Silver-Catalyzed Arylation of (Hetero)arenes by Oxidative Decarboxylation of Aromatic Carboxylic Acids

Decarboxylative Hydroxylation of Benzoic Acids

Herein, we report the first decarboxylative hydroxylation to synthesize phenols from benzoic acids at 35 °C via photoinduced ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT)-enabled radical decarboxylative carbometalation. The aromatic decarboxylative hydroxylation is synthetically promising due to its mild conditions, broad substrate scope, and late-stage applications.

Transition-Metal-Free C2-Functionalization of Pyridines through Aryne Three-Component Coupling

The direct C2-functionalization of pyridines through a transition-metal-free protocol by using aryne multicomponent coupling is demonstrated. The reaction allowed a broad-scope synthesis of C2-substituted pyridine derivatives bearing the -CF₃ group in good yields with α,α,α-trifluoroacetophenones as the third component. Activated keto esters could also be employed as the third component in this formal 1,2-di(hetero)arylation of ketones. Performing the reaction under dilute conditions inhibited the competing pyridine-aryne polymerization pathway. Nucleophilic attack by the initially generated pyridylidene intermediate on the carbonyl followed by an S_N Ar process resembling the Smiles rearrangement affords the desired products.

Activation of Aryl Carboxylic Acids by Diboron Reagents towards Nickel-Catalyzed Direct Decarbonylative Borylation

The Ni-catalyzed decarbonylative borylation of (hetero)aryl carboxylic acids with B₂ cat₂ has been achieved without recourse to any additives. This Ni-catalyzed method exhibits a broad substrate scope covering poorly reactive non-ortho-substituted (hetero)aryl carboxylic acids, and tolerates diverse functional groups including some of the groups active to Ni⁰ catalysts. The key to achieve this decarbonylative borylation reaction is the choice of B₂ cat₂ as a coupling partner that not only acts as a borylating reagent, but also chemoselectively activates aryl carboxylic acids towards oxidative addition of their C(acyl)-O bond to Ni⁰ catalyst via the formation of acyloxyboron compounds. A combination of experimental and computational studies reveals a detailed plausible mechanism for this reaction system, which involves a hitherto unknown concerted decarbonylation and reductive elimination step that generates the aryl boronic ester product. This mode of boron-promoted carboxylic acid activation is also applicable to other types of reactions.

Bimetallic Cooperative Catalysis for Decarbonylative Heteroarylation of Carboxylic Acids via C-O/C-H Coupling

Cooperative bimetallic catalysis is a fundamental approach in modern synthetic chemistry. We report bimetallic cooperative catalysis for the direct decarbonylative heteroarylation of ubiquitous carboxylic acids via acyl C-O/C-H coupling. This novel catalytic system exploits the cooperative action of a copper catalyst and a palladium catalyst in decarbonylation, which enables highly chemoselective synthesis of important heterobiaryl motifs through the coupling of carboxylic acids with heteroarenes in the absence of prefunctionalization or directing groups. This cooperative decarbonylative method uses common carboxylic acids and shows a remarkably broad substrate scope (>70 examples), including late-stage modification of pharmaceuticals and streamlined synthesis of bioactive agents. Extensive mechanistic and computational studies were conducted to gain insight into the mechanism of the reaction. The key step involves intersection of the two catalytic cycles via transmetallation of the copper-aryl species with the palladium(II) intermediate generated by oxidative addition/decarbonylation.

The Emergence of Palladium-Catalyzed C(sp3 )-H Functionalization of Free Carboxylic Acids

Palladium-catalyzed directing group assisted C-H bond activation has emerged as a powerful tool in synthetic organic chemistry. However, only recently, among various directing groups, widely available carboxylate moiety is recognized as a versatile candidate for the regioselective transformations. Notably, palladium-catalyzed carboxylate directed C(sp³ )-H bond activation and diverse functionalization is highly challenging and has gained huge attention for its versatile applications. Mono- and bidentate ligands have proven to be useful for accelerating the C(sp³ )-H bond activation step, which helps to control reactivity and selectivity (including enantioselectivity). In this Minireview, we discuss the recent progress made in palladium-catalyzed C(sp³ )-H bond functionalization reactions for the construction of C-C and C-Heteroatom bonds with the direction of free carboxylic acid.

Palladium-Catalyzed Electrophilic Functionalization of Pyridine Derivatives through Phosphonium Salts

Herein, we report a highly efficient and practical method for pyridine-derived heterobiaryl synthesis through palladium-catalyzed electrophilic functionalization of easily available pyridine-derived quaternary phosphonium salts. The nice generality of this reaction was goes beyond arylation, enabling facile incorporation of diverse carbon-based fragments, including alkenyl, alkynyl, and also allyl fragments, onto the pyridine core. Notably, the silver salt additive is revealed to be of vital importance for the success of this transformation and its pivotal role as transmetallation mediator, which guarantees a smooth transfer of pyridyl group to palladium intermediate, is also described.

Recent Progress in Decarboxylative Oxidative Cross-Coupling for Biaryl Synthesis

The beginning of the 21st century has seen tremendous growth in the field of decarboxylative activation. Benzoic acid derivatives are now recognised as atom-economic alternatives to traditional cross-coupling partners, and they also benefit from being inexpensive, readily available and shelf-stable reagents. In this microreview we discuss recent developments in the coupling of benzoic acid derivatives either with an arene or with a second benzoic acid derivative, a process often termed decarboxylative oxidative cross-coupling. These procedures offer great promise for the development of highly selective and atom-economic cross-couplings.

Iridium-Catalyzed ortho-Arylation of Benzoic Acids with Arenediazonium Salts

In the presence of catalytic [{IrCp*Cl2 }2 ] and Ag2 CO3 , Li2 CO3 as the base, and acetone as the solvent, benzoic acids react with arenediazonium salts to give the corresponding diaryl-2-carboxylates under mild conditions. This C-H arylation process is generally applicable to diversely substituted substrates, ranging from extremely electron-rich to electron-poor derivatives. The carboxylate directing group is widely available and can be removed tracelessly or employed for further derivatization. Orthogonality to halide-based cross-couplings is achieved by the use of diazonium salts, which can be coupled even in the presence of iodo substituents.