A Structure-Based Activity Study of Highly Active Unsymmetrically Substituted NHC Gold(I) Catalysts

Insights on the Anion Effect in N-heterocyclic Carbene Based Dinuclear Gold(I) Catalysts

Dinuclear bisNHC (bis(N-heterocyclic carbene)) gold(I) complexes 3 a and 4 a of general formula [Au2 Br2 (bisNHC)] were tested as catalysts in the cycloisomerization of N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)benzamide and in the hydromethoxylation of 3-hexyne in the presence of silver(I) activators bearing different counteranions. The catalytic performance of mononuclear NHC complexes (1 a, 2 a) in the same reactions was also studied. The results highlighted the fundamental role of both NHC ligand and counterion in the catalytic cycles and activation process: dinuclear catalysts exhibit higher initial activity even under milder conditions but suffer in terms of stability with respect to mono NHCs. Furthermore, a new dinuclear bisNHC gold(I) complex 4 b of general formula [Au2 (OTs)2 (bisNHC)] (OTs=p-toluenesulfonate) was successfully synthesized and characterized by means of NMR and ESI-MS analyses.

Hydroamination of alkynes catalyzed by NHC-Gold(I) complexes: the non-monotonic effect of substituted arylamines on the catalyst activity

Imines are valuable key compounds for synthesizing several nitrogen-containing molecules used in biological and industrial fields. They have been obtained, as highly regioselective Markovnikov products, by reacting several alkynes with arylamines in the presence of three new N-Heterocyclic carbene gold(I) complexes (3b, 4b, and 6b) together with the known 1-2b and 7b gold complexes as well as silver complexes 1-2a. Gold(I) complexes were investigated by means of NMR, mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystallographic studies. Accurate screening of co-catalysts and solvents led to identifying the best reaction conditions and the most active catalyst (2b) in the model hydroamination of phenylacetylene with aniline. Complex 2b was then tested in the hydroamination of alkynes with a wide variety of arylamines yielding a lower percentage of product when arylamines with both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents were involved. Computational studies on the rate-determining step of hydroamination were conducted to shed light on the significantly different yields observed when reacting arylamines with different substituents.

Boosting Gold(I) Catalysis via Weak Interactions: New Fine-Tunable Impy Ligands

A series of modular ImPy-carbene-Au(I) complexes are synthesized and fully characterized both in the solid state and in solution. The presence of oligoaryl units (phenyl and thienyl rings) at the C5-position of the ImPy core (in close proximity to the gold center) imprints on the organometallic species fine-tunable and predictable catalytic properties. A marked accelerating effect was recorded in several [Au(I)]-catalyzed electrophilic activations of unsaturated hydrocarbons when a CF₃-containing aromatic ring was accommodated at the ImPy core.

Synthesis of MAuAg (M = Ni, Pd, or Pt) and NiAuCu Heterotrimetallic Complexes Ligated by a Tritopic Carbanionic N-Heterocyclic Carbene

Heterotrimetallic complexes (NiAuAg, PdAuAg, PtAuAg, and NiAuCu) containing a tritopic N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) have been synthesized for the first time through the deprotonation and metalation of heterodimetallic complexes and were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The carbene character of the donor groups in the tritopic NHC complexes was established on the basis of structural and NMR analyses.

Unprecedented Use of NHC Gold (I) Complexes as Catalysts for the Selective Oxidation of Ethane to Acetic Acid

The highly efficient eco-friendly synthesis of acetic acid (40% yield) directly from ethane is achieved by the unprecedented use of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and N-heterocyclic oxo-carbene (NHOC) gold(I) catalysts in mild conditions. This is a selective and promising protocol to generate directly acetic acid from ethane, in comparison with the two most used methods: (i) the three-step, capital- and energy-intensive process based on the high-temperature conversion of methane to acetic acid; (ii) the current industrial methanol carbonylation processes, based in iridium and expensive rhodium catalysts. Green metrics determinations highlight the environmental advantages of the new ethane oxidation procedure. Comparison with previous reported published catalysts is performed to highlight the features of this remarkable protocol.

Optimizing Catalyst and Reaction Conditions in Gold(I) Catalysis-Ligand Development

This review considers phosphine and N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of gold(I) that are used as (pre)catalysts for a range of reactions in organic synthesis. These are divided according to the structure of the ligand, with the narrative focusing on studies that offer a quantitative comparison between the ligands and readily available or widely used existing systems.

Multicomponent Synthesis of Unsymmetrical 4,5-Disubstituted Imidazolium Salts as N-Heterocyclic Carbene Precursors: Applications in Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions

Various novel (a)chiral 4,5-disubstituted 1-aryl-3-alkyl-imidazolium salts were synthesized via the multicomponent reaction of diketone derivatives, sterically congested arylamines, and alkylamines. Moreover, two novel unsymmetrical bulky cycloalkyl-based NHC-Pd complexes proved highly active as catalysts for Suzuki-Miyaura and Negishi cross-coupling reactions.

A green approach for A3-coupling reactions: an experimental and theoretical study on NHC silver and gold catalysts

N-heterocyclic carbene silver and gold complexes active in A3-coupling (aldehyde–alkyne–amine) reactions in green conditions.

Twisting the arm: structural constraints in bicyclic expanded-ring N-heterocyclic carbenes

A series of diaryl, mono-aryl/alkyl and dialkyl mono- and bicyclic expanded-ring N-heterocyclic carbenes (ER-NHCs) have been prepared and their complexation to Au(i) investigated through the structural analysis of fifteen Au(NHC)X and/or [Au(NHC)₂]X complexes. The substituted diaryl 7-NHCs are the most sterically encumbered with large buried volume (%V_B) values of 40-50% with the less flexible six-membered analogues having %V_B values at least 5% smaller. Although the bicyclic systems containing fused 6- and 7-membered rings (6,7-NHCs) are constrained with relatively acute NCN bond angles, they have the largest %V_B values of the dialkyl derivatives reported here, a feature related to the fixed conformation of the heterocyclic rings and the compressional effect of a pre-set methyl substituent.

N-Fluorobenzenesulfonimide as a highly effective Ag(i)-catalyst attenuator for tryptamine-derived ynesulfonamide cycloisomerization

N-Fluorobenzenesulfonimide was identified for the first time as a unique Ag(i)-catalyst attenuator in the annulation of a tryptamine-derived ynesulfonamide to an azepino[4,5-b]indole.