Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-type cross-coupling of 2-pyridyl carbamoyl fluorides

We describe a palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-type cross-coupling reaction of 2-pyridyl carbamoyl fluorides with boronic acids, which provides entry to medicinally relevant pyridyl amides. Mechanistic studies, including the synthesis and reactivity of carbamoyl Pd-F complexes, reveal the importance of both the fluoride electrophile and nitrogen directing group for aiding reactivity.

Fluoride-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Carbamoyl Fluorides and Alkynylsilanes

We report the synthesis of alkynamides via the cross-coupling of carbamoyl fluorides and alkynylsilanes catalyzed by tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF). In contrast to previously reported transformations of carbamoyl fluorides, C-F bond cleavage is achieved under exceptionally mild conditions (room temperature, low catalyst loadings, and short reaction times) without the need for strongly nucleophilic reagents and/or catalysts. This method offers distinct advantages over transition-metal-catalyzed approaches, such as tolerance to aryl halide moieties and complementary chemoselectivity.

Protodemetalation of (Bipyridyl)Ni(II)-Aryl Complexes Shows Evidence for Five-, Six-, and Seven-Membered Cyclic Pathways

Protonation of C-M bonds and its microscopic reverse, metalation of C-H bonds, are fundamental steps in a variety of metal-catalyzed processes. As such, studies on protonation of C-M bonds can shed light on C-H activation. We present here studies on the rate of protodemetalation (PDM) of a suite of arylnickel(II) complexes with various acids that provide evidence for a concerted, cyclic transition state for the PDM of C-Ni bonds and demonstrate that five-, six-, and seven-membered transition states are particularly favorable. Our data show that while the rate of protodemetalation of arylnickel(II) complexes scales with acidity for many acids, several are faster than predicted by pKa. For example, while acetic acid and acetohydroxamic acid are much less acidic than HCl, they both protodemetalate arylnickel(II) complexes significantly faster than HCl. Our data also show how in the case of acetohydroxamic acid, a seven-membered cyclic transition state (CH3C(O)NHOH) can be more favorable than a six-membered transition state (CH3C(O)NHOH). Similarly, five-membered transition states, such as for pyrazole, are highly favorable as well. Comparison of transition state polarization (from density functional theory) compares these new nickel transition states to better-studied precious-metal systems and demonstrates how the base can change the polarization of the transition state giving rise to opposing electronic preferences. Collectively, these studies suggest several new avenues for study in C-H activation as well as approaches to accelerate or slow protodemetalation in nickel catalysis.

Synthesis of 3-substituted 2-oxindoles from secondary α-bromo-propionanilides via palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization

In contrast to aromatic halides, coupling reactions involving oxidative addition of alkyl halides, especially secondary or tertiary halides, to transition metals tend to be more challenging. Herein a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of α-bromo-propionanilides has been developed, delivering a series of 3-substituted 2-oxindoles in high yields. The method features easy to prepare starting materials, broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance. A detailed mechanistic investigation has been performed.

C(sp3 )-H Arylation Promoted by a Heterogeneous Palladium-N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complex in Batch and Continuous Flow

A heterogeneous reusable palladium(II)-bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) catalyst was prepared and shown to catalyze the intramolecular C(sp3 )-H activation/cyclization of N-alkyl-2-bromoanilines furnishing indolines. This new catalytic system was based on a bis-imidazolium ligand immobilized on a spaced cross-linked polystyrene support. The iodide ligands on the catalyst played a central role in the efficiency of the process occurring through a "release and catch" mechanism. The heterogeneous nature of the catalyst was further exploited in the design of a continuous-flow protocol that allowed a more efficient recovery and reuse of the catalyst, as well as a very fast and safe procedure.

