An aromatic Glaser-Hay reaction

Copper-Catalyzed, Regioselective, Unsymmetrical Homocoupling of Quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones to Form C-N Homodimers

An environmentally benign and efficient method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical diquinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with potential axial chirality via inexpensive copper-catalyzed, low-toxicity, and stable PIFA oxidation, rarely assisted by PhSeSePh, regioselective homocoupling of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones under mild conditions is developed. This practical scheme is compatible with a variety of functional groups and allows the preparation of functionalized unsymmetrical dimeric quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones from readily available and safe starting materials, providing new ideas for the sustainable development of methodological studies of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones.

A fruitful century for the scalable synthesis and reactions of biphenyl derivatives: applications and biological aspects

This review provides recent developments in the current status and latest synthetic methodologies of biphenyl derivatives. Furthermore, this review investigates detailed discussions of several metalated chemical reactions related to biphenyl scaffolds such as Wurtz-Fittig, Ullmann, Bennett-Turner, Negishi, Kumada, Stille, Suzuki-Miyaura, Friedel-Crafts, cyanation, amination, and various electrophilic substitution reactions supported by their mechanistic pathways. Furthermore, the preconditions required for the existence of axial chirality in biaryl compounds are discussed. Furthermore, atropisomerism as a type of axial chirality in biphenyl molecules is discussed. Additionally, this review covers a wide range of biological and medicinal applications of the synthesized compounds involving patented approaches in the last decade corresponding to investigating the crucial role of the biphenyl structures in APIs.

Dehydrogenative Syntheses of Biazoles via a "Pre-Join" Approach

The structural motif of biazoles is the predominant substructure of many natural products, pharmaceuticals, and organic materials. Considerable efforts have focused on synthesizing these compounds; however, a limited number of processes have been reported for the efficient formation of biazoles. Herein, we report a "pre-join" approach for the dehydrogenative synthesis of biazoles, which are challenging to prepare using conventional methods. A bench-stable and easily synthesized pyrazine-based group is critical for this transformation. This strategy enables the homocoupling of biazoles and the heterocoupling of two different azoles. Due to the broad substrate scope, this strategy exhibits potential for use in other fields, such as medicine, materials, and natural product chemistry.

KOtBu-promoted C3-homocoupling of quinoxalinones through single electron transfer from an sp2 carbanion intermediate

The C3-selective homodimerization of quinoxalinones is described. A C3-sp² carbanion species generated through deprotonation of quinoxalinone using potassium tert-butoxide (KO^tBu) transfers an electron (single electron transfer mechanism) to a second quinoxalinone, affording a radical-anion intermediate. The radical scavenging and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments support the plausible radical reaction pathway. A mild reaction temperature and a short reaction time were attained under cost-effective conditions, which reveal the amenability of this protocol to pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Homocoupling Reactions of Azoles and Their Applications in Coordination Chemistry

Pyrazole, a member of the structural class of azoles, exhibits molecular properties of interest in pharmaceuticals and materials chemistry, owing to the two adjacent nitrogen atoms in the five-membered ring system. The weakly basic nitrogen atoms of deprotonated pyrazoles have been applied in coordination chemistry, particularly to access coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks, and homocoupling reactions can in principle provide facile access to bipyrazole ligands. In this context, we summarize recent advances in homocoupling reactions of pyrazoles and other types of azoles (imidazoles, triazoles and tetrazoles) to highlight the utility of homocoupling reactions in synthesizing symmetric bi-heteroaryl systems compared with traditional synthesis. Metal-free reactions and transition-metal catalyzed homocoupling reactions are discussed with reaction mechanisms in detail.

Copper-Catalyzed Direct C-H Alkylation of Polyfluoroarenes by Using Hydrocarbons as an Alkylating Source

Construction of carbon-carbon bonds is one of the most important tools in chemical synthesis. In the previously established cross-coupling reactions, prefunctionalized starting materials were usually employed in the form of aryl or alkyl (pseudo)halides or their metalated derivatives. However, the direct use of arenes and alkanes via a 2-fold oxidative C-H bond activation strategy to access chemoselective C(sp²)-C(sp³) cross-couplings is highly challenging due to the low reactivity of carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds and the difficulty in suppressing side reactions such as homocouplings. Herein, we present the new development of a copper-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative coupling of polyfluoroarenes with alkanes under mild conditions. Relatively weak sp³ C-H bonds at the benzylic or allylic positions, and nonactivated hydrocarbons could be alkylated by the newly developed catalyst system. A moderate-to-high site selectivity was observed among various C-H bonds present in hydrocarbon reactants, including gaseous feedstocks and complex molecules. Mechanistic information was obtained by performing combined experimental and computational studies to reveal that the copper catalyst plays a dual role in activating both alkane sp³ C-H bonds and sp² polyfluoroarene C-H bonds. It was also suggested that the noncovalent π-π interaction and weak hydrogen bonds formed in situ between the optimal ligand and arene substrates are key to facilitating the current coupling reactions.

