Synthesis of Phenolic Compounds via Palladium Catalyzed C−H Functionalization of Arenes

Direct C-H Hydroxylation of N-Heteroarenes and Benzenes via Base-Catalyzed Halogen Transfer

Hydroxylated (hetero)arenes are valued in many industries as both key constituents of end products and diversifiable synthetic building blocks. Accordingly, the development of reactions that complement and address the limitations of existing methods for the introduction of aromatic hydroxyl groups is an important goal. To this end, we apply base-catalyzed halogen transfer (X-transfer) to enable the direct C-H hydroxylation of mildly acidic N-heteroarenes and benzenes. This protocol employs an alkoxide base to catalyze X-transfer from sacrificial 2-halothiophene oxidants to aryl substrates, forming SNAr-active intermediates that undergo nucleophilic hydroxylation. Key to this process is the use of 2-phenylethanol as an inexpensive hydroxide surrogate that, after aromatic substitution and rapid elimination, provides the hydroxylated arene and styrene byproduct. Use of simple 2-halothiophenes allows for C-H hydroxylation of 6-membered N-heteroarenes and 1,3-azole derivatives, while a rationally designed 2-halobenzothiophene oxidant extends the scope to electron-deficient benzene substrates. Mechanistic studies indicate that aromatic X-transfer is reversible, suggesting that the deprotonation, halogenation, and substitution steps operate in synergy, manifesting in unique selectivity trends that are not necessarily dependent on the most acidic aryl position. The utility of this method is further demonstrated through streamlined target molecule syntheses, examples of regioselectivity that contrast alternative C-H hydroxylation methods, and the scalable recycling of the thiophene oxidants.

Csp2-H functionalization of phenols: an effective access route to valuable materials via Csp2-C bond formation

In the vast majority of top-selling pharmaceutical and industrial products, phenolic structural motifs are highly prevalent. Non-functionalized simple phenols serve as building blocks in the synthesis of value-added chemicals. It is worth mentioning that lignin, being the largest renewable biomass source of aromatic building blocks in nature, mainly consists of phenolic units, which enable the production of structurally diverse phenols. Given their remarkable applicability in the chemical value chain, many efforts have been devoted to increasing the molecular complexity of the phenolic scaffold. Among the key techniques, direct functionalization of Csp2-H is a powerful tool, enabling the construction of new Csp2-C bonds in an economical and atomic manner. Herein we present and summarize the large plethora of direct Csp2-H functionalization methods that enables scaffold diversification of simple, unprotected phenols, leading to the formation of new Csp2-C bonds. In this review article, we intend to summarize the contributions that appeared in the literature mainly in the last 5 years dealing with the functionalization of unprotected phenols, both catalytic and non-catalytic. Our goal is to highlight the key findings and the ongoing challenges in the stimulating and growing research dedicated to the development of new protocols for the valorization of phenols.

Pd@GO catalyzed stereo- and regio-selective addition of arenes to alkynes and synthesis of coumarins via C-H functionalization

A stereo- and regio-selective addition of arenes to alkynes via C-H bond functionalization has been developed using palladium nanoparticles supported on graphite oxide (Pd@GO) as the reusable catalyst. The prepared catalyst was characterized by various spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, TEM, SEM, EDX, P-XRD, and XPS analysis. The thermal stability of the catalyst was established by TGA. The C-H functionalized products were obtained in good to excellent yields (69-92%) at room temperature. The methodology further extended to the synthesis of biologically and pharmaceutically important coumarin molecules from phenols and alkynes. Good to excellent yields of the coumarins (74-92%) were obtained. After the reaction, the catalyst was separated by centrifugation followed by filtration. The recovered catalyst was washed and reused up to five cycles. The advantages of this method are the simple procedure of the catalyst preparation, high catalytic efficiency, high selectivity, good functional group tolerance, low catalyst loading, and gram-scale synthesis.

Biomimetic design of an α-ketoacylphosphonium-based light-activated oxygenation auxiliary

The biomimetic design of a transition metal complex based on the iron(iv)-oxo porphyrin π-cation radical species in cytochrome P450 enzymes has been studied extensively. Herein, we translate the functions of this iron(iv)-oxo porphyrin π-cation radical species to an α-ketoacyl phosphonium species comprised of non-metal atoms and utilize it as a light-activated oxygenation auxiliary for ortho-selective oxygenation of anilines. Visible light irradiation converts the α-ketoacyl phosphonium species to the excited state, which acts as a transiently generated oxidant. The intramolecular nature of the process ensures high regioselectivity and chemoselectivity. The auxiliary is easily removable. A one-pot protocol is also described.

