Atom-Economical Synthesis of N-Heterocycles via Cascade Inter-/Intramolecular C−N Bond-Forming Reactions Catalyzed by Ti Amides

Base-Promoted (5 + 2) Annulation between 2-(Alkynylaryl)acetonitriles and Arylalkynes for the Synthesis of Benzocycloheptene Derivatives

Herein, we describe a novel approach to the synthesis of benzocycloheptene derivatives via base-promoted (5 + 2) annulation between 2-(alkynylaryl)acetonitriles and arylalkynes. In this chemistry, 2-(alkynylaryl)acetonitriles are employed as a new C5 synthon to construct various benzocycloheptene(s) derivatives by building two C-C bonds in one single step. This method features excellent regioselectivity, the use of readily available starting materials, and good functional group tolerance. The practicality of the strategy was further demonstrated by gram-scale synthesis, late-stage functionalizations, and the post-modification of natural products such as probenecid and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.

Chemoselective Divergent Transformations of N-(Propargyl)indole-2-carbonitriles with Nitrogen Nucleophiles: Alkyne Hydroamination or Domino Cyclizations

Interactions of N-(propargyl)indole-2-carbonitriles with nitrogen nucleophiles were studied. It was found that lithium hexamethyldisilazane (LiHMDS)-promoted reactions give mixtures of two product types, originating from an initial attack onto carbon-carbon or carbon-nitrogen triple bonds. Performing the reaction at reduced temperature and in the presence of catalytic amounts of LiHMDS delivered alkyne hydroamination products exclusively. On the contrary, the one-pot reaction of N-(propargyl)indole-2-carbonitriles with methanol and LiHMDS on heating, followed by the addition of a nitrogen nucleophile, allowed a selective domino cyclization sequence toward 1-aminopyrazino[1,2-a]indoles. Anilines and nitrogen heterocycles could be employed as N-nucleophiles to obtain products of both types. Moreover, an alternative one-pot route toward a third product type has been developed. When N-(propargyl)indole-2-carbonitrile was first combined with aniline and LiHMDS at reduced temperature, further heating of the in situ generated hydroamination product led to the intramolecular cyclization into 1-imino-2-phenylpyrazino[1,2-a]indoles. Thus, chemodivergent transformations of the same starting material into three compound classes were investigated. The possible reaction routes were studied, and N-(allenyl)indole-2-carbonitrile was identified as the key intermediate. Acyclic and cyclic products exhibit fluorescence emission in the blue to green range.

The Renaissance of Organo Nitriles in Organic Synthesis

In the arena of functional group-oriented organic synthesis, the nitrile or cyano functionality is of immense importance. The presence of nucleophilic N -atom, π-coordinating ability of the triple bond, and electrophilic C-center imparts unique and interesting reactivity. Owing to the ability of the nitrile to transform into various other functional groups or intermediates, the chemistry is very rich and diverse. In particular, the involvement of nitrile in numerous organic reactions such as inter- or intramolecular alkyne insertion, [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition with alkynes, [3 + 2] cycloaddition with azides, [4 + 2] cycloaddition with diene allow the synthesis of many important carbocycles and heterocycles. Furthermore, the nitrile serves as a directing group in many C-H bond functionalization reactions to introduce diverse functionality and participate as a radical acceptor in radical cascade strategies to obtain a large variety of functional molecules. This review mainly focuses on the reactivity and diverse synthetic application of the nitrile including C-H bond functionalization, alkyne insertion, cycloaddition, and thermal or photochemical cascade strategy. The objective of the current review aims at bringing out the striking collection of various nitrile-triggered organic transformations.

Cobalt-catalyzed C(sp2)-H bond imination of phenylalanine derivatives

Herein we report the cobalt-catalyzed, picolinamide-directed C-H bond imination protocol of phenylalanine derivatives using isocyanides and a Co(dpm)₂ catalyst. A wide range of functional groups were tolerated under the reaction conditions, yielding imines in high yields. The obtained imine products can easily be transformed to 1-aminoisoquinoline derivatives under reductive conditions, providing an attractive alternative to already existing methodologies. The control experiments indicated that C-H activation might occur via an electrophilic pathway.

