Catalysis by 1,2,3-triazole- and related transition-metal complexes

Click Chemistry for the Generation of Combination of Triazole Core and Thioether Donor Site in Organosulfur Ligands: Applications of Metal Complexes in Catalysis

During the last two decades, organosulfur compounds have been used in the field of transition metal catalysis. Some of such compounds are known for their ability to withstand their exposure to air and moisture. These compounds are very important ligands. They may be obtained using simple and smooth modular synthetic protocols which include nucleophilic substitution reactions. The development of click chemistry represents a new era of innovation. It is a lighthouse of reliable and efficient reactions. In recent past, click chemistry has also been applied for the synthesis of such organosulfur ligands specifically suited for the dynamic field of transition metal catalysis. In order to synthesize novel compounds containing sulfur and triazole ring, click chemistry is an advantageous methodology over other approaches. This article covers the general features and uses of this methodology for the development of catalytically active organosulfur compounds. The significant advances in the design of transition metal catalytic systems utilizing such ligands, their use in the catalysis of many chemical transformations are also covered in this article. Effort has also been made to present a comparative overview of the performances of such catalysts vis-à-vis the catalysts designed commonly used ligands. Catalytic performances have been discussed thoroughly in order to identify the impact of ligand architecture on efficacy of the catalyst. Effect of reaction conditions (such as time, temperature etc.) and mechanistic aspects have also been rationalized.

Group 11 complexes of a bulky triazene ligand

A new triazene ligand was prepared by the reaction of the bulky aryl azide, TerMesN3, (2,6-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)phenyl azide), with the bulky N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), SIPr (N,N'-2,6-bis(diisopropylphenyl)-3,4-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene). The steric bulk of these two groups leads to perpendicular bonding of the NHC-N3 plane and the aryl group which provides immense steric crowding around the triazene core. The corresponding π-conjugated triazene ligand was utilized as a neutral, monodentate ligand which results in monomeric Cu(I)Cl, Ag(I)OTf, and Au(I)Cl complexes. Instability of the π-conjugated triazene Au(I)Cl complex was observed, even under inert conditions. When dissolved and photolyzed in THF with workup in isopropanol, the compound decomposes forming [(SIPrNH)2Au(I)][Au(I)Cl2] a relatively stable compound to light, moisture, and water - alongside the formation of gold nanoparticles which were characterized using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy.

Calix[4]arene-based Supramolecular Gels for Mercury Ion Removal in Water

A calix[4]arene-based gelator 1, with lower-rim mono triazolylpyridine group, capable of spontaneous self-assembly into microspheres in different ethanol/H2 O mixtures, is synthesized. The concentration-dependent 1 H NMR spectra and X-ray single-crystal structure of 1 provided evidence for self-assembly of gelator 1 via cooperative interactions of intermolecular noncovalent forces. Furthermore, metallogels by self-assembly of 1 was found to exhibit remarkable selectivity toward Hg2+ ions. 1 H NMR spectra support that Hg2+ ion was bound to the nitrogen atoms of two coordination sites of 1, which composed of triazole and pyridine. Moreover, the results of field emission scanning electron microscopy and rheology experiments indicated that Hg2+ ions not only enhanced the gelling ability of gelator 1 in ethanol but also led to morphological change of its self-assembly through metal-ligand interactions. Finally, the in situ gelation, triggered by mixing a gelator solution of 1 in ethanol with water samples such as deionized (DI), tap, and lake water, leads to the effective removal of Hg(II) from a water sample which reduced from 400 to 1.6 ppm.

Research Advances on the Bioactivity of 1,2,3-Triazolium Salts

1,2,3-Triazolium salts have demonstrated significant potential in the fields of medicine and agriculture, exhibiting exceptional antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, and antileishmanial properties. Moreover, these salts can be utilized as additives or components to produce nano- and fiber-based materials with antibacterial properties. In this review, we summarize several synthetic strategies to obtain 1,2,3-triazolium salts and the structures of 1,2,3-triazolium derivatives with biological activities in the domains of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and functional materials. Additionally, the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of 1,2,3-triazolium salts with different biological activities has been analyzed. Finally, this review presents the potential applications and prospects of 1,2,3-triazolium salts in the fields of agriculture, medicine, and industrial synthesis.