Transition metal catalyzed C-H bond activation by exo-metallacycle intermediates

exo-Metallacycles have become the key reaction intermediates in activating various remote C(sp²)-H and C(sp³)-H bonds in the past decade and aided in achieving unusual site-selectivity. Various novel exo-chelating auxiliaries have assisted metals to reach desired remote C-H bonds of different alcohol and amine-derived substrates. As a result, a wide range of organic transformations of C-H bonds like halogenation, acetoxylation, amidation, sulfonylation, olefination, acylation, arylation, etc. were accessible using the exo-metallacycle strategy. In this review, we have summarized the developments in C-H bond activation via four-, five-, six-, seven- and eight-membered exo-metallacycles and the key reaction intermediates, including the mechanistic aspects, are discussed concisely.

Self-Immolative System for Disclosure of Reactive Electrophilic Alkylating Agents: Understanding the Role of the Reporter Group

The development of stable, efficient chemoselective self-immolative systems, for use in applications such as sensors, requires the optimization of the reactivity and degradation characteristics of the self-immolative unit. In this paper, we describe the effect that the structure of the reporter group has upon the self-immolative efficacy of a prototype system designed for the disclosure of electrophilic alkylating agents. The amine of the reporter group (a nitroaniline unit) was a constituent part of a carbamate that functioned as the self-immolative unit. The number and position of substituents on the nitroaniline unit were found to play a key role in the rate of self-immolative degradation and release of the reporter group. The position of the nitro substituent (meta- vs para-) and the methyl groups in the ortho-position relative to the carbamate exhibited an influence on the rate of elimination and stability of the self-immolative system. The ortho-methyl substituents imparted a twist on the N–C (aromatic) bond leading to increased resonance of the amine nitrogen’s lone pair into the carbonyl moiety and a decrease of the leaving character of the carbamate group; concomitantly, this may also make it a less electron-withdrawing group and lead to less acidification of the eliminated β-hydrogen.

Straightforward Construction and Functionalizations of Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles Through Migratory Insertion of Metal-Carbenes/Nitrenes

Nitrogen-containing heterocycles are widely found in various biologically active substrates, pharmaceuticals, natural products and organic materials. Consequently, the continuous effort has been devoted towards the development of straightforward, economical, environmentally acceptable, efficient and ingenious methods for the synthesis of various N-containing heterocycles and their functionalizations. Arguably, one of the most prominent direct strategy is regioselective C-H bond functionalizations which provide the step and atom economical approaches in the presence of suitable coupling partners. In this context, site-selective migratory insertion of metal carbenes/nitrenes to the desired C-H bonds has proven as a useful tool to access various functionalized nitrogen heterocycles. In this personal account, we highlight some of our contemporary development toward constructing N-containing heterocycles and their direct functionalizations via transition metal catalysed C-H bond functionalizations based on migratory insertion of metal-carbenes and nitrenes.

Recent advances in transition metal-catalyzed reactions of carbamoyl chlorides

This review highlights the recent advancements of carbamoyl chlorides in transition metal-catalyzed reactions to access various amide-containing molecules and heterocycles.

Carbamoyl Fluoride-Enabled Enantioselective Ni-Catalyzed Carbocarbamoylation of Unactivated Alkenes

A carbamoyl fluoride-enabled enantioselective Ni-catalyzed carbocarbamoylation of unactivated alkenes was developed, providing a broad range of chiral γ-lactams bearing an all-carbon quaternary center in 45-96% yield and 38-97% ee.

Rh(III)-Catalyzed C(sp3)-H Acetoxylation of 8-Methylquinolines

A mild and efficient Rh(III)-catalyzed aliphatic C-H acetoxylation directed by quinolines has been developed with widespread functional groups, including various halogens, which usually can provide precursors for further organic synthesis but easily results in selectivity issues in the Pd- and Ni-catalyzed reaction. Interestingly, Ac₂O plays an essential role in promoting the transformation.

