Chemoselective and Direct Functionalization of Methyl Benzyl Ethers and Unsymmetrical Dibenzyl Ethers by Using Iron Trichloride

Pre-electrolysis of LiClO4 in Acetonitrile: Electrochemically Induced Protolytic Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation of Benzylic Ethers and Acetals with Allyl Trimethylsilane and Other Carbon Nucleophiles

The pre-electrolysis of LiClO4 in acetonitrile in an undivided cell applying only "catalytic" amounts of current (e.g., 0.05 F) led to the formation of a strong acidic medium for the activation of benzylic ethers and acetals. The activated primary and secondary benzylic ethers and acetals could be converted with a range of carbon nucleophiles, such as allyl trimethylsilane, silyl enol ethers, and enol acetates, for the formation of new carbon-carbon bonds. A chemoselective reaction was observed when electron-deficient benzylic acetals were converted with allyl trimethylsilane to the monoallylated products, whereas an electron-rich benzylic acetal led to the double allylated product under activation of both ether groups.

Site-Selective Csp3-Csp/Csp3-Csp2 Cross-Coupling Reactions Using Frustrated Lewis Pairs

The donor-acceptor ability of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) has led to widespread applications in organic synthesis. Single electron transfer from a donor Lewis base to an acceptor Lewis acid can generate a frustrated radical pair (FRP) depending on the substrate and energy required (thermal or photochemical) to promote an FLP into an FRP system. Herein, we report the Csp3-Csp cross-coupling reaction of aryl esters with terminal alkynes using the B(C6F5)3/Mes3P FLP. Significantly, when the 1-ethynyl-4-vinylbenzene substrate was employed, the exclusive formation of Csp3-Csp cross-coupled products was observed. However, when 1-ethynyl-2-vinylbenzene was employed, solvent-dependent site-selective Csp3-Csp or Csp3-Csp2 cross-coupling resulted. The nature of these reaction pathways and their selectivity has been investigated by extensive electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies, kinetic studies, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations both to elucidate the mechanism of these coupling reactions and to explain the solvent-dependent site selectivity.

Organic synthesis with the most abundant transition metal–iron: from rust to multitasking catalysts

The promising aspects of iron in synthetic chemistry are being explored for three-four decades as a green and eco-friendly alternative to late transition metals. This present review unveils these rich iron-chemistry towards different transformations.

Transition Metal Catalyzed Azidation Reactions

A wide range of methodologies for the preparation of organic azides has been reported in the literature for many decades, due to their interest as building blocks for different transformations and their applications in biology as well as in materials science. More recently, with the spread of the use of transition metal-catalyzed reactions, new perspectives have also materialized in azidation processes, especially concerning the azidation of C–H bonds and direct difunctionalization of multiple carbon-carbon bonds. In this review, special emphasis will be placed on reactions involving substrates bearing a leaving group, hydroazidation reactions and azidation reactions that proceed with the formation of more than one bond. Further reactions for the preparation of allyl and vinyl azides as well as for azidations involving the opening of a ring complete the classification of the material.

Electrochemical oxidative decarboxylation and 1,2-aryl migration towards the synthesis of 1,2-diaryl ethers

Carboxylic acid compounds are important chemicals and are widely present in various natural products. They are not only nucleophiles, but also radical precursors. Classic transition-metal-catalyzed and photochemical decarboxylation have shown their excellent site selectivity in radical chemistry. However, electrochemical decarboxylation with a long history hasn't got enough attention in recent years. In this work, the electrochemical oxidative decarboxylation and 1,2-aryl migration of 3,3-diarylpropionic acids have been introduced to construct C–O bonds with alcohols. Remarkably, this transformation can proceed smoothly without metal catalysts and external oxidants.

Carboxylic acid compounds are important chemicals and are widely present in various natural products. The conversion of carboxylic acids into valuable compounds is a promising field.

Photoredox Catalytic α-Alkoxypentafluorosulfanylation of α-Methyl- and α-Phenylstyrene Using SF6

SF6 was applied as pentafluorosulfanylation reagent to prepare ethers with a vicinal SF5 substituent through a one-step method involving photoredox catalysis. This method shows a broad substrate scope with respect to applicable alcohols for the conversion of α-methyl and α-phenyl styrenes. The products bear a new structural motif with two functional groups installed in one step. The alkoxy group allows elimination and azidation as further transformations into valuable pentafluorosulfanylated compounds. These results confirm that non-toxic SF6 is a useful SF5 transfer reagent if properly activated by photoredox catalysis, and toxic reagents are completely avoided. In combination with light as an energy source, a high level of sustainability is achieved. Through this method, the proposed potential of the SF5 substituent in medicinal chemistry, agrochemistry, and materials chemistry may be exploited in the future.

