Base-Free Direct Synthesis of Alkynylphosphonates from Alkynes and H-Phosphonates Catalyzed by Cu2O

Green approach to the synthesis of α-aminophosphonate-tetrahydroisoquinoline hybrids and their anti-cholinesterase activity

A series of 19 novel α-aminophosphonate-tetrahydroisoquinoline hybrids were synthesized through a cross dehydrogenative coupling reaction between N-aryl-tetrahydroisoquinolines and dialkylphosphites, using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as oxidazing agent. This simple procedure provided products with high atom economy and moderate to high yields. In vitro cholinesterase inhibitory activity of these compounds was evaluated. All the synthesized compounds showed good to excellent selective inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase. Compound 3bc was found to be the most active derivative with an IC50 of 9 nM. Molecular modelling studies suggested that the inhibitor is located in the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of the enzyme and interacts with some residue of the catalytic anionic site. Kinetic studies revealed that 3bc acts as a non-competitive inhibitor. Predicted ADME showed good pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness properties for most hybrids. Each newly synthesized compound was characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 31P NMR spectral studies and also HRMS. The results of this study suggest that α-aminophosphonate-tetrahydroisoquinoline hybrids can be promising lead compounds in the discovery of new and improved drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.

Copper nanocatalysts applied in coupling reactions: a mechanistic insight

Copper-based nanocatalysts have seen great interest for use in synthetic applications since the early 20th century, as evidenced by the exponential number of contributions reported (since 2000, more than 48 000 works published out of about 81 300 since 1900; results from SciFinder using "copper nanocatalysts in organic synthesis" as keywords). These huge efforts are mainly based on two key aspects: (i) copper is an Earth-abundant metal with low toxicity, leading to inexpensive and eco-friendly catalytic materials; and (ii) copper can stabilize different oxidation states (0 to +3) for molecular and nanoparticle-based systems, which promotes different types of metal-reagent interactions. This chemical versatility allows different pathways, involving radical or ionic copper-based intermediates. Thus, copper-based nanoparticles have become convenient catalysts, in particular for couplings (both homo- and hetero-couplings), transformations that are involved in a remarkable number of processes affording organic compounds, which find interest in different fields (medicinal chemistry, natural products, drugs, materials, etc.). Clearly, this richness in reactivity makes understanding the mechanisms more complex. The present review focuses on the analysis of reported contributions using monometallic copper-based nanoparticles as catalytic precursors applied in coupling reactions, paying attention to those shedding light on the reaction mechanism.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Phosphonates via Rh/f-spiroPhos Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of β,β-Disubstituted Unsaturated Phosphonates

The first asymmetric hydrogenation of β,β-diaryl unsaturated phosphonates has been realized for synthesis of β,β-diaryl chiral phosphonates with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99.9% ee) catalyzed by the Rh-(R,R)-f-spiroPhos complex. Furthermore, this catalyst also exhibits comparably excellent performance for β-aryl-β-alkyl unsaturated phosphonates providing the corresponding chiral phosphonates with up to 99.9% ee values. This methodology provides a straightforward access to asymmetric synthesis of chiral phosphonates.

Selective Metal-Controlled Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated (Indolin-2-ylidene)methyl- and Quinolin-3-ylphosphonates

Metal-catalyzed (Cu, Ag, Au) reactions of alkynylphosphonates with 1-(2-aminophenyl)-2,2,2-trifluoroethan-1-ones were developed. Terminal alkyne diethyl ethynylphosphonate reacted with ketones to give different products depending on the catalyst used. With a CuI/PPh₃ catalytic system, the formation of CF₃-containing indoline derivatives was observed with good yields. The use of AgSbF₆ as a catalyst led to quinoline derivatives in high yields. The less reactive 2-substituted ethynylphosphonates required gold complexes as catalysts to provide the corresponding 2-aryl(alkyl) substituted 4-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-3-ylphosphonates with good yields.

