Pd(II)-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of sp3 C−H Bonds with sp2 and sp3 Boronic Acids Using Air as the Oxidant

Palladium-catalyzed intermolecular directed C-H amidation of aromatic ketones

Pd-catalyzed directed ortho C-H amidation of aromatic ketones with both sulfonamides and amides has been accomplished. The use of an electron-deficient Pd complex, Pd(OTf)(2), is crucial for the success of this transformation. Some key intermediates of the reaction, that is, the cyclopalladation complexes of ketones, have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. Experimental analysis of these palladacycles and also the experimental results with N-methyl sulfonamides indicate that the new reaction does not seem to proceed through a nitrene intermediate. The utility of the newly developed reaction was demonstrated for the synthesis of useful organic intermediates such as 2- and 3-alkyl indoles and 2-aminophenyl ketones.

Pd(II)-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of C(sp2 )-H Bonds and Alkyl-, Aryl- and Vinyl-Boron Reagents via Pd(II)/Pd(0) Catalysis

Pd(II)-catalyzed cross-coupling of ortho-C-H bonds in benzoic acid and phenylacetic acid amides with alkyl-, aryl- and vinyl-boron reagents have been achieved via Pd(II)/Pd(0) catalysis, demonstrating the unprecedented versatility of C-H activation reactions.

Pd(II)-catalyzed carbonylation of C(sp3)-H bonds: a new entry to 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds

Pd(II)-catalyzed β-C(sp(3))-H carbonylation of N-arylamides under CO (1 atm) has been achieved. Following amide-directed C(sp(3))-H cleavage and insertion of CO into the resulting [Pd(II)-C(sp(3))] bond, intramolecular C-N reductive elimination gave the corresponding succinimides, which could be readily converted to 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds. This method was found to be effective with substrates containing α-hydrogen atoms and could be applied to effect methylene C(sp(3))-H carbonylation of cyclopropanes.

Gold-complexes catalyzed oxidative α-cyanation of tertiary amines

Oxidative α-cyanation of tertiary amines is catalyzed by gold complexes with trimethylsilyl cyanide to afford the corresponding α-aminonitriles in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide in good to excellent yields under acid-free conditions at room temperature.

Cross-coupling of C(sp)-H Bonds with Organometallic Reagents via Pd(II)/Pd(0) Catalysis**

Palladium-catalyzed C-H activation/C-C bond-forming reactions have emerged as a promising class of synthetic tools in organic chemistry. Among the many different means of forging C-C bonds using Pd-mediated C-H activation, a new horizon in this field is Pd(II)-catalyzed cross-coupling of C-H bonds with organometallic reagents via a Pd(II)/Pd(0) catalytic cycle. While this type of reaction has proven to be effective for the selective functionalization of aryl C(sp(2))-H bonds, the focus of this review is on Pd(II)-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H activation/C-C cross-coupling, a topic of particular importance because reactions of this type enable fundamentally new methods for bond construction. Since our laboratory's initial report on cross-coupling of C-H bonds in 2006, this area has expanded rapidly, and the unique ability of Pd(II) catalysts to cleave and functionalize alkyl C(sp(3))-H bonds has been exploited to develop protocols for forming an array of C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) and C(sp(3))-C(sp(3)) bonds. Furthermore, enantioselective C(sp(3))-H activation/C-C cross-coupling has been achieved through the use of chiral amino acid-derived ligands, offering a novel technique for producing enantioenriched molecules. Although this nascent field remains at an early stage of development, further investigations hold the potential to revolutionalize the way in which chiral molecules are synthesized in industrial and academic laboratories.

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of cyclopropanols with aryl halides under mild conditions

Intra- and intermolecular palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of cyclopropanols with aryl halides can be achieved in good yields under mild conditions.

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

The reactivity of C(sp(3))-H bonds adjacent to a nitrogen atom can be tuned to allow intramolecular alkane arylation under Pd(0) catalysis. Diminishing the Lewis basicity of the nitrogen lone pair is crucial for this catalytic activity. A range of N-methylamides and sulfonamides react exclusively at primary C(sp(3))-H bonds to afford the products of alkane arylation in good yields. The isolation of a Pd(II) reaction intermediate has enabled an evaluation of the reaction mechanism with a focus on the role of the bases in the C(sp(3))-H bond cleaving step. The results of these stoichiometric studies, together with kinetic isotope effect experiments, provide rare experimental support for a concerted metalation-deprotonation (CMD) transition state, which has previously been proposed in alkane C(sp(3))-H arylation. Moreover, DFT calculations have uncovered the additional role of the pivalate additive as a promoter of phosphine dissociation from the Pd(II) intermediate, enabling the CMD transition state. Finally, kinetic studies were performed, revealing the reaction rate expression and its relationship with the concentration of pivalate.

Ligand-accelerated C-H activation reactions: evidence for a switch of mechanism

Initial rate studies have revealed dramatic acceleration in aerobic Pd(II)-catalyzed C-H olefination reactions of phenylacetic acids when mono-N-protected amino acids are used as ligands. In light of these findings, systematic ligand tuning was undertaken, which has resulted in drastic improvements in substrate scope, reaction rate, and catalyst turnover. We present evidence from intermolecular competition studies and kinetic isotope effect experiments that implies that the observed rate increases are a result of acceleration in the C-H cleavage step. Furthermore, these studies suggest that the origin of this phenomenon is a change in the mechanism of C-H cleavage from electrophilic palladation to proton abstraction.