One-pot, three-component approach to diarylacetonitriles

Described herein is a novel one-pot, three-component reaction where aldehydes, electron-rich arenes, and TMSCN in the presence of BF₃-OEt₂ allowed direct access to a number of diarylacetonitriles under mild reaction conditions in good to excellent yields.

Scandium as a pre-catalyst for the deoxygenative allylation of benzylic alcohols

Scandium triflate is an effective pre-catalyst for the deoxygenative allylation of benzylic and benzyhydryl alcohols.

Aromatic aldehyde-selective aldol addition with aldehyde-derived silyl enol ethers

Unprecedented chemoselectivity between aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes has been achieved in the Mukaiyama aldol reaction using aldehyde-derived silyl enol ethers.

B(C6F5)3 catalysed 1,6-conjugate allylation of para-quinone methides: expedient access to allyl diarylmethanes

An efficient protocol for the synthesis of unsymmetrical allyl diarylmethanes through a Lewis acid catalysed 1,6-conjugate addition of allylsilanes to para-quinone methides is described.

Metal catalyst-free substitution of allylic and propargylic phosphates with diarylmethyl anions

Substitution of secondary allylic and propargylic phosphates with the anions derived from Ar₂CH₂ with BuLi or LDA proceeded regioselectively and stereoselectively without a metal catalyst, affording inversion products in good yields.

Pincer-Nickel-Catalyzed Allyl-Aryl Coupling between Allyl Methyl Ethers and Arylzinc Chlorides

The P,N,N-pincer nickel complex [Ni(Cl){N(2-Ph2PC6H4)(2'-Me2NC6H4)}]-catalyzed allyl-aryl coupling was studied. The reaction of allyl methyl ethers, including (1-methoxyallyl)arenes and (3-methoxyprop-1-en-1-yl)arenes, with arylzinc chlorides afforded linear (E)-alkenes in high yields, whereas the reaction of (E)-1-methoxytridec-2-ene with p-Me2NC6H4ZnCl generated a mixture of linear and branched alkenes.

Gold-Catalyzed Benzylic Azidation of Phthalans and Isochromans and Subsequent FeCl3-Catalyzed Nucleophilic Substitutions

The benzylic positions of the phthalan and isochroman derivatives (1) as benzene-fused cyclic ethers effectively underwent gold-catalyzed direct azidation using trimethylsilylazide (TMSN3) to give the corresponding 1-azidated products (2) possessing the N,O-acetal partial structure. The azido group of the N,O-acetal behaved as a leaving group in the presence of catalytic iron(III) chloride, and 1-aryl or allyl phthalan and isochroman derivatives were obtained by nucleophilic arylation or allylation, respectively. Meanwhile, a double nucleophilic substitution toward the 1-azidated products (2) occurred at the 1-position using indole derivatives as a nucleophile accompanied by elimination of the azido group and subsequent ring opening of the cyclic ether nucleus produced the bisindolylarylmethane derivatives.

Biarylmethane and Fused Heterocyclic Arene Synthesis via in Situ Generated o- and/or p-Naphthoquinone Methides

o- and/or p-naphthoquinone methides (NQMs) can be selectively prepared by the ring opening of 1-(siloxymethyl)-1,4-epoxy-1,4-dihydronaphthalene derivatives based on a substituent effect at the 4 position of the substrates. The 4-alkyl- or silyl-substituted 1-(siloxymethyl)-1,4-epoxy-1,4-dihydronaphthalene was transformed to o-NQM (1-naphthoquinone-2-methide), which underwent Friedel-Crafts 1,4-addition of the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety to provide the 2-benzyl-1-naphthol as the biarylmethane and [4 + 2]-cycloaddition with a dienophile to give the fused heterocyclic arene. Meanwhile, the 4-unsubstituted 1-(siloxymethyl)-1,4-epoxy-1,4-dihydronaphthalene could be converted to the corresponding 4-benzyl-1-naphthol by the Friedel-Crafts 1,6-addition of p-NQM (1-naphthoquinone-4-methide) generated by the site-selective ring opening of the 1,4-epoxy moiety. Furthermore, the 4-(siloxymethyl)-(1,4-bis(siloxymethyl))-1,4-epoxy-1,4-dihydronaphthalene was transformed into a 2,4-bisbenzyl-1-naphthol or pentacyclic derivative via both the o- and p-NQM intermediates.

Cycloadditions of cyclohexynes and cyclopentyne

We report the strategic use of cyclohexyne and the more elusive intermediate, cyclopentyne, as a tool for the synthesis of new heterocyclic compounds. Experimental and computational studies of a 3-substituted cyclohexyne are also described. The observed regioselectivities are explained by the distortion/interaction model.