Simplified Preparation of ppm Pd-Containing Nanoparticles as Catalysts for Chemistry in Water

Buildup and Consumption of Species in Emulsion Droplets during Aqueous Suzuki Coupling Correlate with Yield

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) provides spatiotemporal resolution of the changing composition of emulsion droplets during aqueous-surfactant Suzuki coupling. In contrast to previous investigations, the present experiments characterize the full course of a catalytic chemical reaction, addressing key questions about reaction species buildup and correlating these microscale behaviors with bench-scale product yields. At low concentrations of (active) catalyst, droplet environments are stable; however, at higher concentrations, emulsion droplet environments change markedly. These changes are consistent with the buildup and consumption of reaction species inside the droplets. A combination of FLIM and bright-field imaging pinpoints limitations in catalyst solubility as controlling rate and degree of buildup of species in droplets. These solubility limitations are also identified as the cause of a reaction induction period and an origin of the rate-and-reproducibility advantage obtained by adding THF cosolvent. The subsequent mechanistic model from these data led to a bench-scale reaction optimization, wherein premixing the catalyst components bypasses the catalyst induction period, resulting in a faster reaction. The understanding generated by FLIM thus provides an early example of how visualizing changes in droplet compositions on the microscale during ongoing aqueous-organic reactions can be leveraged for enhancing efficiencies in bench-scale reactions.

Impact of Nonionic Surfactants on Reactions of IREDs. Applications to Tandem Chemoenzymatic Sequences in Water

The influence of added surfactant to aqueous reaction mixtures containing various IREDs has been determined. Just the presence of a nonionic surfactant tends to increase both rates and extent of conversion to the targeted amines. The latter can be as much as >40% relative to buffer alone. Several tandem sequences featuring several steps that combine use of an IRED together with various types of chemocatalysis are also presented, highlighting the opportunities for utilizing chemoenzymatic catalysis, all in water.

Stabilized Palladium Nanoparticles from Bis-(N-benzoylthiourea) Derived-PdII Complexes as Efficient Catalysts for Sustainable Cross-Coupling Reactions in Water

Stable palladium (II) complexes, incorporating a double (N-benzoylthiourea) arrangement bonded to a complex heterocyclic scaffold, are used as precursors of catalytic species able to promote Suzuki-Miyaura, Mizoroki-Heck, Hiyama, Buchwald-Hartwig, Hirao and Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling transformations in water. These sustainable processes are chemoselective and very versatile. The nanoparticles responsible for these catalytic reactions were analyzed and studied. Their usefulness is demonstrated after several tests and analyses. The heterogeneous character of this species in water was also confirmed.

Nanoparticles as Heterogeneous Catalysts for ppm Pd-Catalyzed Aminations in Water

A general protocol employing heterogeneous catalysis has been developed that enables ppm of Pd-catalyzed C-N cross-coupling reactions under aqueous micellar catalysis. A new nanoparticle catalyst containing specifically ligated Pd, in combination with nanoreactors composed of the designer surfactant Savie, a biodegradable amphiphile, catalyzes C-N bond formations in recyclable water. A variety of coupling partners, ranging from highly functionalized pharmaceutically relevant APIs to educts from the Merck Informer Library, readily participate under these environmentally responsible, sustainable reaction conditions. Other key features associated with this report include the low levels of residual Pd found in the products, the recyclability of the aqueous reaction medium, the use of ocean water as an alternative source of reaction medium, options for the use of pseudohalides as alternative reaction partners, and associated low E factors. In addition, an unprecedented 5-step, one-pot sequence is presented, featuring several of the most widely used transformations in the pharmaceutical industry, suggesting potential industrial applications.

Pd Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Stereospecific Mizoroki-Heck Arylation of cis-1,2-Disilylarylethylenes

In the presence of catalytic amounts of Pd nanoparticles, generated from Pd2dba3/Ag(I), cis-1,2-ditrimethylsilylarylethylenes undergo with aryl iodides a stereospecific Mizoroki-Heck arylation leading to trans-ditrimethylsilyldiarylethylenes. This chemoselectivity is in contrast to that of their trimethylgermyl analogues, which are arylated at the position of the C-Ge bonds. trans-1,2-Ditrimethylsilylarylethylenes are completely unreactive under the standard reaction conditions. The reaction tolerates the presence of boryl, silyl, or bromine substituents on the aryl iodides. From a mechanistic point of view, the process involves syn-arylpalladation followed by syn-dehydropalladation.