Rhodium(I)-N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyst for Selective Coupling of N-Vinylpyrazoles with Alkynes via C–H Activation

β-(Z)-Selective alkyne hydrosilylation by a N,O-functionalized NHC-based rhodium(I) catalyst

Neutral and cationic cyclooctadiene rhodium(I) complexes with a lutidine-derived polydentate ligand having NHC and methoxy side-donor functions, [RhBr(cod)(κC-tBuImCH2PyCH2OMe)] and [Rh(cod)(κ2C,N-tBuImCH2PyCH2OMe)]PF6, have been prepared. Carbonylation of the cationic compound yields the dicarbonyl complex [Rh(CO)2(κ2C,N-tBuImCH2PyCH2OMe)]PF6 whereas carbonylation of the neutral compound affords a mixture of di- and monocarbonyl neutral complexes [RhBr(CO)2(κC-tBuImCH2PyCH2OMe)] and [RhBr(CO)(κ2C,N-tBuImCH2PyCH2OMe)]. These complexes efficiently catalyze the hydrosilylation of 1-hexyne with HSiMe2Ph with a marked selectivity towards the β-(Z)-vinylsilane product. Catalyst [RhBr(CO)(κ2C,N-tBuImCH2PyCH2OMe)] showed a superior catalytic performance, in terms of both activity and selectivity, and has been applied to the hydrosilylation of a range of 1-alkynes and phenylacetylene derivatives with diverse hydrosilanes, including HSiMe2Ph, HSiMePh2, HSiPh3 and HSiEt3, showing excellent β-(Z) selectivity for the hydrosilylation of linear aliphatic 1-alkynes. Hydrosilylation of internal alkynes, such as diphenylacetylene and 1-phenyl-1-propyne, selectively affords the syn-addition vinylsilane products. The β-(Z) selectivity of these catalysts contrasts with that of related rhodium(I) catalysts based on 2-picolyl-functionalised NHC ligands, which were reported to be β-(E) selective. An energy barrier ΔG‡ of 19.8 ± 2.0 kcal mol-1 (298 K) has been determined from kinetic studies on the hydrosilylation of 1-hexyne with HSiMe2Ph. DFT studies suggest that the methoxy-methyl group is unlikely to be involved in the activation of hydrosilane, and then hydrosilane activation is likely to proceed via a classical Si-H oxidative addition.

Recent Advances in Alkenyl sp2 C-H and C-F Bond Functionalizations: Scope, Mechanism, and Applications

Alkenes and their derivatives are featured widely in a variety of natural products, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials. Significant efforts have been made toward the development of new and practical methods to access this important class of compounds by selectively activating the alkenyl C(sp²)-H bonds in recent years. In this comprehensive review, we describe the state-of-the-art strategies for the direct functionalization of alkenyl sp² C-H and C-F bonds until June 2022. Moreover, metal-free, photoredox, and electrochemical strategies are also covered. For clarity, this review has been divided into two parts; the first part focuses on currently available alkenyl sp² C-H functionalization methods using different alkene derivatives as the starting materials, and the second part describes the alkenyl sp² C-F bond functionalization using easily accessible gem-difluoroalkenes as the starting material. This review includes the scope, limitations, mechanistic studies, stereoselective control (using directing groups as well as metal-migration strategies), and their applications to complex molecule synthesis where appropriate. Overall, this comprehensive review aims to document the considerable advancements, current status, and emerging work by critically summarizing the contributions of researchers working in this fascinating area and is expected to stimulate novel, innovative, and broadly applicable strategies for alkenyl sp² C-H and C-F bond functionalizations in the coming years.

