Aerobic oxidation of secondary benzylic alcohols and direct oxidative amidation of aryl aldehydes promoted by sodium hydride

No Transition Metals Required - Oxygen Promoted Synthesis of Imines from Primary Alcohols and Amines under Ambient Conditions

The synthesis of imines denotes a cornerstone in organic chemistry. The use of alcohols as renewable substituents for carbonyl-functionality represents an attractive opportunity. Consequently, carbonyl moieties can be in situ generated from alcohols upon transition-metal catalysis under inert atmosphere. Alternatively, bases can be utilized under aerobic conditions. In this context, we report the synthesis of imines from benzyl alcohols and anilines, promoted by KOt Bu under aerobic conditions at room temperature, in the absence of any transition-metal catalyst. A detailed investigation of the radical mechanism of the underlying reaction is presented. This reveals a complex reaction network fully supporting the experimental findings.

Photochemical Selective Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohols to Aldehydes or Ketones

Using Eosin Y as a metal-free photocatalyst and O₂ as an oxidant, the present study reports a new photochemical protocol that enables efficient aerobic oxidation of various benzyl alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones in excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. The catalyst system presents good functional-group tolerance and exquisite chemoselectivity, which also can easily be scaled-up to gram scale. Moreover, the methodological applications in practical synthesis of several organic molecules and the primary reaction mechanism were also discussed.

Pd-Catalyzed Oxidative Aminocarbonylation of Arylboronic Acids with Unreactive Tertiary Amines via C-N Bond Activation

An efficient synthesis of tertiary amides from aryl boronic acids and inert tertiary amines through the oxidative carbonylation via C(sp³)-N bond activation is presented. This protocol significantly restricts the homocoupling biarylketone product. It involves the use of a homogeneous PdCl₂/CuI catalyst and a heterogeneous Pd/C based catalyst, which promotes C(sp³)-N bond activation of tertiary amines with aryl boronic acids. This process represents a ligand-free, base-free, and recyclable catalyst along with an ideal oxidant like molecular oxygen.

Potassium Base-Promoted Diastereoselective Synthesis of 1,3-Diols from Allylic Alcohols and Aldehydes through a Tandem Allylic-Isomerization/Aldol-Tishchenko Reaction

This study reports the first base-promoted aldol-Tishchenko reactions of allylic alcohols with aldehydes initiated by allylic isomerization. The reaction enables the diastereoselective synthesis of a variety of 1,3-diols with three contiguous stereogenic centers. Unlike commonly reported systems, our method allows the use of readily available allylic alcohols as nucleophiles instead of enolizable aldehydes and ketones.

Catalytic activity of Mg–Al hydrotalcites and derived mixed oxides for imination reactions via an oxidative-dehydrogenation mechanism

A Mg–Al hydrotalcite derived mixed oxide (Mg/Al ratio = 3.0) showed excellent catalytic activity in imination and tandem reactions via an oxidative-dehydrogenation mechanism.

Base-Mediated Transition-Metal-Free Dehydrative C-C and C-N Bond-Forming Reactions from Alcohols

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in using alcohols as alkylating agents for C-C and C-N bond-forming processes employing mainly TM-catalysts. Although BH-catalysis looks like a green atom economy process since water is the only by-product, it often suffers from one or more drawbacks, such as the use of expensive noble metal complexes, capricious ligands, and toxic organic solvents. Therefore, straightforward, efficient, atom economy and environmentally benign alternative protocols are desirable. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge within the published literature about dehydrative processes developed without TM-catalysts. The most recent contributions to this topic have been reviewed keeping into account the new findings reported in this area. The features, strengths, and limitations of these alcohol-based C-C and C-N bond-forming processes has also been taken into account.