Copper(i)-catalyzed click chemistry in deep eutectic solvent for the syntheses of β-d-glucopyranosyltriazoles

In the last two decades, click chemistry has progressed as a powerful tool in joining two different molecular units to generate fascinating structures with a widespread application in various branch of sciences. copper(i)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction, also known as click chemistry, has been extensively utilized as a versatile strategy for the rapid and selective formation of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. The successful use of CuAAC reaction for the preparation of biologically active triazole-attached carbohydrate-containing molecular architectures is an emerging area of glycoscience. In this regard, a well-defined copper(i)-iodide complex (1) with a tridentate NNO ligand (L1) was synthesized and effectively utilized as an active catalyst. Instead of using potentially hazardous reaction media such as DCM or toluene, the use of deep eutectic solvent (DES), an emerging class of green solvent, is advantageous for the syntheses of triazole-glycohybrids. The present work shows, for the first time, the successful use of DES as a reaction medium to click various glycosides and terminal alkynes in the presence of sodium azide. Various 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-glucopyranosyltriazoles were synthesized and the pure products were isolated by using a very simple work-up process (filtration). The reaction media was recovered and recycled in five consecutive runs. The presented catalytic protocol generated very minimum waste as reflected by a low E-factor (2.21-3.12). Finally, the optimized reaction conditions were evaluated with the CHEM21 green metrics toolkit.

Synthesis, Characterization and Photophysical Properties of Mesoionic N-Heterocyclic Imines

N -heterocyclic imines are widely used in transition-metal chemistry, main-group chemistry as well as catalysis, due to their enhanced basicity and nucleophilicity which benefit from their ylidic form. As their analogs, mesoionic N -heterocyclic imines, which feature more highly ylidic form, is still in its infancy though excellent works also achieved. Here we reported the synthesis, characterization and photophysical properties of mesoionic N -heterocyclic imines. TD-DFT are employed to get deeper insight into the mechanism of the photophysical behaviors. The unsubstituted mesoionic N-heterocyclic imines ( 1-3 ) displayed considerable quantum yields (QY: up to 43.8%) and could be potentially applied as luminescent materials.

Click chemistry in the synthesis of catalytically relevant organoselenium compounds: development and applications of catalysts for organic synthesis

Use of click chemistry in synthesizing organoselenium compounds and the applications of metal complexes of such compounds as catalysts for various chemical transformations have been critically analyzed.

Synthesis of fullerenyl-1,2,3-triazoles by reaction of fullerenyl azide with terminal acetylenes

Fullerenyltriazoles were synthesized by the interaction of azidofullerene with terminal acetylenes, in which the heterocyclic fragment is directly attached to the fullerene core. The electrochemical studies of the synthesized triazole-containing fullerenes have proved that the potentials of the first reduction peaks are shifted to a less cathodic region compared to unmodified C₆₀. According to theoretical calculations, synthesized fullerene C₆₀ derivatives can be considered as promising acceptor components of organic solar cells.

Facile Access to Triazole-Fused 3,1-Benzoxazines Enabled by Metal-Free Base-Promoted Intramolecular C–O Coupling

A convenient approach to assemble 1,2,3-triazole-fused 4H-3,1-benzoxazines has been developed. Diverse alcohol-tethered 5-iodotriazoles, readily accessible by a modified protocol of Cu-catalyzed (3+2)-cycloaddition, were utilized as precursors of the target fused heterocycles. The intramolecular C–O coupling proceeded efficiently under base-mediated transition-metal-free conditions, furnishing cyclization products in yields up to 96%. Suppression of the competing reductive cleavage of the C–I bond was achieved by the use of Na2CO3 in acetonitrile at 100 °C. This practical and cost-effective procedure features a broad substrate scope and valuable functional group tolerance.

Nucleophilic Activation of Sulfur Hexafluoride by N-Heterocyclic Carbenes and N-Heterocyclic Olefins: A Computational Study

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆ ) is considered as a potent greenhouse gas, whose effective degradation is challenging. Here we report a computational study on the nucleophilic activation of sulfur hexafluoride by N-heterocyclic carbenes and N-heterocyclic olefins. The result shows that the activation of SF₆ is both thermodynamically and kinetically favorable at mild condition using NHOs with fluoro-substituted azolium and sulfur pentafluoride anion being formed. The Gibbs free energy barrier during the activation of SF₆ has a linear relationship with the energy of HOMO of substrates, which could be a guideline for applying those compounds that feature higher energy in HOMO to activate SF₆ in high efficiency.

Optimizing Catalyst and Reaction Conditions in Gold(I) Catalysis-Ligand Development

This review considers phosphine and N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of gold(I) that are used as (pre)catalysts for a range of reactions in organic synthesis. These are divided according to the structure of the ligand, with the narrative focusing on studies that offer a quantitative comparison between the ligands and readily available or widely used existing systems.