Selective Oxidation of Glycerol via Acceptorless Dehydrogenation Driven by Ir(I)-NHC Catalysts

Iridium(I) compounds featuring bridge-functionalized bis-NHC ligands (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene), [Ir(cod)(bis-NHC)] and [Ir(CO)2(bis-NHC)], have been prepared from the appropriate carboxylate- or hydroxy-functionalized bis-imidazolium salts. The related complexes [Ir(cod)(NHC)2]+ and [IrCl(cod)(NHC)(cod)] have been synthesized from a 3-hydroxypropyl functionalized imidazolium salt. These complexes have been shown to be robust catalysts in the oxidative dehydrogenation of glycerol to lactate (LA) with dihydrogen release. High activity and selectivity to LA were achieved in an open system under low catalyst loadings using KOH as a base. The hydroxy-functionalized bis-NHC catalysts are much more active than both the carboxylate-functionalized ones and the unbridged bis-NHC iridium(I) catalyst with hydroxyalkyl-functionalized NHC ligands. In general, carbonyl complexes are more active than the related 1,5-cyclooctadiene ones. The catalyst [Ir(CO)2{(MeImCH2)2CHOH}]Br exhibits the highest productivity affording TONs to LA up to 15,000 at very low catalyst loadings.

Copper-Catalyzed Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition (CuAAC) by Functionalized NHC-Based Polynuclear Catalysts: Scope and Mechanistic Insights

Copper(I) [Cu₂(μ-Br)₂(^tBuImCH₂pyCH₂L)]_n (L = OMe, NEt₂, NH^tBu) compounds supported by flexible functionalized NHC-based polydentate ligands have been prepared in a one-pot procedure by reacting the corresponding imidazolium salt with an excess of copper powder and Ag₂O. An X-ray diffraction analysis has revealed that [Cu₂(μ-Br)₂(^tBuImCH₂pyCH₂NEt₂)]_n is a linear coordination polymer formed by bimetallic [Cu(μ-Br)]₂ units linked by the lutidine-based NHC-py-NEt₂ ligand, which acts as a heteroditopic ligand with a 1κC-2κ²N,N′ coordination mode. We propose that the polymeric compounds break down in the solution into more compact tetranuclear [Cu₂(μ-Br)₂(^tBuImCH₂pyCH₂L)]₂ compounds with a coordination mode identical to the functionalized NHC ligands. These compounds have been found to exhibit high catalytic activity in the Cu-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. In particular, [Cu₂(μ-Br)₂(^tBuImCH₂pyCH₂NEt₂)]₂ efficiently catalyzes the click reaction of a range of azides and alkynes, under an inert atmosphere at room temperature in neat conditions at a very low catalyst loading, to quantitatively afford the corresponding 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole derivatives in a few minutes. The cycloaddition reaction of benzyl azide to phenylacetylene can be performed at 25–50 ppm catalyst loading by increasing the reaction time and/or temperature. Reactivity studies have shown that the activation of the polynuclear catalyst precursor involves the alkyne deprotonation by the NHC moiety of the polydentate ligand to afford a copper(I)-alkynyl species bearing a functionalized imidazolium ligand. DFT calculations support the participation of the dinuclear species [(CuBr)₂(μ-^tBuImCH₂pyCH₂NEt₂)], resulting from the fragmentation of the tetranuclear compound, as the catalytically active species. The proposed reaction pathway proceeds through zwitterionic dinuclear intermediates and entails the active participation of both copper atoms, as well as the NHC moiety as an internal base, which activates the reacting alkyne via deprotonation.

Revisiting the Chemistry of Vinylpyrazoles: Properties, Synthesis, and Reactivity

Vinylpyrazoles, also known as pyrazolyl olefins, are interesting motifs in organic chemistry but have been overlooked. This review describes the properties and synthetic routes of vinylpyrazoles and highlights their versatility as building blocks for the construction of more complex organic molecules. Concerning the reactivity of vinylpyrazoles, the topics surveyed herein include their use in cycloaddition reactions, free-radical polymerizations, halogenation and hydrohalogenation reactions, and more recently in transition-metal-catalyzed reactions, among other transformations. The current state of the art about vinylpyrazoles is presented with an eye to future developments regarding the chemistry of these interesting compounds. Styrylpyrazoles were not considered in this review, as they were the subject of a previous review article published in 2020.

Polymerization of phenylacetylene catalyzed by rhodium(I) complexes with N-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene ligands

A series of neutral [RhX(nbd)(κC-MeIm∩Z)] and cationic [Rh(nbd)(κ2C,N-MeIm∩Z)]+ (X = Cl, Br; MeIm = 3-methylimidazol-2-yliden-1-yl; ∩Z = N-functionalized wingtip; nbd = 2,5-norbornadiene) complexes featuring NHC ligands functionalized with a 1-aminopropyl,...