RhCl3·3H2O-Catalyzed C7-Selective C-H Carbonylation of Indolines with CO and Alcohols

An attractive method for the synthesis of indoline-7-carboxylates through RhCl₃-catalyzed C-H carbonylation of indolines with CO and alcohols was developed. The copper-based oxidant and removable pyrimidyl directing group played important roles in achieving high-level yields of the title products. Based on control experiments, a possible catalytic cycle was proposed.

Utilization of BozPhos as an Effective Ligand in Enantioselective C-H Functionalization of Cyclopropanes: Synthesis of Dihydroisoquinolones and Dihydroquinolones

The bisphosphine monoxide ( R, R)-BozPhos enables enantioselective C-H functionalization of cyclopropanes in a palladium-catalyzed cyclization. The synthesis of a broad spectrum of dihydroisoquinolones and dihydroquinolones in good yields and high enantiomeric excess was achieved through the use of this hemilabile ligand. Furthermore, the isolation of an intermediary palladium(II)-BozPhos complex after oxidative addition was successful and a second complex provided further insight into bond length and angles through a crystal structure.

Palladium-catalyzed cascade reactions of alkene-tethered carbamoyl chlorides with N-tosyl hydrazones: synthesis of alkene-functionalized oxindoles

An efficient approach for the construction of alkene-functionalized oxindoles was developed via palladium-catalyzed cascade reactions of alkene-tethered carbamoyl chlorides with N-tosyl hydrazones.

Recent applications of C-H functionalization in complex natural product synthesis

In this review, recent examples featuring C-H functionalization in the synthesis of complex natural products are discussed. A focus is given to the way in which C-H functionalization can influence the logical process of retrosynthesis, and the review is organized by the type and method of C-H functionalization.

Transition-Metal-Free Synthesis of N-Hydroxy Oxindoles by an Aza-Nazarov-Type Reaction Involving Azaoxyallyl Cations

A novel transition-metal-free method to construct N-hydroxy oxindoles by an aza-Nazarov-type reaction involving azaoxyallyl cation intermediates is described. A variety of functional groups were tolerated under the weak basic reaction conditions and at room temperature. A one-pot process was also developed to make the reaction even more practical. This method provides alternative access to oxindoles and their biologically active derivatives.

Metal- and Oxidant-Free Modular Approach To Access N-Alkoxy Oxindoles via Aryne Annulation

An unprecedented metal- and oxidant-free (intermolecular) approach to access N-alkoxy oxindoles via [3 + 2] cycloadition of in situ generated electrophilic species viz. aryne and (putative) aza-oxyallyl cation is reported. This approach is amenable to both C3-unsubstituted as well as C3-substituted oxindoles. A one-pot manipulation further makes this reaction highly practical. The versatility of this approach was demonstrated through valuable synthetic transformations.

sp3 C-H activation via exo-type directing groups

The application of exo-type directing groups (DGs) has led to the discovery of a wide range of novel C(sp3)-H activation methods, which allow efficient and site-selective functionalization of alcohol and amide derivatives. In this mini-review we discuss the challenges of this field and summarize the achievements, including DG designs, reaction discoveries and mechanistic studies.

