New cascade and multiple cross-coupling reactions for the efficient construction of complex molecules

Recent developments in enantioselective nickel(ii)-catalyzed conjugate additions

This review updates the field of enantioselective nickel-catalyzed conjugate additions since 2016.

Enantioselective magnesium-catalyzed transformations

This review updates the major progress in the field of enantioselective transformations promoted by chiral magnesium catalysts, covering the literature since 2007, illustrating the power of these green catalysts to promote many types of reactions.

Enantioselective Silver-Catalyzed Transformations

This review collects the major progress in the field of enantioselective transformations promoted by chiral silver catalysts, covering the literature since 2008, well illustrating the power of these especially mild Lewis acid catalysts to provide novel asymmetric reactions.

A study of palladium catalyzed intra/intermolecular cascade cross coupling/cyclizations involving bicyclopropylidene

The compounds [3-(2-Bromocyclohex-2-enyloxy)prop-1-ynyl]-tert-butyl-dimethylsilane 3, [4-(2-bromocyclohex-2-en-1-yloxy)but-2-yn-1-yloxy]tert-butyldimethylsilane 5 and dimethyl 2-(2-bromocyclohex-2-enyl)-2-(3-(tert-butyldimethylsilanyl)prop-2-ynyl)malonate 9 were prepared and subjected to palladium-catalyzed intra-intermolecular cascade cross couplings incorporating bicyclopropylidene 10 under two types of conditions. In the presence of Pd(OAc)₂, PPh₃ and K₂CO₃ in acetonitrile at 80 °C, the products were indene analogues, cross-conjugated tetraenes 11, 12 and 13, respectively. The corresponding spirocyclopropanated tricycle 16 in dimethylformamide at 110 °C was obtained, albeit in low yield (24%), and observed as an equimolar mixture of diastereomers, whereas 14, 15 were not fully isolated.

Mechanistic studies on the Cu-catalyzed three-component reactions of sulfonyl azides, 1-alkynes and amines, alcohols, or water: dichotomy via a common pathway

Combined analyses of experimental and computational studies on the Cu-catalyzed three-component reactions of sulfonyl azides, terminal alkynes and amines, alcohols, or water are described. A range of experimental data including product distribution ratio and trapping of key intermediates support the validity of a common pathway in the reaction of 1-alkynes and two distinct types of azides substituted with sulfonyl and aryl(alkyl) groups. The proposal that bimolecular cycloaddition reactions take place initially between triple bonds and sulfonyl azides to give N-sulfonyl triazolyl copper intermediates was verified by a trapping experiment. The main reason for the different outcome from reactions between sulfonyl and aryl(alkyl) azides is attributed to the lability of the N-sulfonyl triazolyl copper intermediates. These species are readily rearranged to another key intermediate, ketenimine, into which various nucleophiles such as amines, alcohols, or water add to afford the three-component coupled products: amidines, imidates, or amides, respectively. In addition, the proposed mechanistic framework is in good agreement with the obtained kinetics and competition studies. A computational study (B3LYP/LACV3P*+) was also performed confirming the proposed mechanistic pathway that the triazolyl copper intermediate plays as a branching point to dictate the product distribution.

Diels–Alder Reactions of Novel (1′-Arylallylidene)cyclopropanes with Heterodienophiles

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of various aryl iodides with bicyclopropylidene provided isolable (1'-arylallylidene)cyclopropanes, which reacted with a number of carbonyl compounds in the presence of Eu(fod)3 under high pressure to furnish oxaspiro[2.5]octene derivatives in moderate to good yields (22-69%). The reactions of the allylidenecyclopropanes with two azo compounds as dienophiles afforded diazaspiro[2.5]octenes in high yields (82 and 99%) even at ambient pressure. When treated with nitrosobenzene, two of the allylidenecyclopropanes gave the Diels-Alder adducts in up to 83 and 40% yield. 2,5-Diiodo-p-xylene coupled twice with bicyclopropylidene, and the product underwent a twofold Diels-Alder reaction with nitrosobenzene to produce the bis(spirocyclopropaneoxazine) derivative in 88% yield. This overall transformation can be brought about in a one-pot, two-step operation by addition of the nitrosoarene to the reaction mixture immediately after formation of the allylidenecyclopropanes to furnish various 5-oxa-4-azaspiro[2.5]oct-7-ene derivatives in 22-77% yield. The coupling of methyl bicyclopropylidenecarboxylate with 2,6-dimethylphenyl iodide produced a mixture of very stable regioisomeric allylidenecyclopropane derivatives in 90% yield. The reaction of this mixture with N-phenyltriazolinedione gave a corresponding mixture of the spirocyclopropanated heterobicycles in 61% yield.

