Improved Catalysts for the Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Oxindoles by Amide α-Arylation. Rate Acceleration, Use of Aryl Chloride Substrates, and a New Carbene Ligand for Asymmetric Transformations

The palladium catalyzed asymmetric addition of oxindoles and allenes: an atom-economical versatile method for the construction of chiral indole alkaloids

The Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation (AAA) is one of the most useful and versatile methods for asymmetric synthesis known in organometallic chemistry. Development of this reaction over the past 30 years has typically relied on the use of an allylic electrophile bearing an appropriate leaving group to access the reactive Pd(π-allyl) intermediate that goes on to the desired coupling product after attack by the nucleophile present in the reaction. Our group has been interested in developing alternative approaches to access the reactive Pd(π-allyl) intermediate that does not require the use of an activated electrophile, which ultimately generates a stoichiometric byproduct in the reaction that is derived from the leftover leaving group. Along these lines, we have demonstrated that allenes can be used to generate the reactive Pd(π-allyl) intermediate in the presence of an acid cocatalyst, and this system is compatible with nucleophiles to allow for formation of formal AAA products by Pd-catalyzed additions to allenes. This article describes our work regarding the use of oxindoles as carbon-based nucleophiles in a Pd-catalyzed asymmetric addition of oxindoles to allenes (Pd-catalyzed hydrocarbonation of allenes). By using the chiral standard Trost ligand (L1) and 3-aryloxindoles as nucleophiles, this hydrocarbonation reaction provides products with two vicinal stereocenters, with one being quaternary, in excellent chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivities in high chemical yields.

Ethylene in organic synthesis: a new route to anticholenergic pyrrolidinoindolines, and other molecules with all carbon-quaternary centers via asymmetric hydrovinylation

The asymmetric hydrovinylation (1 mol % Ni-cat., 1 atm, ethylene, >98% ee) products from 1-methylenetetralines are readily converted into 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles and subsequently to pyrrolidinoindolines. These hydrovinylation products are also useful for the syntheses of enantiopure benzomorphans.

Nickel-catalyzed asymmetric α-arylation and heteroarylation of ketones with chloroarenes: effect of halide on selectivity, oxidation state, and room-temperature reactions

We report the α-arylation of ketones with a range of aryl chlorides with enantioselectivities from 90 to 99% ee catalyzed by the combination of Ni(COD)(2) and (R)-BINAP and the coupling of ketones with a range of heteroaryl chlorides with enantioselectivities up to 99% ee catalyzed by Ni(COD)(2) and (R)-DIFLUORPHOS. The analogous reactions of bromoarenes occur with much lower enantioselectivities. Mechanistic studies showed that the difference in the rates of decomposition of the arylnickel(II) halide intermediates to {[(R)-BINAP]NiX}(2) likely accounts for the difference in the enantioselectivities of the reactions of bromoarenes and chloroarenes. This catalyst decomposition can be overcome by conducting the reactions with [(R)-BINAP]Ni(η(2)-NC-Ph) (4), which undergoes oxidative addition to haloarenes at room temperature.

Enantioselective construction of all-carbon quaternary centers by branch-selective Pd-catalyzed allyl-allyl cross-coupling

The Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of racemic tertiary allylic carbonates and allylboronates is described. This reaction generates all-carbon quaternary centers in a highly regioselective and enantioselective fashion. The outcome of these reactions is consistent with a process that proceeds by way of 3,3'-reductive elimination of bis(η(1)-allyl)palladium intermediates. Strategies for distinguishing the product alkenes and application to the synthesis of (+)-α-cuparenone are also described.

Synthesis of chiral mono(N-heterocyclic carbene) palladium and gold complexes with a 1,1'-biphenyl scaffold and their applications in catalysis

Axially chiral mono(NHC)-Pd(II) and mono(NHC)-Au(I) complexes with one side shaped 1,1'-biphenyl backbone have been prepared from chiral 6,6'-dimethoxybiphenyl-2,2'-diamine. The complexes were characterized by X-ray crystal structure diffraction. The Pd(II) complex showed good catalytic activities in the Suzuki-Miyaura and Heck-Mizoroki coupling reactions, and the (S)-Au(I) complexes also showed good catalytic activities in the asymmetric intramolecular hydroamination reaction to give the corresponding product in moderate ee.

Molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 3-alkyloxindoles: reaction development and applications

We report a full account of our work towards the development of Mo-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions with 3-alkyloxindoles as nucleophiles. The reaction is complementary to the Pd-catalyzed reaction with regard to the scope of oxindole nucleophiles. A number of 3-alkyloxindoles were alkylated successfully under mild conditions to give products with excellent yields and good-to-excellent enantioselectivities. Applications of this method to the preparation of indoline alkaloids such as (-)-physostigmine, ent-(-)-debromoflustramine B, and the indolinoquinoline rings of communesin B are reported.

Palladium-catalyzed carbo-heterofunctionalization of alkenes for the synthesis of oxindoles and spirooxindoles

A palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbo-heterofunctionalization of aniline derivatives involving concomitant direct C-H functionalization and C-X bond formation was developed. By simply changing the reaction conditions (solvent and catalyst), either 3,3'-disubstituted oxindole or spirooxindole was accessible from the same starting material.

Introduction to N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Synthesis and Stereoelectronic Parameters

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are cyclic compounds containing a divalent carbon atom bound to at least one nitrogen atom within the heterocycle. Variation of the size of the carbene ring, the substituents on the nitrogen atoms or the additional atoms within the heterocycle lead to an array of different NHCs exhibiting a broad range of electronic properties. Their ability to act as donors and the resulting stable bounds to most transition metals make them excellent ligands in coordination chemistry. In addition, free NHCs have found applications as organocatalysts in metal free chemical transformations. In this Chapter synthetic procedures leading to different NHCs and important structural and electronic features of this class of compounds are discussed.