Dual visible light photoredox and gold-catalyzed arylative ring expansion

Selective Hydrogen Atom Abstraction through Induced Bond Polarization: Direct α-Arylation of Alcohols through Photoredox, HAT, and Nickel Catalysis

The combination of nickel metallaphotoredox catalysis, hydrogen atom transfer catalysis, and a Lewis acid activation mode, has led to the development of an arylation method for the selective functionalization of alcohol α-hydroxy C-H bonds. This approach employs zinc-mediated alcohol deprotonation to activate α-hydroxy C-H bonds while simultaneously suppressing C-O bond formation by inhibiting the formation of nickel alkoxide species. The use of Zn-based Lewis acids also deactivates other hydridic bonds such as α-amino and α-oxy C-H bonds. This approach facilitates rapid access to benzylic alcohols, an important motif in drug discovery. A 3-step synthesis of the drug Prozac exemplifies the utility of this new method.

Oxidative Addition, Transmetalation, and Reductive Elimination at a 2,2'-Bipyridyl-Ligated Gold Center

Three-coordinate bipyridyl complexes of gold, [(κ²-bipy)Au(η²-C₂H₄)][NTf₂], are readily accessed by direct reaction of 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), or its derivatives, with the homoleptic gold ethylene complex [Au(C₂H₄)₃][NTf₂]. The cheap and readily available bipyridyl ligands facilitate oxidative addition of aryl iodides to the Au(I) center to give [(κ²-bipy)Au(Ar)I][NTf₂], which undergo first aryl-zinc transmetalation and second C-C reductive elimination to produce biaryl products. The products of each distinct step have been characterized. Computational techniques are used to probe the mechanism of the oxidative addition step, offering insight into both the origin of the reversibility of this process and the observation that electron-rich aryl iodides add faster than electron-poor substrates. Thus, for the first time, all steps that are characteristic of a conventional intermolecular Pd(0)-catalyzed biaryl synthesis are demonstrated from a common monometallic Au complex and in the absence of directing groups.

Construction of a visible light-driven hydrocarboxylation cycle of alkenes by the combined use of Rh(i) and photoredox catalysts

A visible light driven catalytic cycle for hydrocarboxylation of alkenes with CO₂ was established using a combination of a Rh(i) complex as a carboxylation catalyst and [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ (bpy = 2,2'- bipyridyl) as a photoredox catalyst. Two key steps, the generation of Rh(i) hydride species and nucleophilic addition of π-benzyl Rh(i) species to CO₂, were found to be mediated by light.

Cross-Coupling of Sodium Sulfinates with Aryl, Heteroaryl, and Vinyl Halides by Nickel/Photoredox Dual Catalysis

An efficient photoredox/nickel catalyzed sulfonylation reaction of aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl halides has been achieved for the first time. This newly developed sulfonylation protocol provides a versatile method for the synthesis of diverse aromatic sulfones at room temperature and shows excellent functional group tolerance. The electrophilic coupling partners are not limited to aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl bromides and iodides, but also includes less reactive aryl chlorides as suitable substrates for this transformation.

Photocatalysis in organic and polymer synthesis

This review, with over 600 references, summarizes the recent applications of photoredox catalysis for organic transformation and polymer synthesis. Photoredox catalysts are metallo- or organo-compounds capable of absorbing visible light, resulting in an excited state species. This excited state species can donate or accept an electron from other substrates to mediate redox reactions at ambient temperature with high atom efficiency. These catalysts have been successfully implemented for the discovery of novel organic reactions and synthesis of added-value chemicals with an excellent control of selectivity and stereo-regularity. More recently, such catalysts have been implemented by polymer chemists to post-modify polymers in high yields, as well as to effectively catalyze reversible deactivation radical polymerizations and living polymerizations. These catalysts create new approaches for advanced organic transformation and polymer synthesis. The objective of this review is to give an overview of this emerging field to organic and polymer chemists as well as materials scientists.

Cascade photoredox/gold catalysis: access to multisubstituted indoles via aminoarylation of alkynes

A new method for the synthesis of 3-arylindoles has been developed by visible light mediated dual gold/photoredox catalysis. This transformation has many features such as cascade catalysis, high efficiency, redox-neutral reaction conditions and good functional group tolerance. The reaction proceeds through the photoredox-promoted formation of an electrophilic arylgold(iii) intermediate that undergoes coupling with the arylamine nucleophile.

Gold(i)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with organostannanes

Gold(i)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with organostannanes are described.

Gold promoted arylative cyclization of alkynoic acids with arenediazonium salts

Arylgold(iii) species generated from arenediazonium salts and Au(i) under thermal conditions promote the arylative cyclization of alkynoic acids leading to tetrasubstituted lactones.

