Copper(I)-Catalyzed Alkylation of Aryl- and Alkenylsilanes Activated by Intramolecular Coordination of an Alkoxide

Reduced Tiara-like Palladium Complex for Suzuki Cross-Coupling Reactions

The design of highly active and structurally well-defined catalysts has become a crucial issue for heterogeneous catalysed reactions while reducing the amount of catalyst employed. Beside conventional synthetic routes, the employment of polynuclear transition metal complexes as catalysts or catalyst precursors has progressively intercepted a growing interest. These well-defined species promise to deliver catalytic systems where a strict control on the nuclearity allows to improve the catalytic performance while reducing the active phase loading. This study describes the development of a highly active and reusable palladium-based catalyst on alumina (Pd8 /Al2 O3 ) for Suzuki cross-coupling reactions. An octanuclear tiara-like palladium complex was selected as active phase precursor to give isolated Pd-clusters of ca. 1 nm in size on Al2 O3 . The catalyst was thoroughly characterised by several complementary techniques to assess its structural and chemical nature. The high specific activity of the catalyst has allowed to carry out the cross-coupling reaction in 30 min using only 0.12 mol % of Pd loading under very mild and green reaction conditions. Screening of various substrates and selectivity tests, combined with recycling and benchmarking experiments, have been used to highlight the great potentialities of this new Pd8 /Al2 O3 catalyst.

Influence of alkali metal cations on the formation of the heterobimetallic actinide tert-butoxides [AnM3(OtBu)7] and [AnM2(OtBu)6] (AnIV = Th, U; MI = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs)

Heterobimetallic tert-butoxides of alkali metal cations with tetravalent actinide centers exhibit two distinctive structural motifs, [AnM₂(O^tBu)₆] and [AnM₃(O^tBu)₇] (An^IV = Th, U and M^I = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs), evidently governed by the size of the alkali metal ions. Both [AnM₃(O^tBu)₇] AnM3 (An^IV = U, M^I = Li; An^IV = Th, M^I = Li, Na) and [AnM₂(O^tBu)₆] AnM2 (An^IV = U, M^I = Na-Cs; An^IV = Th, M^I = K-Cs) compounds are obtained in nearly quantitative yields by reacting actinide and alkali metal silyl amides with an excess of tert-butyl alcohol. The AnM3 complexes form a cubane-type coordination motif, whereas the AnM2 complexes display a geometry resembling two face-shared bipyramids. The sodium derivatives of thorium and uranium (ThNa3 and UNa2) allow the determination of the structural transition threshold as a function of the ratio of the ionic radii r_i(An^IV)/r_i(M^I). The AnM3 complexes are formed for ratios above 0.92 and the AnM2 type is formed for ratios below 0.87. All compounds are unambiguously characterized in both solution and solid states by NMR and IR spectroscopic studies and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, respectively.

Recent advance in the reactions of silacyclobutanes and their applications

Silacyclobutanes (SCBs), as a key member of organosilicon family, have received considerable attention in synthetic chemistry since the silicon-carbon bond can be activated. Followed by ring-opening and ring expansion process,...

Nickel(0)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Ring Expansion Toward Enantioenriched Silicon-Stereogenic Benzosiloles

The development of a straightforward strategy to obtain enantioenriched silicon-stereogenic benzosiloles remains a challenging yet appealing synthesis venture due to their potential future application in chiral electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this context, all of the existing methods rely on Rh-catalyzed systems and are somewhat limited in scope. Herein, we disclose the first Ni⁰ -catalyzed ring expansion process that enables the preparation of benzosiloles possessing tetraorganosilicon stereocenters in excellent yields and enantioselectivities. The presented catalysis strategy is further applied to the asymmetric synthesis of silicon-stereogenic bis-silicon-bridged π-extended systems. Preliminary studies reveal that such compounds exhibit fluorescence emission, Cotton effects and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity.