Sterically controlled C-H/C-H homocoupling of arenes via C-H borylation

A mild one-pot protocol for the synthesis of symmetrical biaryls by sequential Ir-catalyzed C-H borylation and Cu-catalyzed homocoupling of arenes is described. The regiochemistry of the biaryl formed is sterically controlled as dictated by the C-H borylation step. The methodology is also successfully extended to heteroarenes. Some of the products obtained by this approach are impossible to obtain via the Ullmann or the Suzuki coupling protocols. Finally, we have shown a one-pot sequence describing C-H borylation/Cu-catalyzed homocoupling/Pd-catalyzed Suzuki coupling to obtain π-extended arene frameworks.

3d Transition Metals for C-H Activation

C-H activation has surfaced as an increasingly powerful tool for molecular sciences, with notable applications to material sciences, crop protection, drug discovery, and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Despite major advances, the vast majority of these C-H functionalizations required precious 4d or 5d transition metal catalysts. Given the cost-effective and sustainable nature of earth-abundant first row transition metals, the development of less toxic, inexpensive 3d metal catalysts for C-H activation has gained considerable recent momentum as a significantly more environmentally-benign and economically-attractive alternative. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview on first row transition metal catalysts for C-H activation until summer 2018.

Benzoate Cyclometalation Enables Oxidative Addition of Haloarenes at a Ru(II) Center

The first Ru(II)-catalyzed arylation of substrates without a directing group was recently developed. Remarkably, this process only worked in the presence of a benzoate additive, found to be crucial for the oxidative addition step at Ru(II). However, the exact mode of action of the benzoate was unknown. Herein, we disclose a mechanistic study that elucidates the key role of the benzoate salt in the C–H arylation of fluoroarenes with aryl halides. Through a combination of rationally designed stoichiometric experiments and DFT studies, we demonstrate that the aryl–Ru(II) species arising from initial C–H activation of the fluoroarene undergoes cyclometalation with the benzoate to generate an anionic Ru(II) intermediate. The enhanced lability of this intermediate, coupled with the electron-rich anionic Ru(II) metal center renders the oxidative addition of the aryl halide accessible. The role of an additional (NMe₄)OC(CF₃)₃ additive in facilitating the overall arylation process is also shown to be linked to a shift in the C–H pre-equilibrium associated with benzoate cyclometalation.

Regioselective synthesis of unsymmetrical biheteroaryls via copper(ii)-catalyzed cascade annulation

A facile and efficient copper-catalyzed cascade annulation of an imidazoheterocycle with salicylaldehyde, piperidine, and terminal alkyne was developed to afford unsymmetrical biheteroaryl derivatives in high yields.

C-H Functionalization of Azines

Azines, which are six-membered aromatic compounds containing one or more nitrogen atoms, serve as ubiquitous structural cores of aromatic species with important applications in biological and materials sciences. Among a variety of synthetic approaches toward azines, C-H functionalization represents the most rapid and atom-economical transformation, and it is advantageous for the late-stage functionalization of azine-containing functional molecules. Since azines have several C-H bonds with different reactivities, the development of new reactions that allow for the functionalization of azines in a regioselective fashion has comprised a central issue. This review describes recent advances in the C-H functionalization of azines categorized as follows: (1) S_NAr reactions, (2) radical reactions, (3) deprotonation/functionalization, and (4) metal-catalyzed reactions.

Oxidative C-H/C-H Coupling Reactions between Two (Hetero)arenes

Transition metal-mediated C-H bond activation and functionalization represent one of the most straightforward and powerful tools in modern organic synthetic chemistry. Bi(hetero)aryls are privileged π-conjugated structural cores in biologically active molecules, organic functional materials, ligands, and organic synthetic intermediates. The oxidative C-H/C-H coupling reactions between two (hetero)arenes through 2-fold C-H activation offer a valuable opportunity for rapid assembly of diverse bi(hetero)aryls and further exploitation of their applications in pharmaceutical and material sciences. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals and applications of transition metal-mediated/catalyzed oxidative C-H/C-H coupling reactions between two (hetero)arenes. The substrate scope, limitation, reaction mechanism, regioselectivity, and chemoselectivity, as well as related control strategies of these reactions are discussed. Additionally, the applications of these established methods in the synthesis of natural products and exploitation of new organic functional materials are exemplified. In the last section, a short introduction on oxidant- or Lewis acid-mediated oxidative Ar-H/Ar-H coupling reactions is presented, considering that it is a very powerful method for the construction of biaryl units and polycylic arenes.

