Catalyst-Free Synthesis of Borylated Lactones from Esters via Electrophilic Oxyboration

Stereoselective Control of the Cu Activation of β,β-Diboryl Acrylates for Allylic Coupling Protocols with Concomitant Lactonization

The key to a successful C-B activation is to discriminate between two geminal boryl moieties that are exposed to the same reaction conditions. Here we describe a stereoselective C-B activation of β,β-diboryl acrylates forming exclusively the (Z)-α-borylalkenyl copper(I) key intermediate, for subsequent allylic alkylation reactions. The new borylated (Z)-skipped dienoates followed a feasible iodo-lactonization sequence for the preparation of borylated lactone cores, which can be used in drug discovery.

Metal-Free Stereoconvergent C-H Borylation of Enamides

Enamides, functional derivatives of enamines, play a significant role as synthetic targets. However, the stereoselective synthesis of these molecules has posed a longstanding challenge in organic chemistry, particularly for acyclic enamides that are less thermodynamically stable. In this study, we present a general strategy for constructing β-borylenamides by C-H borylation, which provides a versatile platform for generating the stereodefined enamides. Our approach involves the utilization of metalloid borenium cation, generated through the reaction of BBr3 and enamides in the presence of two different additives, avoiding any exogenous catalyst. Importantly, the stereoconvergent nature of this methodology allows for the use of starting materials with mixed E/Z configurations, thus highlighting the unique advantage of this chemistry. Mechanistic investigations have shed light on the pivotal roles played by the two additives, the reactive boron species, and the phenomenon of stereoconvergence.

RxnScribe: A Sequence Generation Model for Reaction Diagram Parsing

Reaction diagram parsing is the task of extracting reaction schemes from a diagram in the chemistry literature. The reaction diagrams can be arbitrarily complex; thus, robustly parsing them into structured data is an open challenge. In this paper, we present RxnScribe, a machine learning model for parsing reaction diagrams of varying styles. We formulate this structured prediction task with a sequence generation approach, which condenses the traditional pipeline into an end-to-end model. We train RxnScribe on a dataset of 1378 diagrams and evaluate it with cross validation, achieving an 80.0% soft match F1 score, with significant improvements over previous models. Our code and data are publicly available at https://github.com/thomas0809/RxnScribe.

Palladium-Catalyzed 1,1-Alkynyloxygenation of 2-Vinylbenzoates with Alkynyl Bromides

The palladium-catalyzed reaction of alkyl 2-vinylbenzoates with silyl-protected alkynyl bromides leads to the selective production of 3-alkynylated isochroman-1-ones. The use of an alkyl ester group as an effective oxygen nucleophile is crucial for the efficient 1,1-alkynyloxygenation of alkenes.

Substituted Isocoumarins: An Assemble of Synthetic Strategies Towards 3-Substituted and 3,4-Disubstituted Isocoumarins

The versatility of isocoumarin frameworks offers the privilege to access many pharmacological targets. This unique heterocycle core present in many natural products and complex organic molecules contribute to medicinal chemistry as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents. The attractive properties exhibited by its analogues urged the scientists to explore their synthetic analogues. In regard to the myriads of synthetic methodologies, we have compiled a review update covering all the articles that have been published towards the synthesis of 3-substituted and 3,4-disubstituted isocoumarins. Additionally, we have also highlighted a systematic survey of catalytic methods for their synthesis along with their scope towards diverse functionalizations and plausible mechanistic aspects.

Haloboration of o-Alkynyl Phenols Generates Halogenated Bicyclic-Boronates

Benzoxaborinines are intermediates en-route to bicyclic boronates that are important active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Herein, the haloboration of o-alkynyl-phenols using BX₃ (X=Cl or Br) is disclosed as a route to form C4-X-benzoxaborinines with good functional group tolerance. Computational studies indicated that there are two similar in barrier mechanisms: (i) double alkyne haloboration followed by retro-haloboration; (ii) concerted trans-haloboration involving an exogenous chloride source. The C4-halide in these benzoxaborinines is useful, with a one-pot haloboration-Negishi cross coupling protocol effective to form benzoxaborinines with an alkyl or an aryl at C4. Therefore this method is a useful addition to the toolbox for synthesising bicyclic-boronates that are attracting increasing attention as APIs.