Silacyclization through palladium-catalyzed intermolecular silicon-based C(sp2)-C(sp3) cross-coupling

Silicon-based cross-coupling has been recognized as one of the most reliable alternatives for constructing carbon–carbon bonds. However, the employment of such reaction as an efficient ring expansion strategy for silacycle synthesis is comparatively little known. Herein, we develop the first intermolecular silacyclization strategy involving Pd-catalyzed silicon-based C(sp²)–C(sp³) cross-coupling. This method allows the modular assembly of a vast array of structurally novel and interesting sila-benzo[b]oxepines with good functional group tolerance. The key to success for this reaction is that silicon atoms have a stronger affinity for oxygen nucleophiles than carbon nucleophiles, and silacyclobutanes (SCBs) have inherent ring-strain-release Lewis acidity.

Herein, we develop the first silacyclization between 2-halophenols and SCBs, which allows the modular assembly of sila-benzo[b]oxepines with good functional group tolerance and can be applied for the late-stage modification of biologically active molecules.

Synthesis of unsymmetrical diarylmethanols via C–Si bond bifunctionalization enabled by sequential [1,4]-Csp2 to O-silyl migration

Unsymmetrical C–Si bond bifunctionalization of 2,2′-bis(trimethylsilyl) diphenylmethanol via “on–off–on” sequential [1,4]-Csp² to O-silyl migration installs Csp³/Csp³, Csp³/Csp² or Csp²/Csp³ in one pot, giving sterically congested unsymmetrical diarylmethanols in good yields.

Synthesis of Cyclic Alkenyl Dimethylsiloxanes from Alkynyl Benzyldimethylsilanes and Application in Polyene Synthesis

Cyclic dimethylalkenylsiloxanes, useful motifs for (Z)-selective Hiyama cross-coupling, are accessed from alkynyl benzyldimethylsilanes featuring adjacent allylic or homoallylic oxygen substituents by semihydrogenation/debenzylation/cyclization. While formation of 5- and 6-membered rings can be achieved from the free alcohols using fluoride or silanolate, allylic acetate precursors to 5-membered rings display distinct modes of activation. The utility of these compounds is demonstrated through the preparation of a variety of (Z)-alkene-containing polyenes and application to a concise total synthesis of leukotriene B₃.

One-Pot Twofold Unsymmetrical C-Si Bond 2,6-Bifunctionalization of Arenes via Sequential [1,4]-Csp2 to O-Silyl Migration

Twofold unsymmetrical C-Si bond bifunctionalization of 2,6-di(trimethylsilyl) benzyl alcohols has been achieved in one pot via sequential [1,4]-Csp² to O-silyl migration. The hydroxyl group functions as an "on-off-on" switch to control two successive silyl migrations, and 4,7-dimethyl-o-phenanthroline ligand favors cleavage of the endocyclic C-Si bond. Diverse Csp³/Csp³ or Csp²/Csp³ electrophiles can be installed at the 2- and 6-positions. This approach was used to chemoselectively functionalize the three C-Si bonds of 2,4,6-tri(trimethylsilyl) benzyl alcohol, transforming it into isochroman derivatives. The approach even works as a five-component reaction to construct complex symmetric structures.

Designing Cross-Coupling Reactions using Aryl(trialkyl)silanes

Organo(trialkyl)silanes have several advantages, including high stability, low toxicity, good solubility, easy handling, and ready availability compared with heteroatom-substituted silanes. However, methods for the cross-coupling of organo(trialkyl)silanes are limited, most probably because of their exceeding robustness. Thus, a practical method for the cross-coupling of organo(trialkyl)silanes has been a long-standing challenging research target. This article discusses how aryl(trialkyl)silanes can be used in cross-coupling reactions. A pioneering example is Cu^II catalytic conditions with the use of electron-accepting aryl- or heteroaryl(triethyl)silanes and aryl iodides. The reaction forms biaryls or teraryls. This design concept can be extended to Pd/Cu^II -catalyzed cross-coupling polymerization reactions between such silanes and aryl bromides or chlorides and to Cu^I -catalyzed alkylation using alkyl halides.

