Recent Progress in Coupling of Two Heteroarenes

Leveraging Triphenylphosphine-Containing Polymers to Explore Design Principles for Protein-Mimetic Catalysts

Complex interactions between noncoordinating residues are significant yet commonly overlooked components of macromolecular catalyst function. While these interactions have been demonstrated to impact binding affinities and catalytic rates in metalloenzymes, the roles of similar structural elements in synthetic polymeric catalysts remain underexplored. Using a model Suzuki-Miyuara cross-coupling reaction, we performed a series of systematic studies to probe the interconnected effects of metal-ligand cross-links, electrostatic interactions, and local rigidity in polymer catalysts. To achieve this, a novel bifunctional triphenylphosphine acrylamide (BisTPPAm) monomer was synthesized and evaluated alongside an analogous monofunctional triphenylphosphine acrylamide (TPPAm). In model copolymer catalysts, increased initial reaction rates were observed for copolymers untethered by Pd complexation (BisTPPAm-containing) compared to Pd-cross-linked catalysts (TPPAm-containing). Further, incorporating local rigidity through secondary structure-like and electrostatic interactions revealed nonmonotonic relationships between composition and the reaction rate, demonstrating the potential for tunable behavior through secondary-sphere interactions. Finally, through rigorous cheminformatics featurization strategies and statistical modeling, we quantitated relationships between chemical descriptors of the substrate and reaction conditions on catalytic performance. Collectively, these results provide insights into relationships among the composition, structure, and function of protein-mimetic catalytic copolymers.

Palladium-Catalyzed C2-Selective Direct Arylation of Benzo[b]thiophene 1,1-Dioxides with Arylboronic Acids

A novel oxidative cross-coupling of benzo[b]thiophene 1,1-dioxides with arylboronic acids was reported. The efficient reaction occurred at the C2-position via C-H activation, followed by Pd(II)-catalyzed arylation. Furthermore, a series of C2-arylated products with significant photoluminescence properties have been synthesized and characterized, which illustrates the potential applications of our method in the aggregation-induced emission field.

Copper-Catalyzed, Regioselective, Unsymmetrical Homocoupling of Quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones to Form C-N Homodimers

An environmentally benign and efficient method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical diquinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with potential axial chirality via inexpensive copper-catalyzed, low-toxicity, and stable PIFA oxidation, rarely assisted by PhSeSePh, regioselective homocoupling of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones under mild conditions is developed. This practical scheme is compatible with a variety of functional groups and allows the preparation of functionalized unsymmetrical dimeric quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones from readily available and safe starting materials, providing new ideas for the sustainable development of methodological studies of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones.

Domino Cyclization Reaction of o-Diisocyanoarenes for the Synthesis of Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridinobenzimidazole Backbones

An efficient procedure to access a variety of connected imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine and benzimidazole skeletons through the C-N bond was described as a new type of Buchwald-Hartwig reaction. Furthermore, the bis(imidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl)aryl-1,2-diamine scaffolds were obtained by changing the equivalent ratio of the starting materials. Some advantages of the protocol are the formation of four new bonds (C═C, C-N), a transition-metal-free reaction, a broad substrate scope, high yields, and mild reaction conditions. The reaction mechanism was confirmed on the basis of DFT calculations.

Design and synthesis of photostable triphenylamine based neutral AIE nano luminogens: specific and long-term tracking of mitochondria in cells

