Base-Promoted Amidation and Esterification of Imidazolium Salts via Acyl C–C bond Cleavage: Access to Aromatic Amides and Esters

Facile Cleavage of Activated Ketones: An Access to Thioethers via In Situ Generation of Anhydrides by Pummerer-Type Rearrangement

Herein, we report an oxygen insertion in activated ketones from simple inorganic carbonates for the synthesis of symmetric aromatic anhydrides. For the first time, Li2CO3 acts as an oxygen source and the in situ generated symmetric aromatic anhydrides undergo Pummerer-type rearrangement to access α-benzoyloxy-thioethers. Attractively, this protocol occurs under metal-, ligand-, and oxidant-free conditions and is compatible with a wide range of substrates. Control experiments reveal the reaction pathway.

Photo-Catalyzed Acyl Azolium Promoted Selective α-C(sp3 )-H Acylation of Acetone via HAT: Access to Thermodynamically Less Favoured (Z)-α,β-Unsaturated Ketones

Mono α-acylation of acetone has been achieved for the first time by reacting with bench-stable acyl azolium salts under violet-LED light at room temperature. The intermolecular hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) from acetone to triplet state of azolium salts under violet LED irradiation resulted in thermodynamically less favourable (Z)-α,β-unsaturated ketones with up to 99 : 1 selectivity via C-C bond formation. This compelling protocol access the desired α-C(sp3 )-H acylation product under metal-, ligand- and oxidant-free conditions on a wide range of substrates.

Solvent-controlled amidation of acid chlorides at room temperature: new route to access aromatic primary amides and imides amenable for late-stage functionalization†

Herein, we report a solvent-controlled highly selective amidation and imidation of aroyl chlorides using an alkali-metal silyl-amide reagent (LiHMDS), which serves as a nitrogen source at room temperature. A unique feature of this method lies in the sequential silyl amidation of aryol chlorides and nitrogen–silicon bond cleavage of the corresponding N,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzamide in a one-pot method in a very short reaction time. This effective strategy was extended to late-stage functionalization.

Herein, we report a solvent-controlled highly selective amidation and imidation of aroyl chlorides using an alkali-metal silyl-amide reagent (LiHMDS), which serves as a nitrogen source at room temperature.

Solvent- and additive-free oxidative amidation of aldehydes using a recyclable oxoammonium salt

A range of acyl azoles have been prepared from aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic aldehydes by means of an oxidative amidation reaction. The methodology employs a substoichiometric quantity of an oxoammonium salt as the oxidant. It avoids the need for additives such as a base, is run solvent-free, and the oxoammonium salt is recyclable.

Energy-Transfer-Mediated Photocatalysis by a Bioinspired Organic Perylenephotosensitizer HiBRCP

Energy transfer plays a special role in photocatalysis by utilizing the potential energy of the excited state through indirect excitation, in which a photosensitizer determines the thermodynamic feasibility of the reaction. Bioinspired by the energy-transfer ability of natural product cercosporin, here we developed a green and highly efficient organic photosensitizer HiBRCP (hexaisobutyryl reduced cercosporin) through structural modification of cercosporin. After structural manipulation, its triplet energy was greatly improved, and then, it could markedly promote the efficient geometrical isomerization of alkenes from the E-isomer to the Z-isomer. Moreover, it was also effective for energy-transfer-mediated organometallic catalysis, which allowed realization of the cross-coupling of aryl bromides and carboxylic acids through efficient energy transfer from HiBRCP to nickel complexes. Thus, the study on the relationship between structural manipulation and their photophysical properties provided guidance for further modification of cercosporin, which could be applied to more meaningful and challenging energy-transfer reactions.

Alternative and Uncommon Acylating Agents - An Alive and Kicking Methodology

Functionalizing and derivatising organic molecules is a centerpiece in organic synthesis. Succinctly manipulating and installing acyl moieties in organic molecules spurred the interest of chemists owing to its occurrence in natural products, bioactive molecules, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials. Traditionally, access to acylation reaction was achieved by Friedel-Crafts reaction, Schotten-Baumann, and Vilsmeier-Haack acylation, however, these protocols own pitfalls. Further to make the acylation process attractive and environmentally friendly, toluene, aldehydes, alcohols, α-keto acids, amines, amides, esters, ethers, nitriles, alkynes, alkenes, ketenes, N-acylbenzotriazoles, ketones, thioacids, oximes, thiazolium carbinols, PIDA, diacyl disulfides and acyl salts were used as an acyl surrogates/reagents. Amusingly, these acylating reagents are considered uncommon and alternative to carboxylic acids, acid chlorides and acetic anhydrides. This short review aims to encompass the usage of acylating agents in transition-metal, metal-free, light-driven and other demanding conditions, and thus reveals their practicality.

Cobalt catalysed aminocarbonylation of thiols in batch and flow for the preparation of amides

The synthesis of amides from thiols through a cobalt-catalyzed aminocarbonylation is shown. After optimizing all the reaction parameters, the methodology makes possible the obtention of amides with variable yields, while competing reactions such as the formation of disulfides and ureas can be limited. The process works well with aromatic thiols with electron donating groups (EDG) whereas other thiols give reaction with lower yields. The previous process has been transferred and optimized into flow equipment, thus allowing using less CO in a safer way, and permitting the scaling up of the synthesis. Two drugs, moclobemide and itopride were prepared with this methodology, albeit only in the second case with good results. A mechanistic pathway is proposed.

Catalyst-free synthesis of phenanthridines via electrochemical coupling of 2-isocyanobiphenyls and amines

One pot metal-free synthesis of phenanthridines and amides under electrochemical conditions.

C-C Bond Cleavage of Unactivated 2-Acylimidazoles

2-Acylimidazoles are widely used as post-transformable carboxylic acid equivalents in chemoselective and enantioselective reactions. Their transformations, however, require pretreatment with highly reactive, toxic methylating reagents to facilitate C-C bond cleavage. Here, we demonstrate that such pretreatment can be avoided and the C-C bond cleaved under neutral conditions without the use of additional reagents or catalysts. The scope of the reaction, including the use of products reported in the literature as substrates, and some mechanistic insights are described.

Stereoselective deconjugation of macrocyclic α,β-unsaturated esters by sequential amidation and olefin transposition: application to enantioselective phase-transfer catalysis

The stereoselective synthesis of chiral macrocycles bearing two aliphatic amide functional groups is reported. After the amidation mediated by TBD, a guanidine derivative, the olefin transposition step is performed with a slight excess of t-BuOK. The products are afforded in moderate to good combined yields (up to 59%) and with an excellent syn diastereoselectivity (dr > 49 : 1). Introducing enantiopure α-branched substituents was possible and it resulted in mixtures of diastereomers, which could be tested as phase-transfer catalysts using the formation of a phenylalanine analog as a test reaction (up to 43% ee). A clear matched-mismatched situation was observed in the two diastereomeric series.

Tuneable access to isoquinolines via a transition-metal-free C(sp3)–C(sp3) bond cleavage rearrangement reaction

A novel divergent synthesis of multi-substituted isoquinolines via C(sp³)–C(sp³) bond cleavage rearrangement reactions was realized.