An Efficient Rhodium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Annulation of Internal Alkynes and Anilines To Produce Maleimides

Palladium-Catalyzed Tandem Cyclization of Bromoalkynes, Anilines and CO: Access to 1,3-Substituted Maleimides

A novel palladium-catalyzed three-component carbonylation reaction for the assembly of various 1,3-substituted maleimide derivatives from haloalkynes and simple anilines. The nucleophilic addition reaction of haloalkynes, anilines and CO, and insertion of carbonyl have been achieved sequentially in this reaction. The high chemo- and regioselectivities, as well as no need of expensive ligands or additives further illustrate the synthetic value of this approach.

Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Carbonylative Multifunctionalization of Alkynes

Currently, the construction of new carbon-carbon bonds and value-added structures in an atom- and step economical manner has become a continuous pursuit in the synthetic chemistry community. Since the first transition-metal-catalyzed hydroformylation of ethylene was reported by Otto Roelen in the 1930s, impressive progress has been achieved in the carbonylative functionalization of unsaturated C-C bonds. In contrast to alkenes, the carbonylative functionalization of alkynes offers tremendous potential for the construction of multisubstituted carbonyl-containing derivatives because of their two independently addressable π-systems. This review provides a timely and necessary investigation of transition-metal-catalyzed carbonylative mutifunctionalization of alkynes with the exclusion of carbonylative hydrofunctionalizations. Different transition metals including palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, iron, copper, etc. were applied to the development of novel carbonylative transformation. Various C-C, C-N, C-O, C-S, C-B, C-Si, and carbon-halogen bonds were formed efficiently and give the corresponding tri- or tetrasubstituted α,β-unsaturated ketones, diesters, and heterocycles.

Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Diarylfumaronitriles via Tandem Michael Addition and Oxidation under K3Fe(CN)6/O2 System

An efficient formal alkenyl C-H cyanation reaction has been developed for the general synthesis of unsymmetrical diarylfumaronitriles in good to excellent yields. The reaction was achieved through tandem Michael addition and an oxidative process. The merits of this transformation include the use of K₃Fe(CN)₆ as a safe and nontoxic cyanide source, without an external noble metal catalyst, oxygen-involved reactions, easily available raw materials, good functional group tolerance, high stereoselectivity, and potential further application of the products.

"On water" nano-Cu2O-catalyzed CO-free one-pot multicomponent cascade cyanation-annulation-aminolysis reaction toward phthalimides

An efficient nano-Cu2O-catalyzed cascade multicomponent reaction of 2-halobenzoic acids and trimethylsilyl cyanide with diverse amines was developed using water as a solvent, affording versatile N-substituted phthalimide derivatives in moderate to excellent yields. This novel strategy features carbon monoxide gas-free, environmentally benign, one-pot multistep transformation, commercially available reagents, a cheap catalyst without any additives, wide functional group tolerance, and operational convenience.

Palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidative carbonylation of alkynes with amines: a general access to substituted maleimides

A catalytic oxidative carbonylation reaction was developed for the synthesis of polysubstituted maleimides from alkynes and amines with air as a green oxidant.