First-Row Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Carbonylative Transformations of Carbon Electrophiles

Nickel-catalyzed allylic carbonylative coupling of alkyl zinc reagents with tert-butyl isocyanide

Transition metal-catalyzed carbonylation with carbon nucleophiles is one of the most prominent methods to construct ketones, which are highly versatile motifs prevalent in a variety of organic compounds. In comparison to the well-established palladium catalytic system, the nickel-catalyzed carbonylative coupling is much underdeveloped due to the strong binding affinity of CO to nickel. By leveraging easily accessible tert-butyl isocyanide as the CO surrogate, we present a nickel-catalyzed allylic carbonylative coupling with alkyl zinc reagent, allowing for the practical and straightforward preparation of synthetically important β,γ-unsaturated ketones in a linear-selective fashion with excellent trans-selectivity under mild conditions. Moreover, the undesired polycarbonylation process which is often encountered in palladium chemistry could be completely suppressed. This nickel-based method features excellent functional group tolerance, even including the active aryl iodide functionality to allow the orthogonal derivatization of β,γ-unsaturated ketones. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that the reaction proceeds via a π-allylnickel intermediate.

In contrast to the well-established palladium-catalyzed version, the nickel-catalyzed carbonylative coupling is underdeveloped. Here the authors report a nickel-catalyzed allylic carbonylative coupling with alkyl zinc reagents, allowing for preparation of β,γ-unsaturated ketones in a linear-selective fashion.

Benzene-1,3,5-triyl Triformate (TFBen)-Promoted Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Synthesis of 2-Oxo-2,5-dihydropyrroles from Propargyl Amines

In this letter, we developed a palladium-catalyzed procedure for the cyclocarbonylation of propargyl amines. Benzene-1,3,5-triyl triformate (TFBen) has been explored as the CO source and also as the key promotor. Various substituted 2-oxo-dihydropyrroles were produced in a facile manner in good yields (up to 90%).

Chelation-assisted transition metal-catalysed C–H chalcogenylations

This review summarizes recent advances in C–S and C–Se formationsviatransition metal-catalyzed C–H functionalization utilizing directing groups to control the site-selectivity.

Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds by carbonylation reactions

Carbonylation reactions represent one of the most important tool box for the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds which are key building blocks in organic chemistry. This paper summarizes the most important advances in this field.

C–C and C–X coupling reactions of unactivated alkyl electrophiles using copper catalysis

Copper catalysts enable cross-coupling reactions of unactivated alkyl electrophiles to generate C–C and C–X bonds.

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylative synthesis of arylacetamides from benzyl formates and tertiary amines

A palladium-catalyzed carbonylative synthesis of arylacetamides via a C–N bond cleavage of tertiary amines with benzyl formates as the CO source has been disclosed. A variety of arylacetamides were obtained in very good yields under oxidant-free conditions.

Recent advances of dinuclear nickel- and palladium-complexes in homogeneous catalysis

In this highlight, we provide a current perspective of synthetic methodology development catalyzed by dinuclear Ni- and Pd-complexes in the past decade. The new catalytic reactivities of dinuclear Ni- and Pd-complexes are discussed.

Palladium-catalyzed double carbonylation of propargyl amines and aryl halides to access 1-aroyl-3-aryl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones

A palladium-catalyzed carbonylative procedure for the synthesis of 1-aroyl-3-aryl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones from propargyl amines and aryl halides with TFBen as the CO source has been developed.

Carbonylative synthesis of heterocycles involving diverse CO surrogates

Recent advances in the carbonylative synthesis of heterocycles by using diverse CO surrogates as sources of CO are summarized and discussed.

Palladium-catalyzed three-component carbonylative synthesis of 2-(trifluoromethyl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones from trifluoroacetimidoyl chlorides and amines

An efficient and practical approach for the synthesis of 2-(trifluoromethyl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones through palladium-catalyzed three-component carbonylative reaction has been developed.

Palladium-catalyzed double-carbonylative cyclization of propargyl alcohols and aryl triflates to expedite construction of 4-aroyl-furan-2(5H)-ones

A palladium-catalyzed double-carbonylative cyclization of propargyl alcohols and aryl triflates has been developed. Various 4-aroyl-furan-2(5H)-one scaffolds were produced in good yields with Cr(CO)₆ as the CO source.

Efficient methanol carbonylation to methyl acetate catalyzed by a cyclic(alkyl)(amino)carbene iridium complex

An efficient cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene iridium complex (C-2) was developed for methanol carbonylation to methyl acetate (MA) directly.

Ex situ gas generation for lab scale organic synthesis

This review discusses recent examples of ex situ generated gaseous reagents, and their use in organic synthesis.

Palladium-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenative carbonylation reactions using carbon monoxide and mechanistic overviews

Carbon monoxide, which is an abundant and inexpensive carbonyl source, has been widely applied to synthesize carbonyl-containing compounds, for example ketones, esters, and amides.

Palladium-catalyzed C3-selective C–H oxidative carbonylation of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines with CO and alcohols: a way to access esters

A palladium-catalyzed C3-selective C–H oxidative carbonylation for the synthesis of various esters from imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and CO with high efficiency and high atom economy has been developed.

Transition-metal and oxidant-free approach for the synthesis of diverse N-heterocycles by TMSCl activation of isocyanides

A highly efficient TMSCl-mediated addition of N-nucleophiles to isocyanides has been achieved. This transition-metal and oxidant-free strategy has been applied to the construction of various N-heterocyles such as quinazolinone, benzimidazole and benzothiazole derivatives by the use of distinct amino-based binucleophiles. The notable feature of this protocol includes its mild reaction condition, broad functional group tolerance and excellent yield.

