The Use of Ureates as Activators for Samarium Diiodide

Studies of hydrogen isotope scrambling during the dehalogenation of aromatic chloro-compounds with deuterium gas over palladium catalysts

Catalytic dehalogenation of aromatic halides using isotopic hydrogen gas is an important strategy for labelling pharmaceuticals, biochemicals, environmental agents and so forth. To extend, improve and further understand this process, studies have been carried out on the scrambling of deuterium isotope with protium during the catalytic deuterodehalogenation of model aryl chlorides using deuterium gas and a palladium on carbon catalyst in tetrahydrofuran solution. The degree of scrambling was greatest with electron-rich chloroarene rings. The tetrahydrofuran solvent and the triethylamine base were not the source of the undesired protium; instead, it arose, substantially, from the water content of the catalyst, though other sources of protium may also be present on the catalyst. Replacement of the Pd/C catalyst with one prepared in situ by reduction of palladium trifluoroacetate with deuterium gas and dispersed upon micronised polytetrafluoroethylene led to much reduced scrambling (typically 0-6% compared with up to 40% for palladium on carbon) and to high atom% abundance, regiospecific labelling. The improved catalytic system now enables efficient polydeuteration via the dehalogenation of polyhalogenated precursors, making the procedure viable for the preparation of MS internal standards and, potentially, for high specific activity tritium labelling.

The SmI2/TEU--Mediated Cyclization of Unsaturated Halides

The combination of SmI₂ and the conjugate base of triethylurea (TEU^-) has been shown to favor the cyclization of unsaturated halides over direct reduction to a much greater extent than other SmI₂-based reductants. Aryl, heteroaryl, and alkyl halides (X = Br, Cl, F) readily undergo heterocyclization and carbocyclization in the presence of SmI₂/TEU^-.

Stereoselective Cascade Cyclizations with Samarium Diiodide to Tetracyclic Indolines: Precursors of Fluorostrychnines and Brucine

A series of γ-indolylketones with fluorine, cyano or alkoxy substituents at the benzene moiety was prepared and subjected to samarium diiodide-promoted cyclization reactions. The desired dearomatizing ketyl cascade reaction forming two new rings proceeded in all cases with high diastereoselectivity, but with differing product distribution. In most cases, the desired annulated tetracyclic compounds were obtained in moderate to good yields, but as second product tetracyclic spirolactones were isolated in up to 29 % yield. The reaction rate was influenced by the substituents at the benzene moiety of the substrate as expected, with electron-accepting groups accelerating and electron-donating groups decelerating the cyclization process. In case of a difluoro-substituted γ-indolylketone a partial defluorination was observed. The intermediate samarium enolate of the tetracyclic products could be trapped by adding reactive alkylating agents as electrophiles delivering products with quarternary carbons. In the case of a dimethoxy-substituted tetracyclic cyclization product a subsequent reductive amination stereoselectively provided a pentacyclic compound that was subsequently N-protected and subjected to a regioselective elimination. The obtained functionalized pentacyclic product should be convertible into the alkaloid brucine by four well-established steps. Overall, the presented report shows that functionalized tetracyclic compounds with different substituents are rapidly available with the samarium diiodide cascade cyclization as crucial step. Hence, analogues of the landmark alkaloid strychnine, for example, with specific fluorine substitutions, should be easily accessible.

Recent Advances in the Catalytic Synthesis of Imidazolidin-2-ones and Benzimidazolidin-2-ones

2-Imidazolidinone and its analogues are omnipresent structural motifs of pharmaceuticals, natural products, chiral auxiliaries, and intermediates in organic syntheses. Over the years, continuous efforts have been addressed to the development of sustainable and more efficient protocols for the synthesis of these heterocycles. This review gives a summary of the catalytic strategies to access imidazolidin-2-ones and benzimidazolidin-2-ones that have appeared in the literature from 2010 to 2018. Particularly important contributions beyond the timespan will be mentioned. The review is organized in four main chapters that identify the most common approaches to imidazolidin-2-one derivatives: (1) the direct incorporation of the carbonyl group into 1,2-diamines, (2) the diamination of olefins, (3) the intramolecular hydroamination of linear urea derivatives and (4) aziridine ring expansion. Methods not included in this classification will be addressed in the miscellaneous section.