Linear-Selective Hydroarylation of Unactivated Terminal and Internal Olefins with Trifluoromethyl-Substituted Arenes

Site-Selective Ni-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling of α-Haloboranes with Unactivated Olefins

A mild, chemo- and site-selective catalytic protocol that allows for incorporating an alkylboron fragment into unactivated olefins is described. The use of internal olefins enables C-C bond-formation at remote sp³ C-H sites, constituting a complementary and conceptually different approach to existing borylation techniques that are currently available at sp³ centers.

Remote Nucleophilic Allylation by Allylrhodium Chain Walking

Metal migration through a carbon chain is a versatile method for achieving remote functionalization. However, almost all known examples involve the overall net migration of alkylmetal species. Here, we report that allylrhodium species obtained from hydrorhodation of 1,3-dienes undergo chain walking toward esters, amides, or (hetero)arenes over distances of up to eight methylene units. The final, more highly conjugated allylrhodium species undergo nucleophilic allylation with aldehydes and with an imine to give Z-homoallylic alcohols and amines, respectively.

Nickel(0)-Catalyzed Hydroalkylation of 1,3-Dienes with Simple Ketones

We developed a highly regioselective addition of 1,3-dienes with simple ketones by nickel-hydride catalyst bearing DTBM-SegPhos ligand. A wide range of aromatic and aliphatic ketones directly coupled with 1,3-dienes, providing synthetically useful γ,δ-unsaturated ketones in high yield and regioselectivity. The asymmetric version of the reaction was also realized in high enantioselectivity by using novel chiral ligand DTBM-HO-BIPHEP. The utility of this hydroalkylation was demonstrated by facile product modification and enantioselective synthesis of ( R)-flobufen.

Nickel(0)-catalyzed linear-selective hydroarylation of unactivated alkenes and styrenes with aryl boronic acids

Herein, we describe the first linear-selective hydroarylation reaction of unactivated alkenes and styrenes with aryl boronic acids, which was achieved by introducing a directing group on the alkenes. This efficient, scalable reaction serves as a method for modular assembly of structurally diverse alkyl arenes, including γ-aryl butyric acid derivatives, which are widely utilized as chemical building blocks for the synthesis of various drugs and other biologically active compounds.

The influence of NHCs on C-Si and C-C reductive elimination: a computational study of the selectivity of Ni-catalyzed C-H activation of arenes with vinylsilanes

Density functional theory calculations were performed to investigate the mechanism and origins of the NHC-controlled selectivity of Ni-catalyzed C-H activation of arenes with vinylsilanes. The key to the selectivity is the different impacts of NHCs on the C-Si/C-C reductive elimination of the square-planar/T-shaped intermediate.

Pd-Catalyzed Selective Remote Ring Opening of Polysubstituted Cyclopropanols

The distant functionalization of ω-ene cyclopropanols is induced by a Pd-catalyzed Heck reaction triggering a "metal-walk" and selective ring-opening of the three-membered ring. This approach provides a new class of acyclic aldehydes possessing concomitantly a stereodefined double bond and a quaternary carbon stereocenter α to the carbonyl group.

Stable, Well-Defined Nickel(0) Catalysts for Catalytic C-C and C-N Bond Formation

The synthesis and catalytic activity of several classes of NHC-Ni(0) pre-catalysts stabilized by electron-withdrawing alkenes are described. Variations in the structure of fumarate and acrylate ligands modulate the reactivity and stability of the NHC-Ni(0) pre-catalysts and lead to practical and versatile catalysts for a variety of transformations. The catalytic activity and efficiency of representative members of this class of catalysts have been evaluated in reductive couplings of aldehydes and alkynes and in N-arylations of aryl chlorides.

Pd-Catalyzed reductive heck reaction of olefins with aryl bromides for Csp2-Csp3 bond formation

We developed a Pd-catalyzed intermolecular reductive Heck reaction to construct Csp2-Csp3 bonds between aryl bromides and olefins. Various styrene derivatives, acyclic and cyclic alkenes, were well tolerated to couple with varied aryl bromides in linear selectivity. Kinetic and deuterium labeling experiments suggested that i-PrOH provides a hydride through β-H elimination.

Enantioselective Ni-Al Bimetallic Catalyzed exo-Selective C-H Cyclization of Imidazoles with Alkenes

A Ni-Al bimetallic catalyzed enantioselective C-H exo-selective cyclization of imidazoles with alkenes has been developed. A series of bi- or polycyclic imidazoles with β-stereocenter were obtained in up to 98% yield and >99% ee. The bifunctional SPO ligand-promoted bimetallic catalysis proved to be critical to this challenging stereocontrol.