A highly efficient TMSCl-mediated addition of N-nucleophiles to isocyanides has been achieved.

Cu-Catalyzed Carbonylative Silylation of Alkyl Halides: Efficient Access to Acylsilanes

A Cu-catalyzed carbonylative silylation of unactivated alkyl halides has been developed, enabling efficient synthesis of alkyl-substituted acylsilanes in high yield. A variety of functional groups are tolerated under the mild reaction conditions, and primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl halides are all applicable. The practical utility of this method has been demonstrated in the synthesis of acylsilanes bearing different silyl groups as well as in situ reduction of a product to the corresponding α-hydroxylsilane in one pot. Mechanistic experiments indicate that a silylcopper intermediate activates alkyl halides by single electron transfer to form alkyl radical intermediates and that carbon-halogen bond cleavage is not involved in the rate-determining step.

Mechanism and origins of ligand-controlled Pd(ii)-catalyzed regiodivergent carbonylation of alkynes

Transition-metal-catalyzed carbonylation provides a useful approach to synthesize carbonyl-containing compounds and their derivatives. Controlling the regio-, chemo-, and stereoselectivity remains a significant challenge and is the key to the success of transformation. In the present study, we explored the mechanism and origins of the ligand-controlled regiodivergent carbonylation of alkynes with competitive nucleophilic amino and hydroxy groups by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The proposed mechanism involves O(N)-cyclization, CO insertion, N-H(O-H) cleavage, C-N(C-O) reductive elimination and regeneration of the catalyst. The chemoselectivity is determined by cyclization. Instead of the originally proposed switch of competitive coordination sites, a new type of concerted deprotonation/cyclization model was proposed to rationalize the ligand-tuned chemoselectivity. The electron-deficient nitrogen-containing ligand promotes the flow of electrons during cyclization, and so it favors the O-cyclization/N-carbonylation pathway. However, sterically bulky and electron-rich phosphine controls the selectivity by a combination of electronic and steric effects. The improved mechanistic understanding will enable further design of selective transition-metal-catalyzed carbonylation.

Reactive Heterobimetallic Complex Combining Divalent Ytterbium and Dimethyl Nickel Fragments

This article presented the synthesis and characterization of original heterobimetallic species combining a divalent lanthanide fragment and a divalent nickel center bridged by the bipyrimidine ligand, a redox-active ligand. X-ray crystal structures were obtained for the Ni monomer (bipym)NiMe₂, 1, as well as the heterobimetallic dimer compounds, Cp*₂Yb(bipym)NiMe₂, 2, along with ¹H solution NMR, solid-state magnetic data, and DFT calculations only for 1. The reactivity with CO was investigated on both compounds and the stoichiometric acetone formation is discussed based on kinetic and mechanistic studies. The key role of the lanthanide fragment was demonstrated by the relatively slow CO migratory insertion step, which indicated the stability of the intermediate.

Selenium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydroquinazolin-2(1H)-one Derivatives with TFBen as the CO Source

An efficient and general carbonylative procedure for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydroquinazolin-2(1H)-one from 1-(halomethyl)-2-nitrobenzenes and aryl/alkyl amines have been explored. In this approach, to avoid of using toxic CO gas, a solid and stable CO precursor, TFBen (benzene-1,3,5-triyl triformate), was utilized. With elemental selenium as the catalyst, a variety of aryl/alkyl amines has been tolerated well to afford the corresponding 3,4-dihydroquinazolin-2(1H)-one products in moderate to excellent yields under mild reaction condition.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Alkoxycarbonylation of Epoxides to β-Hydroxyesters

Herein, we developed a new and practical catalytic system for the carbonylative synthesis of β-hydroxyesters. By using simple, cheap, and air-stable cobalt(II) bromide as the catalyst, combined with pyrazole and catalytic amount of manganese, active cobalt complex can be generated in situ and can catalyze various epoxides to give the corresponding β-hydroxyesters in moderate to excellent yields. Mechanism studies indicate that pyrazole plays a crucial role in this reaction. Moreover, with the addition of the catalytic amount of manganese, the active cobalt catalyst can be regenerated, which provides a possibility for reusing the cobalt catalyst.

Carbon Isotope Labeling Strategy for β-Amino Acid Derivatives via Carbonylation of Azanickellacycles

A series of 4-membered azametallacycles have been prepared by the oxidative addition of Ni(0) with aziridines. Stoichiometric ¹³C-labeled carbon monoxide could be efficiently incorporated via Ni-C bond insertion to generate air stable and isolable cyclic Ni-acyl complexes. Upon subjection to a range of C-, N-, O-, and S-nucleophiles, ¹³C-labeled β-amino acids and derivatives thereof, as well as β-aminoketones, could be rapidly accessed. The methodology proved highly adaptable for the synthesis of the antidiabetic drug, sitagliptin, with a single carbon isotope label.

Syngas-Free Highly Regioselective Rhodium-Catalyzed Transfer Hydroformylation of Alkynes to α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes

The hydroformylation of alkynes is a fundamental and important reaction in both academic research and industry. Conventional methods focus on the conversion of alkynes, CO, and H₂ into α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, but they often suffer from problems associated with operation, regioselectivity, and chemoselectivity. Herein, we disclose an operationally simple, mild, and syngas-free rhodium-catalyzed reaction for the hydroformylation of alkynes via formyl and hydride transfer from an alkyl aldehyde. This synthetic method uses inexpensive and easy-to-handle n-butyraldehyde to overcome the challenge posed by the use of syngas in traditional approaches and employs a commercially available catalyst and ligand to transform a broad range of internal alkynes, especially alkynyl-containing complex molecules, into versatile stereodefined α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with excellent chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity.