Copper-catalyzed C–P cross-coupling of arylmethyl quaternary ammonium salts via C–N bond cleavage

Ligand-Free Iron-Catalyzed Construction of C-P Bonds via Phosphorylation of Alcohols: Synthesis of Phosphine Oxides and Phosphine Compounds

An efficient method for the construction of C-P(V) and C-P(III) bonds via the iron-catalyzed phosphorylation of alcohols under ligand-free conditions is disclosed. This strategy represents a straightforward process to prepare a series of phosphine oxides and phosphine compounds in good to excellent yields from the readily available alcohols and P-H compounds. A plausible mechanism is also proposed. We anticipate that this mode of transforming simple alcohols would apply in chemical synthesis widely.

Transition metal-free coupling reactions of benzylic trimethylammonium salts with di(hetero)aryl disulfides and diselenides

A new protocol was developed to synthesize (enantioenriched) thioethers and selenoethers from (chiral) benzylic trimethylammonium salts and di(hetero)aryl disulfides or diselenides. These syntheses were promoted by the presence of weak base and did not require the use of any transition metal, and resulted in the target products with good to excellent yields (72-94%). Using quaternary ammonium salts synthesized from enantiomerically enriched amines led to highly enantiopure benzylic thioethers and selenoethers (94-99% ee) with configurations reversed from those of their enantioenriched quaternary ammonium salts.