Pd-tetrahydrosalan-type complexes as catalysts for sonogashira couplings in water: efficient greening of the procedure

Rigid, strained, and flexible: a DFT study of a backbone-affected monohydride formation of salen and salan complexes

The monohydride formation of some palladium(II)-sulfosalen and sulfosalan catalysts was studied by DFT methods. The coordination of the hydrogen molecule to the metal center and the following heterolytic dissociation of the coordinated hydrogen could occur in a two-step or a concerted process resulting in a monohydride complex and having a protonated dissociated phenolate arm. The effect of the backbone frame of the ligands (the molecular unit between two nitrogen atoms) strongly determines the energetics and the type of the hydride formation. Rigid, strained, and flexible molecular structures were studied covering a wide range of planar and spherical types of backbones. Besides the previously studied Direct 1 and Direct 2 mechanisms, three other mechanisms of direct monohydride formation were found. Known and fictive structures were studied to predict kinetically and thermodynamically preferred pathways as well as complexes for this type of reaction.

Graphical Abstract

Breaking the symmetry: C1-salans with (N-H) backbones

We disclose a synthetic route that providess an unprecedented library of C₁ salan ligands endowed with (N-H) backbones, previously limited to N-methylated backbones. Efforts to identify a generic complexation protocol to yield the corresponding Cu(II)-salan complexes demonstrate the scope and limitations of this approach.

A Waste-Minimized Approach to Cassar-Heck Reaction Based on POLITAG-Pd0 Heterogeneous Catalyst and Recoverable Acetonitrile Azeotrope

Three different Pd0 -based heterogeneous catalysts were developed and tested in the Cassar-Heck reaction (i. e., copper-free Sonogashira reaction) aiming at the definition of a waste minimized protocol. The cross-linked polymeric supports used in this investigation were designed to be adequate for different reaction media and were decorated with different pincer-type ionic ligands having the role of stabilizing the formation and dimension of palladium nanoparticles. Among the ionic tags tested, bis-imidazolium showed the best performances in terms of efficiency and durability of the metal catalytic system. Eventually, aqueous acetonitrile azeotrope was selected as the reaction medium as it allowed the best catalytic efficiency combined with easy recovery and reuse. Finally, the synergy between the selected catalyst and reaction medium allowed to obtain highly satisfactory isolated yields of a variety of substrates while using a low amount of metal catalyst. The high performance of the designed POLymeric Ionic TAG (POLITAG)-Pd0 , along with its good selectivity achieved in a copper-free process, also led to a simplified purification procedure allowing the minimization of the waste generated as also proven by the very low E-factor values (1.4-5) associated.

Copper(II) Complexes of Sulfonated Salan Ligands: Thermodynamic and Spectroscopic Features and Applications for Catalysis of the Henry Reaction

Copper(II) complexes formed with sulfonated salan ligands (HSS) have been synthesized, and their coordination chemistry has been characterized using pH-potentiometry and spectroscopic methods [UV-vis, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and electron-electron double resonance (ELDOR)-detected NMR (EDNMR)] in aqueous solution. Several bridging moieties between the two salicylamine functions were introduced, e.g., ethyl (HSS), propyl (PrHSS), butyl (BuHSS), cyclohexyl (cis-CyHSS, trans-CyHSS), and diphenyl (dPhHSS). All of the investigated ligands feature excellent copper(II) binding ability via the formation of a (O^-,N,N,O^-) chelate system. The results indicated that the cyclohexyl moiety significantly enhances the stability of the copper(II) complexes. EPR studies revealed that the arrangement of the coordinated donor atoms is more symmetrical around the copper(II) center and similar for HSS, BuHSS, CyHSS, and dPhHSS, respectively, and a higher rhombicity of the g tensor was detected for PrHSS. The copper(II) complexes of the sulfosalan ligands were isolated in solid form also and showed moderate catalytic activity in the Henry (nitroaldol) reaction of aldehydes and nitromethane. The best yield for nitroaldol production was obtained for copper(II) complexes of PrHSS and BuHSS, although their metal binding ability is moderate compared to that of the cyclohexyl counterparts. However, these complexes possess larger spin density on the nitrogen nuclei than that for the other cases, which alters their catalytic activity.

Palladium (II)-Salan Complexes as Catalysts for Suzuki-Miyaura C-C Cross-Coupling in Water and Air. Effect of the Various Bridging Units within the Diamine Moieties on the Catalytic Performance

Water-soluble salan ligands were synthesized by hydrogenation and subsequent sulfonation of salens (N,N'-bis(slicylidene)ethylenediamine and analogues) with various bridging units (linkers) connecting the nitrogen atoms. Pd (II) complexes were obtained in reactions of sulfosalans and [PdCl₄]^2-. Characterization of the ligands and complexes included extensive X-ray diffraction studies, too. The Pd (II) complexes proved highly active catalysts of the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction of aryl halides and arylboronic acid derivatives at 80 °C in water and air. A comparative study of the Pd (II)-sulfosalan catalysts showed that the catalytic activity largely increased with increasing linker length and with increasing steric congestion around the N donor atoms of the ligands; the highest specific activity was 40,000 (mol substrate) (mol catalyst × h)^-1. The substrate scope was explored with the use of the two most active catalysts, containing 1,4-butylene and 1,2-diphenylethylene linkers, respectively.

A coordination driven self-assembled Pd6L8 nanoball catalyses copper and phosphine-free Sonogashira coupling reaction in both homogeneous and heterogeneous formats

A self-assembled Pd₆L₈ nanocage catalysed copper free Sonogashira reaction under mild and aerobic conditions, at 100 ppm catalyst loading in aqueous medium in the homogeneous phase, and at 500 ppm in the heterogeneous phase.