With the increasing dependence on fluorescence bioimaging, luminogens with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties have gained significant attention due to their excellent photostabilization, minimal photobleaching, high reliability, and superior biocompatibility. Since mitochondria are crucial subcellular organelles in eukaryotic cells with important biological functions, organelle-specific AIE emitters with distinct functions have been highly sought after, but with limited success using simple synthetic methods. Here, we describe a strategy for synthesizing two triphenylamine (TPA) based acrylonitriles, tethered to different donor groups, TPA and phenothiazine (PTZ), respectively, with superior AIE properties using Suzuki coupling. We conducted a systematic and detailed experimental analysis of the structural characteristics of both AIE luminogens, which exhibited excellent photostability, a large Stokes shift, and bright solid-state emission. A cell viability study carried out with F1 and F2 dyes revealed that both luminogens exhibited excellent biocompatibility. Based on fluorescence experiments, F2 displayed excellent AIE characteristics, permeability, biocompatibility, and photostability compared to rhodamine 123, allowing it to selectively stain and track mitochondria in cancer cells over an extended period of time. The Pearson correlation coefficient of F2 and rhodamine 123 was estimated to have an r-value of 0.99. Our findings are expected to provide insight into the synthesis of an extensive archive of AIE-based acrylonitriles with fascinating properties for mitochondrial staining.

Palladium-Catalyzed C2-Selective Oxidative Olefination of Benzo[b]thiophene 1,1-Dioxides with Styrenes and Acrylates

Here, we disclose a novel Pd(II)-catalyzed oxidative Heck reaction of benzo[b]thiophene 1,1-dioxides with styrenes and acrylates. This transformation features broad functional group tolerance and high C2 selectivity. Furthermore, the photoluminescence properties of C-2 alkenylated products have been characterized, which illustrates the potential usefulness of our protocol in constructing π-conjugated fluorescent molecules.

N-Iodosuccinimide-Mediated Synthesis of Benzo-Fused Bisimidazoles Enabled by a One-Pot Tandem Reaction of Fluorinated Propargyl Amidines

A N-iodosuccinimide (NIS)-mediated divergent and efficient tandem reaction between fluorinated propargyl amidines and aromatic o-diamines without any metal catalyst and additive under mild reaction conditions was developed for the synthesis of benzo-fused bisimidazoles in moderate to excellent yields. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggested that this reaction proceeded by an intermediate of secondary amine derived from 5-iodomethyl imidazole, and NIS played another role of oxidation reagent to promote the formation of a benzimidazole motif.

Transition metal-catalyzed C-H/C-C activation and coupling with 1,3-diyne

This review provides a broad overview of the recent developments in the field of transition metal-catalyzed C-H/C-C bond activation and coupling with 1,3-diyne for assembling alkynylated heterocycles, bis-heterocycles, and 1,3-enynes. Transition metal-catalyzed inert bond (C-H/C-C) activation has been the focus of attention among synthetic chemists in recent times. Enormous developments have taken place in C-H/C-C bond activation chemistry in the last two decades. In recent years the use of 2π-unsaturated units as coupling partners for the synthesis of heterocycles through C-H/C-C bond activation and annulation sequence has received immense attention. Among the unsaturated units employed for assembling heterocycles, the use of 1,3-diynes has garnered significant attention due to its ability to render bis-heterocycles in a straightforward manner. The C-H bond activation and coupling with 1,3-diyne has been very much explored in recent years. However, the development of strategies for the use of 1,3-diynes in the analogous C-C bond activation chemistry is less explored. Earlier methods employed to assemble bis-heterocycle used heterocycles that were preformed and pre-functionalized via transition metal-catalyzed coupling reactions. The expensive pre-functionalized halo-heterocycles and sensitive and expensive heterocyclic metal reagents limit its broad application. However, the transition metal-catalyzed C-H activation obviates the need for expensive heterocyclic metal reagents and pre-functionalized halo-heterocycles. The C-H bond activation strategy makes use of C-H bonds as functional groups for effecting the transformation. This renders the overall synthetic sequence both step and cost economic. Hence, this strategy of C-H activation and subsequent reaction with 1,3-diyne could be used for the larger-scale synthesis of chemicals in the pharmaceutical industry. Despite these advances, there is still the possibility of exploration of earth-abundant and cost-effective first-row transition metals (Ni, Cu, Mn. Fe, etc.) for the synthesis of bis-heterocycles. Moreover, the Cp*-ligand-free, simple metal-salt-mediated synthesis of bis-heterocycles is also less explored. Thus, more exploration of reaction conditions for the Cp*-free synthesis of bis-heterocycles is called for. We hope this review will inspire scientists to investigate these unexplored domains.