N-Ligand-Enabled Aromatic Nucleophilic Amination of 1,2-Diaryl-o-Carboranes with (R2 N)2 Mg for Selective Synthesis of 4-R2 N-o-Carboranes and 2-R2 N-m-Carboranes

The nucleophilic aromatic BH substitution reaction of carboranes is uncommon, compared to the electrophilic one. This work reported a pyridine-enabled transition-metal-free regioselective nucleophilic aromatic cage B(4)-H amination of 1,2-diaryl-o-carboranes with magnesium bisamides, giving a series of B(4)-aminated o-carboranes. DFT calculations showcased a stepwise B-N formation/B-H cleavage process, in which Mg-H formation/cage closure is the rate-determining step. Unprecedentedly, in the presence of 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-dipyridyl (dtbpy), a tandem B(4)-amination/cage isomerization reaction of o-carboranes was discovered for the facile preparation of B(2)-aminated m-carboranes. Control experiments indicated that magnesium complex, bidentate ligand (dtbpy) and reaction temperature were crucial in the cage isomerization process. This direct nucleophilic aromatic cage B-H amination reaction offers an alternative strategy for selective amination of o- and m-carboranes.

Mechanochemical Iridium(III)-Catalyzed B-Amidation of o-Carboranes with Dioxazolones

Mechanochemistry was successfully applied to the functionalization of carboranes. The mechanochemical iridium(III)-catalyzed regioselective B(3)- and B(4)-amidation of unsubstituted o-carboranes with dioxazolones was developed. In addition, the mechanochemical iridium(III)-catalyzed regioselective B(4)-amidation of substituted o-carboranes was demonstrated. Because mechanochemical B-amidation proceeds smoothly without organic solvents or external heating, the present method is regarded as a sustainable and environmentally friendly surrogate for typical solvent-based reactions.

Sequential Addition of Amines to Nitrile and Carbon-Carbon Multiple Bond: A Route to 7-Amino-5H-dibenzo[c,e]azepines

A rare earth metal-catalyzed sequential inter- and intramolecular C-N bond formation of 2-nitrile-2'-alkenyl(alkynyl)biphenyls with amines has been developed, which provides a straightforward and efficient access to a range of new functional dibenzo[c,e]azepines. This represents the first examples of direct construction of seven-membered azaheterocycle from unsaturated nitriles and amines. Such transformations have the advantages of avoiding the use of additives, easily available starting materials, step- and high atom-economy, mild reaction conditions, and high selectivity.

Multicomponent syntheses of 5- and 6-membered aromatic heterocycles using group 4-8 transition metal catalysts

In this Perspective, we discuss recent syntheses of 5- and 6-membered aromatic heterocycles via multicomponent reactions (MCRs) that are catalyzed by group 4-8 transition metals. These MCRs can be categorized based on the substrate components used to generate the cyclized product, as well as on common mechanistic features between the catalyst systems. These particular groupings are intended to highlight mechanistic and strategic similarities between otherwise disparate transition metals and to encourage future work exploring related systems with otherwise-overlooked elements. Importantly, in many cases these early- to mid-transition metal catalysts have been shown to be as effective for heterocycle syntheses as the later (and more commonly implemented) group 9-11 metals.

Base mediated synthesis of functionalized 2-(alkynyl)arylnitriles and their molecular docking study with aromatase receptor

A simple, efficient, and transition metal-free approach to synthesize functionalized 2-(alkynyl)benzonitriles has been developed using suitably functionalized 2H-pyran-2-ones and 4-phenyl/trimethylsilanyl-but-3-yn-2-ones as precursors. The reaction proceeds in the presence of a base at room temperature to yield internal as well as terminal alkynes. The structure of the synthesized compound was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The molecular docking study was performed to evaluate the binding mode of action of newly synthesized alkyne derivatives with known human breast cancer target receptor aromatase (PDB ID: 3EQM).

Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Addition/Cyclization Reactions of the C-N Multiple Bonds Containing Species

This article describes our research work for the past decade, which involves the transition-metal-catalyzed cyclization reactions of the C-N multiple bonds containing species and their synthetic applications to access various heterocyclic compounds. The concepts of reactions including four types of coupling with a subsequent cyclization are (1) the transition-metal performs as a Lewis acid to activate a nitrile and accelerate the nucleophilic addition, (2) the transition-metal-catalyzed 1,2-insertion reaction of nitrile, (3) the Cu-catalyzed C-N coupling reaction of imine, and (4) the Co-catalyzed addition/cyclization reaction of imine. These methods can be used to synthesize various N-containing aromatic heterocycles with higher efficiency, and can be applied to the synthesis of relevent natural alkaloids, their derivatives as well as biologically active compounds.

Electrochemical B-H Nitrogenation: Access to Amino Acid and BODIPY-Labeled nido-Carboranes

Electrocatalyzed oxidative B-H nitrogenations of nido-carborane (nido-7,8-C2 B9 H12- ) with N-heterocycles have been established, enabling the preparation of various N-substituted nido-carboranes without chemical oxidants or metal catalyst under ambient conditions. The electrolysis manifold occurred with high levels of efficiency as well as chemo- and position- selectivity, employing sustainable electricity as the sole oxidant. The strategy set the stage for a user-friendly access to novel amino acid and fluorogenic boron-dipyrrin (BODIPY)-labeled nido-carborane hybrids.

