Control of selectivity in palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbocyclization/borylation of allenynes

Palladium-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Carbonylative Esterification of Allenoic Acids for the Synthesis of γ-Butyrolactone Derivatives

A highly efficient dehydrogenative carbonylative esterification of allenoic acids using Pd-catalysis was developed, providing a novel approach to synthesizing esterified γ-butyrolactone derivatives with consistently good to excellent results demonstrated across over 50 examples. Additionally, we used a heterogeneous catalyst known as Pd-AmP-MCF and harnessed biomimetic-aerobic-oxidation conditions to facilitate the practical execution of this reaction. Furthermore, our detailed study of γ-butyrolactone products highlighted their potential in synthesizing bioactive compounds.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Chemo- and Stereoselective Arylative Carbocyclization of 1,6-Allenynes

Different from the well-investigated enynes, transition-metal-catalyzed carbocyclization reactions of allenynes are more attractive as a result of the unique structure and versatile reactivity of allenes. Herein, we report the first cobalt-catalyzed highly chemo- and stereoselective arylative carbocyclization of 1,6-allenynes with arylboronic acids, affording five-membered carbocycles and heterocycles with moderate to high yields, broad substrate scope, and wide functional group compatibility. Moreover, several mechanistic experiments were conducted to gain insight into the reaction process.

Regio- and Stereoselective Carbon-Boron Bond Formation via Heterogeneous Palladium-Catalyzed Hydroboration of Enallenes

A highly efficient regio- and stereoselective heterogeneous palladium-catalyzed hydroboration reaction of enallenes was developed. Nanopalladium immobilized on microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was successfully employed as an efficient catalyst for the enallene hydroboration reaction. The nanopalladium particles were shown by HAADF-STEM to have an average size of 2.4 nm. The cellulose-supported palladium catalyst exhibits high stability and provides vinyl boron products in good to high isolated yields (up to 90 %). The nanopalladium catalyst can be efficiently recycled and it was demonstrated that the catalyst can be used in 7 runs with a maintained high yield (>80 %). The vinylboron compounds prepared from enallenes are important synthetic intermediates that can be used in various organic synthetic transformations.

Palladium-catalyzed Lewis acid-regulated cascade annulation of alkynes with unactivated alkenes to access diverse α-methylene-γ-lactones

A palladium-catalyzed Lewis acid-regulated cascade annulation of alkynes with unactivated alkenes for the preparation of alkyl substituted α-methylene-γ-lactones with excellent Z/E selectivities was accomplished.

Borylative Cyclization of 1,6-Allenynes Driven by BCl3

A metal-free intramolecular borylative cyclization of 1,6-allenynes driven by BCl₃ was developed. This method provides a general and practical strategy to construct valuable pyrrolidines containing all-carbon quaternary centers or 3,5-dihydroazepine derivatives depending on the substituents of the allene, with conjugative and sterically hindered phenyl groups favoring the latter.

Amino-Supported Palladium Catalyst for Chemo- and Stereoselective Domino Reactions

A solid amino-supported palladium catalyst is used in an oxidative domino reaction for the diastereoselective construction of alkyne-substituted cyclopentenol compounds. This heterogeneous catalyst exhibits high efficiency and excellent chemoselectivity, as well as good recyclability. The chemoselectivity of the domino reactions was readily controlled by switching the solvent and catalyst. Asymmetric syntheses and an oxidative carbocyclization-borylation reaction have also been developed based on the heterogeneous palladium catalyst.

Atom-Economical Ni-Catalyzed Diborylative Cyclization of Enynes: Preparation of Unsymmetrical Diboronates

We report a Ni-catalyzed diborylative cyclization of enynes that affords carbo- and heterocycles containing both alkyl- and alkenylboronates. The reaction is fully atom-economical, shows a broad scope, and employs a powerful and inexpensive catalytic Ni-based system. The reaction mechanism seems to involve activation of the enyne by Ni(0) through oxidative cyclometalation of the enyne prior to diboron reagent activation. An unprecedented dinuclear bis(organometallic) Ni(I) intermediate complex was isolated.

Secondary phosphine oxides stabilized Au/Pd nanoalloys: metal components-controlled regioselective hydrogenation toward phosphinyl (Z)-[3]dendralenes

A series of gold/palladium nanoalloys stabilized by secondary phosphine oxides have been prepared and applied in selective hydrogenation for the first time.

Atom-economical regioselective Ni-catalyzed hydroborylative cyclization of enynes: development and mechanism

We report a full study on the novel regioselective Ni-catalyzed hydroborylative cyclization of enynes using HBpin as the borylation agent.