Palladium-catalyzed, unsymmetrical homocoupling of thiophenes via carbon–sulfur bond activation: a new avenue to homocoupling reactions

Introduction of an unprecedented pattern of reactivity, namely the C–N unsymmetrical homocoupling by joining the electrophilic and nucleophilic motifs of the substrate through transition-metal catalysis.

Oxidative Direct Arylation Polymerization Using Oxygen as the Sole Oxidant: Facile, Green Access to Bithiazole-Based Polymers

The most appealing oxidant, molecular oxygen, is employed for the first time as the sole oxidant in the transition metal-catalyzed oxidative direct arylation polymerization (C-H/C-H-type DArP), which eliminates by-product formation of stoichiometric metal salts except for water . Compared to conventional approaches, other than the avoidance of an end-capping procedure, the current protocol is remarkably advanced in the aspect of eco-friendliness, step- and cost-economy, and, of special significance, the purity of polymer products. As illustrative examples, six 5,5'-bithiazole-based polymers are synthesized using this new method, demonstrating higher number-average molecular weight (M_n up to 33 700) in better yields (up to 93 %) through only one step. The evolution of C-H/C-H-type DArP from heavy metal salts to O₂ alone as the oxidant could solve the problem of metal residues in polymers, which is considered harmful to the performance of devices.

Density Functional and Kinetic Monte Carlo Study of Cu-Catalyzed Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling Reaction of Thiazoles with THF

Cu-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reaction of thiazoles with THF has been studied with the density functional theory method and kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations. Our results show that the previously proposed concerted metalation-deprotonation mechanism is unfavorable. On the basis of the DFT calculation and kMC simulation results, a new mechanism is proposed. In the favorable mechanism, the Cu(II) catalyst first combines with the thiazoles, forming an organocopper species that then binds to the THF radical. The rate-limiting step, C-C bond formation, is realized through an intramolecular structural rearrangement. The Cu catalyst works as a matchmaker to render the C-C bond formation. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that one should be careful with the conclusions drawn simply from the calculated barriers.

Homolytic cleavage of the O–Cu(ii) bond: XAFS and EPR spectroscopy evidence for one electron reduction of Cu(ii) to Cu(i)

In this work, we demonstrate that the ^tBuO⁻ anion serves not only as the base but also as a mediator to promote the reduction of Cu(ii) to Cu(i) in copper catalysis. XAFS and EPR spectroscopy evidence the [Cu(O^tBu)₃]⁻ ate complex as the key intermediate which undergoes homolytic cleavage of the O–Cu(ii) bond generating [Cu(O^tBu)₂]⁻ ate complex.

Aromatic C–H bond cleavage by using a Cu(i) ate-complex

Ate-complex [Cu(O^tBu)₂]Na was found to be able to cleave C–H bond of benzothiazole (ArH) producing [ArCuI(O^tBu)]Na with a rate constant of 3.2 × 10⁻² mol⁻¹ L s⁻¹ at −50 °C and with an activation enthalpy of 0.73 kcal mol⁻¹ at room temperature.

Copper(i) chloride catalysed room temperature Csp–Csp homocoupling of terminal alkynes mediated by visible light

An eco-friendly approach to the C_sp–C_sp homocoupling of terminal alkynes (including electron-withdrawing groups) was achieved at room temperature via a copper(i) chloride catalysed process mediated by visible light.

Copper-catalyzed phosphorylation of sp(2) C-H bonds

The phosphorylation of the ortho C-H bonds in benzamides containing an 8-aminoquinoline moiety as a bidentate directing group with H-phosphonates using copper as a catalyst under mild temperature conditions is described. This method shows high functional group compatibility and selectively gives mono-substituted products.

Cobalt-promoted dimerization of aminoquinoline benzamides

A method for aminoquinoline-directed, cobalt-promoted dimerization of benzamides has been developed. Reactions proceed in ethanol solvent in the presence of Mn(OAc)2 cocatalyst and Na2CO3 base and use oxygen as a terminal oxidant. Bromo, iodo, nitro, ether, and ester moieties are compatible with the reaction conditions. Cross-coupling of electronically dissimilar aminoquinoline benzamides proceeds with modest yields and selectivities.