Palldium-catalyzed 1,2-oxidation of allenes

Reactivity of allenylphosphonates/allenylphosphine oxides – some new addition/cycloaddition and cyclization pathways

In this paper, we highlight some addition/cycloaddition reactions of allenylphosphonates and allenylphosphine oxides, mostly based on the work done in our laboratory. Thus the electrophilic addition of iodine monochloride (ICl) with allenylphosphine oxides affords cyclic phosphonium salts rather than γ-chloro-β-iodovinylphosphine oxides (NMR, HRMS, X-ray) that exhibit rather unusual downfield shifts in the 31P NMR spectra. These compounds undergo hydrolysis to afford γ-hydroxy-β-iodovinylphosphine oxides; the hydroxymethyl group in these compounds can be oxidized by Dess-Martin periodinane to afford the corresponding aldehyde-substituted vinylphosphine oxides. A [2+2] cycloaddition product of an allenylphosphonate has also been structurally characterized. Other reactions that are highlighted include those leading to (Z)/(E)-β-aminovinylphosphonates, β-ketophosphonates (and their utility in Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction), indolyl/furanyl/isocoumaranyl/naphthyl phosphine oxides, thiophosphorylated phosphonates and azo-substituted coumarin phosphonates.

Highly functionalised (γ-azido/γ-fluoro-β-iodo/)vinyl derivatives from phosphorus based allenes or allenoates: I⋯O halogen bonding interactions

γ-Azido/γ-fluoro-β-iodo-vinyl phosphine oxides/phosphonates/esters/sulphone and a γ-diodoallene were synthesised from phosphorus-based allenes or allenoates or a sulphur based allene; in many cases, I⋯O halogen bonding is observed in the solid state.

Control of Selectivity in Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Oxidative Transformations of Allenes

Oxidation reactions play a central role in organic synthesis, and it is highly desirable that these reactions are mild and occur under catalytic conditions. In Nature, oxidation reactions occur under mild conditions via cascade processes, and furthermore, they often occur in an enantioselective manner with many of them involving molecular oxygen or hydrogen peroxide as the terminal oxidant. Inspired by the reactions in Nature, we have developed a number of Pd(II)-catalyzed cascade reactions under mild oxidative conditions. These reactions have an intrinsic advantage of step economy and rely on selectivity control in each step. In this Account, we will discuss the control of chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivity in Pd(II)-catalyzed dehydrogenative cascade coupling reactions. The enantioselective version of this methodology has also been addressed, and new chiral centers have been introduced using a catalytic amount of a chiral phosphoric acid (CPA). Research on this topic has provided access to important compounds attractive for synthetic and pharmaceutical chemists. These compounds include carbocyclic, heterocyclic, and polycyclic systems, as well as polyunsaturated open-chain structures. Reactions leading to these compounds are initiated by coordination of an allene and an unsaturated π-bond moiety, such as olefin, alkyne, or another allene, to the Pd(II) center, followed by allene attack involving a C(sp³)-H cleavage under mild reaction conditions. Recent progress within our research group has shown that weakly coordinating groups (e.g., hydroxyl, alkoxide, or ketone) could also initiate the allene attack on Pd(II), which is essential for the oxidative carbocyclization. Furthermore, a highly selective palladium-catalyzed allenic C(sp³)-H bond oxidation of allenes in the absence of an assisting group was developed, which provides a novel and straightforward synthesis of [3]dendralene derivatives. For the oxidative systems, benzoquinone (BQ) and its derivatives are commonly used as oxidants or catalytic co-oxidants (electron transfer mediators, ETMs) together with molecular oxygen. A variety of transformations including carbocyclization, acetoxylation, arylation, carbonylation, borylation, β-hydride elimination, alkynylation, alkoxylation, and olefination have been demonstrated to be compatible with this Pd(II)-based catalytic oxidative system. Recently, several challenging synthetic targets, such as cyclobutenes, seven-membered ring carbocycles, spirocyclic derivatives, functional cyclohexenes, and chiral cyclopentenone derivatives were obtained with high selectivity using these methods. The mechanisms of the reactions were mainly studied by kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) or DFT computations, which showed that in most cases the C(sp³)-H cleavage is the rate-determining step (RDS) or partially RDS. This Account will describe our efforts toward the development of highly selective and atom-economic palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidative transformation of allenes (including enallenes, dienallenes, bisallenes, allenynes, simple allenes, and allenols) with a focus on overcoming the selectivity problem during the reactions.

Chlorination of phenylallene derivatives with 1-chloro-1,2-benziodoxol-3-one: synthesis of vicinal-dichlorides and chlorodienes

Allyl and vinyl chlorides represent important structural motifs in organic chemistry. Herein is described the chemoselective and regioselective reaction of aryl- and α-substituted phenylallenes with the hypervalent iodine (HVI) reagent 1-chloro-1,2-benziodoxol-3-one. The reaction typically results in vicinal dichlorides, except with proton-containing α-alkyl substituents, which instead give chlorinated dienes as the major product. Experimental evidence suggests that a radical mechanism is involved.