Auxiliary-assisted palladium-catalyzed arylation and alkylation of sp2 and sp3 carbon-hydrogen bonds

We have developed a method for auxiliary-directed, palladium-catalyzed beta-arylation and alkylation of sp(3) and sp(2) C-H bonds in carboxylic acid derivatives. The method employs a carboxylic acid 2-methylthioaniline- or 8-aminoquinoline amide substrate, aryl or alkyl iodide coupling partner, palladium acetate catalyst, and an inorganic base. By employing 2-methylthioaniline auxiliary, selective monoarylation of primary sp(3) C-H bonds can be achieved. If arylation of secondary sp(3) C-H bonds is desired, 8-aminoquinoline auxiliary may be used. For alkylation of sp(3) and sp(2) C-H bonds, 8-aminoquinoline auxiliary affords the best results. Some functional group tolerance is observed and amino- and hydroxy-acid derivatives can be functionalized. Preliminary mechanistic studies have been performed. A palladacycle intermediate has been isolated, characterized by X-ray crystallography, and its reactions have been studied.

Amide-Directed Arylation of sp C-H Bonds using Pd(II) and Pd(0) Catalysts

Protocols to effect β-arylation of sp(3) C-H bonds via Pd(II)/(IV) and Pd(0)/(II) catalytic cycles have been achieved using a newly developed monodentate CONHC(6)F(5) directing group. These reactions provide an unprecedented means to functionalize sp(3) C-H bonds in aliphatic carboxylic acid-derived substrates.

Cationic palladium(II) catalysis: C-H activation/Suzuki-Miyaura couplings at room temperature

Cationic palladium(II) catalyst realized facile C-H activation of aryl urea with arylboronic acids at room temperature. This reaction is extremely mild to carry out aromatic C-H activations through electrophilic substitution.

Palladium-catalyzed alkoxylation of N-methoxybenzamides via direct sp2 C-H bond activation

The palladium-catalyzed ortho-alkoxylation of N-methoxybenzamides has been demonstrated. With the CONHOMe group as a directing group, the aromatic C-H bond can be functionalized efficiently to generate ortho-alkoxylated derivatives in moderate to good yields.

Pd(0)/PR3-catalyzed intermolecular arylation of sp3 C-H bonds

Pd(0)-catalyzed intermolecular arylation of sp(3) C-H bonds has been achieved using PR(3)/ArI. This protocol can be used to arylate a variety of aliphatic carboxylic acid derivatives, including a number of bioactive drug molecules. The use of fluorinated aryl iodides also allows for the introduction of fluorine into a molecule of interest.

Palladium- and copper-catalyzed arylation of carbon-hydrogen bonds

The transition-metal-catalyzed functionalization of C-H bonds is a powerful method for generating carbon-carbon bonds. Although significant advances to this field have been reported during the past decade, many challenges remain. First, most of the methods are substrate-specific and thus cannot be generalized. Second, conversions of unactivated (i.e., not benzylic or alpha to heteroatom) sp(3) C-H bonds to C-C bonds are rare, with most examples limited to t-butyl groups, a conversion that is inherently simple because there are no beta-hydrogens that can be eliminated. Finally, the palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium catalysts routinely used for the conversion of C-H bonds to C-C bonds are expensive. Catalytically active metals that are cheaper and less exotic (e.g., copper, iron, and manganese) are rarely used. This Account describes our attempts to provide solutions to these three problems. We have developed a general method for directing-group-containing arene arylation by aryl iodides. Using palladium acetate as the catalyst, we arylated anilides, benzamides, benzoic acids, benzylamines, and 2-substituted pyridine derivatives under nearly identical conditions. We have also developed a method for the palladium-catalyzed auxiliary-assisted arylation of unactivated sp(3) C-H bonds. This procedure allows for the beta-arylation of carboxylic acid derivatives and the gamma-arylation of amine derivatives. Furthermore, copper catalysis can be used to mediate the arylation of acidic arene C-H bonds (i.e., those with pK(a) values <35 in DMSO). Using a copper iodide catalyst in combination with a base and a phenanthroline ligand, we successfully arylated electron-rich and electron-deficient heterocycles and electron-poor arenes possessing at least two electron-withdrawing groups. The reaction exhibits unusual regioselectivity: arylation occurs at the most hindered position. This copper-catalyzed method supplements the well-known C-H activation/borylation methodology, in which functionalization usually occurs at the least hindered position. We also describe preliminary investigations to determine the mechanisms of these transformations. We anticipate that other transition metals, including iron, nickel, cobalt, and silver, will also be able to facilitate deprotonation/arylation reaction sequences.

Indoles from simple anilines and alkynes: palladium-catalyzed C-H activation using dioxygen as the oxidant

Pd doles it out: A palladium-catalyzed approach to indoles using the title reaction was achieved (see scheme). The oxidant used in this catalytic cycle was O(2). Both N-nonsubstituted and N-alkyl monosubstituted anilines can be successfully transformed into the corresponding indoles by this method.