Electrophilic activation of acetyl-substituted heteroaromatic compounds

Friedel-Crafts Acylation of Aminocarboxylic Acids in Strong Brønsted Acid Promoted by Lewis Base P4O10

The amino group in aminocarboxylic acids is sufficiently basic to be protonated in strong acids, and consequently, ionization of the carboxylic acid to an acylium ion is blocked due to charge-charge repulsion. Thus, acylation of aromatic compounds is significantly retarded in Friedel-Craft type reactions. We found that Friedel-Crafts acylation with aminocarboxylic acids can proceed smoothly even in a strong Brønsted acid (triflic acid, TfOH) if the Lewis base P₄O₁₀ is added. Here we describe the Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions of anthranilic acid and α- to δ-aminocarboxylic acids with benzene derivatives in the presence of P₄O₁₀. Non-amino-containing carboxylic acids as well as N-containing heteroaromatic carboxylic acids are available, and α-amino acids can be directly utilized without any protective group. Most substrates afford acylation products in high yields, although some epimerization/racemization may occur. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested that P₄O₁₀ neutralizes the protonated amine, converting the N-H covalent bond to a N-hydrogen bond and allowing the carboxylic acid OH functionality to serve as a good leaving group.

Iodine(i) complexes incorporating sterically bulky 2-substituted pyridines

The silver(i) and iodine(i) complexes of the 2-substituted pyridines 2-(diphenylmethyl)pyridine (1) and 2-(1,1-diphenylethyl)pyridine (2), along with their potential protonated side products, were synthesised to investigate the steric limitations of iodine(i) complex formation. The complexes were characterised by ¹H and ¹H–¹⁵N HMBC NMR, X-ray crystallography, and DFT calculations. The solid-state structures for the silver(i) and iodine(i) complexes were extensively compared to the literature and analysed by DFT to examine the influence of the sterically bulky pyridines and their anions.

The silver(i) and iodine(i) complexes of two sterically bulky 2-substituted pyridines, along with their potential protonated side products, were synthesised to investigate the steric limitations of iodine(i) ion formation.

Ynamide Smiles Rearrangement Triggered by Visible-Light-Mediated Regioselective Ketyl-Ynamide Coupling: Rapid Access to Functionalized Indoles and Isoquinolines

In the past decades, significant advances have been made on radical Smiles rearrangement. However, the eventually formed radical intermediates in these reactions are limited to the amidyl radical, except for the few examples initiated by a N-centered radical. Here, a novel and practical radical Smiles rearrangement triggered by photoredox-catalyzed regioselective ketyl-ynamide coupling is reported, which represents the first radical Smiles rearrangement of ynamides. This method enables facile access to a variety of valuable 2-benzhydrylindoles with broad substrate scope in generally good yields under mild reaction conditions. In addition, this chemistry can also be extended to the divergent synthesis of versatile 3-benzhydrylisoquinolines through a similar ketyl-ynamide coupling and radical Smiles rearrangement, followed by dehydrogenative oxidation. Moreover, such an ynamide Smiles rearrangement initiated by intermolecular photoredox catalysis via addition of external radical sources is also achieved. By control experiments, the reaction was shown to proceed via key ketyl radical and α-imino carbon radical intermediates.

Well-defined, linear, wholly aromatic polymers with controlled content and position of pyridine moieties in macromolecules from one-pot, room temperature, metal-free step-polymerizations

Synthesis of processable, aromatic pyridine-containing polymers has always been a great challenge.

Reactions of 2-carbonyl- and 2-hydroxy(or methoxy)alkyl-substituted benzimidazoles with arenes in the superacid CF3SO3H. NMR and DFT studies of dicationic electrophilic species

Reactions of 2-carbonyl- and 2-hydroxy(or methoxy)alkylbenzimidazoles with arenes in the Brønsted superacid TfOH resulted in the formation of the corresponding Friedel-Crafts reaction products, 2-diarylmethyl and 2-arylmethyl-substituted benzimidazoles, in yields up to 90%. The reaction intermediates, protonated species derived from starting benzimidazoles in TfOH, were thoroughly studied by means of NMR and DFT calculations and plausible reaction mechanisms are discussed.

Synthesis of Heterocycle-Containing 9,9-Diarylfluorenes Using Superelectrophiles

A superacid-promoted method for the synthesis of 9,9-diarylfluorenes is described. The chemistry involves cyclizations and arylations with biphenyl-substituted heterocyclic ketones and a mechanism is proposed involving superelectrophilic intermediates. The key reactive intermediates-dicationic and trication fluorenyl cations have been observed by low-temperature NMR and the mechanism has been further studied using DFT calculations.

Superelectrophiles and the effects of trifluoromethyl substituents

Trifluoromethyl-substituted superelectrophiles were generated in superacid (CF(3)SO(3)H), and their chemistry was examined. The strong electron-withdrawing properties of the trifluoromethyl group are found to enhance the electrophilic character at cationic sites in superelectrophiles. This leads to greater positive-charge delocalization in the superelectrophiles. These effects are manifested by the unusual chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivities shown by the superelectrophiles in chemical reactions.

Superacid-Catalyzed Reactions of Cinnamic Acids and the Role of Superelectrophiles1

The chemistry of cinnamic acids and related compounds has been studied. In superacid-catalyzed reactions with arenes, two competing reaction mechanisms are proposed. Both mechanisms involve the formation of dicationic intermediates (superelectrophiles), and the reactions can lead to either chalcone-type products or indanone products. The direct observation of a dicationic species (by low-temperature (13)C NMR) is reported. We provide clear evidence that protonated carboxylic acid groups (or the corresponding acyl cation) can enhance the reactivity of an adjacent electrophilic center. Triflic acid is also found to be an effective acid catalyst for the direct synthesis of some electron-deficient chalcones and heterocyclic chalcones from cinnnamic acids.

Dicationic electrophiles from olefinic amines in superacid

This paper describes the superacid-catalyzed chemistry of olefinic amines and related compounds. A variety of olefinic amines are found to react with benzene in CF(3)SO(3)H (triflic acid) to give addition products in good yields (75-99%), including the pharmaceutical agents fenpiprane and prozapine. A general mechanism is proposed that invokes the formation of reactive, dicationic electrophiles and the direct observation of a diprotonated species is reported from low-temperature NMR experiments. This chemistry is also used to conveniently prepare functionalized polystyrene beads having pendant amine groups.

Chemistry of dicationic electrophiles: superacid-catalyzed reactions of amino acetals

Amino acetals are shown to form highly electrophilic systems in Bronsted superacids. It is proposed that amino acetals give dicationic electrophiles, and this proposal is supported by the direct observation of a dication by low-temperature (13)C NMR. When reacted with C(6)H(6) and superacidic CF(3)SO(3)H, amino acetals are shown to provide 1-(3,3-diphenylpropyl)amines and 1-(2,2-diphenylethyl)amines as condensation products in good yields (50-99%).

Reactions of 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-hydroxyquinolines and 5-hydroxyisoquinoline with benzene and cyclohexane in superacids

Isomeric 5-, 6-, 7-hydroxyquinolines (11-13) and 5-hydroxyisoquinoline (14) gave N,C-diprotonated dications in CF(3)SO(3)H-SbF(5) superacid medium. Compounds 11, 13, 14, and 8-hydroxyquinoline (5) underwent selective ionic hydrogenation with cyclohexane in the presence of aluminum chloride. Compounds 11 and 14 condense with benzene in the presence of aluminum halides. The detailed mechanism of reactions, which involves superelectrophilic dicationic intermediates, is discussed.