Zn2+ detection of a benzimidazole 8-aminoquinoline fluorescent sensor by inhibited tautomerization

The sensor shows a high selectivity and sensitivity toward zinc cations, accompanied by a distinct green fluorescence emission.

2-Alkynylarylnitrile: An Emerging Precursor for the Generation of Carbo- and Heterocycles

In the pursuit of a coherent synthetic route for the synthesis of carbo- and heterocycles, 2-alkynylarylnitrile has been recognized as a useful and versatile building block in organic synthesis due to the dual capacity of this precursor to act with a nucleophilic of electrophilic nature. The alkynes implanted at the ortho position improved the reactivity of the substrate for tandem cyclization and annulations, which led to the synthesis of diverse and complex cyclic compounds. This mini review summarizes the literature on the synthetic transformations of 2-alkynylarylnitrile into biologically relevant heterocycles as well as carbocycles such as isoindoles, isoquinolines, naphthalenes, and indenones as well as building blocks for the synthesis of various natural products. We hope that this concise review will be a promissory entry for future research in this area.

13C CPMAS NMR as a Tool for Full Structural Description of 2-Phenyl Substituted Imidazoles That Overcomes the Effects of Fast Tautomerization

Tautomerization of 2-phenylimidazolecarbaldehydes has not been studied in detail so far, although this process is a well-known phenomenon for imidazole derivatives. That is why we focus our study on a series of 2-phenylimidazolecarbaldehydes and their parent alcohols that were synthesized and studied by detailed 1H and 13C NMR in solution and in the solid state. The apparent problem is that the fast tautomerization impedes the full structural description of the compounds by conventional 13C NMR measurements. Indeed, the 13C NMR spectra in solution exhibit poor resolution, and in most cases, signals from the imidazole ring are not detectable. To avoid this problem, we used 13C CP-MAS NMR as an alternative spectroscopic method for unambiguous spectroscopic characterization of the studied series of 2-phenylimidazoles. The data were analyzed in combination with quantum chemical DFT-GIAO methods by considering the tautomerization process and the intermolecular interactions. The DFT (B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)) calculations allowed to identify and suggest the preferred tautomer in the gas phase and in DMSO solvent, which for alcohols are (2-phenyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)methanol and its analogs, and for the aldehydes are the 2-phenyl-1H-imidazole-5-carbaldehydes. The gas-phase calculated energy differences between the two possible tautomeric forms are in the range 0.645-1.415 kcal/mol for the alcohols and 2.510-3.059 kcal/mol for the aldehydes. In the DMSO solvent, however, for all compounds, the calculated energy differences go below 1.20 kcal/mol. These data suggest that both tautomeric forms of the studied 2-phenylimidazoles can be present in solution at room temperature. Our data from detailed 2D NMR measurements in the solid state (1H-13C HETCOR and 1H-1H double-quantum coherence MAS NMR) suggested that also in the solid state both tautomers coexist in different crystalline domains. This fact does not obscure the 13C CP-MAS NMR spectra of the studied 2-phenyl substituted imidazoles and suggests this spectroscopic method as a powerful tool for a complete structural description of tautomeric systems with aromatic conjugation.

Development of a Telescoped Flow Process for the Safe and Effective Generation of Propargylic Amines

Propargylic amines are important multifunctional building blocks that are frequently exploited in the synthesis of privileged heterocyclic entities. Herein we report on a novel flow process that achieves the safe and effective on-demand synthesis of propargylic amines in a telescoped manner. This process minimizes exposure to hazardous azide intermediates and renders a streamlined route into these building blocks. The value of this approach is demonstrated by the rapid generation of a small selection of drug-like thiazolines that result from a high-yielding reaction cascade between propargylic amines with different aryl isothiocyanates.

Efficient synthesis of pyrazolopyridines containing a chromane backbone through domino reaction

An efficient approach for the synthesis of pyrazolopyridines containing the aminochromane motif through a base-catalyzed cyclization reaction is reported. The synthesis was carried out through a three-component reaction of (arylhydrazono)methyl-4H-chromen-4-one, malononitrile, primary amines in the presence of Et₃N at room temperature. However, carrying out the reaction under the same conditions without base led to a fused chromanyl-cyanopyridine. High selectivity, high atom economy, and good to high yields in addition to mild reaction conditions are the advantages of this approach.