1,2,3-Triazole framework: a strategic structure for C-H⋯X hydrogen bonding and practical design of an effective Pd-catalyst for carbonylation and carbon-carbon bond formation

1,2,3-Triazole is an interesting N-heterocyclic framework which can act as both a hydrogen bond donor and metal chelator. In the present study, C-H hydrogen bonding of the 1,2,3-triazole ring was surveyed theoretically and the results showed a good agreement with the experimental observations. The click-modified magnetic nanocatalyst Pd@click-Fe₃O₄/chitosan was successfully prepared, in which the triazole moiety plays a dual role as both a strong linker and an excellent ligand and immobilizes the palladium species in the catalyst matrix. This nanostructure was well characterized and found to be an efficient catalyst for the CO gas-free formylation of aryl halides using formic acid (HCOOH) as the most convenient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly CO source. Here, the aryl halides are selectively converted to the corresponding aromatic aldehydes under mild reaction conditions and low Pd loading. The activity of this catalyst was also excellent in the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of various aryl halides with phenylboronic acids in EtOH/H₂O (1 : 1) at room temperature. In addition, this catalyst was stable in the reaction media and could be magnetically separated and recovered several times.

Metal-free syntheses of N-functionalized and NH-1,2,3-triazoles: an update on recent developments

An overview of the latest developments in the metal-free synthesis of non-benzo-fused N-functionalized and NH-1,2,3-triazoles is provided in this feature article. Synthetic studies that appeared from 2016 until August 2020 are organized according to a wide-ranging classification, comprising oxidative and eliminative azide-dipolarophile cycloadditions, diazo transfer reactions and N-tosylhydrazone-mediated syntheses. The newly developed methods constitute a significant contribution to the field of 1,2,3-triazole synthesis in terms of structural variation via either the exploration of novel reactions, or the exploitation of existing methodologies.

The Heck reaction of allylic alcohols catalysed by an N-heterocyclic carbene-Pd(ii) complex and toxicity of the ligand precursor for the marine benthic copepod Amphiascoides atopus

The palladium-catalysed reaction of aryl halides and allylic alcohols is an attractive method for obtaining α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones, which represent key intermediates in organic synthesis. In this context, a 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene (aNHC)-based palladium(ii) complex formed in situ has been found to be a selective catalyst for the syntheses of building blocks from the corresponding aryl halides and allylic alcohols, with yields ranging from 50% to 90%. The lack of toxic effects of the ligand precursor (1,2,3-triazolium salt) of the palladium(ii) complex for the harpacticoid copepod Amphiascoides atopus allowed us to contrast the efficiency of the catalytic system with the potential impact of the principal waste chemical in global aquatic ecosystems, which has not been previously addressed.

A 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene (aNHC)-based palladium(ii) complex formed in situ has been found to be an efficient catalyst in the formation of C–C bonds.

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence from d10 -Metal Carbene Complexes through Intermolecular Charge Transfer and Multicolor Emission with a Monomer-Dimer Equilibrium

A series of two-coordinate AuI and CuI complexes (3 a, 3 b and 5 a, 5 b) are reported as new organometallic thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters, which are based on the carbene-metal-carbazole model with a pyridine-fused 1,2,3-triazolylidene (PyTz) ligand. PyTz features low steric hindrance and a low-energy LUMO (LUMO=-1.47 eV) located over the π* orbitals of the whole ligand, which facilitates intermolecular charge transfer between a donor (carbazole) and an accepter (PyTz). These compounds exhibit efficient TADF with microsecond lifetimes. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence kinetics of 3 a supports a rather small energy gap between S1 and T1 (ΔES 1 - T 1 =60 meV). Further experiments reveal that there are dual-emission properties from a monomer-dimer equilibrium in solution, exhibiting single-component multicolor emission from blue to orange, including white-light emission.

Triazolization of Enolizable Ketones with Primary Amines: A General Strategy toward Multifunctional 1,2,3-Triazoles

The development of metal-free syntheses toward 1,2,3-triazoles has been a burgeoning research area throughout the past decade. Despite the numerous advances, the scarceness of methods for the preparation of 1,5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles from readily available substrates remained a challenge that was addressed by our group in 2016. A metal-free three-component reaction, which we have dubbed the triazolization reaction, was established for the rapid synthesis of 1,5-disubstituted, fully functionalized and NH-1,2,3-triazoles. This novel approach stands out because it utilizes widely available starting materials, namely primary amines and enolizable ketones. Furthermore, the broad substrate scope is a major advantage, and was further expanded by the number of modified protocols that have been reported. Triazolization products have successfully found utility as intermediates in various synthetic transformations, and were the subject of a few interesting biological activity studies.