Advances in 4-Hydroxyphenylacetate-3-hydroxylase Monooxygenase

Catechols have important applications in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and functional material industries. 4-hydroxyphenylacetate-3-hydroxylase (4HPA3H), a two-component enzyme system comprising HpaB (monooxygenase) and HpaC (FAD oxidoreductase), demonstrates significant potential for catechol production because it can be easily expressed, is highly active, and exhibits ortho-hydroxylation activity toward a broad spectrum of phenol substrates. HpaB determines the ortho-hydroxylation efficiency and substrate spectrum of the enzyme; therefore, studying its structure-activity relationship, improving its properties, and developing a robust HpaB-conducting system are of significance and value; indeed, considerable efforts have been made in these areas in recent decades. Here, we review the classification, molecular structure, catalytic mechanism, primary efforts in protein engineering, and industrial applications of HpaB in catechol synthesis. Current trends in the further investigation of HpaB are also discussed.

Electrochemical sulfinylation of phenols with sulfides: a metal- and oxidant-free cross-coupling for the synthesis of aromatic sulfoxides

The site-selective C-H functionalization of arenes is of indisputable importance in organic chemistry. Herein, we have demonstrated an electrochemical regioselective oxidative cross-coupling towards the direct C(sp²)-H sulfinylation of phenols with sulfides under mild reaction conditions. The designed methodology furnished aryl sulfoxides in good to moderate yields under exogenous metal and oxidant-free conditions. Moreover, the exploitation of traceless electrons to carry out the tandem site-selective oxidative aryl chalcogenation is the striking feature of this methodology.

Ligand-Enabled C-H Hydroxylation with Aqueous H2O2 at Room Temperature

With the large number of Pd(II)-catalyzed C-H activation reactions of native substrates developed in the past decade, the development of catalysts to enable the use of green oxidants under safe and practical conditions has become an increasingly important challenge. Notably, the compatibility of Pd(II) catalysts with sustainable aqueous H2O2 has been a long-standing challenge in catalysis including Wacker-type oxidations. We report herein a bifunctional bidentate carboxyl-pyridone (CarboxPyridone) ligand that enables room-temperature Pd-catalyzed C-H hydroxylation of a broad range of benzoic and phenylacetic acids with an industry-compatible oxidant, aqueous hydrogen peroxide (35% H2O2). The scalability of this methodology is demonstrated by a 1000 mmol scale reaction of ibuprofen (206 g) using only a 1 mol % Pd catalyst loading. The utility of this protocol is further illustrated through derivatization of the products and synthesis of polyfluorinated natural product coumestan and pterocarpene from phenol intermediates prepared using this methodology.

Electrooxidative Dearomatization of Inactive Biphenyls to Cyclohexadienones

An efficient electrooxidative dearomatization of inactive biphenyls has been developed under mild and easy-to-operate conditions. The protocol provides a powerful tool for the rapid synthesis of cyclohexadienones in moderate to high yields with wide substrate scope and good functional group compatibility even to oxidation-sensitive motifs. This method provides an environment-friendly and direct approach for the construction of C-O bonds with high regioselectivity.

Tandem cyclocondensation of 1,3-bis-sulfonylpropan-2-ones with arylaldehydes. One-pot synthesis of tris-sulfonyl 3-arylphenols

One-pot tandem piperidinium acetate-mediated cyclocondensation of 1,3-bis-sulfonylpropan-2-ones with arylaldehydes generates tris-sulfonyl 3-arylphenols in moderate to good yields in refluxing toluene under easy-operational reaction conditions.

Chemodivergent assembly of ortho-functionalized phenols with tunable selectivity via rhodium(III)-catalyzed and solvent-controlled C-H activation

Ortho-functionalized phenols and their derivatives represent prominent structural motifs and building blocks in medicinal and synthetic chemistry. While numerous synthetic approaches exist, the development of atom-/step-economic and practical methods for the chemodivergent assembly of diverse ortho-functionalized phenols based on fixed catalyst/substrates remains challenging. Here, by selectively controlling the reactivities of different sites in methylenecyclopropane core, Rh(III)-catalyzed redox-neutral and tunable C-H functionalizations of N-phenoxyacetamides are realized, providing access to both ortho-functionalized phenols bearing linear dienyl, cyclopropyl or allyl ether groups, and cyclic 3-ethylidene 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran frameworks under mild cross-coupling conditions. These divergent transformations feature broad substrate compatibility, synthetic applications and excellent site-/regio-/chemoselectivity. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies reveal that distinct catalytic modes involving selective β-C/β-H elimination, π-allylation, inter-/intramolecular nucleophilic substitution cascade and β-H' elimination processes enabled by different solvent-mediated and coupling partner-controlled reaction conditions are crucial for achieving chemodivergence, among which a structurally distinct Rh(V) species derived from a five-membered rhodacycle is proposed as the corresponding active intermediates.

Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative ortho-C(sp2 )-H Aroylation of N-Sulfoximine Benzamides at Room Temperature

A palladium-catalyzed method for the decarboxylative ortho C-H acylation of N-sulfoximine benzamides is developed at room temperature. The catalytic method enables easy access to various functionalized 2-aroylaromatic carboxylic acid derivatives in good isolated yields. Based on our mechanistic studies, a Pd(II)/Pd(IV) catalytic cycle that involves aroyl radical intermediate is proposed for the reaction.