Impact of Green Cosolvents on the Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid: The Case of Iridium Catalysts Bearing NHC-phosphane Ligands

The catalysts [Ir(COD)(κ3-P,C,P'-PCNHCP)]BF4 and [Ir(COD)(κ2-P,C-PCNHCO)]BF4 proved to be active in the solventless dehydrogenation of formic acid. The impact of various cosolvents on the activity was evaluated, showing an outstanding improvement of the catalytic performance of [Ir(COD)(κ2-P,C-PCNHCO)]BF4] in "green" organic carbonates: namely, dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and propylene carbonate (PC). The TOF1h value for [Ir(COD)(κ2-P,C-PCNHCO)]BF4 increases from 61 to 988 h-1 upon changing from solventless conditions to a 1/1 (v/v) DMC/HCOOH mixture. However, in the case of [Ir(COD)(PCNHCP)]BF4, only a marginal improvement from 156 to 172 h-1 was observed under analogous conditions. Stoichiometric experiments allowed the identification of various key reaction intermediates, providing valuable information on their reactivity. Experimental data and DFT calculations point to the formation of dinuclear species as the catalyst deactivation pathway, which is prevented in the presence of DMC and PC.

Iridium(i) complexes bearing hemilabile coumarin-functionalised N-heterocyclic carbene ligands with application as alkyne hydrosilylation catalysts

A set of iridium(i) complexes of formula IrCl(κC,η²-I^RCou^R')(cod) or IrCl(κC, η²-BzI^RCou^R')(cod) (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene; Cou = coumarin; I = imidazolin-2-carbene; BzI = benzimidazolin-2-carbene) have beeen prepared from the corresponding azolium salt and [Ir(μ-OMe)(cod)]₂ in THF at room temperature. The crystalline structures of 4b and 5b show a distorted trigonal bipyramidal configuration in the solid state with a coordinated coumarin moiety. In contrast, an equilibrium between this pentacoordinated structure and the related square planar isomer is observed in solution as a consequence of the hemilability of the pyrone ring. Characterization of both species by NMR was achieved at the low and high temperature limits, respectively. In addition, the thermodynamic parameters of the equilibrium, ΔH_R and ΔS_R, were obtained by VT ¹H NMR spectroscopy and fall in the range 22-33 kJ mol^-1 and 72-113 J mol^-1 K^-1, respectively. Carbonylation of IrCl(κC,η²-BzI^TolCou^7,8-Me₂)(cod) resulted in the formation of a bis-CO derivative showing no hemilabile behaviour. The newly synthesised complexes efficiently catalyze the hydrosilylation of alkynes at room temperature with a preference for the β-(Z) vinylsilane isomer.

Preparation of Butadienylpyridines by Iridium-NHC-Catalyzed Alkyne Hydroalkenylation and Quinolizine Rearrangement

Iridium(I) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of formula Ir(κ2 O,O'-BHetA)(IPr)(η2 -coe) [BHetA=bis-heteroatomic acidato, acetylacetonate or acetate; IPr=1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-carbene; coe=cyclooctene] have been prepared by treating Ir(κ2 O,O'-BHetA)(η2 -coe)2 complexes with IPr. These complexes react with 2-vinylpyridine to afford the hydrido-iridium(III)-alkenyl cyclometalated derivatives IrH(κ2 O,O'-BHetA)(κ2 N,C-C7 H6 N)(IPr) through the iridium(I) intermediate Ir(κ2 O,O'-BHetA)(IPr)(η2 -C7 H7 N). The cyclometalated IrH(κ2 O,O'-acac)(κ2 N,C-C7 H6 N)(IPr) complex efficiently catalyzes the hydroalkenylation of aromatic and aliphatic terminal alkynes and enynes with 2-vinylpyridine to afford 2-(4R-butadienyl)pyridines with Z,E configuration as the major reaction products (yield up to 89 %). In addition, unprecedented (Z)-2-butadienyl-5R-pyridine derivatives have been obtained as minor reaction products (yield up to 21 %) from the elusive 1Z,3gem-butadienyl hydroalkenylation products. These compounds undergo a thermal 6π-electrocyclization to afford bicyclic 4H-quinolizine derivatives that, under catalytic reaction conditions, tautomerize to 6H-quinolizine to afford the (Z)-2-(butadienyl)-5R-pyridine by a retro-electrocyclization reaction.