Room-Temperature Gold-Catalysed Arylation of Heteroarenes: Complementarity to Palladium Catalysis

Tailoring of the pre-catalyst, the oxidant and the arylsilane enables the first room-temperature, gold-catalysed, innate C-H arylation of heteroarenes. Regioselectivity is consistently high and, in some cases, distinct from that reported with palladium catalysis. Tolerance to halides and boronic esters, in both the heteroarene and silane partners, provides orthogonality to Suzuki-Miyaura coupling.

Copper-catalyzed arylation of alkyl halides with arylaluminum reagents

We report a Cu-catalyzed coupling between triarylaluminum reagents and alkyl halides to form arylalkanes. The reaction proceeds in the presence of N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-o-phenylenediamine (NN-1) as a ligand in combination with CuI as a catalyst. This catalyst system enables the coupling of primary alkyl iodides and bromides with electron-neutral and electron-rich triarylaluminum reagents and affords the cross-coupled products in good to excellent yields.

Cross-Coupling Synthesis of Methylallyl Alkenes: Scope Extension and Mechanistic Study

Cross-coupling reactions between 2-methyl-2-propen-1-ol and various boronic acids are used to obtain aromatic-(2-methylallyl) derivatives. However, deboronation or isomerization side reactions may occur for several boronic acids. We describe herein the synthesis of original alkenes with good yields under mild reaction conditions that decrease these side reactions. The scope of this environmentally benign reaction is thereby extended to a wide variety of boronic acids. A mechanistic study was conducted and suggested a plausible catalytic cycle mechanism, pointing to the importance of the Lewis acidity of the boronic acid used.

Modular Approach to Reductive C(sp2)-H and C(sp3)-H Silylation of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives through Single-Pot, Sequential Transition Metal Catalysis

We report a modular approach to catalytic reductive Csp2-H and Csp3-H silylation of carboxylic acid derivatives encompassing esters, ketones, and aldehydes. Choice of either an Ir(I)/Rh(I) or Rh(I)/Rh(I) sequence leads to either exhaustive reductive ester or reductive ketone/aldehyde silylation, respectively. Notably, a catalyst-controlled direct formation of doubly reduced silyl ethers is presented, specifically via Ir-catalyzed exhaustive hydrosilylation. The resulting silyl ethers undergo Csp2-H and benzylic Csp3-H silylation in a single vessel.

Diversity-oriented stereoselective synthesis of β,γ-disubstituted tert-homoallylic alcohols

The successive treatment of β-(trimethylsilyl)allyl phenyl sulfides with titanocene(II)-1-butene complex and ketones produced tertiary γ-(trimethylsilyl)homoallylic alcohols with good anti-selectivity, which reacted with a variety of organic halides in the presence of copper(I) tert-butoxide to afford the cross-coupling products, γ-substituted homoallylic alcohols.

Copper-catalysed cross-coupling of arylzirconium reagents with aryl and heteroaryl iodides

An unprecedented Cu^I-catalysed cross-coupling of arylzirconium reagents with aryl and heteroaryl iodides is reported. Mechanistic studies with a Cp₂ZrAr₂ complex revealed that Cp₂Zr(Ar)(Cl) is the reactive species that undergoes transmetalation with (PN-1)CuI.

Copper-catalysed cross-couplings of arylboronate esters with aryl and heteroaryl iodides and bromides

Cu-catalysed cross-coupling for mono- and di-arylations of aryl and heteroaryl iodides and bromides is achieved with arylboronate esters.

Copper-catalysed cross-coupling: an untapped potential

Copper is emerging as a viable catalytic metal for cross-coupling reactions to construct carbon–carbon (C–C) bonds.

Copper-catalyzed Hiyama cross-coupling using vinylsilanes and benzylic electrophiles

Copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of vinylsiloxanes with benzyl bromides allowing a mild and simple access to important allyl arene compounds.

Copper(i) 2-hydroxyethoxide-promoted cross-coupling of aryl- and alkenyldimethylsilanes with organic halides

The fluoride free cross-coupling between aryldimethylsilanes and organic halides proceeded in the presence of monocopper(i) alkoxide of ethylene glycol. The similar reaction of alkenyldimethylsilanes also took place with complete retention of configuration.