Synthesis of bis-1,3-(benz)azoles catalyzed by palladium-PEPPSI complex-based catalysts and the study of photophysical properties

Many biologically potent molecules have been identified to consist of benzo [b]azoles skeleton that are regarded to be the most important drug targets. Specifically, bis-benzo azoles have been the privileged conjugated structures due to their broad applications in environmental catalysis, and synthesis of various polymers, advanced materials, ligands, and natural products. Considering the significant features, different approaches have been attempted to synthesize such molecules via C-H activations by utilizing the transition metal complexes. In this study, we have developed facile and efficient Pd-based N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes, i.e., Pd-PEPPSI (Palladium-Pyridine Enhanced Pre-catalyst Preparation Stabilization and Initiation) catalysts that could successfully activate C-H bond and construct C-C bond between two 1,3-(benz)azoles via intermolecular oxidative homo-coupling reaction. The prepared Pd NHC catalysts were characterized by NMR and XPS. Pd NHCs concern about the special electronic and steric factors as the strong σ-donating and poor π-accepting properties of these nuclei renders great diversity in the field of transition metal catalysis as ancillary ligands and catalysts. Key factors of this methodology include low catalyst load, good substrate scope (even with sterically hindered substituted components), but no necessity of any extraneous ligands/oxidants and working at ambient reaction conditions with good to excellent yields of the products. Further, the targeted bis azole molecules have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and cyclic voltammetric (CV) studies. The fluorescence and absorption spectra of a few of the synthesized compounds revealed that the electron-donating groups present on N-substituent dictate the absorption and emission bands.

Deconstructive Cycloaromatization Strategy toward N,O-Bidentate Ligands from Indolizines and Cyclopropenones

The innovative construction of novel N,O-bidentate ligands represents a long-standing challenge for chemists. Here, we report an unprecedented approach for the construction of N,O-bidentate derivatives via the merging of ring deconstruction with cycloaromatization of indolizines and cyclopropenones. Without any catalysts, our method can deliver a series of polyaryl 2-(pyridin-2-yl)phenols in excellent yields. In addition, N,O-bidentate organic BF₂ complexes can also be constructed via this one-pot protocol.

Copper-Catalyzed Aerobic Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling of β-Oxime Ether Furan with Indole

Heterobiaryls serve as relevant structural motifs in many fields of high applicative importance such as drugs, agrochemicals, organic functional materials etc. Cross-dehydrogenative coupling involving direct oxidation of two C-H bonds to construct a C-C bond is actively being pursued as a more benign and 'greener' alternative for synthesizing heterobiaryls. Herein, we report a Cu(I)-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative coupling of indoles and furans, two of the most important aromatic heterocycles using air as the terminal oxidant. The reaction proceeds with regio- and chemoselectivity to give the cross-coupled products in good to excellent yields generally. A broad substrate scope with respect to both the coupling partners has been demonstrated to prove the generality of this reaction. This represents the hitherto unexplored cross-dehydrogenative coupling methodology to obtain an indole-furan biaryl motif.

Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Biheteroarenes via Dehydrogenative and Decarboxylative Coupling: a Decade Update

The design and development of robust and efficient methods for installing one heterocycle with another is endowed as a ubiquitous and powerful synthetic strategy to access complex organic biheterocycles in recent days due to their pervasive applications in medicinal as well as material chemistry. This perspective presents an overview on the recent findings and developments for the synthesis of unsymmetrical biheteroarenes via dehydrogenative and decarboxylative couplings with literature coverage mainly extending from 2011 to 2021. For simplification of the readers, the article has been subcategorized based on the catalysts used in the reactions.