Catalytic, Stereoselective Dihalogenation of Alkenes: Challenges and Opportunities

Although recent years have witnessed significant advances in the development of catalytic, enantioselective halofunctionalizations of alkenes, the related dihalogenation of olefins to afford enantioenriched vicinal dihalide products remains comparatively underdeveloped. However, the growing number of complex natural products bearing halogen atoms at stereogenic centers has underscored this critical gap in the synthetic chemist's arsenal. This Review highlights the selectivity challenges inherent in the design of enantioselective dihalogenation processes, and formulates a mechanism-based classification of alkene dihalogenations, including those that may circumvent the "classical" haliranium (or alkene-dihalogen π-complex) intermediates. A variety of metal and main group halide reagents that have been used for the dichlorination or dibromination of alkenes are discussed, and the proposed mechanisms of these transformations are critically evaluated.

Palladium-catalyzed highly regioselective 6-exo-dig cyclization and alkenylation of ortho-ethynylanilides: the synthesis of polyene-substituted benzo[d][1,3]oxazines

A Pd-catalyzed highly regioselective 6-exo-dig cyclization/alkenylation reaction of ortho-ethynylanilides has been developed.

Palladium(II)-catalyzed three-component coupling reaction initiated by acetoxypalladation of alkynes: an efficient route to gamma,delta-unsaturated carbonyls

[formula: see text] A divalent palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction of electron-deficient alkynes and acrolein or MVK (methyl vinyl ketone) was developed. The reaction provides an efficient method to synthesize gamma,delta-unsaturated carbonyls. A mechanism involving acetoxypalladation of alkyne, followed by insertion of alkene and protonolysis of the C-Pd bond, is proposed. The protonolysis of the carbon-palladium bond with the assistance of bidentate nitrogen containing ligands is the key step in this tandem reaction.

Additions of allenyl/propargyl organometallic reagents to 4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes: novel palladium-catalyzed domino reactions in allenynes

Metal-mediated carbonyl allenylation and propargylation of 4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes were investigated in aqueous environment. Different propargyl bromide and metal promoters showed varied regio- and stereoselectivities on product formation. In addition, an unprecedented one-pot stereoselective synthesis of beta-chlorinated allylic alcohols, which can also be considered as functionalized allylsilanes, has been developed, which involves tin(IV) chloride-mediated reaction of propargyltrimethylsilane and 4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes. Some of the resulting coupling products were submitted to transition metal catalyzed reactions, such as the allenic Pauson-Khand and palladium-catalyzed reactions, leading to novel fused or bridged tricyclic beta-lactams. Remarkably, a novel domino process, namely the allene cyclization/intramolecular Heck reaction was found. A likely mechanism for the cascade reaction should involve an intramolecular cyclization on a (pi-allyl)palladium complex and a Heck-type reaction.

Carbon-carbon bond formation in regio- and stereoselective palladium-catalyzed cyclization of allene-substituted conjugated dienes

Regio- and stereoselective palladium-catalyzed reactions of allene-substituted 1,3-dienes 1 in acetic acid at room temperature lead to cyclization with formation of a carbon-carbon bond between the middle carbon of the allene and the terminal carbon of the 1,3-diene. Two different types of reactions, both that constitute 1,4-carboacetoxylations of the 1,3-diene, have been developed. In one of the reactions, Pd(II) catalyzes the oxidation of 1 to bicyclic compounds 2, and in the other, Pd(0) catalyzes the transformation of 1 to bicyclic compounds 3. The products 2 are useful for further synthetic transformations and undergo Diels-Alder reactions with dienophiles to give polycyclic ring systems.

Palladium(II)-catalyzed S(N)2' reactions of alpha-allenic acetates. Stereoconvergent synthesis of (Z,E)-2-bromo-1,3-dienes

The reaction of acetylated alpha-allenic alcohols with LiBr in the presence of 1.5 mol % of Pd(OAc)(2) provides easy access to substituted (Z,E)-2-bromo-1,3-dienes in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivity. Both secondary and tertiary acetates as well as terminal and nonterminal allenes were studied to investigate the scope and the limitations of the reaction. A mechanism is proposed to clarify how a diastereomeric mixture of the starting compound is transformed into a single diastereomer of the product.

Palladium(II)-catalyzed tandem reaction of intramolecular aminopalladation of allenyl N-tosylcarbamates and conjugate addition

A divalent palladium-catalyzed tandem cyclization-coupling reaction of allenyl N-tosylcarbamates and acrolein was developed. The reaction gave aldehyde-functionalized 2-oxazolidinones in one step with high regioselectivity. A mechanism involving intramolecular aminopalladation of allene, followed by insertion of alkene and C-Pd bond protonolysis, is proposed. [reaction: see text]