Practical synthesis of isocoumarins via Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H activation/annulation cascade

Herein, we report an unprecedented Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H activation/annulation cascade of readily available enaminones with iodonium ylides towards the convenient synthesis of isocoumarins. This coupling system proceeds in useful chemical yields (up to 93%) via a cascade C-H activation, Rh-carbenoid migratory insertion and acid-promoted intramolecular annulation. The success of gram-scale reaction and diverse functionalization of isocoumarins demonstrated the synthetic utility of this protocol.

Development of a New Methodology for Dearomative Borylation of Coumarins and Chromenes and Its Applications to Synthesize Boron-Containing Retinoids

Dearomative borylation of coumarins and chromenes via conjugate addition represents a relatively unexplored and challenging task. To address this issue, herein, we report a new and general copper (I) catalyzed dearomative borylation process to synthesize boron-containing oxacycles. In this report, the borylation of coumarins, chromones, and chromenes comprising functional groups, such as esters, nitriles, carbonyls, and amides, has been achieved. In addition, the method generates different classes of potential boron-based retinoids, including the ones with oxadiazole and anthocyanin motifs. The borylated oxacycles can serve as suitable intermediates to generate a library of compounds.

The phosphinoboration of thiosemicarbazones

This study reports on the exploration of the phosphinoboration reaction with several thiosemicarbazones (R5R4NC(S)NR3N=CR1R2). Reactions between either Ph2PBpin (pin = 1,2-O2C2Me4) or Ph2PBcat (cat = 1,2-O2C6H4) with thiosemicarbazones containing a terminal primary or secondary amine afforded boron-containing heterocyclic 1,3,4-thiadiazoline products in excellent yield. The addition of Ph2PBpin to thiosemicarbazones containing an NMe2 group in the terminal position generated novel five-membered heterocycles in moderate yield, which included boron, sulfur, and nitrogen atoms. Heterocyclization of the thiosemicarbazones occurs preferentially in the presence of functional groups such as acetyl and pyridyl groups.

Transition-Metal-Free Heterocyclic Carbon-Boron Bond Formation

Heteroaryl boronic acids and esters are extremely important and valuable intermediates because of their wide application in the synthesis of marketed drugs and bioactive compounds. Over the last couple of decades, the construction of highly important heteroaryl carbon-boron bonds has created huge attention. The transition-metal-free protocols are more green, less sensitive to air and moisture, and also economically advantageous over the transition-metal-based protocols. The transition-metal-free C-H borylation of heteroarenes and C-X (X=halogen) borylation of heteroaryl halides represents an excellent approach for their synthesis. Also, various cyclization and alkyne activation protocols have been recently established for their synthesis. The goal of this review article is to summarize the existing literature and the current state of the art for transition-metal-free synthesis of heteroaryl boronic acid and esters.

Metal-Free Temperature-Controlled Regiodivergent Borylative Cyclizations of Enynes: BCl3 -Promoted Skeletal Rearrangement

Metal‐free borylative cyclization of biphenyl‐embedded 1,3,5‐trien‐7‐ynes in the presence of simple and inexpensive BCl₃ provided synthetically useful borylated building blocks. The outcome of the process depends on the reaction temperature, with borylated phenanthrenes obtained at 60 °C and phenanthrene‐fused borylated cyclobutanes formed at 0 °C. Based on DFT calculations, a mechanism for these novel transformations has been proposed, which involves an uncommon skeletal rearrangement, including migration of a methyl group and alkyne fragmentation, unprecedented in BCl₃‐promoted cyclization reactions.

BBr3 -Mediated P(III)-Directed C-H Borylation of Phosphines

Transition-metal-catalyzed C-H borylation has been widely used in the preparation of organoboron compounds. Here, we developed a general protocol on metal-free P(III)-directed C-H borylation of phosphines mediated by BBr₃ , resulting in the formation of products bearing both phosphorus and boron. The development of the metal-free strategy to mimic previous metallic processes has shown low cost, superior practicality, and environmental friendliness. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate the preferred pathway for this metal-free directed C-H borylation process.