Control of Selectivity in Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Oxidative Transformations of Allenes

Oxidation reactions play a central role in organic synthesis, and it is highly desirable that these reactions are mild and occur under catalytic conditions. In Nature, oxidation reactions occur under mild conditions via cascade processes, and furthermore, they often occur in an enantioselective manner with many of them involving molecular oxygen or hydrogen peroxide as the terminal oxidant. Inspired by the reactions in Nature, we have developed a number of Pd(II)-catalyzed cascade reactions under mild oxidative conditions. These reactions have an intrinsic advantage of step economy and rely on selectivity control in each step. In this Account, we will discuss the control of chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivity in Pd(II)-catalyzed dehydrogenative cascade coupling reactions. The enantioselective version of this methodology has also been addressed, and new chiral centers have been introduced using a catalytic amount of a chiral phosphoric acid (CPA). Research on this topic has provided access to important compounds attractive for synthetic and pharmaceutical chemists. These compounds include carbocyclic, heterocyclic, and polycyclic systems, as well as polyunsaturated open-chain structures. Reactions leading to these compounds are initiated by coordination of an allene and an unsaturated π-bond moiety, such as olefin, alkyne, or another allene, to the Pd(II) center, followed by allene attack involving a C(sp³)-H cleavage under mild reaction conditions. Recent progress within our research group has shown that weakly coordinating groups (e.g., hydroxyl, alkoxide, or ketone) could also initiate the allene attack on Pd(II), which is essential for the oxidative carbocyclization. Furthermore, a highly selective palladium-catalyzed allenic C(sp³)-H bond oxidation of allenes in the absence of an assisting group was developed, which provides a novel and straightforward synthesis of [3]dendralene derivatives. For the oxidative systems, benzoquinone (BQ) and its derivatives are commonly used as oxidants or catalytic co-oxidants (electron transfer mediators, ETMs) together with molecular oxygen. A variety of transformations including carbocyclization, acetoxylation, arylation, carbonylation, borylation, β-hydride elimination, alkynylation, alkoxylation, and olefination have been demonstrated to be compatible with this Pd(II)-based catalytic oxidative system. Recently, several challenging synthetic targets, such as cyclobutenes, seven-membered ring carbocycles, spirocyclic derivatives, functional cyclohexenes, and chiral cyclopentenone derivatives were obtained with high selectivity using these methods. The mechanisms of the reactions were mainly studied by kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) or DFT computations, which showed that in most cases the C(sp³)-H cleavage is the rate-determining step (RDS) or partially RDS. This Account will describe our efforts toward the development of highly selective and atom-economic palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidative transformation of allenes (including enallenes, dienallenes, bisallenes, allenynes, simple allenes, and allenols) with a focus on overcoming the selectivity problem during the reactions.

Radical Borylative Cyclization of 1,6-Dienes: Synthesis of Boron-Substituted Six-Membered Heterocycles and Carbocycles

A radical borylative cyclization reaction of 1,6-dienes was developed to assemble boron-handled six-membered heterocycles and carbocycles. This reaction was initiated by the chemo- and regio-controlled addition of an N-heterocyclic carbene-boryl radical to one of the alkene tethers, followed by an intramolecular 6- exo cyclization to afford a six-membered ring framework. The utility of this method was demonstrated in the synthesis of diverse paroxetine analogues through late-stage derivatization of the boryl functional unit.

Kinetics and Mechanism of the Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Arylating Carbocyclization of Allenynes

Pd-catalyzed C-C bond-forming reactions under oxidative conditions constitute a class of important and widely used synthetic protocols. This Article describes a mechanistic investigation of the arylating carbocyclization of allenynes using boronic acids and focuses on the correlation between reaction conditions and product selectivity. Isotope effects confirm that either allenic or propargylic C-H activation occurs directly after substrate binding. With an excess of H₂O, a triene product is selectively formed via allenic C-H activation. The latter C-H activation was found to be turnover-limiting and the reaction zeroth order in reactants as well as the oxidant. A dominant feature is continuous catalyst activation, which was shown to occur even in the absence of substrate. Smaller amounts of H₂O lead to mixtures of triene and vinylallene products, where the latter is formed via propargylic C-H activation. The formation of triene occurs only in the presence of ArB(OH)₂. Vinylallene, on the other hand, was shown to be formed by consumption of (ArBO)₃ as a first-order reactant. Conditions with sub-stoichiometric BF₃·OEt₂ gave selectively the vinylallene product, and the reaction is first order in PhB(OH)₂. Both C-H activation and transmetalation influence the reaction rate. However, with electron-deficient ArB(OH)₂, C-H activation is turnover-limiting. It was difficult to establish the order of transmetalation vs C-H activation with certainty, but the results suggest that BF₃·OEt₂ promotes an early transmetalation. The catalytically active species were found to be dependent on the reaction conditions, and H₂O is a crucial parameter in the control of selectivity.

