Hydrosilylation of nitriles and tertiary amides using a zinc precursor

We report a competent and selective hydrosilylation of nitriles and tertiary amides catalyzed by the readily available zinc bis(hexamethyldisilazide) under solvent-free and mild conditions, making it a sustainable and desirable alternative to existing methods. Both protocols afforded high conversion, superior selectivity, and a broad substrate scope, from electron-withdrawing to electron-donating and heterocyclic substitutions.

Manganese Salan Complexes as Catalysts for Hydrosilylation of Aldehydes and Ketones

Manganese has attracted significant recent attention due to its abundance, low toxicity, and versatility in catalysis. In the present study, a series of manganese (III) complexes supported by salan ligands have been synthesized and characterized, and their activity as catalysts in the hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds was examined. While manganese (III) chloride complexes exhibited minimal catalytic efficacy without activation of silver perchlorate, manganese (III) azide complexes showed good activity in the hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds. Under optimized reaction conditions, several types of aldehydes and ketones could be reduced with good yields and tolerance to a variety of functional groups. The possible mechanisms of silane activation and hydrosilylation were discussed in light of relevant experimental observations.

Calcium-catalysed synthesis of amines through imine hydrosilylation: an experimental and theoretical study

A method to reduce aldimines through hydrosilylation is reported. The catalytic system involves calcium triflimide (Ca(NTf₂)₂) and potassium hexafluorophosphate (KPF₆) which have been shown to act in a synergistic manner. The expected amines are obtained in fair to very high yields (40-99%) under mild conditions (room temperature in most cases). To illustrate the potential of this method, a bioactive molecule with antifungal properties was prepared on the gram scale and in high yield in environmentally friendly 2-methyltetrahydrofuran. Moreover, it is shown in this example that the imine can be prepared in situ from the aldehyde and the amine without isolating the imine. The mechanism involved has been explored experimentally and through DFT calculations, and the results are in accordance with an electrophilic activation of the silane by the calcium catalyst.

Catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide by a zinc hydride compound, [Tptm]ZnH, and conversion to the methanol level

The zinc hydride compound, [Tptm]ZnH, may achieve the reduction of CO₂ by (RO)₃SiH (R = Me, Et) to the methanol oxidation level, (MeO)_xSi(OR)_4-x, via the formate species, HCO₂Si(OR)₃. However, because insertion of CO₂ into the Zn-H bond is more facile than insertion of HCO₂Si(OR)₃, conversion of HCO₂Si(OR)₃ to the methanol level only occurs to a significant extent in the absence of CO₂.

Catalytic Hydroboration and Reductive Amination of Carbonyl Compounds by HBpin using a Zinc Promoter

In this paper, the chemoselective hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones, catalyzed by Zinc(II) complexes [ k 2 -(PyCH=NR)ZnX 2 ] [R = CPh 3 , X = Cl ( 1 ) and R = Dipp (2,6-diisoropylphenyl) and X = I ( 2 )], in the presence of pinacolborane (HBpin) in ambient temperature and solvent-free conditions, which produced corresponding boronate esters in high yield, is reported. Zinc metal complexes 1 and 2 were derived in 80-90% yield from the reaction of iminopyridine [PyCH=NR] with anhydrous zinc dichloride in dichloromethane at room temperature. The solid-state structures of both zinc complexes were confirmed using X-ray crystallography. Zinc complex 1 was also used as a competent pre-catalyst in the reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with HBpin under mild and solvent-free conditions to afford a high yield (up to 97%) of the corresponding secondary amines. The wider substrate scope of both reactions was explored. Catalytic protocols using zinc as a pre-catalyst demonstrated an atom-economic and green method with diverse substrates bearing excellent functional group tolerance. Computational studies established a plausible mechanism for catalytic hydroboration.

Metal-Ligand Cooperation Facilitates Bond Activation and Catalytic Hydrogenation with Zinc Pincer Complexes

A series of PNP zinc pincer complexes capable of bond activation via aromatization/dearomatization metal–ligand cooperation (MLC) were prepared and characterized. Reversible heterolytic N–H and H–H bond activation by MLC is shown, in which hemilability of the phosphorus linkers plays a key role. Utilizing this zinc pincer system, base-free catalytic hydrogenation of imines and ketones is demonstrated. A detailed mechanistic study supported by computation implicates the key role of MLC in facilitating effective catalysis. This approach offers a new strategy for (de)hydrogenation and other catalytic transformations mediated by zinc and other main group metals.

The synthesis of unnatural α-alkyl- and α-aryl-substituted serine derivatives

The synthesis of α-aryl- and α-alkyl-substituted serine derivatives via [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allyl carbamates as a key step is reported. Allyl carbamates were obtained from the corresponding allyl alcohols. The former were prepared through three approaches. Aryl-substituted ones were synthesized via the Stille coupling reaction of aryl iodides with enantiomerically enriched vinyl stannanes. Conversely, alkyl-substituted allyl alcohols were prepared by an analogous strategy involving the Negishi coupling reaction of enantiomerically enriched vinyl iodides or by enzymatic kineric resolution of the corresponding racemic alcohols.

Ru-Catalyzed Chemo- and Enantioselective Hydrogenation of 2,4-Pentadien-1-ones: Synthesis of Chiral 2,4-Pentadien-1-ols

The asymmetric hydrogenation of 2,4-pentadien-1-ones has been achieved by using trans-RuCl₂[(R)-XylylSunPhos][(R)-Daipen] as a catalyst under basic conditions. This hydrogenation demonstrated exclusive C1-carbonyl selectivity, and thus the conjugated 2,4-diene motifs remained untouched, which provides a synthetically useful method for various chiral 2,4-pentadien-1-ols.

The synthesis of non-racemic β-alkyl-β-aryl-disubstituted allyl alcohols and their transformation into allylamines and amino acids bearing a quaternary stereocenter

Two approaches to chiral β-alkyl-β-aryl allyl alcohols and their transformation into non-racemic allylamines and amino acid derivatives bearing a quaternary stereocenter are described.

Highly Enantioselective Hydrosilylation of Ketones Catalyzed by a Chiral Oxazaborolidinium Ion

A highly enantioselective hydrosilylation of ketones was developed for the synthesis of a variety of chiral secondary alcohols. In the presence of a chiral oxazaborolidinium ion (COBI) catalyst, the reaction proceeded with good yields (up to 99%) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee).

Manganese-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrosilylation of Aryl Ketones

We disclose the synthesis of a series of manganese complexes of chiral iminopyridine oxazoline ligands and their application in the first manganese-catalyzed asymmetric ketone hydrosilylations. The most sterically hindered manganese catalyst bearing two CH(Ph)₂ groups at the 2,6-ortho positions of the imino aryl ring and a tBu group on the oxazoline ring furnishes the secondary alcohols in high enantioselectivities and yields.

Pure phosphotriesters as versatile ligands in transition metal catalysis: efficient hydrosilylation of ketones and diethylzinc addition to aldehydes

The phosphate fate: will proving the versatility of phosphate ligands in catalysis make them finally attractive?