Visible light mediated desilylative C(sp2)–C(sp2) cross-coupling reactions of arylsilanes with aryldiazonium salts under Au(i)/Au(iii) catalysis

Desilylative C(sp²)–C(sp²) cross-coupling reactions of arylsilanes with aryldiazonium salts under Au(i)/photoredox catalysis have been reported.

Oxidant-free oxidative gold catalysis: the new paradigm in cross-coupling reactions

The construction of C–C and C–X (X = hetero atom) bonds is the core aspect for the assembly of molecules. This feature article critically presents an overview of all the redox neutral cross-coupling reactions enabled by gold catalysis, which we believe would stimulate further research activities in this promising area.

Mechanistic and asymmetric investigations of the Au-catalysed cross-coupling between aryldiazonium salts and arylboronic acids using (P,N) gold complexes

Aryldiazonium salts and arylboronic acids were coupled via three different pathways from (P,N)–AuCl complexes, with enantiomeric excesses up to 26%.

Radical-initiated alkene hydroauration as a route to gold(iii) alkyls: an experimental and computational study

Gold(iii) hydrides undergo radical-induced insertion reactions with alkenes via gold(ii) intermediates. The success of the reaction depends on the degree of spin delocalisation.

Where does Au coordinate to N-(2-pyridiyl)benzotriazole: gold-catalyzed chemoselective dehydrogenation and borrowing hydrogen reactions

Pyridyltriazole gold(i) complexes proved to be an efficient precatalyst for the most challenging gold-catalyzed borrowing hydrogen reaction and dehydrogenation of alcohols and amines.

Gold catalyzed Heck-coupling of arenediazonium o-benzenedisulfonimides

An efficient gold catalyzed Heck coupling of arenediazonium o-benzenedisulfonimides is proposed. An o-benzenedisulfonimide anion enables a radical pathway that does not require the presence of photocatalysts or external oxidants.

A gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization/aerobic oxidation cascade strategy for 2-aryl indenones from 1,5-enynes

The syntheses of 2-aryl indenones via gold(i)-catalyzed cyclization/aerobic oxidation was reported. The mechanism was probed by heavy atom labelling and control experiments. A formal total synthesis of isoprekinamycin was achieved.

Dual nickel and Lewis acid catalysis for cross-electrophile coupling: the allylation of aryl halides with allylic alcohols

Controlling the selectivity in cross-electrophile coupling reactions is a significant challenge, particularly when one electrophile is much more reactive. We report a general and practical strategy to address this problem in the reaction between reactive and unreactive electrophiles by a combination of nickel and Lewis acid catalysis. This strategy is used for the coupling of aryl halides with allylic alcohols to form linear allylarenes selectively. The reaction tolerates a wide range of functional groups (e.g. silanes, boronates, anilines, esters, alcohols, and various heterocycles) and works with various allylic alcohols. Complementary to most current routes for the C3 allylation of an unprotected indole, this method provides access to C2 and C4-C7 allylated indoles. Preliminary mechanistic experiments reveal that the reaction might start with an aryl nickel intermediate, which then reacts with Lewis acid activated allylic alcohols in the presence of Mn.

Photosensitizer-free visible light-mediated gold-catalysed cis-difunctionalization of silyl-substituted alkynes

A new photosensitizer-free visible light-mediated gold-catalysed cis-difunctionalization reaction is developed.

A new photosensitizer-free visible light-mediated gold-catalysed cis-difunctionalization reaction is developed. The reaction was chemoselective towards silyl-substituted alkynes with excellent regioselectivity and good functional group compatibility, giving a series of silyl-substituted quinolizinium derivatives as products. The newly synthesized fluorescent quinolizinium compounds, named JR-Fluor-1, possessed tunable emission properties and large Stokes shifts. With unique photophysical properties, the fluorophores have been applied in photooxidative amidations as efficient photocatalysts and cellular imaging with switchable subcellular localization properties.

Gold Redox Catalysis through Base-Initiated Diazonium Decomposition toward Alkene, Alkyne, and Allene Activation

The discovery of photoassisted diazonium activation toward gold(I) oxidation greatly extended the scope of gold redox catalysis by avoiding the use of a strong oxidant. Some practical issues that limit the application of this new type of chemistry are the relative low efficiency (long reaction time and low conversion) and the strict reaction condition control that is necessary (degassing and inert reaction environment). Herein, an alternative photofree condition has been developed through Lewis base induced diazonium activation. With this method, an unreactive AuI catalyst was used in combination with Na2 CO3 and diazonium salts to produce a AuIII intermediate. The efficient activation of various substrates, including alkyne, alkene and allene was achieved, followed by rapid AuIII reductive elimination, which yielded the C-C coupling products with good to excellent yields. Relative to the previously reported photoactivation method, our approach offered greater efficiency and versatility through faster reaction rates and broader reaction scope. Challenging substrates such as electron rich/neutral allenes, which could not be activated under the photoinitiation conditions (<5 % yield), could be activated to subsequently yield the desired coupling products in good to excellent yield.