C-C coupling formation using nitron complexes

A series of RuII (1), RhIII (2), IrIII (3, 4), IrI (5) and PdII (6-9) complexes of the 'instant carbene' nitron were prepared and characterized by 1H- and 13C-NMR, FT-IR and elemental analysis. The molecular structures of complexes 1-4 and 6 were determined by X-ray diffraction studies. The catalytic activity of the complexes (1-9) was evaluated in alpha(α)-alkylation reactions of ketones with alcohol via the borrowing hydrogen strategy under mild conditions. These complexes were able to perform this catalytic transformation in a short time with low catalyst and base amounts under an air atmosphere. Also, the PdII-nitron complexes (6-9) were applied in the Suzuki-Miyaura C-C coupling reaction and these complexes successfully initiated this reaction in a short time (30 minutes) using the H2O/2-propanol (1.5 : 0.5) solvent system. The DFT calculations revealed that the Pd0/II/0 pathway was more preferable for the mechanism.

Multiple applications of polymers containing electron-reservoir metal-sandwich complexes

Ferrocene-containing polymers have been investigated for more than six decades, and more recently modern synthetic methods have allowed the fabrication of precise polymers that contain a variety of transition-metal complexes. Trends are now oriented towards applications, such as optics, energy conversion and storage, electrochemistry, magnetics, electric conductors and biomedicine. Metal-sandwich complexes such as those of ferrocene type and other related complexes that present redox-robust groups in polymers, i.e. that are isolable in both their oxidized and reduced forms, are of particular interest, because it is possible to address them using electronic or photonic redox stimuli for application. Our research groups have called such complexes Electron-Reservoirs and introduced them in the main chain or in the side chains of well-defined polymers. For instance, polymers with ferrocene in the main chain or in the side chain are oxidized to stable polycationic polyelectrolytes only if ferrocene is part of a biferrocene unit, because biferrocene oxidation leads to the biferrocenium cation that is stabilized by the mixed valency. Then a group of several redox-robust iron sandwich complexes were fabricated and incorporated in precise polymers including multi-block copolymers whose controlled synthesis and block incorporation was achieved for instance using ring-opening-metathesis polymerization. Applications of this family of Electron-Reservoir-containing polymers includes electrochemically induced derivatization of electrodes by decorating them with these polymers, molecular recognition and redox sensing, electrochromics with multiple colours, generation of gold and silver nanoparticles of various size by reduction of gold(iii) and silver(i) precursors and their use for nanocatalysis towards depollution and biomedicine.

Copper(ii) and zinc(ii) complexes of mono- and bis-1,2,3-triazole-substituted heterocyclic ligands

Chelating 1,4-disubstituted mono- (8a-8d) and bis-1,2,3-triazole-based (9a-11a) ligands were prepared by regioselective copper(i)-catalysed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of terminal alkynes with aromatic azides, together with bioconjugate 13a synthesized by amide coupling of l-phenylalanine methyl ester to 11a. Cu(ii) and Zn(ii) complexes were prepared and single crystal structures were determined for complexes 8aCu, 8dCu, 9cCu and 10cCu, as well as the free ligands 10a and 10c. The in situ prepared Zn(ii) complexes were studied by NMR spectroscopy, while the stoichiometry of the Cu(ii) complexes in solution was determined by UV-Vis titrations and confirmed by the electronic structure DFT calculations at the (SMD)/M05-2X/6-31+G(d)/LanL2DZ+ECP level of theory.

'Click' conjugated porous polymer nanofilm with a large domain size created by a liquid/liquid interfacial protocol

A liquid/liquid interfacial method is used to synthesize a conjugated porous polymer nanofilm with a large domain size. Copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition between a triangular terminal alkyne and azide monomers at a water/dichloromethane interface generates a 1,2,3-triazole-linked polymer nanofilm featuring a large aspect ratio and robustness against heat and pH.

