Pd/C-catalyzed synthesis of N -aryl and N -alkyl isoquinolones via C H/N H activation

Recent Advances in Aerobic Oxidative of C-H Bond by Molecular Oxygen Focus on Heterocycles

Aerobic oxidative cross-coupling represents one of the most straightforward and atom-economic methods for construction of C-C and C-X (X=N, O, S, or P) bonds using air as a sustainable external oxidant. The oxidative coupling of C-H bonds in heterocyclic compounds can effectively increase their molecular complexity by introducing new functional groups through C-H bond activation, or by formation of new heterocyclic structures through cascade construction of two or more sequential chemical bonds. This is very useful as it can increase the potential applications of these structures in natural products, pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, and functional materials. This is a representative overview of recent progress since 2010 on green oxidative coupling reactions of C-H bond using O2 or air as internal oxidant focus on Heterocycles. It aims to provide a platform for expanding the scope and utility of air as green oxidant, together with a brief discussion on research into the mechanisms behind it.

Synthesis of Isoquinolones by Sequential Suzuki Coupling of 2-Halobenzonitriles with Vinyl Boronate Followed by Cyclization

A novel, facile, and expeditious two-step synthesis of 3,4-unsubstituted isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones from a Suzuki cross-coupling between 2-halobenzonitriles and commercially available vinyl boronates followed by platinum-catalyzed nitrile hydrolysis and cyclization is described.

Pd(II)-Catalyzed Annulation Reactions of Epoxides with Benzamides to Synthesize Isoquinolones

Epoxides as alkylating reagents are unprecedentedly applied in Pd(II)-catalyzed C-H alkylation and oxidative annulation of substituted benzamides to synthesize isoquinolones rather than isochromans, which is accomplished through alerting the previously reported reaction mechanism by the addition of oxidant and TEA. Under these conditions, various isoquinolones have been prepared with yields up to 92%. In addition, this methodology has been successfully employed in the total syntheses of rupreschstyril, siamine, and cassiarin A in an expedient fashion.

Steering Site-Selectivity in Transition Metal-Catalyzed C-H Bond Functionalization: the Challenge of Benzanilides

Selective C-H bond functionalization catalyzed by metal complexes have completely revolutionized the way in which chemical synthesis is conceived nowadays. Typically, the reactivity of a transition metal catalyst is the key to control the site-, regio- and/or stereo-selectivity of a C-H bond functionalization. Of particular interests are molecules that contain multiple C-H bonds prone to undergo C-H bond activations with very similar bond dissociation energies at different positions. This is the case of benzanilides, relevant chemical motifs that are found in many useful fine chemicals, in which two C-H sites are present in chemically different aromatic fragments. In the last years, it has been found that depending on the metal catalyst and the reaction conditions, the amide motif might behave as a directing group towards the metal-catalyzed C-H bond activation in the benzamide site or in the anilide site. The impact and the consequences of such subtle control of site-selectivity are herein reviewed with important applications in carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond forming processes. The mechanisms unraveling these unique transformations are discussed in order to provide a better understanding for future developments in the field of site-selective C-H bond functionalization with transition metal catalysts.

Isoquinolone Synthesis via Zn(OTf)2-Catalyzed Aerobic Cyclocondensation of 2-(1-Alkynyl)-benzaldehydes with Arylamines

A zinc(II) triflate-catalyzed cyclocondensation of ortho-alkynylbenzaldehydes with arylamines in the presence of base under an oxygen atmosphere affording isoquinolones in good to high yields has been developed. The advantages of the present catalyst system include the use of an air-stable and cheap commercially available Lewis acid as the catalyst, high atom utilization and easily available starting materials.

Combining the Ugi-azide multicomponent reaction and rhodium(III)-catalyzed annulation for the synthesis of tetrazole-isoquinolone/pyridone hybrids

An efficient sequence based on the Ugi-azide reaction and rhodium(III)-catalyzed intermolecular annulation has been established for the preparation of tetrazole-isoquinolone/pyridone hybrids. Several N-acylaminomethyltetrazoles were reacted with arylacetylenes to form the hybrid products in moderate to very good yields. The method relies on the capacity of the rhodium catalyst to promote C(sp2)-H activation in the presence of a suitable directing group. The Ugi-azide reaction provides broad molecular diversity and enables the introduction of the tetrazole moiety, which may further assist the catalytic reaction by coordinating the metal center. The scope of the isoquinolones is very wide and may be extended to the preparation of complex compounds having heterocyclic moieties such as pyridone, furan, thiophene and pyrrole, as well as the corresponding benzo-fused derivatives. The developed procedure is simple, reproducible and does not require inert conditions.

Computational Study of the Ni-Catalyzed C-H Oxidative Cycloaddition of Aromatic Amides with Alkynes

The mechanism of Ni-catalyzed ortho C(sp²)-H oxidative cycloaddition of aromatic amides with internal alkynes containing 2-pyridinylmethylamine directing group was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The C-H cleavage step proceeds via σ-complex-assisted metathesis (σ-CAM) with an alkenyl-Ni(II) complex. This is in contrast to the more common carboxylate/carbonate-assisted concerted metalation-deprotonation mechanism in related Ni-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization reactions with N,N-bidentate directing groups. In this reaction, the alkyne not only serves as the coupling partner, but also facilitates the σ-CAM C-H metalation both kinetically and thermodynamically. The subsequent functionalization of the five-membered nickelacycle proceeds via alkyne insertion into the Ni-C bond to form a seven-membered nickelacycle. This process proceeds with high levels of regioselectivity to form a C-C bond with sterically more encumbered alkyne terminus. This unusual regioselectivity is due to steric repulsions with the directing group that is coplanar with the alkyne in the migratory insertion transition state. The C-N bond reductive elimination to form the isoquinolone cycloadduct is promoted by PPh₃ complexation to the Ni center and the use of flexible 2-pyridinylmethylamine directing group. The origin of the cis-trans isomerism of alkene byproduct was also explained by computations.