Repurposing π Electrophilic Cyclization/Dealkylation for Group Transfer

A metal-free regio- and stereocontrolled group-transfer route toward the synthesis of trisubstituted alkenes is described. In this route, an electrophilic heterocyclization is followed by ring-opening group transfer. Specifically, a thioboration reaction transforms readily available alkynyl sulfide precursors into alkenyl boronates and alkenyl sulfides with defined regio- and stereochemistry in one synthetic step using commercially available B-chlorocatecholborane (ClBcat). Mechanistic studies identified the likely pathway as proceeding through zwitterionic rather than haloborated intermediates. The regio- and stereochemistry set in the initial cyclization step is preserved in the final acyclic alkene product, producing alkenes with up to four modifiable substituents with predictable regio- and stereochemistry. Downstream functionalization reactions showcase the versatility of the substitutions of the resulting alkenes. The mechanistic concept maps onto future reaction designs, given the abundance of known electrophiles and nucleophiles for electrophilic heterocyclization/dealkylation sequences.

Emergence of 2-Pyrone and Its Derivatives, from Synthesis to Biological Perspective: An Overview and Current Status

Pyrone moieties are present in natural products and can be synthesized by a diverse range of synthetic methods, resulting in the formation of various derivatives through chemical modifications. Many pyrone-based derivatives are commercially available and are biocompatible. They are building blocks of various intermediates in organic synthesis. They possess remarkable biological properties including antimicrobial, antiviral, cytotoxic, and antitumor activity. These characteristics have made them valuable for the development of drugs. We have summarized recent developments in the synthesis of 2-pyrone and its derivatives and their potential applications. With regard to synthetic approaches, the focus has been on metal-free and transition metal-catalyzed reactions.

Organophosphorus-catalyzed relay oxidation of H-Bpin: electrophilic C-H borylation of heteroarenes

A nontrigonal phosphorus triamide (1, P{N[o-NMe-C₆H₄]₂}) is shown to catalyze C–H borylation of electron-rich heteroarenes with pinacolborane (HBpin) in the presence of a mild chloroalkane reagent. C–H borylation proceeds for a range of electron-rich heterocycles including pyrroles, indoles, and thiophenes of varied substitution. Mechanistic studies implicate an initial P–N cooperative activation of HBpin by 1 to give P-hydrido diazaphospholene 2, which is diverted by Atherton–Todd oxidation with chloroalkane to generate P-chloro diazaphospholene 3. DFT calculations suggest subsequent oxidation of pinacolborane by 3 generates chloropinacolborane (ClBpin) as a transient electrophilic borylating species, consistent with observed substituent effects and regiochemical outcomes. These results illustrate the targeted diversion of established reaction pathways in organophosphorus catalysis to enable a new mode of main group-catalyzed C–H borylation.

A nontrigonal phosphorus triamide (1, P{N[o-NMe-C₆H₄]₂}) is shown to catalyze C–H borylation of electron-rich heteroarenes with pinacolborane (HBpin) in the presence of a mild chloroalkane reagent.

Synthesis of 4-Alkylated Isocoumarins via Pd-Catalyzed α-Arylation Reaction

A convergent method for the rapid preparation of substituted isocoumarins is reported. The transformation takes advantage of a spontaneous intramolecular cyclization that follows the Pd-catalyzed α-arylation of aldehydes with 2-halobenzoic esters. The reaction uses an air-stable, single-component palladium catalyst and provides access to 4-alkylated isocoumarins in one step from commercial starting materials. The applicability of the method using both cyclic and linear ketones as well as transformations of the isocoumarin core is also demonstrated.

Triarylborane-Catalyzed Alkenylation Reactions of Aryl Esters with Diazo Compounds

Herein we report a facile, mild reaction protocol to form carbon-carbon bonds in the absence of transition metal catalysts. We demonstrate the metal-free alkenylation reactions of aryl esters with α-diazoesters to give highly functionalized enyne products. Catalytic amounts of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (10-20 mol %) are employed to afford the C=C coupled products (31 examples) in good to excellent yields (36-87 %). DFT studies were used to elucidate the mechanism for this alkenylation reaction.

Borylative Heterocyclization without Air-Free Techniques

In contrast to previously reported borylative heterocyclization methods, a reaction here proceeds without air-free techniques to access synthetically useful borylated thiophenes, benzothiophenes, and isocoumarins. A comparison of stability/decomposition rates in air of several catecholboronic ester (Bcat) compounds derived from different heterocycle cores showed a strong dependence on the heterocycle structure. Lessons learned from this comparison were then harnessed for the development of borylative heterocyclization reactions under ambient-atmosphere conditions and with wet solvent. In contrast to literature reports suggesting general moisture sensitivity, a subset of Bcat products resulting from this technique were chromatography-stable and directly isolable, obviating the requirement for an extra synthetic transformation into more stable boron species, such as pinacolboronic esters (Bpin), for isolation. The isolated Bcat products were amenable to various downstream functionalization reactions, including reactions that were not accessible with their better-known Bpin counterparts, showing the complementarity of Bcat reaction partners and expanding their known chemistry. These results suggest the value of conceptual revisitation of substitution and solvent influence on stability and isolability of organo-Bcat compound classes and lay the groundwork for development of additional practical borylative methods in air.