Zirconocene-Mediated Selective C-C Bond Cleavage of Strained Carbocycles: Scope and Mechanism

Several approaches using organozirconocene species for the remote cleavage of strained three-membered ring carbocycles are described. ω-Ene polysubstituted cyclopropanes, alkylidenecyclopropanes, ω-ene spiro[2.2]pentanes, and ω-ene cyclopropyl methyl ethers were successfully transformed into stereodefined organometallic intermediates, allowing an easy access to highly stereoenriched acyclic scaffolds in good yields and, in most cases, excellent selectivities. DFT calculations and isotopic labeling experiments were performed to delineate the origin of the obtained chemo- and stereoselectivities, demonstrating the importance of microreversibility.

NiH-Catalyzed Reductive Relay Hydroalkylation: A Strategy for the Remote C(sp3 )-H Alkylation of Alkenes

The terminal-selective, remote C(sp³ )-H alkylation of alkenes was achieved by a relay process combining NiH-catalyzed hydrometalation, chain walking, and alkylation. This method enables the construction of unfunctionalized C(sp³ )-C(sp³ ) bonds under mild conditions from two simple feedstock chemicals, namely olefins and alkyl halides. The practical value of this transformation is further demonstrated by the large-scale and regioconvergent alkylation of isomeric mixtures of olefins at low catalyst loadings.

Walking Metals for Remote Functionalization

The distant and selective activation of unreactive C-H and C-C bonds remains one of the biggest challenges in organic chemistry. In recent years, the development of remote functionalization has received growing interest as it allows for the activation of rather challenging C-H and C-C bonds distant from the initiation point by means of a "metal-walk". A "metal-walk" or "chain-walk" is defined by an iterative series of consecutive 1,2- or 1,3-hydride shifts of a metal complex along a single hydrocarbon chain. With this approach, simple building blocks or mixtures thereof can be transformed into complex scaffolds in a convergent and unified strategy. A variety of catalytic systems have been developed and refined over the past decade ranging from late-transition-metal complexes to more sustainable iron- and cobalt-based systems. As the possibilities of this field are slowly unfolding, this area of research will contribute considerably to provide solutions to yet unmet synthetic challenges.

Ligand-enabled ortho-C-H olefination of phenylacetic amides with unactivated alkenes

Although chelation-assisted C-H olefination has been intensely investigated, Pd(ii)-catalyzed C-H olefination reactions are largely restricted to acrylates and styrenes. Here we report a quinoline-derived ligand that enables the Pd(ii)-catalyzed olefination of the C(sp2)-H bond with simple aliphatic alkenes using a weakly coordinating monodentate amide auxiliary. Oxygen is used as the terminal oxidant with catalytic copper as the co-oxidant. A variety of functional groups in the aliphatic alkenes are tolerated. Upon hydrogenation, the ortho-alkylated product can be accessed. The utility of this reaction is also demonstrated by the late-stage diversification of drug molecules.

A lesson for site-selective C-H functionalization on 2-pyridones: radical, organometallic, directing group and steric controls

A 2-pyridone ring is a frequently occurring subunit in natural products, biologically active compounds, and pharmaceutical targets. Thus, the selective synthesis of substituted 2-pyridone derivatives through decoration and/or formation of pyridone rings has been one of the important longstanding subjects in organic synthetic chemistry. This minireview focuses on recent advances in site-selective C-H functionalization on 2-pyridone. The reported procedures are categorized according to the site selectivity that is achieved, and the substrate scope, limitations, mechanism, and controlling factors are briefly summarized.

Mechanism and origins of the directing group-controlled endo- versus exo-selectivity of iridium-catalysed intramolecular hydroalkenylation of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes

The reaction mechanism and the important role of directing groups in determining selectivity have been investigated by means of DFT calculations.

Stereoselective synthesis of a Podophyllum lignan core by intramolecular reductive nickel-catalysis

Ni-catalyzed intramolecular coupling for a stereodivergent construction of a THN[2,3-c]furan core embedded in bioactive Podophyllum lignans, is developed.