Palladium-Catalyzed Alkylation−Hydride Reduction Sequence: Synthesis of Meta-Substituted Arenes

A new three-component, palladium-catalyzed domino reaction which gives access to meta-substituted arenes using aryl iodides and primary alkyl halides is reported. Various functional groups are tolerated on both the aryl iodide and alkyl halide. In addition, isotopic labeling studies provide insight into the mechanism of this Catellani-type reaction. [reaction: see text]

Tandem Stille/Suzuki−Miyaura Coupling of a Hetero-Bis-metalated Diene. Rapid, One-Pot Assembly of Polyene Systems

[structure: see text]. The synthesis of a hetero-bis-metallo 1,3-butadiene is reported, and its use as an orthogonal Stille and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling partner is detailed. The tin/boron diene participated successfully in a one-pot, sequential Stille and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling protocol, and its utility was demonstrated in the two-step construction of the pentaene side chain of the Fusarium metabolite lucilactaene.

Six- and Eightfold Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions of Hexa- and Octabromoarenes

Palladium-catalyzed sixfold coupling of hexabromobenzene (20) with a variety of alkenylboronates and alkenylstannanes provided hexaalkenylbenzenes 1 in up to 73 % and 16 to 41 % yields, respectively. In some cases pentaalkenylbenzenes 21 were isolated as the main products (up to 75 %). Some functionally substituted hexaalkenylbenzene derivatives containing oxygen or sulfur atoms in each of their six arms have also been prepared (16 to 24 % yield). The sixfold coupling of the less sterically encumbered 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexabromotriphenylene (24) gave the desired hexakis(3,3-dimethyl-1-butenyl)triphenylene (25) in 93 % yield. The first successful cross-coupling reaction of octabromonaphthalene (26) gave octakis-(3,3-dimethyl-1-butenyl)naphthalene (27) in 21 % yield. Crystal structure analyses disclose that, depending on the nature of the substituents, the six arms are positioned either all on the same side of the central benzene ring as in 1 a and 1 i, making them nicely cup-shaped molecules, or alternatingly above and below the central plane as in 1 h and 23. In 27, the four arms at C-1,4,6,7 are down, while the others are up, or vice versa. Upon catalytic hydrogenation, 1 a yielded 89 % of hexakis(tert-butylethyl)benzene (23). Some efficient accesses to alkynes with sterically demanding substituents are also described. Elimination of phosphoric acid from the enol phosphate derived from the corresponding methyl ketones gave 1-ethynyladamantane (3 b, 62 % yield), 1-ethynyl-1-methylcyclohexane (3 c, 85 %) and 3,3-dimethylpentyne (3 e, 65 %). 1-(Trimethylsilyl)ethynylcyclopropane (7) was used to prepare 1-ethynyl-1-methylcyclopropane (3 d) (two steps, 64 % overall yield). The functionally substituted alkynes 3 f-h were synthesized in multistep sequences starting from the propargyl chloride 11, which was prepared in high yields from the dimethylpropargyl alcohol 10 (94 %). The alkenylstannanes 19 were prepared by hydrostannation of the corresponding alkynes in moderate to high yields (42-97 %), and the alkenylboronates 2 and 4 by hydroboration with catecholborane (27-96 % yield) or pinacolborane (26-69 % yield).