Synthesis of dithienothiophenes, cyclopentadithiophene and silacyclopentadithiophenes using palladium-catalyzed cyclization

Novel dithienosilole-based conjugated copolymers and their application in bulk heterojunction solar cells

A series of silicon containing conjugated polymers were prepared from the novel asymmetrical dithienosilole.

Efficient Construction of Biaryls and Macrocyclic Cyclophanes via Electron-Transfer Oxidation of Lipshutz Cuprates

An efficient method for the homocoupling of aryl halides by electron-transfer oxidation of Lipshutz cuprates (Ar2Cu(CN)Li2) with organic electron acceptors is disclosed. Thus, various types of Lipshutz cuprates are prepared by successive treatment of aryl or heteroaryl bromides with tert-butyllithium and CuCN. The electron-transfer oxidation of Lipshutz cuprates with p-benzoquinones proceeds smoothly to afford the corresponding homocoupling products in moderate to good yields. Furthermore, it can be applied to the construction of either thiophene- or benzene-fused 10-membered ring cyclophanes. For the synthesis of 10-membered cyclophanes, the linear C-Cu-C structure of Lipshutz cuprates should be maintained in the dimetallacyclic intermediates, producing the large ring cyclophanes efficiently. The X-ray analysis of the cyclophanes reveals that the difference in the bridging atoms results in the different conformations of the macrocyclic rings. Thus, the silicon-bridged cyclophane 5a adopts a D2-symmetric structure with a twisted rhombic arrangement of four thiophene rings, whereas the methylene- and oxygen-bridged cyclophanes 5b and 5c possess C2h- and C2-symmetric structures with chair- and boatlike conformations, respectively. The 1H NMR spectrum of C2-symmetric 5c is temperature-dependent, and the activation energy (DeltaG) for the conformational change is 10.1 kcal/mol.

Chemical and Photochemical Synthesis of Substituted Dihydro-thieno[2',3':4,5]thieno[2,3-c]quinolin-6-ones and Tetrahydro-dithieno[2,3-b:2',3'-d]thieno[2'',3''c:2'',3''c’]diquinolin-6,14-dione

Some new substituted dihydrothieno[2',3':4,5]thieno[2,3-c]quinolin-6-ones 9-12 and tetrahydrodithieno[2,3-b: 2',3'-d]thieno[2'',3''-c:2'',3''-c’]diquinolin-6,14-dione (17) were prepared from the corresponding new anilides 5-8 and from the corresponding dianilide 15, respectively, by a multistep combination of chemical and photochemical reactions. All the prepared compounds are of particular interest because they might serve as DNA intercalators in anticancer therapy.

A concise synthesis of all four possible benzo[4,5]furopyridines via palladium-mediated reactions

[reaction: see text] By taking advantage of the alpha- and gamma-activation of chloropyridines as well as palladium-mediated reactions, all four possible benzo[4,5]furopyridine tricyclic heterocycles, benzo[4,5]furo[2,3-b]pyridine, benzo[4,5]furo[2,3-c]pyridine, benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-c]pyridine, and benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]pyridine, are efficiently synthesized from 2-chloro-3-iodopyridine, 3-chloro-4-stannylpyridine, 4-chloro-3-iodopyridine, and 2-chloro-3-hydroxypyridine, respectively.

Synthesis of 1,3-diynes via palladium-catalyzed reaction of 1, 1-dibromo-1-alkenes

[reaction: see text] Both symmetric and unsymmetric 1,3-diynes were prepared from the palladium-catalyzed reaction of 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes. The formation of symmetric 1,3-diynes 2 (homocoupling) was catalyzed by a weak ligand, tris(2-furyl)phosphine (TFP), and the addition of catalytic amount of CuI accelerated the reaction. The synthesis of unsymmetric 1,3-diynes 4 (the Sonogashira reaction) required a highly electron rich tris(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphine as the ligand, and CuI promotes the formation of byproduct 1,1-diynyl-1-alkenes 5.