Synthesis and Structure of New Oxapalladacycles with a Pd−O Bond

Hydrogen-bond-acceptor ligands enable distal C(sp3)-H arylation of free alcohols

The functionalization of C-H bonds in organic molecules is one of the most direct approaches for chemical synthesis. Recent advances in catalysis have allowed native chemical groups such as carboxylic acids, ketones and amines to control and direct C(sp3)-H activation1-4. However, alcohols, among the most common functionalities in organic chemistry5, have remained intractable because of their low affinity for late transition-metal catalysts6,7. Here we describe ligands that enable alcohol-directed arylation of δ-C(sp3)-H bonds. We use charge balance and a secondary-coordination-sphere hydrogen-bonding interaction-evidenced by structure-activity relationship studies, computational modelling and crystallographic data-to stabilize L-type hydroxyl coordination to palladium, thereby facilitating the assembly of the key C-H cleavage transition state. In contrast to previous studies in C-H activation, in which secondary interactions were used to control selectivity in the context of established reactivity8-13, this report demonstrates the feasibility of using secondary interactions to enable challenging, previously unknown reactivity by enhancing substrate-catalyst affinity.

Synthesis of Organometallic Oligonucleotides through Oximation with Metalated Benzaldehydes

A phthaloyl-protected aminooxymethyl-C-2'-deoxyriboside building block has been prepared and incorporated in the middle of an oligodeoxyribonucleotide. Removal of the phthaloyl protection followed by on-support oximation with either mercurated or palladated benzaldehydes yielded oligonucleotides bearing the respective benzaldoxime metallacycles.

Reactivity towards nitriles, cyanamides, and carbodiimides of palladium complexes derived from benzyl alcohol. Synthesis of a mixed Pd2Ag complex

The chelate complex [Pd(κ(2)-C,O-C6H4CH2O-2)(bpy)] () reacts with acetonitrile, cyanamides, or carbodiimides, in the presence of AgOTf (1 : 5 : 1 molar ratio) and residual water, to form complexes [Pd{κ(2)-C,N-C6H4{CH2OC([double bond, length as m-dash]NX)Y}-2}(bpy)](OTf), where X = H, Y = Me (), NMe2 (), NEt2 (), X = R, Y = NHR (R = (i)Pr (), Tol ()), as a result of the insertion of the unsaturated reagent into the O-Pd bond of and the protonation of one of the N atoms. In the absence of AgOTf the reaction of with TolN[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]NTol (Tol = p-Tolyl) results in the formation of the neutral complex [Pd{κ(2)-C,N-C6H4{CH2OC([double bond, length as m-dash]NTol)NTol}-2}(bpy)] (). Complexes and can be interconverted by deprotonation ( + KO(t)Bu) or protonation ( + KOTf + HOTf) reactions. When the reaction of with TolN[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]NTol in the presence of AgOTf is carried out in a 1 : 1 : 1 stoichiometric ratio, or for a short period of time, a mixture of and a mixed heterometallic Ag2Pd complex is obtained ( = [Ag(N-)2](OTf)). Complex is the major product when the AgOTf is added before the carbodiimide, and the reaction is stopped immediately. can also be obtained by reaction of with 0.5 equiv. of AgOTf. When complex [PdI(C6H4CH2OH-2)(bpy)] () reacts with (i)PrN[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]N(i)Pr in the presence of TlOTf, instead of AgOTf, a ca. 1 : 1 mixture of and [Pd{κ(2)-O,N-OCH2{C6H4{C([double bond, length as m-dash]NH(i)Pr)N(i)Pr}-2}}(bpy)](OTf) () forms. Complex is the result of the insertion of the carbodiimide into the C-Pd bond. Complexes have been extensively characterized by NMR spectroscopy, and the crystal structures of , , and ·2.5CHCl3·0.5Et2O have been determined by X-ray diffraction studies.

Maleimide-assisted anti-Markovnikov Wacker-type oxidation of vinylarenes using molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant

Arylacetaldehydes were successfully synthesized by anti-Markovnikov Wacker-type oxidation of vinylarenes using 1 atm O₂ as a terminal oxidant.

A sequential Pd/norbornene-catalyzed process generates o-biaryl carbaldehydes or ketones via a redox reaction or 6H-dibenzopyrans by C-O ring closure

o-Biaryl carbaldeydes and ketones are obtained through the one-pot reaction of o-aryl iodides with o-bromobenzyl alcohols under the catalytic action of Pd and norbornene, in the presence of a base. The same reaction can also give dibenzopyrans by Pd and norbornene catalysis with a different termination, leading to C-O ring closure. In both cases the process first leads to a five-membered palladacycle, which controls C-C coupling, then to a seven-membered oxapalladacycle, which gives aldehydes and ketones or dibenzopyrans.

Synthetic and structural studies on amine coordination to Pd-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes

The reaction between 2-chlorobenzylamine or 2-chlorobenzylalcohol and Pd(I(t)Bu)(2) (I(t)Bu = 1,3-di-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene) in benzene affords the dimeric complexes [Pd(I(t)Bu)(mu-NH{2-CH(2)C(6)H(4)})](2) and [Pd(I(t)Bu)(mu-O{2-CH(2)C(6)H(4)})](2); the latter has been structurally characterised. The syntheses, structural characterisation and reactivity of the Pd-NHC amine complexes [(I(t)Bu)Pd(R-4-C(6)H(4))(morpholine)Cl] (R = Me, OMe, CO(2)Me), intermediates in the Buchwald-Hartwig aryl amination reaction, are also reported.

