Novel Chiral 1,3-Diamines by a Highly Modular Umpolung Strategy Employing a Diastereoselective Fluorination–Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Sequence

Catalytic SN Ar Hydroxylation and Alkoxylation of Aryl Fluorides

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_N Ar) is a powerful strategy for incorporating a heteroatom into an aromatic ring by displacement of a leaving group with a nucleophile, but this method is limited to electron-deficient arenes. We have now established a reliable method for accessing phenols and phenyl alkyl ethers via catalytic S_N Ar reactions. The method is applicable to a broad array of electron-rich and neutral aryl fluorides, which are inert under classical S_N Ar conditions. Although the mechanism of S_N Ar reactions involving metal arene complexes is hypothesized to involve a stepwise pathway (addition followed by elimination), experimental data that support this hypothesis is still under exploration. Mechanistic studies and DFT calculations suggest either a stepwise or stepwise-like energy profile. Notably, we isolated a rhodium η⁵ -cyclohexadienyl complex intermediate with an sp³ -hybridized carbon bearing both a nucleophile and a leaving group.

Ru(II)-Catalyzed Amination of Aryl Fluorides via η6-Coordination

We developed a Ru/hemilabile-ligand-catalyzed nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) of aryl fluorides as the limiting reagents. Significant ligand enhancement was demonstrated by the engagement of both electron-rich and neutral arenes in the S_NAr amination without using excess arenes. Preliminary mechanistic studies revealed that the nucleophilic substitution proceeds on a η⁶-complex of the Ru catalyst and the substrate, and the hemilabile ligand facilitates dissociation of products from the metal center.

N-Heterocyclic Olefin Catalysis for the Ring Opening of Cyclic Amidine Compounds: A Pathway to the Synthesis of ε-Caprolactam- and γ-Lactam-Derived Amines

For the first time, 1,2-dimethyl-3-ethylimidazolium iodide (1a) catalyzes the ring opening of the bicyclic amidine system of DBU (1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene) or DBN (1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene) on reaction with aldehydes. The mechanism here proposed involves an N-heterocyclic olefin (NHO) catalytic species that acts as a nucleophile to promote the cyclic amidine ring opening. The resulting ε-caprolactam- and γ-lactam-derived imines were obtained in moderate to excellent yields (28-99%) and reduced to the corresponding amines by sodium borohydride. Confirmation of the imine product was achieved via single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Ligand-Free Iron-Catalyzed C-F Amination of Diarylamines: A One-Pot Regioselective Synthesis of Diaryl Dihydrophenazines

A one-pot synthesis of various 5,10-diaryl-5,10-dihydrophenazines (DADHPs) from diarylamines has been achieved by using an iron-catalyzed C-F amination. Homodimerization of magnesium diarylamides, followed by defluorinative intramolecular cyclization (double ortho C-F amination) in the presence of catalytic FeCl₂ and stoichiometric 1,2-dibromoethane, affords the corresponding DADHPs with complete regiocontrol. The unique high reactivity of fluorine over other halogens indicates that amination proceeds via an S_NAr mechanism facilitated by iron.