Visible-Light-Promoted Direct C3-H Cyanomethylation of 2H-Indazoles

The efficient visible-light-promoted cyanomethylation of 2H-indazoles in the presence of Ir(ppy)₃ as the photocatalyst and bromoacetonitrile as the cyanomethyl radical source was achieved under mild conditions, providing a series of C3-cyanomethylated derivatives in good yields.

Assembly of α-(Hetero)aryl Nitriles via Copper-Catalyzed Coupling Reactions with (Hetero)aryl Chlorides and Bromides

α-(Hetero)aryl nitriles are important structural motifs for pharmaceutical design. The known methods for direct synthesis of these compounds via coupling with (hetero)aryl halides suffer from narrow reaction scope. Herein, we report that the combination of copper salts and oxalic diamides enables the coupling of a variety of (hetero)aryl halides (Cl, Br) and ethyl cyanoacetate under mild conditions, affording α-(hetero)arylacetonitriles via one-pot decarboxylation. Additionally, the CuBr/oxalic diamide catalyzed coupling of (hetero)aryl bromides with α-alkyl-substituted ethyl cyanoacetates proceeds smoothly at 60 °C, leading to the formation of α-alkyl (hetero)arylacetonitriles after decarboxylation. The method features a general substrate scope and is compatible with various functionalities and heteroaryls.

Z-Selective α-Arylation of α,β-Unsaturated Nitriles via [3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement

The Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction and [3, 3]-sigmatropic rearrangement are two paradigms in organic synthesis. We have merged the two types of reactions to achieve [3,3]-rearrangement of aryl sulfoxides with α,β-unsaturated nitriles. The reaction was achieved by sequentially treating both coupling partners with electrophilic activator (Tf₂ O) and base, offering an effective approach to prepare synthetically versatile α-aryl α,β-unsaturated nitriles with Z-selectivity through direct α-C-H arylation of unmodified α,β-unsaturated nitriles. The control experiments and DFT calculations support a four-stage reaction sequence, including the assembly of Tf₂ O activated aryl sulfoxide with α,β-unsaturated nitrile, MBH-like Lewis base addition, [3,3]-rearrangement, and E1cB-elimination. Among these stages, the Lewis base addition is diastereoselective and E1cB-elimination is cis-selective, which could account for the remarkable Z-selectivity of the reaction.

Construction of C(sp2 )-C(sp3 ) Bond between Quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones and N-Hydroxyphthalimide Esters via Photocatalytic Decarboxylative Coupling

A novel visible-light-driven decarboxylative coupling of alkyl N-hydroxyphthalimide esters (NHP esters) with quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones has been developed. This C(sp² )-C(sp³ ) bond-forming transformation exhibits excellent substrate generality with respect to both the coupling partners. Of note, a series of 3-primary alkyl-substituted quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones that were difficult to synthesize by previous methods could be obtained in moderate to excellent yields. Additionally, the mild conditions, easy availability of substrates, wide functional group tolerance and operational simplicity make this protocol practical in the synthesis of 3-alkylated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones.

Selective α-Monomethylation by an Amine-Borane/N,N-Dimethylformamide System as the Methyl Source

A new and practical α-monomethylation strategy using an amine-borane/N,N-dimethylformamide (R₃ N-BH₃ /DMF) system as the methyl source was developed. This protocol has been found to be effective in the α-monomethylation of arylacetonitriles and arylacetamides. Mechanistic studies revealed that the formyl group of DMF delivered the carbon and one hydrogen atoms of the methyl group, and R₃ N-BH₃ donated the remaining two hydrogen atoms. Such a unique reaction pathway enabled controllable assemblies of CDH₂ -, CD₂ H-, and CD₃ - units using Me₂ NH-BH₃ /d₇ -DMF, Me₃ N-BD₃ /DMF and Me₃ N-BD₃ /d₇ -DMF systems, respectively. Further application of this method to the facile synthesis of anti-inflammatory flurbiprofen and its varied deuterium-labeled derivatives was demonstrated.

Palladium-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Trifluoromethylation of Acid Fluorides

While acid fluorides can readily be made from widely available or biomass-feedstock-derived carboxylic acids, their use as functional groups in metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions is rare. This report presents the first demonstration of Pd-catalyzed decarbonylative functionalization of acid fluorides to yield trifluoromethyl arenes (ArCF3 ). The strategy relies on a Pd/Xantphos catalytic system and the supply of fluoride for transmetalation through intramolecular redistribution to the the Pd center. This strategy eliminated the need for exogenous and detrimental fluoride additives and allows Xantphos to be used in catalytic trifluoromethylations for the first time. Our experimental and computational mechanistic data support a sequence in which transmetalation by R3 SiCF3 occurs prior to decarbonylation.

Carboxylic acids as traceless directing groups for the rhodium(III)-catalyzed decarboxylative C-H arylation of thiophenes

A rhodium(III)-catalyzed carboxylic acid directed decarboxylative C-H/C-H cross-coupling of carboxylic acids with thiophenes has been developed. With a slight adjustment of the reaction conditions based on the nature of the substrates, aryl carboxylic acids with a variety of substituents could serve as suitable coupling partners, and a broad variety of functional groups were tolerated. This method provides straightforward access to biaryl scaffolds with diverse substitution patterns, many of which have conventionally been synthesized through lengthy synthetic sequences. An illustrative example is the one-step gram-scale synthesis of a biologically active 3,5-substituted 2-arylthiophene by way of the current method.

Synthesis of fluorescent naphthoquinolizines via intramolecular Houben-Hoesch reaction

The repertoire of synthetic methods leading to aza-analogues of polycyclic aromatic heterocycles has been enlarged by the discovery of the rearrangement of 10-substituted benzo[h]quinolines into compounds bearing an azonia-pyrene moiety. Acid-mediated intramolecular cyclization of derivatives bearing -CH2 CN and -CH2 CO2 Et groups led to compounds bearing a 5-substituted benzo[de]pyrido[3,2,1-ij]quinolinium core. Advanced photophysical studies including time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) and transient absorption spectroscopy of 5-aminobenzo[de]pyrido[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-4-ium salt and 5H-benzo[de]pyrido[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-5-one showed their promising optical properties such as high fluorescence quantum yields (37-59%), which was almost independent of the solvent, and high tenability of the absorption band position upon changing the solvent. The benzo[de]pyrido[3,2,1-ij]quinolinium salt selectively stains nucleic acids (in the nucleus and mitochondria) in eukaryotic cells.