Lanthanide-Catalyzed Tandem Insertion of Secondary Amines with 2-Alkynylbenzonitriles: Synthesis of Aminoisoindoles

A lanthanide-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of 2-alkynylbenzonitriles with secondary amines has been disclosed, providing a streamlined access to a range of aminoisoindoles in moderate to excellent yields. The salient features of this reaction include high bond-formation efficiency, mild reaction conditions, 100 % atomic efficiency and good functional group tolerance. This methodology has also been successfully applied to the construction of other nitrogen-containing compounds, such as 5 H-imidazo[2,1-a]isoindoles and isoquinolines. A plausible mechanism for the formation of aminoisoindoles involving initial N-H activation by a lanthanide complex followed by C≡N insertion into a Ln-N bond to form an amidinate lanthanide intermediate, which undergoes the cyclization is proposed.

Palladium-promoted sulfur atom migration on carboranes: facile B(4)−S bond formation from mononuclear Pd-B(4) complexes

For the first time, carborane complexes containing a B(4)–S bond were obtained directly by heating mononuclear Pd-B(4)-bound carborane complexes. A possible mechanism involved in sulfur atom migration is presented in which the leaving group, pyridine, benzyl isocyanide or PPh3, is demonstrated to be the trigger of the reaction process. In this work, efficient routes are developed through one-pot reactions to prepare B(4)-S carborane derivatives.

Computational mechanistic elucidation of the rare earth metal-mediated cycloamidination of aminoalkenes with nitriles

An in-depth computational mechanistic probe of the rare earth metal-mediated cycloamidination of aminoalkenes with nitriles allowed the substitution of mechanistic hypothesis advanced previously by a computationally verified mechanistic view, thus providing solid ground for further rational catalyst improvement.

Synthesis and Reactivity of Propargylamines in Organic Chemistry

Propargylamines are a versatile class of compounds which find broad application in many fields of chemistry. This review aims to describe the different strategies developed so far for the synthesis of propargylamines and their derivatives as well as to highlight their reactivity and use as building blocks in the synthesis of chemically relevant organic compounds. In the first part of the review, the different synthetic approaches to synthesize propargylamines, such as A³ couplings and C-H functionalization of alkynes, have been described and organized on the basis of the catalysts employed in the syntheses. Both racemic and enantioselective approaches have been reported. In the second part, an overview of the transformations of propargylamines into heterocyclic compounds such as pyrroles, pyridines, thiazoles, and oxazoles, as well as other relevant organic derivatives, is presented.

A palladium-catalyzed synthesis of (hetero)aryl-substituted imidazoles from aryl halides, imines and carbon monoxide

We describe here a tandem catalytic route to prepare imidazoles in a single operation from aryl iodides, imines and CO. The reaction involves a catalytic carbonylation of aryl halides with imines to form 1,3-dipoles, which undergo spontaneous 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Overall, this offers an alternative to coupling reactions to construct the (hetero)aryl-imidazole motif, where variation of the building blocks can allow the synthesis of broad families of imidazoles with independent control of all substituents.

New protocols to access imidazoles and their ring fused analogues: synthesis from N-propargylamines

Imidazole and its derivatives are privileged N-heterocyclic structures present in various natural products and synthetic pharmaceuticals.

Efficient synthesis of carborane azo derivatives and their reactivity

An iridium(iii)-catalyzed C–N-bond-forming direct synthesis of carborane azo derivatives was developed.

One-Pot Synthesis of 2,4,5-Trisubstituted Imidazoles via [2 + 2 + 1] Cycloannulation of 1,3-Bishet(aryl)-monothio-1,3-diketones, α-Substituted Methylamines and Sodium Nitrite through α-Nitrosation of Enaminones

An efficient one-pot synthesis of a series of diversely functionalized trisubstituted 4(5)het(aroyl)-2,5(4)-het(aryl)/alkylimidazoles from readily available 1,3-bishet(aryl)monothio-1,3-diketones has been reported. This novel sequential one-pot, three step protocol, wherein three new carbon nitrogen bonds are formed in contiguous fashion, involves in situ generation of enaminones by reaction of monothio-1,3-diketones with α-substituted methylamines, followed by their α-nitrosation with sodium nitrite and subsequent base mediated intramolecular heterocyclization of the resulting α-hydroxyiminoimines to trisubstituted imidazoles in high yields under mild conditions. These newly prepared 4(5)-het(aroyl)-5(4)-het(aryl)/alkylimidazoles are shown to exist as tautomeric mixture, however, their subsequent alkylation with methyl iodide in the presence of potassium carbonate affords 1-N-methy-2,5-bishet(aryl)-4-het(aroyl)imidazoles in highly regioselective fashion in most of the cases. Synthesis of few 4(5)-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,5(4)-substituted imidazoles, which are known to be good coordinating ligands, has also been reported. A probable mechanism for the formation of these imidazoles from hydroxyiminoimine intermediates has also been suggested.