A General, Multimetallic Cross-Ullmann Biheteroaryl Synthesis from Heteroaryl Halides and Heteroaryl Triflates

Despite their importance to medicine and materials science, the synthesis of biheteroaryls by cross-coupling remains challenging. We describe here a new, general approach to biheteroaryls: the Ni- and Pd-catalyzed multimetallic cross-Ullmann coupling of heteroaryl halides with triflates. An array of 5-membered, 6-membered, and fused heteroaryl bromides and chlorides, as well as aryl triflates derived from heterocyclic phenols, proved to be viable substrates in this reaction (62 examples, 63 ± 17% average yield). The generality of this approach to biheteroaryls was further demonstrated in 96-well plate format at 10 μmol scale. An array of 96 possible products provided >90% hit rate under a single set of conditions. Further, low-yielding combinations could be rapidly optimized with a single "Toolbox Plate" of ligands, additives, and reductants.

Metal-catalysed C-Het (F, O, S, N) and C-C bond arylation

The formation of C-aryl bonds has been the focus of intensive research over the last decades for the construction of complex molecules from simple, readily available feedstocks. Traditionally, these strategies involve the coupling of organohalides (I, Br, Cl) with organometallic reagents (Mg, Zn, B, Si, Sn,…) such as Kumada-Corriu, Negishi, Suzuki-Miyaura, Hiyama and Sonogashira cross-couplings. More recently, alternative methods have provided access to these products by reactions with less reactive C-Het (F, O, S, N) and C-C bonds. Compared to traditional methods, the direct cleavage and arylation of these chemical bonds, the essential link in accessible feedstocks, has become increasingly important from the viewpoint of step-economy and functional-group compatibility. This comprehensive review aims to outline the development and advances of this topic, which was organized into (1) C-F bond arylation, (2) C-O bond arylation, (3) C-S bond arylation, (4) C-N bond arylation, and (5) C-C bond arylation. Substantial attention has been paid to the strategies and mechanistic investigations. We hope that this review can trigger chemists to discover more efficient methodologies to access arylation products by cleavage of these C-Het and C-C bonds.

Rh(III)-Catalyzed Oxidative C-2 Coupling of N-Pyridinylindoles with Benzo[b]thiophene 1,1-Dioxides via C-H Bond Activation

An efficient Rh(III)-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative coupling of N-pyridinylindoles with benzo[b]thiophene 1,1-dioxides has been developed through directing-group-assisted C-H activation. This transformation constructs a new C-C bond from two inert C-H bonds in a one-pot reaction. The present reaction is compatible with various functional groups with respect to indoles and benzothiophene[b] 1,1-dioxides. Furthermore, the emission properties of synthesized compounds have been explored.

The 2-Pyridyl Problem: Challenging Nucleophiles in Cross-Coupling Arylations

Azine-containing biaryls are ubiquitous scaffolds in many areas of chemistry, and efficient methods for their synthesis are continually desired. Pyridine rings are prominent amongst these motifs. Transition-metal-catalysed cross-coupling reactions have been widely used for their synthesis and functionalisation as they often provide a swift and tuneable route to related biaryl scaffolds. However, 2-pyridine organometallics are capricious coupling partners and 2-pyridyl boron reagents in particular are notorious for their instability and poor reactivity in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions. The synthesis of pyridine-containing biaryls is therefore limited, and methods for the formation of unsymmetrical 2,2'-bis-pyridines are scarce. This Review focuses on the methods developed for the challenging coupling of 2-pyridine nucleophiles with (hetero)aryl electrophiles, and ranges from traditional cross-coupling processes to alternative nucleophilic reagents and novel main group approaches.

Facile Access to Hetero-poly-functional Arenes and meta-Substituted Arenes via Two-Step Dimetalation and Mg/Halogen-Exchange Protocol