An unusual endo-selective C-H hydroarylationof norbornene by the Rh(I)-catalyzed reactionof benzamides

Hydroarylation is an environmentally attractive strategy which incorporates all of the atoms contained in the substrates into the desired products. Almost all the hydroarylations of norbornene reported to date involve an exo-selective reaction. Here we show the endo-selective hydroarylation of norbornene in the Rh(I)-catalyzed reaction of aromatic amides. The addition of sterically bulky carboxylic acids enhances the endo-selectivity of the reaction. The results of deuterium-labeling experiments show that both the ortho-carbon and the ortho-hydrogen atoms of aromatic amides were attached to the same carbon atom of the norbornane skeleton in the hydroarylation product. These results clearly suggest that hydrometalation or carbometalation, which are commonly accepted mechanisms for the catalytic hydroarylation of C–H bonds, are not involved as the key step in the present reaction, and suggest that the reaction involves a rhodium carbene complex generated from norbornene as the key intermediate.

Investigating unusual organometallic pathways may help to efficiently control product selectivity in homogeneous catalysis. Here, the authors report the hydroarylation of aromatic amides with norbornene derivatives and propose the formation of a rhodium-carbene intermediate leading to rarely observed endo-products.

Remote Migratory Cross-Electrophile Coupling and Olefin Hydroarylation Reactions Enabled by in Situ Generation of NiH

A highly efficient strategy for remote reductive cross-electrophile coupling has been developed through the ligand-controlled nickel migration/arylation. This general protocol allows the use of abundant and bench-stable alkyl bromides and aryl bromides for the synthesis of a wide range of structurally diverse 1,1-diarylalkanes in excellent yields and high regioselectivities under mild conditions. We also demonstrated that alkyl bromide could be replaced by the proposed olefin intermediate while using n-propyl bromide/Mn⁰ as a potential hydride source.

Mechanistic Studies of Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydroboration of Alkenes

Mechanistic studies of the copper-catalyzed asymmetric hydroboration of vinylarenes and internal alkenes are reported. Catalytic systems with both DTBM-SEGPHOS and SEGPHOS as the ligands have been investigated. With DTBM-SEGPHOS as the ligand, the resting state of the catalyst, which is also a catalytic intermediate, for hydroboration of 4-fluorostyrene is a phenethylcopper(I) complex ligated by the bisphosphine. This complex was fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The turnover-limiting step in the catalytic cycle for the reaction of vinylarenes is the borylation of this phenethylcopper complex with pinacolborane (HBpin) to form the boronate ester product and a copper hydride. Experiments showed that the borylation occurs with retention of configuration at the benzylic position. β-Hydrogen elimination and insertion of the alkene to reform this phenethylcopper complex is reversible in the absence of HBpin but is irreversible during the catalytic process because reaction with HBpin is faster than β-hydrogen elimination of the phenethylcopper complex. Studies on the hydroboration of a representative internal alkene, trans-3-hexenyl 2,4,6-trichlorobenzoate, which undergoes enantio- and regioselective addition of HBpin catalyzed by DTBM-SEGPHOS, KOtBu, and CuCl, also was conducted, and these studies revealed that a DTBM-SEGPHOS-ligated copper(I) dihydridoborate complex is the resting state of the catalyst in this case. The turnover-limiting step in the catalytic cycle for hydroboration of the internal alkene is insertion of the alkene into a copper(I) hydride formed by reversible dissociation of HBpin from the copper dihydridoborate species. With SEGPHOS as the ligand, a dimeric copper hydride was observed as the dominant species during the hydroboration of 4-fluorostyrene, and this complex is not catalytically competent. DFT calculations provide a view into the origins of regio- and enantioselectivity of the catalytic process and indicate that the charge on the copper-bound carbon and delocalization of charge onto the aryl ring control the rate of the alkene insertion and the regioselectivity of the catalytic reactions of vinylarenes.

Regioselective monoalkylation of 17β-estradiol for the synthesis of cytotoxic estrogens

The regioselective synthesis of estrogens and their derivatives continues to be of interest. Most reported syntheses require multistep protocols associated with poor overall yield and lack of regioselectivity. New preparative protocols are still desired. Herein, 11 2-alkylated 17β-estradiol analogs were synthesized in a highly regioselective manner. The products were obtained using a convenient, one pot and high-yielding protocol. The anti-proliferative activity of the compounds was tested in human T-cell leukemia (CEM), human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) and human dermal microvascular endothelial (HMEC-1) cells.