An Indirect Strategy for Trifluoromethylation via an Iridium Catalyst: Approach to Generate Isocoumarin Skeletons in Bioactive Molecules

3-Bromo-1,1,1-trifluoroacetone was first disclosed as an effective indirect trifluoromethylation reagent to construct the important 3-trifluoromethyl isocoumarin skeleton. The reaction proceeds through a ligand-promoted, iridium-catalyzed ortho-selective C-H alkylation of benzoic acid and an intermolecular cyclization reaction promoted by silver acetate. A wide range of 3-trifluoromethyl isocoumarins can be easily obtained in moderate to good yields. Importantly, the isocoumarin skeleton can be easily formed in bioactive compounds, highlighting the importance of this reaction.

Carbometalation and Heterometalation of Carbon-Carbon Multiple-Bonds Using Group-13 Heavy Metals: Carbogallation, Carboindation, Heterogallation, and Heteroindation

Organogallium and -indium compounds are useful reagents in organic synthesis because of their moderate stability, efficient reactivity and high chemoselectivity. Carbogallation and -indation of a carbon-carbon multiple bond achieves the simultaneous formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-metal bonds. Heterogallation and -indation construct carbon-heteroatom and carbon-metal bonds. Therefore, these reaction systems represent a significant synthetic method for organogalliums and -indiums. Many chemists have attempted to apply various types of unsaturated compounds such as alkynes, alkenes, and allenes to these reaction systems. This minireview provides an overview of carboindation and -gallation as well as heteroindation and -gallation.

Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed C-H Activation: A Cascade Approach for the Regioselective Synthesis of Fused Heterocyclic Lactone Scaffolds

A Rh(III)-catalyzed cascade C-H activation; regioselective [4 + 2] oxidative annulation; and lactonization of aromatic acids, anhydrides, and acrylic acid derivatives with 4-hydroxy-2-alkynoates have been disclosed. This strategy leads to fused heterocyclic lactone scaffolds in a single step with moderate functional group tolerance and excellent site selectivity. Besides, in one step, an antipode of the cephalosol intermediate natural product that contains a tricyclic isocoumarin framework has been synthesized.

B(C6F5)3-catalyzed dehydrogenative cyclization of N-tosylhydrazones and anilines via a Lewis adduct: a combined experimental and computational investigation

Tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane-catalyzed dehydrogenative-cyclization of N-tosylhydrazones with aromatic amines has been disclosed. This metal-free catalytic protocol is compatible with a range of functional groups to provide both symmetrical and unsymmetrical 3,4,5-triaryl-1,2,4-triazoles. Mechanistic experiments and density functional theory (DFT) studies suggest an initial Lewis adduct formation of N-tosylhydrazone with B(C6F5)3 followed by sequential intermolecular amination of the borane adduct with aniline, intramolecular cyclization and frustrated Lewis pair (FLP)-catalyzed dehydrogenation for the generation of substituted 1,2,4-triazoles.

Lactonization of 2-Alkynylbenzoates for the Assembly of Isochromenones Mediated by BF3·Et2O

A general and efficient lactonization method of readily available 2-alkynylbenzoates affording biologically important isochromenones has been realized via a solely BF₃·Et₂O-mediated 6-endo-dig cyclization process under mild conditions. An alternative mechanistic pathway in which BF₃·Et₂O activates the carbonyl of the ester moiety, rather than the alkyne triple bond, was postulated on the basis of control experiment results. Gram-scale reaction and further application for the assembly of more complex molecules demonstrated the practicability of the protocol.

Computational and experimental investigation on the BCl3 promoted intramolecular amination of alkenes and alkynes

The BCl₃ promoted aminoboration of alkenes and alkynes was investigated both computationally and experimentally, leading to the discovery of a metal-free hydroamination of alkynes.