The Grignard reagent, iPrMgCl and its lithium chloride-enhanced 'turbo' derivative iPrMgCl⋅LiCl have been employed to investigate the single iodo/magnesium exchange reactions of the trisubstituted arenes, 2,5-diiodo-N,N-diisopropylbenzamide 1, 1,4-diiodo-2-methoxybenzene 2, and 1,4-diiodo-2-(trifluoromethyl)benzene 3. These three arenes themselves were initially prepared by a double ortho-, meta'-deprotonation of N,N-diisopropylbenzamide, anisole and (trifluoromethyl)benzene, respectively, using the sodium magnesiate reagent [Na₄ Mg₂ (TMP)₆ (nBu)₂ ] (where TMP is 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide), and subsequent electrophilic quenching with iodine/THF solution. Thus, by following a combined deprotonation and magnesium/halogen exchange strategy, the simple monosubstituted arenes can be converted to trisubstituted diiodoarenes, which can ultimately be transformed into the corresponding mono-magnesiated arenes, in THF at -40 °C, within seconds in good yields. The other functional group (OMe, NiPr₂ or CF₃ respectively) present on the di-iodoarenes helps direct the exchange reaction to the ortho position, whereas subsequent addition of different electrophiles permits the preparation of hetero-poly-functional-arenes, with three different substituents in their structure. Intriguingly, if water is used as the electrophile, a new and facile route to prepare meta-substituted arenes, which cannot be easily obtained by conventional processes, is forthcoming. In contrast to directed ortho-metalation (DoM) chemistry, this reaction sequence can be thought of as InDirect meta-Metalation (IDmM). The scope of the chemistry has been tested further by exposing the initial unreacted iodo-functionality at the meta-position to a second Mg/I-exchange reaction and subsequent functionalization.

Heteroarene-tethered Functionalized Alkyne Metamorphosis

Heteroarene-tethered functionalized alkynes are multipotent synthons in organic chemistry. This detailed Review described herein offers a thorough discussion of the metamorphosis of heteroarene-tethered functionalized alkynes, an area which has earned much attention over the past decade in the straightforward synthesis of architecturally complex heterocyclic scaffolds in atom and step economic manner. Depending upon the variety of functionalized alkynes, this Review is divided into multiple sections. Amongst the vast array of synthetic transformations covered, dearomatizing spirocyclizations and cascade spirocyclization/rearrangement are of great interest. Synthetic transformations involving the heteroarene-tethered functionalized alkynes with scope, challenges, limitations, mechanism, their application in the total synthesis of natural products and future perceptions are surveyed.

Nickel-catalyzed direct cross-coupling of heterocyclic phosphonium salts with aryl bromides

The cross-couplings of heterocyclic phosphonium salts with aryl bromides proceeded effectively in the presence of nickel(ii) catalyst, bipyridine ligand, magnesium, and LiCl, providing an easy entry to 4-arylated pyridines, quinolines, and pyrazines.

Iridium-catalyzed direct C-H arylation of cyclic N-sulfonyl ketimines with arylsiloxanes at ambient temperature

An iridium-catalyzed ortho-selective C-H arylation of cyclic N-sulfonyl ketimines has been achieved with environmentally benign aryl siloxanes. The reaction is highly efficient and proceeds at ambient temperature which is the key feature of the methodology considering the weak coordination nature of the substrate as well as the sluggish reactivity of siloxanes. A wide array of pharmaceutically relevant novel biaryls has been synthesized under operationally simple conditions.

Palladium-Catalyzed Electrophilic Functionalization of Pyridine Derivatives through Phosphonium Salts

Herein, we report a highly efficient and practical method for pyridine-derived heterobiaryl synthesis through palladium-catalyzed electrophilic functionalization of easily available pyridine-derived quaternary phosphonium salts. The nice generality of this reaction was goes beyond arylation, enabling facile incorporation of diverse carbon-based fragments, including alkenyl, alkynyl, and also allyl fragments, onto the pyridine core. Notably, the silver salt additive is revealed to be of vital importance for the success of this transformation and its pivotal role as transmetallation mediator, which guarantees a smooth transfer of pyridyl group to palladium intermediate, is also described.

Transition metal-catalyzed coupling of heterocyclic alkenes via C–H functionalization: recent trends and applications

Heterocyclic alkenes and their derivatives are an important class of reactive feedstock and valuable synthons. This review highlights the transition-metal-catalyzed coupling of heterocyclic alkenes via a C–H functionalization strategy.