Direct Aldehyde C-H Arylation and Alkylation via the Combination of Nickel, Hydrogen Atom Transfer, and Photoredox Catalysis

A mechanism that enables direct aldehyde C-H functionalization has been achieved via the synergistic merger of photoredox, nickel, and hydrogen atom transfer catalysis. This mild, operationally simple protocol transforms a wide variety of commercially available aldehydes, along with aryl or alkyl bromides, into the corresponding ketones in excellent yield. This C-H abstraction coupling technology has been successfully applied to the expedient synthesis of the medicinal agent haloperidol.

Structure and reactivity of a mononuclear gold(II) complex

Mononuclear gold(II) complexes are very rare labile species. Transient gold(II) species have been suggested in homogeneous catalysis and in medical applications, but their geometric and electronic structures have remained essentially unexplored: even fundamental data, such as the ionic radius of gold(II), are unknown. Now, an unprecedentedly stable neutral gold(II) complex of a porphyrin derivative has been isolated, and its structural and spectroscopic features determined. The gold atom adopts a 2+2 coordination mode in between those of gold(III) (four-coordinate square planar) and gold(I) (two-coordinate linear), owing to a second-order Jahn-Teller distortion enabled by the relativistically lowered 6s orbital of gold. The reactivity of this gold(II) complex towards dioxygen, nitrosobenzene and acids is discussed. This study provides insight on the ionic radius of gold(II), and allows it to be placed within the homologous series of nd⁹ Cu/Ag/Au divalent ions and the 5d^8/9/10 Pt/Au/Hg 'relativistic' triad in the periodic table.

Cooperative Light-Activated Iodine and Photoredox Catalysis for the Amination of Csp3 -H Bonds

An unprecedented method that makes use of the cooperative interplay between molecular iodine and photoredox catalysis has been developed for dual light-activated intramolecular benzylic C-H amination. Iodine serves as the catalyst for the formation of a new C-N bond by activating a remote Csp3 -H bond (1,5-HAT process) under visible-light irradiation while the organic photoredox catalyst TPT effects the reoxidation of the molecular iodine catalyst. To explain the compatibility of the two involved photochemical steps, the key N-I bond activation was elucidated by computational methods. The new cooperative catalysis has important implications for the combination of non-metallic main-group catalysis with photocatalysis.

Direct Conversion of Carboxylic Acids to Alkyl Ketones

An efficient and mild method for acyl-C_sp3 bond formation based on the direct conversion of carboxylic acids has been established. This protocol is enabled by the synergistic, Ir-photoredox/nickel catalytic cross-coupling of in situ activated carboxylic acids and alkyltrifluoroborates. This versatile method is amenable to the cross-coupling of structurally diverse carboxylic acids with various potassium alkyltrifluoroborates, affording the corresponding ketones with high yields. In this operationally simple cross-coupling protocol, aliphatic ketones are obtained in one step from bench stable, readily available carboxylic acids.

Dual gold and photoredox catalysed C-H activation of arenes for aryl-aryl cross couplings

A mild and fully catalytic aryl-aryl cross coupling via gold-catalysed C-H activation has been achieved by merging gold and photoredox catalysis. The procedure is free of stoichiometric oxidants and additives, which were previously required in gold-catalysed C-H activation reactions. Exploiting dual gold and photoredox catalysis confers regioselectivity via the crucial gold-catalysed C-H activation step, which is not present in the unselective photocatalysis-only counterpart.

Dual gold and photoredox catalysis: visible light-mediated intermolecular atom transfer thiosulfonylation of alkenes

Regioselective difunctionalization of alkenes has attracted significant attention from synthetic chemists and has the advantage of introducing diverse functional groups into vicinal carbons of common alkene moieties in a single operation. Herein, we report an unprecedented intermolecular atom transfer thiosulfonylation reaction of alkenes by combining gold catalysis and visible-light photoredox catalysis. A trifluoromethylthio group (SCF3) and other functionalized thio groups together with a sulfonyl group were regioselectively introduced into alkenes in the most atom economical manner. A detailed mechanism study indicated that a synergistic combination of gold catalysis and photoredox catalysis is crucial for this reaction.

Visible-Light-Promoted C-H Arylation by Merging Palladium Catalysis with Organic Photoredox Catalysis

The use of a dual palladium/organic photoredox catalytic system enables the directed arylation of arenes with aryldiazonium salts with a broad substrate scope at room temperature under mild reaction conditions. This study thus serves as not only an alternative route for the biaryl motifs but also a new example for the application of an organic photoredox catalyst.