Cross-Dehydrogenative Alkynylation: A Powerful Tool for the Synthesis of Internal Alkynes

Alkynes are among the most fundamentally important organic compounds and are widely used in synthetic chemistry, biochemistry, and materials science. Thus, the development of an efficient and sustainable method for the preparation of alkynes has been a central concern in organic synthesis. Cross-dehydrogenative coupling utilizing E-H and Z-H bonds in two different molecules can avoid the need for prefunctionalization of starting materials and has become one of the most straightforward methods for the construction of E-Z chemical bonds. This Review summarizes recent progress in the preparation of internal alkynes by cross-dehydrogenative coupling with terminal alkynes.

TiO2/Cu2O nanoparticle-catalyzed direct C(sp)-P bond formation via aerobic oxidative coupling in air and visible light

The synthesis of organophosphorus compounds is one of the important goals in organic chemistry. Among these compounds, alkynylphosphonates are significantly utilized as the main precursors for the synthesis of biologically active molecules in medicinal chemistry and have attracted extensive interest in the past few decades. Although few efforts have been made towards the direct and atom-economical synthesis of alkynylphosphonates, efforts towards the utilization of visible light as a green and renewable energy source have not been made to date. Here, we have promoted a strategy to construct a type of nano metal oxide composite photocatalyst (Cu2O decorated on TiO2) for the synthesis of alkynylphosphonates via direct C-P bond formation between terminal alkyne and H-phosphonate under visible light irradiation. In this p-n heterojunction photocatalyst, Cu2O acted as a visible-light absorber; moreover, the CB (conduction band) of TiO2 was favorable for accepting a photogenerated electron, and the generated electron hole (e-/h+) pair could initiate the reaction. The present study can provide a new way for the synthesis of this important class of phosphorus organic compounds.

An efficient preparation of β-ketophosphine oxides from alkynylphosphine oxides with benzaldehyde oxime as a hydroxide source

An effective transition-metal-free method has been developed for the preparation of β-ketophosphine oxides from alkynylphosphine oxides with benzaldehyde oxime.

Photoredox-catalyzed decarboxylative alkylation/cyclization of alkynylphosphine oxides: a metal- and oxidant-free method for accessing benzo[b]phosphole oxides

By photoredox-catalysis, alkylation/aryl cyclization of alkynylphosphine oxides towards benzo[b]phospholes has been realized under metal- and oxidant-free conditions at room temperature.

Aerobic oxidative alkynylation of H-phosphonates and amides: an efficient route for the synthesis of alkynylphosphonates and ynamides using a recyclable Cu–MnO catalyst

We developed a straightforward, atom-economical and scalable route for the synthesis of alkynylphosphonates and ynamides using a reusable Cu–MnO catalyst.

pH-Control as a way to fine-tune the Cu/Cu2O ratio in radiation induced synthesis of Cu2O particles

In this work we have optimized the γ-radiation induced synthesis of Cu-Cu2O particles from aqueous CuSO4 solution by investigating the effect of pH. The obtained precipitate was analyzed by XRD and SEM techniques. The results indicated that at solution pH lower than 3.75, quasi-spherical Cu agglomerates can be formed while at pH higher than 4.40 only octahedron-shaped Cu2O particles are produced. At solution pH in the range from 3.75 to 4.40, a Cu-Cu2O mixture is produced. It was found that the relative amount of Cu2O in the Cu-Cu2O precipitate increases with pH in the studied range. The influence of solution pH on the Cu/Cu2O ratios in the product can be explained on the basis of pH-dependent competition kinetics between the reactions leading to either Cu or Cu2O formation. As a consequence, the composition and morphology of the Cu-Cu2O precipitate can be tuned by controlling pH of the aqueous CuSO4 solution during the γ-radiation induced synthesis.

Direct synthesis of alkynylphosphonates from alkynes and phosphite esters catalyzed by Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles supported on Nb2O5

A new, recyclable and efficient copper catalyst for cross-couplings of alkynes and phosphite esters has been disclosed, in which the synergistic effects of Nb₂O₅ on the catalyst are found owing to its strong Lewis acid sites.