Recent advances in chelation-assisted site- and stereoselective alkenyl C–H functionalization

This review highlights recent advances in vicinal- and geminal-group-directed alkenyl C–H functionalizations which proceeded by endo- and exo-cyclometallation.

Rhodium(I)-NHC Complexes Bearing Bidentate Bis-Heteroatomic Acidato Ligands as gem-Selective Catalysts for Alkyne Dimerization

A series of Rh(κ² -BHetA)(η² -coe)(IPr) complexes bearing 1,3-bis-hetereoatomic acidato ligands (BHetA) including carboxylato (O,O), thioacetato (O,S), amidato (O,N), thioamidato (N,S), and amidinato (N,N), have been prepared by reaction of the dinuclear precursor [Rh(μ-Cl)(IPr)(η² -coe)]₂ with the corresponding anionic BHetA species. The Rh^I -NHC-BHetA compounds catalyze the dimerization of aryl alkynes, showing excellent selectivity for the head-to-tail enynes. Among them, the acetanilidato-based catalyst has shown an outstanding catalytic performance reaching unprecedented TOF levels of 2500 h^-1 with complete selectivity for the gem-isomer. Investigation of the reaction mechanism supports a non-oxidative pathway in which the BHetA ligand behaves as proton shuttle through intermediate κ¹ -HBHetA species. However, in the presence of pyridine as additive, the identification of the common Rh^III H(C≡CPh)₂ (IPr)(py)₂ intermediate gives support for an alternative oxidative route.

Stereoselective and Atom-Economic Alkenyl C-H Allylation/Alkenylation in Aqueous Media by Iridium Catalysis

A practical and atom-economic protocol for the stereoselective preparation of various 1,4- and 1,3-diene skeletons through iridium-catalyzed directed olefinic C-H allylation and alkenylation of NH-Ts acrylamides in water was developed. This reaction tolerated a wide scope of substrates under simple reaction conditions and enabled successful gram-scale preparation. Furthermore, an asymmetric variant of this reaction giving enantioenriched 1,4-dienes was achieved employing a chiral diene-iridium complex as the catalyst.

The oxidative coupling between benzaldehyde derivatives and phenylacetylene catalyzed by rhodium complexes via C-H bond activation

This paper reports the use of rhodium (Rh) catalysts for the oxidative coupling reaction between phenylacetylene and benzaldehyde derivatives via C-H bond activation. These reactions were catalyzed by Rh(l-amino acid)(cod) (the l-amino acid is l-phenylalanine, l-valine or l-proline; cod is 1,5-cyclooctadiene) to obtain chromones in 12.7–88.3% yield. These new Rh catalysts have excellent activity for the coupling reaction between phenylacetylene and different benzaldehyde derivatives. It was found that the electronic effects of the benzaldehyde derivative substituent affected the reaction yield, which is in accordance with the proposed mechanism.

Effective N-methylation of nitroarenes with methanol catalyzed by a functionalized NHC-based iridium catalyst: a green approach to N-methyl amines

An Ir–NHC compound catalyzes the borrowing-hydrogen reduction of nitroarenes into N-methyl amines with methanol through a direct mechanism.

SO2F2 mediated dehydrative cross-coupling of alcohols with electron-deficient olefins in DMSO using a Pd-catalyst: one-pot transformation of alcohols into 1,3-dienes

A Pd-catalyzed, SO₂F₂ mediated dehydrative cross-coupling of alcohols with electron-deficient olefins for the construction of 1,3-dienes was developed.

Zwitterionic Rhodium and Iridium Complexes Based on a Carboxylate Bridge-Functionalized Bis-N-heterocyclic Carbene Ligand: Synthesis, Structure, Dynamic Behavior, and Reactivity

