Green Organocatalytic Synthesis of Indolines and Pyrrolidines from Alkenes

Organocatalytic activation of hydrogen peroxide: towards green and sustainable oxidations

The advent of organocatalysis provided an additional option in every researcher's arsenal, towards the development of elegant and sustainable protocols for various organic transformations. Oxidation reactions are considered to be key in organic synthesis since oxygenated functionalities appear in many natural products. Hydrogen peroxide is categorized as a green oxidant, since its only by-product is water, offering novel opportunities for the development of green and sustainable protocols. In this review article, we intend to present recent developments in the field of the organocatalytic activation of hydrogen peroxide, providing useful insight into the applied oxidative protocols. At the same time, we will present some interesting mechanistic studies, providing information on the oxygen transfer processes.

Synthesis of Dihydrochromeno[2,3-b]indoles via an Fe(OTf)3-Catalyzed Cascade Reaction

A tandem cyclization between 2-(2-aminophenyl)acetonitriles and 2-(hydroxy(aryl)methyl)phenols for the preparation of dihydrochromeno[2,3-b]indole derivatives was successfully developed. The transformation proceeded smoothly in the presence of a catalytic environmentally benign iron salt, and various multisubstituted dihydrochromeno[2,3-b]indoles were synthesized in moderate to high yields.

Beyond osmium: progress in 1,2-amino oxygenation of alkenes, 1,3-dienes, alkynes, and allenes

Olefin 1,2-difunctionalization has emerged as a popular strategy within modern synthetic chemistry for the synthesis of vicinal amino alcohols and derivatives. The advantage of this approach is the single-step simplicity for rapid diversification, feedstock nature of the olefin starting materials, and the possible modularity of the components. Although there is a vast number of possible iterations of 1,2-olefin difunctionalization, 1,2-amino oxygenation is of particular interest due to the prevalence of both oxygen and nitrogen within pharmaceuticals, natural products, agrochemicals, and synthetic ligands. The Sharpless amino hydroxylation provided seminal results in this field and displayed the value in achieving methods of this nature. However, a vast number of new and novel methods have emerged in recent decades. This review provides a comprehensive review of modern advances in accomplishing 1,2-amino oxygenation of alkenes, 1,3-dienes, alkynes, and allenes that move beyond osmium to a range of other transition metals and more modern strategies such as electrochemical, photochemical, and biochemical reactivity.

α,β-Unsaturated butenolides in an organocatalytic doubly annulative cascade for the preparation of 3,4-dihydrocoumarins

An organocatalytic doubly annulative cascade utilizing α,β-unsaturated butenolides and imines (derived from salicyl aldehydes and α-amino-γ-lactones) as starting materials is described.

Synthesis of Functionalized Indoles via Palladium-Catalyzed Aerobic Cycloisomerization of o-Allylanilines Using Organic Redox Cocatalyst

A scalable and practical synthesis of functionalized indoles via Pd- ^tBuONO cocatalyzed aerobic cycloisomerization of o-allylanilines is reported. Using molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant, a series of substituted indoles were prepared in moderate to good yields. The avoidance of hazardous oxidants, heavy-metal cocatalysts, and high boiling point solvents such as DMF and DMSO enables this method to be applied in pharmaceutical synthesis. A practical gram-scale synthesis of indomethacin demonstrates its application potential.

A Series of Compounds Based on [P2W18O62]6- and Transition Metal Mixed Organic Ligand Complexes with High Catalytic Properties for Styrene Epoxidation

Seven compounds based on [P₂W₁₈O₆₂]^6- ({P₂W₁₈}) were successfully prepared and carefully characterized. [HC₅H₅N][Cu(2,2'-bpy)₂]₂[HP₂W₁₈O₆₂]·2H₂O (bpy = bipyridine) (1) is constructed from {P₂W₁₈} bridged by [Cu(2,2'-bpy)₂]²⁺. [HC₅H₅N][Zn(2,2'-bpy)₂]₂[HP₂W₁₈O₆₂]·4H₂O (1a) is isostructural and isomorphous with compound 1. [Cu₄(2,2'-bpy)₃(nic)₃(OH)₂(H₂O)][H₃P₂W₁₈O₆₂]·0.5H₂O (nic = nicotinic acid) (2) is formed by {P₂W₁₈} and tetracopper transition metal mixed organic ligand complexes (TMMCs). [Cu₂(2,2'-bpy)₂(C₂O₄)]₃[P₂W₁₈O₆₂]·3H₂O (3) is made up of {P₂W₁₈} and bicopper TMMCs, [Cu₆(2,2'-bpy)₆(OH)₆][P₂W₁₈O₆₂]·2H₂O (4) is built up from {P₂W₁₈}, and hexacopper complexes of 2,2'-bpy and hydroxyls. [Cu(2,2'-bpy)(hnic)_0.5][Cu₃(2,2'-bpy)₃(hnic)₂(H₂O)₂][H₃P₂W₁₈O₆₂] (hnic = hydroxyl nicotinic acid) (5a) contains two different TMMCs. In addition, compound 5a is the first example of a compound that contains Cu-π interactions. [Cu₂(2,2'-bpy)₂(hnic)][H₄P₂W₁₈O₆₂]· xH₂O ( x ≈ 50) (5b) is based on {P₂W₁₈} and [Cu₂(2,2'-bpy)₂(hnic)]²⁺. We discuss the mechanisms for the formations of these compounds. All the catalytic performances of the compounds for styrene epoxidation to styrene oxide are high.

Crystal packing analysis of in situ cryocrystallized 2,2,2-tri-fluoro-aceto-phenone

Crystals of the liquid compound 2,2,2-tri-fluoro-aceto-phenone (TFAP, C8H5F3O) were obtained using the state-of-art in situ cryocrystallization technique. TFAP crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c, and its crystal structure is mainly stabilized by a set of C-H⋯F, C-H⋯O, F⋯F and F⋯O supra-molecular contacts. The overall mol-ecular arrangement shows the formation of mol-ecular sheets parallel to the bc plane, which are in turn stacked along the a-axis direction. The weak inter-actions have been studied thoroughly, performing both a Hirshfeld surface analysis and theoretical calculations, to obtain the inter-molecular inter-action energies. A structural comparison of this compound with the previously reported substituted analogs was also carried out, showing a qualitative difference in terms of packing behaviour.

Vinylogous Elimination/Heck Coupling/Allylation Domino Reactions: Access to 2-Substituted 2,3-Dihydrobenzofurans and Indolines

A highly regio- and stereoselctive palladium-catalyzed domino reaction of functionalized aryl allyl ethers has been developed. Various aryl allyl ethers derived from the phosphine-catalyzed addition of electron-deficient allenes with phenol are found to be efficient substrates for the synthesis of 2-substituted 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans and indolines. It is the first example of aryl allyl ether used as an ideal and practical precursor of hard to get functionalized 1,3-butadiene for the heterocyclic compound synthesis.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Cyclization of O,ω-Unsaturated Alkoxyamines: Formation of Oxygen-Containing Heterocycles

O,ω-Unsaturated N-tosyl alkoxyamines undergo unexpected Rh^III -catalyzed intramolecular cyclization by oxyamination to produce oxygen-containing heterocycles. Mechanistic studies show that an aziridine intermediate seems to be responsible for the formation of the heterocycles, possibly via a Rh^V species.