicarbonate-assisted C(sp(3))-H bond activation producing five-membered-ring cyclopalladate(II) intermediates. These Pd(II) complexes further undergo oxidative addition with iodobenzene to form Pd(IV) complexes, which proceed by reductive C-C elimination/coupling to give final products of arylation. The base-assisted C(sp(3))-H bond cleavage is found to be the rate-determining step, which involves hydrogen bond interactions. The mechanism unravels the intimate involvement of the added 2-picoline ligand in every phase of the reaction, explains the isolation of the cyclopalladate intermediates, agrees with the observed kinetic hydrogen isotope effect, and demonstrates the Pd(II)/Pd(IV) redox manifold.

Palladium(II)-catalyzed intramolecular tandem aminoalkylation via divergent C(sp3)-H functionalization

We have developed a Pd(II)-catalyzed oxidative tandem aminoalkylation via divergent C(sp(3))-H functionalization, affording three- and five-membered-ring fused indolines in good yields under two optimized conditions, respectively. The mechanism studies have indicated that the benzylic C-H cleavage involved in the former transformation is the rate-determining step, while the cleavage of amide α-C-H in the latter is not. This is the first example of a Pd-catalyzed tandem reaction involving C(sp(3))-H activation without the employment of prefunctionalized reagents (e.g., halogenated and boron reagents) and directing groups, representing a green and economic protocol for the construction of N-containing heterocycles.

Cyclometallated ruthenium(ii) complexes with ditopic thienyl–NHC ligands: syntheses and alkyne annulations

Cycloruthenation of thienyl–NHC ligands and subsequent alkyne annulations allow for a facile preparation of unusual aza-heterocyclic-thiophenes.

Transition metal free intramolecular selective oxidative C(sp3)–N coupling: synthesis of N-aryl-isoindolinones from 2-alkylbenzamides

A transition metal-free intramolecular selective oxidative coupling reaction of C(sp³)–H and N–H bonds has been presented utilizing iodine, potassium carbonate and di-tert-butyl peroxide in acetonitrile at 110–140 °C.

Direct Arylation of Benzo[b]furan and Other Benzo-Fused Heterocycles

The direct arylation of benzo[b]furan, benzo[b]thiophene, and indole has been studied by using aromatic bromides as the aryl source. The protocol employing common reagents and a Pd catalyst has led to the regioselective arylation of these heterocycles at the 2-position. A range of functional groups were tolerated, providing quick access to a variety of arylated benzo-fused heterocycles that would be accessible more elaborately using classical synthetic strategies. This is the first systematic study of the direct arylation of benzo[b]furan.

Nickel-Mediated Synthesis of Isoindolinones at Room Temperature

This communication describes a method for the Ni(cod) 2-mediated intramolecular arylation of alkyl C-H bonds adjacent to the nitrogen atom in benzamide substrates. The transformation proceeds at room temperature and exhibits selectivity for functionalization of more substituted C-H bonds. The yields of the desired isoindolinone products are higher with benzamide substrates containing tertiary alkyl groups on the nitrogen atom than with those bearing primary or secondary alkyls. The results described herein suggest a mechanism involving radical intermediates for these reactions.

Key mechanistic features of Ni-catalyzed C-H/C-O biaryl coupling of azoles and naphthalen-2-yl pivalates

The mechanism of the Ni-dcype-catalyzed C-H/C-O coupling of benzoxazole and naphthalen-2-yl pivalate was studied. Special attention was devoted to the base effect in the C-O oxidative addition and C-H activation steps as well as the C-H substrate effect in the C-H activation step. No base effect in the C(aryl)-O oxidative addition to Ni-dcype was found, but the nature of the base and C-H substrate plays a crucial role in the following C-H activation. In the absence of base, the azole C-H activation initiated by the C-O oxidative addition product Ni(dcype)(Naph)(PivO), 1B, proceeds via ΔG = 34.7 kcal/mol barrier. Addition of Cs2CO3 base to the reaction mixture forms the Ni(dcype)(Naph)[PivOCs·CsCO3], 3_Cs_clus, cluster complex rather than undergoing PivO(-) → CsCO3(-) ligand exchange. Coordination of azole to the resulting 3_Cs_clus complex forms intermediate with a weak Cs-heteroatom(azole) bond, the existence of which increases acidity of the activated C-H bond and reduces C-H activation barrier. This conclusion from computation is consistent with experiments showing that the addition of Cs2CO3 to the reaction mixture of 1B and benzoxazole increases yield of C-H/C-O coupling from 32% to 67% and makes the reaction faster by 3-fold. This emerging mechanistic knowledge was validated by further exploring base and C-H substrate effects via replacing Cs2CO3 with K2CO3 and benzoxazole (1a) with 1H-benzo[d]imidazole (1b) or quinazoline (1c). We proposed the modified catalytic cycle for the Ni(cod)(dcype)-catalyzed C-H/C-O coupling of benzoxazole and naphthalen-2-yl pivalate.

Carboxylate-assisted C(sp³)-H activation in olefin metathesis-relevant ruthenium complexes

The mechanism of C-H activation at metathesis-relevant ruthenium(II) benzylidene complexes was studied both experimentally and computationally. Synthesis of a ruthenium dicarboxylate at a low temperature allowed for direct observation of the C-H activation step, independent of the initial anionic ligand-exchange reactions. A first-order reaction supports an intramolecular concerted metalation-deprotonation mechanism with ΔG(‡)(298K) = 22.2 ± 0.1 kcal·mol(-1) for the parent N-adamantyl-N'-mesityl complex. An experimentally determined ΔS(‡) = -5.2 ± 2.6 eu supports a highly ordered transition state for carboxylate-assisted C(sp(3))-H activation. Experimental results, including measurement of a large primary kinetic isotope effect (k(H)/k(D) = 8.1 ± 1.7), agree closely with a computed six-membered carboxylate-assisted C-H activation mechanism where the deprotonating carboxylate adopts a pseudo-apical geometry, displacing the aryl ether chelate. The rate of cyclometalation was found to be influenced by both the electronics of the assisting carboxylate and the ruthenium ligand environment.

Role of N-acyl amino acid ligands in Pd(II)-catalyzed remote C-H activation of tethered arenes

A combined experimental/computational study on the amino acid ligand-assisted Pd-catalyzed C-H bond activation reveals a mechanism in which the amino acid acts as both a dianionic bidentate ligand and a proton acceptor. This new model explains the effects of amino acids on reactivity and selectivity and unveils the dual roles of amino acids: stabilizing monomeric Pd complexes and serving as the internal base for proton abstraction.