A series of water-soluble zwitterionic complexes featuring a carboxylate bridge-functionalized bis-N-heterocyclic carbene ligand of formula [Cp*M^IIICl{(MeIm)₂CHCOO}] and [M^I(diene){(MeIm)₂CHCOO}] (Cp* = 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; M = Rh, Ir; MeIm = 3-methylimidazol-2-yliden-1-yl; diene = 1,5-cyclooctadiene (cod), norbornadiene (nbd)) were prepared from the salt [(MeImH)₂CHCOO]Br and suitable metal precursor. The solid-state structure of both types of complexes shows a boat-shaped six-membered metallacycle derived of the κ²C,C' coordination mode of the bis-NHC ligand. The uncoordinated carboxylate fragment is found at the bowsprit position in the Cp*M^III complexes, whereas in the M^I(diene) complexes it is at the flagpole position of the metallacycle. The complexes [Rh^I(diene){(MeIm)₂CHCOO}] (diene = cod, nbd) exist as two conformational isomers in dichloromethane, bowsprit and flagpole, that interconvert through the boat-to-boat inversion of the metallacycle. An inversion barrier of ∼17 kcal·mol^-1 was determined by two-dimensional exchange spectroscopy NMR measurements for [Rh^I(cod){(MeIm)₂CHCOO}]. Reaction of zwitterionic Cp*M^III complexes with methyl triflate or tetrafluoroboric acid affords the cationic complexes [Cp*M^IIICl{(MeIm)₂CHCOOMe}]⁺ or [Cp*M^IIICl{(MeIm)₂CHCOOH}]⁺ (M = Rh, Ir) featuring carboxy and methoxycarbonyl functionalized methylene-bridged bis-NHC ligands, respectively. Similarly, complexes [M^I(diene){(MeIm)₂CHCOOMe}]⁺ (M = Rh, Ir) were prepared by alkylation of the corresponding zwitterionic M^I(diene) complexes with methyl triflate. In contrast, reaction of [Ir^I(cod){(MeIm)₂CHCOO}] with HBF₄·Et₂O (Et = ethyl), CH₃OTf, CH₃I, or I₂ gives cationic iridium(III) octahedral complexes [Ir^IIIX(cod){(MeIm)₂CHCOO}]⁺ (X = H, Me, or I) featuring a tripodal coordination mode of the carboxylate bridge-functionalized bis-NHC ligand. The switch from κ²C,C' to κ³C,C',O coordination of the bis-NHC ligand accompanying the oxidative addition prevents the coordination of the anions eventually formed in the process that remain as counterions.

Synthesis of Functionalized Pyrazoles via 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of α-Diazo-β-ketophosphonates, Sufones and Esters with Electron-Deficient Alkenes

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of diazo compounds with olefinic substrates is a promising atom-economic strategy for the construction of functionalized pyrazoles. Over the last few years, our group has been engaged in the synthesis of phosphonyl/sulfonylpyrazoles and pyrazole esters by employing Bestmann-Ohira Reagent (BOR) and its sulfur and ester analogs as 1,3-dipole precursors with various dipolarophiles. This account describes the novel synthetic methods developed in our laboratory, in the perspective of closely related work by others, for the synthesis of phosphonyl/sulfonylpyrazoles, pyrazole esters and the total synthesis of Withasomnine, a natural product, by using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition as the key step.

Rhodium-catalyzed malonation of 2-arylquinazolines with 2-diazomalonates: double C–H functionalization

Herein, rhodium-catalyzed malonation of 2-arylquinazolines with diazomalonates was described.

Ruthenium-catalyzed olefinic C–H alkenylation of enol-carbamates: highly stereo-selective synthesis of (Z,Z) and (Z,E)-butadienes

Cross-coupling reactions of enol carbamates with alkynes or alkenes are reported, using an inexpensive ruthenium catalyst.

Double hydrophosphination of alkynes promoted by rhodium: the key role of an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand

The stereoelectronic properties of the NHC ligand make possible the rhodium-catalysed double hydrophosphination of alkynes avoiding the catalyst deactivation by the diphosphine product.

Mechanistic insight into the pyridine enhanced α-selectivity in alkyne hydrothiolation catalysed by quinolinolate–rhodium(i)–N-heterocyclic carbene complexes

Highly Markovnikov-selective Rh^I–NHC–quinolinolate catalysts in alkyne hydrothiolation are reported.

Pyridine versus acetonitrile coordination in rhodium–N-heterocyclic carbene square-planar complexes

Experimental and theoretical studies on the factors that control the coordination chemistry of N-donor ligands in square-planar complexes of the type RhCl(NHC)L¹L² (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) are presented.