A DNA-mimic contact-active functional group for antifouling ultrafiltration membranes

Despite advanced materials and techniques to reduce the fouling issue of membranes, 10-30% of the cost of ultrafiltration (UF) processes have been spent on membrane cleaning. Particularly in water treatment, the traditional heavy metal-based method is challenged due to its environmental pollution risk and increasing public health awareness. Here, we report the synthesis of a metal-free contact-active antifouling and antimicrobial membrane by covalently functionalizing a commercial polyacrylonitrile (PAN) UF membrane with 2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazine (DAT) via a one-step catalyst-free hydrothermal [4 + 2] cyclization of dicyandiamide reaction. The proposed mechanism of the antimicrobial activity of the DAT-functionalized membrane is through strong attraction between the DAT groups and the microbial membrane protein via strong hydrogen bonding, leading to microbial membrane disruption and thus microbe death. A high water flux and good reusability of the membrane against protein in a UF experiment were achieved. The low cost, easy availability of the compounds, as well as the facile reaction offer a high potential of the membrane for real applications in ultrafiltration.

nBu4NOTf-promoted radical self-hydrogen transferring isomerization under transition metal-free conditions

We report the first allylic isomerization of alcohols catalyzed by ⁿBu₄NOTf generated in situ from tetrabutylammonium triflate and potassium tert-butoxide.

Direct oxidative amidation of aldehydes with amines catalyzed by heteropolyanion-based ionic liquids under solvent-free conditions via a dual-catalysis process

A heteropolyanion-based ionic liquid catalyzed oxidative amidation of aldehydes with amines via a dual-catalysis pathway has been reported.

Directed Metalation-Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Strategies: Regioselective Synthesis of Hydroxylated 1-Methyl-phenanthrenes

A general, efficient, and regioselective synthesis of a series of hydroxylated 1-methylphenanthrenes 9 by a combined directed ortho metalation (DoM)-Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling-directed remote metalation (DreM) sequence is reported. Diversity to this methodology was achieved by a regioselective DoM rather than DreM reaction, affording more highly substituted phenanthrols ( Table 2 ). Application of the turbo-Grignard reagent (i-PrMgCl·LiCl) in the Ni-catalyzed Corriu-Kumada reaction gave efficient decarbamoylation ( Tables 3 and 4 ). Additional features are the TMS protecting group and halo-induced ipso-desilylation tactics applied to the regioselective synthesis of phenanthrenes ( Scheme 2 ).

Amide-controlled, one-pot synthesis of tri-substituted purines generates structural diversity and analogues with trypanocidal activity

A novel one-pot synthesis of tri-substituted purines and the discovery of purine analogues with trypanocidal activity are reported. The reaction is initiated by a metal-free oxidative coupling of primary alkoxides and diaminopyrimidines with Schiff base formation and subsequent annulation in the presence of large N,N-dimethylamides (e.g. N,N-dimethylpropanamide or larger). This synthetic route is in competition with a reaction previously-reported by our group, allowing the generation of a combinatorial library of tri-substituted purines by the simple modification of the amide and the alkoxide employed. Among the variety of structures generated, two purine analogues displayed trypanocidal activity against the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei with IC50 < 5 μM, being each of those compounds obtained through each of the synthetic pathways.

Hot water-promoted cyclopropylcarbinyl rearrangement facilitates construction of homoallylic alcohols

Hot water can promote the rearrangements of various types of cyclopropyl carbinols to afford acyclic or cyclic homoallylic alcohols in high yields.

Catalyst-free amidation of aldehyde with amine under mild conditions

A highly efficient, catalyst-free and one-pot procedure for the direct synthesis of amides from aldehydes and amines under mild conditions has been developed.

MnO2 catalyzed formylation of amines and transamidation of amides under solvent-free conditions

A facile and efficient MnO₂ catalyzed one-pot protocol for formylation of amine and transamidation of primary and secondary amides by amines has been developed.

(E)-Specific direct Julia-olefination of aryl alcohols without extra reducing agents promoted by bases

(E)-Specific direct Julia-olefination of aryl alcohols promoted by bases: a strategy of self-hydride transferring redox process.

Highly practical sodium(i)/azobenzene catalyst system for aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohols

An aerobic alcohol oxidation system was described firstly. The corresponding carbonyl compounds and acids were obtained respectively in good yields.

Direct synthesis of arenecarboxamides through Friedel-Crafts acylation using ureas

The reaction of urea derivatives that contain the phenothiazine unit with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride in the presence of electron-rich aromatic compounds leads to the formation of arenecarboxamides. The reaction has been successfully demonstrated for several inter- and intramolecular systems.