Ring Construction by Palladium(0)-Catalyzed C(sp3)-H Activation

The catalytic activation and functionalization of unactivated C(sp³)-H bonds of alkyl groups has undergone intense development in recent years. In particular, a variety of directing groups as well as native functional groups have been employed in combination with palladium(II) catalysis in order to perform a variety of intermolecular, and to some extent intramolecular reactions. In parallel, inspired by precedents in C(sp²)-H arylation, our group and others have developed a different approach, which is the focus of this Account. This strategy relies on the use of oxidative addition of a carbon-leaving group bond to palladium(0) to induce intramolecular C(sp³)-H activation and the subsequent formation of a C(sp²)-C(sp³) or C(sp³)-C(sp³) bond. Since our first publication in 2003, the construction of olefins and, more interestingly, of an array of valuable monocyclic and polycyclic systems has been reported according to this principle. (Hetero)aryl bromides were initially employed as reactants, but the scope was later expanded to include (hetero)aryl chlorides and triflates, alkenyl bromides, carbamoyl chlorides and α-chloroamides. Mechanistic studies enabled a better understanding of the C-H activation step, which was proposed to occur through ambiphilic metal-ligand activation-6 (AMLA-6), also known as concerted metalation deprotonation (CMD), and a better rationalization of the observed selectivity patterns. Moreover, the wealth of accumulated experimental data indicate that the number of atoms separating the C-H bond from Pd and the type of C-H bond are the main factors controlling the site-selectivity of the C-H bond cleavage. Recent efforts have been devoted to the development of enantioselective reactions. To this purpose, two different strategies have been employed: a chiral ancillary ligand in combination with an achiral base, and a chiral base in combination with an achiral ligand, and allowed for the achievement of high enantioselectivities in the construction of both tri- and tetrasubstituted stereocenters. On the other hand, the current C-H activation-based ring-forming method was applied to the synthesis of pharmacologically active substances and agrochemicals, as well as complex natural products such as the aeruginosins, thereby demonstrating its great potential for step-economical organic synthesis.

Synthesis of oxindole from acetanilide via Ir(iii)-catalyzed C–H carbenoid functionalization

The Ir(iii)-catalyzed intermolecular C–H annulations of acetanilide with diazotized Meldrum's acid furnished the oxindole derivative. Brief synthetic applications of the synthesized oxindole were also demonstrated.

Palladium-Catalyzed Transformations of Alkyl C-H Bonds

This Review summarizes the advancements in Pd-catalyzed C(sp³)-H activation via various redox manifolds, including Pd(0)/Pd(II), Pd(II)/Pd(IV), and Pd(II)/Pd(0). While few examples have been reported in the activation of alkane C-H bonds, many C(sp³)-H activation/C-C and C-heteroatom bond forming reactions have been developed by the use of directing group strategies to control regioselectivity and build structural patterns for synthetic chemistry. A number of mono- and bidentate ligands have also proven to be effective for accelerating C(sp³)-H activation directed by weakly coordinating auxiliaries, which provides great opportunities to control reactivity and selectivity (including enantioselectivity) in Pd-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions.

Palladium(0)-catalyzed asymmetric C(sp3)-H arylation using a chiral binol-derived phosphate and an achiral ligand

High enantioselectivities can be achieved using an appropriate chiral base/achiral ligand combination in Pd⁰-catalyzed C(sp³)–H activation.

The first efficient palladium(0)-catalyzed enantioselective C(sp³)–H activation reaction using a catalytic chiral base and an achiral phosphine ligand is reported. Fine-tuning the binol-derived phosphoric acid pre-catalyst and the reaction conditions was found to be crucial to achieve high levels of enantioselectivity for a variety of indoline products containing both tri- and tetrasubstituted stereocenters.

Synthesis and Application of Tetrahydro-2H-fluorenes by a Pd(0)-Catalyzed Benzylic C(sp(3) )-H Functionalization

A new method has been developed for the synthesis of tetrahydro-2H-fluorenes based on a Pd(0)-catalyzed benzylic C(sp(3) )-H functionalization. Importantly, the success of the cyclization step was dependent on there being substituents at the two positions ortho to the benzylic group to avoid an undesired C(sp(2) )-H functionalization. This method was subsequently used to prepare the right-hand fragment of the hexacyclic triterpenoid benzohopanes, and therefore represents a powerful tool for the construction of the related compounds.

2-(Trifluoromethyl)indoles via Pd(0)-Catalyzed C(sp(3))-H Functionalization of Trifluoroacetimidoyl Chlorides

Perfluoroalkylated indoles are valuable compounds in drug discovery. A Pd(0)-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H functionalization enables access to 2-(trifluoromethyl)indoles from trifluoroacetimidoyl chlorides. These are stable compounds, easily obtained from anilines. The cyclization operates with catalyst loadings as low as 1 mol % and accommodates a variety of substituents.