Ligand‐Enabled Nickel‐Catalyzed Redox‐Relay Migratory Hydroarylation of Alkenes with Arylborons

Air-Stable PdI Dimer Enabled Remote Functionalization: Access to Fluorinated 1,1-Diaryl Alkanes with Unprecedented Speed

While remote functionalization via chain walking has the potential to enable access to molecules via novel disconnections, such processes require relatively long reaction times and can be in need of elevated temperatures. This work features a remote arylation in less than 10 min reaction time at room temperature over a distance of up to 11 carbons. The unprecedented speed is enabled by the air‐stable Pd^I dimer [Pd(μ‐I)(PCy₂^tBu)]₂, which in contrast to its P^tBu₃ counterpart does not trigger direct coupling at the initiation site, but regioconvergent and chemoselective remote functionalization to yield valuable fluorinated 1,1‐diaryl alkanes. Our combined experimental and computational studies rationalize the origins of switchability, which are primarily due to differences in dispersion interactions.

Enantioselective CO2 Fixation Via a Heck-Coupling/Carboxylation Cascade Catalyzed by Nickel

A novel asymmetric nickel-based procedure has been developed in which CO₂ fixation is achieved as a second step of a truncated Heck coupling. For this, a new chiral ligand has been prepared and shown to achieve enantiomeric excesses up to 99 %. The overall process efficiently furnishes chiral 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-3-ylacetic acids, an important class of bioactive products, from easy to prepare starting materials. A combined experimental and computational effort revealed the key steps of the catalytic cycle and suggested the unexpected participation of Ni(I) species in the coupling event.

Transition-Metal-Free Synthesis of Polyfunctional Triarylmethanes and 1,1-Diarylalkanes by Sequential Cross-Coupling of Benzal Diacetates with Organozinc Reagents

A variety of functionalized triarylmethane and 1,1-diarylalkane derivatives were prepared via a transition-metal-free, one-pot and two-step procedure, involving the reaction of various benzal diacetates with organozinc reagents. A sequential cross-coupling is enabled by changing the solvent from THF to toluene, and a two-step SN 1-type mechanism was proposed and evidenced by experimental studies. The synthetic utility of the method is further demonstrated by the synthesis of several biologically relevant molecules, such as an anti-tuberculosis agent, an anti-breast cancer agent, a precursor of a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator, and a FLAP inhibitor.

Nickel-Catalyzed, Regio- and Enantioselective Benzylic Alkenylation of Olefins with Alkenyl Bromide

A NiH-catalyzed migratory hydroalkenylation reaction of olefins with alkenyl bromides has been developed, affording benzylic alkenylation products with high yields and excellent chemoselectivity. The mild conditions of the reaction preclude olefinic products from undergoing further isomerization or subsequent alkenylation. Catalytic enantioselective hydroalkenylation of styrenes was achieved by using a chiral bisoxazoline ligand.