Stable abnormal N-heterocyclic carbenes and their applications

Although N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have been known as ligands for organometallic complexes since the 1960s, these carbenes did not attract considerable attention until Arduengo et al. reported the isolation of a metal-free imidazol-2-ylidene in 1991. In 2001 Crabtree et al. reported a few complexes featuring an NHC isomer, namely an imidazol-5-ylidene, also termed abnormal NHC (aNHCs). In 2009, it was shown that providing to protect the C-2 position of an imidazolium salt, the deprotonation occurred at the C-5 position, affording imidazol-5-ylidenes that could be isolated. Over the last ten years, stable aNHCs have been used for designing a range of catalysts employing Pd(ii), Cu(i), Ni(ii), Fe(0), Zn(ii), Ag(i), and Au(i/iii) metal based precursors. These catalysts were utilized for different organic transformations such as the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, C-H bond activation, dehydrogenative coupling, Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (click reaction), hydroheteroarylation, hydrosilylation reaction and migratory insertion of carbenes. Main-group metal complexes were also synthesized, including K(i), Al(iii), Zn(ii), Sn(ii), Ge(ii), and Si(ii/iv). Among them, K(i), Al(iii), and Zn(ii) complexes were used for the polymerization of caprolactone and rac-lactide at room temperature. In addition, based on the superior nucleophilicity of aNHCs, relative to that of their nNHCs isomers, they were used for small molecules activation, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), tetrahydrofuran (THF), tetrahydrothiophene and 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9BBN). aNHCs have also been shown to be efficient metal-free catalysts for ring opening polymerization of different cyclic esters at room temperature; they are among the most active metal-free catalysts for ε-caprolactone polymerization. Recently, aNHCs successfully accomplished the metal-free catalytic formylation of amides using CO₂ and the catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide, including atmospheric CO₂, into methanol, under ambient conditions. Although other transition metal complexes featuring aNHCs as ligand have been prepared and used in catalysis, this review article summarize the results obtained with the isolated aNHCs.

Copper(i)-catalysed azide–alkyne cycloaddition and antiproliferative activity of mono- and bis-1,2,3-triazole derivatives

A series of mono- and bis-1,2,3-triazole derivatives were prepared via the copper(i)-catalysed azide–alkyne cycloaddition between substituted aromatic derivatives, comprising one or two terminal alkyne groups and a selection of aromatic azides.

Cu(ii) salen and 1,2,4-triazole complexes from thiosemicarbazone: synthesis, physicochemical and structural properties and cytotoxic activities

The complexes were synthesized from reaction of salicylaldehydethiosemicarbazone and ethylenediamine in the presence of CuCl₂.

Convenient synthesis of quinoline-fused triazolo-azepine/oxepine derivatives through Pd-catalyzed C–H functionalisation of triazoles

The convenient synthesis of a novel polycyclic fused system comprising three different heterocycles, viz., quinolines, azepines/oxepines and triazoles is presented in high yields.

Cyclodextrin polymer networks decorated with subnanometer metal nanoparticles for high-performance low-temperature catalysis

The synthesis of support materials with suitable coordination sites and confined structures for the controlled growth of ultrasmall metal nanoparticles is of great importance in heterogeneous catalysis. Here, by rational design of a cross-linked β-cyclodextrin polymer network (CPN), various metal nanoparticles (palladium, silver, platinum, gold, and rhodium) of subnanometer size (<1 nm) and narrow size distribution are formed via a mild and facile procedure. The presence of the metal coordination sites and the network structure are key to the successful synthesis and stabilization of the ultrasmall metal nanoparticles. The as-prepared CPN, loaded with palladium nanoparticles, is used as a heterogeneous catalyst and shows outstanding catalytic performance in the hydrogenation of nitro compounds and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction under mild conditions. The CPN support works synergistically with the metal nanoparticles, achieving high catalytic activity and selectivity. In addition, the catalytic activity of the formed catalyst is controllable.

Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of novel ruthenium complexes bearing NNN click based ligands

Novel air stable ruthenium(ii) complexes bearing tridentate ligands bis((1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl)amine (L1), 1-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)methanamine (L2) or 2-(4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)ethan-1-amine (L3) were synthesised. The nitrogen based ligands were easily prepared by virtue of click chemistry using cheap and commercially available reagents. The ruthenium complexes were obtained by heating the Ru(PPh3)3Cl2 precursor and the tridentate NNN ligand in toluene under reflux for 2 hours, achieving yields of 82-87%. These complexes were fully characterized by means of NMR, FT-IR and high resolution ESI spectroscopy. The crystal structure of one of the complexes was determined. These complexes showed excellent activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation of ketones and aldehydes. DFT calculations show that complex 3 may react through an outer-sphere catalytic cycle rather than via an inner-sphere mechanism.