Gadolinium and Platinum in Tandem: Real-time Multi-Modal Monitoring of Drug Delivery by MRI and Fluorescence Imaging

A novel dual-imaging cisplatin-carrying molecular cargo capable of performing simultaneous optical and MR imaging is reported herein. This long-lasting MRI contrast agent (r₁ relaxivity of 23.4 mM^-1s^-1 at 3T, 25 ^oC) is a photo-activated cisplatin prodrug (PtGdL) which enables real-time monitoring of anti-cancer efficacy. PtGdL is a model for monitoring the drug delivery and anti-cancer efficacy by MRI with a much longer retention time (24 hours) in several organs such as renal cortex and spleen than GdDOTA and its motif control GdL. Upon complete release of cisplatin, all PtGdL is converted to GdL enabling subsequent MRI analyses of therapy efficacy within its reasonably short clearance time of 4 hours. There is also responsive fluorescence enhancement for monitoring by photon-excitation.

Mechanistic insight into the selective olefin-directed oxidative carbocyclization and borylation by a palladium catalyst: a theoretical study

Lowering the polarity of the solvent disfavors the olefin insertion step and the formation of cyclobuteneboron product.

Palladium-catalyzed cascade metallo-ene/Suzuki coupling reaction of allenamides

A new type of cascade metallo-ene/Suzuki coupling reaction of allenamides catalyzed by palladium is described.

Enantioselective construction of quaternary tetrahydropyridines by palladium-catalyzed vinylborylation of alkenes

The Pd(0)-catalyzed asymmetric vinylborylation of (Z)-1-iodo-dienes with B₂pin₂ is reported, which provides access to 3,3-disubstituted tetrahydropyridine with excellent enantioselectivity.

A Synthesis of Substituted α-Allenols via Iron-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Propargyl Carboxylates with Grignard Reagents

α-Allenols are attractive and versatile compounds whose preparation can be a nontrivial task. In this Letter, we provide a method for the prompt synthesis of substituted α-allenols via a catalytic cross-coupling reaction which makes use of a nontoxic and cost-effective iron catalyst. The catalyst loading is typically as low as 1-5 mol %. The mild reaction conditions (-20 °C) and the short reaction time (15 min) allow for the presence of a variety of functional groups. Moreover, the reaction was shown to be scalable up to gram-scale and the propargyl substrates are readily accessible by a one-pot synthesis.

Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Domino Carbocyclization-Arylation of Bisallenes

Herein we report a highly efficient and site-selective palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbocyclization–arylation reaction of bisallenes and arylboronic acids under operationally simple conditions for the selective synthesis of cyclohexadiene derivatives. The palladium source and the solvent proved to be crucial for the selectivity and the reactivity displayed. Interestingly, in the absence of the nucleophile, an oxidative carbocyclization-β-elimination pathway predominates. The reaction conditions are compatible with a wide range of functional groups, and the reaction exhibits broad substrate scope. Furthermore, key information regarding the mechanism was obtained using control experiments and kinetic studies.

Diboron(4) Compounds: From Structural Curiosity to Synthetic Workhorse

Although known for over 90 years, only in the past two decades has the chemistry of diboron(4) compounds been extensively explored. Many interesting structural features and reaction patterns have emerged, and more importantly, these compounds now feature prominently in both metal-catalyzed and metal-free methodologies for the formation of B-C bonds and other processes.

Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Carbocyclization-Borylation of Enallenes to Cyclobutenes

A highly efficient palladium-catalyzed oxidative borylation of enallenes was developed for the selective formation of cyclobutene derivatives and fully-substituted alkenylboron compounds. Cyclobutenes are formed as the exclusive products in MeOH in the presence of H2 O and Et3 N, whereas the use of AcOH leads to alkenylboron compounds. Both reactions showed a broad substrate scope and good tolerance for various functional groups, including carboxylic acid ester, free hydroxy, imide, and alkyl groups. Furthermore, transformations of the borylated products were conducted to show their potential applications.

Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Synthesis of α-Acetoxylated Enones from Alkynes

We report a palladium-catalyzed oxidative functionalization of alkynes to generate α-acetoxylated enones in one step. A range of functional groups are well-tolerated in this reaction. Mechanistic studies, including the use of (18) O-labeled DMSO, revealed that the ketone oxygen atom in the product originates from DMSO.

Enzyme- and Ruthenium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Transformation of α-Allenic Alcohols into 2,3-Dihydrofurans

An efficient one-pot method for the enzyme- and ruthenium-catalyzed enantioselective transformation of α-allenic alcohols into 2,3-dihydrofurans has been developed. The method involves an enzymatic kinetic resolution and a subsequent ruthenium-catalyzed cycloisomerization, which provides 2,3-dihydrofurans with excellent enantioselectivity (up to >99 % ee). A ruthenium carbene species was proposed as a key intermediate in the cycloisomerization.

Iron-catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Propargyl Carboxylates and Grignard Reagents: Synthesis of Substituted Allenes

Presented herein is a mild, facile, and efficient iron-catalyzed synthesis of substituted allenes from propargyl carboxylates and Grignard reagents. Only 1-5 mol % of the inexpensive and environmentally benign [Fe(acac)3 ] at -20 °C was sufficient to afford a broad range of substituted allenes in excellent yields. The method tolerates a variety of functional groups.