A Dual Palladium and Copper Hydride Catalyzed Approach for Alkyl-Aryl Cross-Coupling of Aryl Halides and Olefins

We report an efficient means of sp2 -sp3 cross coupling for a variety of terminal monosubstituted olefins with aryl electrophiles using Pd and CuH catalysis. In addition to its applicability to a range of aryl bromide substrates, this process was also suitable for electron-deficient aryl chlorides, furnishing higher yields than the corresponding aryl bromides in these cases. The optimized protocol does not require the use of a glovebox and employs air-stable Cu and Pd complexes as precatalysts. A reaction on 10 mmol scale further highlighted the practical utility of this protocol. Employing a similar protocol, a series of cyclic alkenes were also examined. Cyclopentene was shown to undergo efficient coupling under these conditions. Lastly, deuterium-labeling studies indicate that deuterium scrambling does not take place in this sp2 -sp3 cross coupling, implying that β-hydride elimination is not a significant process in this transformation.

Direct Functionalization of C-H Bonds by Iron, Nickel, and Cobalt Catalysis

Non-precious-metal-catalyzed reactions are of increasing importance in chemistry due to the outstanding ecological and economic properties of these metals. In the subfield of metal-catalyzed direct C-H functionalization reactions, recent years have shown an increasing number of publications dedicated to this topic. Nickel, cobalt, and last but not least iron, have started to enter a field which was long dominated by precious metals such as palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, and iridium. The present review article summarizes the development of iron-, nickel-, and cobalt-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions until the end of 2016, and discusses the scope and limitations of these transformations.

Metal-free hydroarylation of the side chain carbon-carbon double bond of 5-(2-arylethenyl)-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles in triflic acid

The metal-free reaction of 5-(2-arylethenyl)-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with arenes in neat triflic acid (TfOH, CF3SO3H), both under thermal and microwave conditions, leads to 5-(2,2-diarylethyl)-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles. The products are formed through the regioselective hydroarylation of the side chain carbon-carbon double bond of the starting oxadiazoles in yields up to 97%. According to NMR data and DFT calculations, N4,C-diprotonated forms of oxadiazoles are the electrophilic intermediates in this reaction.

para-Selective Alkylation of Sulfonylarenes by Cooperative Nickel/Aluminum Catalysis

A method for the para-selective alkylation of a variety of arenesulfonamides and aromatic sulfones with 1-alkenes by cooperative nickel/aluminum catalysis has been developed. Taking advantage of the sulfornyl functionality serving as a removable ortho-directing group, the reaction can be applied to facile access to 1,3-dialkyl-substitued benzenes.

Theoretical Study of Nickel-Catalyzed Selective Alkenylation of Pyridine: Reaction Mechanism and Crucial Roles of Lewis Acid and Ligands in Determining the Selectivity

Selective alkenylation of pyridine is challenging in synthetic organic chemistry due to the poor reactivity and regioselectivity of the aromatic ring. We theoretically investigated Ni-catalyzed selective alkenylation of pyridine with DFT. The first step is coordination of the pyridine-AlMe₃ adduct with the active species Ni⁽⁰⁾(NHC)(C₂H₂) 1 in an η²-fashion to form an intermediate Int1. After the isomerization of Int1, the oxidative addition of the C-H bond of pyridine across the nickel-acetylene moiety occurs via a transition state TS2 to form a Ni^(II)(NHC) pyridyl vinyl intermediate Int3. This oxidative addition is rate-determining. The next step is C-C bond formation between pyridyl and vinyl groups leading to the formation of vinyl-pyridine (P1). One of the points at issue in this type of functionalization is how to control the regioselectivity. With the use of Ni(NHC)/AlMe₃ catalyst, the C⁴- and C³-alkenylated products (ΔG°^⧧ = 17.4 and 21.5 kcal mol^-1, respectively) are formed preferably to the C² one (ΔG°^⧧ = 22.0 kcal mol^-1). The higher selectivity of the C⁴-alkenylation over the C³ and the C² ones is attributed to the small steric repulsion between NHC and AlMe₃ in the C⁴-alkenylation. Interestingly, with Ni(P(i-Pr)₃)/AlMe₃ catalyst, the C²-alkenylation occurs more easily than the C³ and C⁴ ones. This regioselectivity arises from the smaller steric repulsion induced by P(i-Pr)₃ than by bulky NHC. It is notable that AlMe₃ accelerates the alkenylation by inducing the strong CT from Ni to pyridine-AlMe₃. In the absence of AlMe₃, pyridine strongly coordinates with the Ni atom through the N atom, which increases Gibbs activation energy (ΔG°^⧧ = ∼27 kcal mol^-1) of the C-H bond activation. In other words, AlMe₃ plays two important roles, acceleration of the reaction and enhancement of the regioselectivity for the C⁴-alkenylation.