Synthesis of 1,2- and 1,3-dicarboxylic acids via Pd(II)-catalyzed carboxylation of aryl and vinyl C-H bonds

A Pd(II)-catalyzed reaction protocol for the direct carboxylation of benzoic and phenylacetic acid derivatives to form dicarboxylic acids has been developed. The reaction conditions are also applicable for the carboxylation of vinyl C-H bonds. The first C-H insertion Pd-aryl complex from carboxylic acids has been characterized by X-ray crystallography.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Antimicrotubule Biaryl Hybrids of Allocolchicine and Steganacin

The asymmetric synthesis of novel axially chiral biaryl compounds 5 a-f containing a seven- or eight-membered heterocyclic medium ring is described. These molecules can be considered to be structural hybrids of allocolchicine- and steganacin-type natural products. The synthesis featured an atropo-diastereoselective biaryl Suzuki coupling in which a benzylic stereocenter efficiently transferred its stereochemical information to the biaryl axis. The coupling conditions were optimized, and two biphenylphosphane ligands (DavePhos and S-Phos) were found to give the highest yields and diastereoselectivities. A three-element stereochemical model was proposed to explain the observed diastereoselectivities. In a second key step, the medium ring of the target molecules was formed by a stereoselective S(N)1-type cyclodehydration that probably involved a configurationally stable carbocationic intermediate, as supported by calculations. Alternatively, S(N)2-type cyclizations were employed on the same Suzuki coupling products to give the target molecules in a stereodivergent or stereoconvergent manner. These cyclization methods furnished the target hybrid analogues 5 a-f with ee values above 94 %. All analogues were evaluated as antimicrotubule agents and against a panel of cancer-cell lines using colchicine (1) and N-acetylcolchinol (3) as references. Promising activities were found for R,aR-configured compounds 5 a, b and 5 f; in particular, ethyl analogue 5 b showed a twofold antimicrotubule activity relative to colchicine.

Cyclopalladation of the Prochiral (Di-tert-butyl)(diphenylmethyl)phosphine: Kinetic Lability of the Corresponding (+)-Phosphapalladacyclic Pd−C Bond and the Reluctance of the Phosphine to Bind in a Monodentate Fashion

The ortho palladation of prochiral (di-tert-butyl)(diphenylmethyl)phosphine proceeded readily to give rise to the dimeric complex, di-mu-chlorobis{[(phenyl)(di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl]phenyl-C2, P}dipalladium(II). The (S,S)-(+)-dimer was subsequently obtained by optical resolution with sodium (S)-prolinate. The absolute configuration of the optically resolved (+)-dimer was concluded from the X-ray diffraction studies of the derivatized O,O-acetylacetonate complex. The availability of the (+)-dimer is crucial to the study of the properties of the Pd-C bond. The phosphapalladacycle Pd-C bond exhibited a remarkable thermodynamic stability. It could not be permanently ruptured to give rise to the eta1-P monodentate even in a refluxing acetone solution containing concentrated hydrochloric acid. Instead, the phosphine was noted to fluctuate between the ring closed and opened states via the reversible Pd-C bond cleavage/formation under this condition. Inevitably, this resulted in the racemization of the five-membered organopalladium ring structure. In contrast, such bond cleavage was not observed at room temperature in the absence of HCl. In fact, the phosphine was observed to readily ortho palladate even under conditions not favorable to cyclopalladation. Indeed, the difficulty of isolating the phosphine as a simple eta1-P monodentate coordination complex was further noted by its lack of reactivity toward the N,N-dimethyl-1-(1'naphthyl)ethylaminate palladacycle mu-chloro dimer. Only by enhancing the Lewis acidity of the palladacycle in the form of the positively charged bis(acetonitrile) complex could the phosphine be encouraged to participate in monodentate eta1-P bonding. Even then, this form of coordination was weak and was only observed by NMR spectroscopy.

Neutral Molecular Pd6 Hexagons Using κ3-P2O-Terdentate Ligands

The one-step synthesis of three new P2O-terdentate carboxylic acid ditertiary phosphines 2-{(Ph2PCH2)2N}-3-(X)C6H3CO2H (X = OCH3, L1; X = OH, L2) and 2-{(Ph2PCH2)2N}-5-(OH)C6H3CO2H (L3) by a phosphorus-based Mannich condensation reaction using Ph2PCH2OH and the appropriate amine in CH3OH is reported. Compounds L1-L3 function as typical kappa2-P2-didentate ligands upon complexation to Pd(CH3)Cl(cod) (cod = cycloocta-1,5-diene), affording the neutral, mononuclear complexes Pd(CH3)Cl(L1-L3) (1-3). Metathesis of 1 with NaX (X = Br, I) gave the corresponding (methyl)bromopalladium(II) (4) and (methyl)iodopalladium(II) (5) complexes, respectively. When chloroform or chloroform/methanol solutions of 1-3 (or 5) were allowed to stand, at ambient temperatures, yellow crystalline solids were isolated in very high yields (71-88%) and were analyzed for the novel hexameric palladium(II) compounds 6-9. All new compounds reported have been fully characterized by a combination of spectroscopic (multinuclear NMR, Fourier transform IR, electrospray mass spectrometry, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry) and analytical methods. The self-assembly reactions are remarkably clean as monitored by 31P{1H} and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Single-crystal X-ray structures have been determined for L1, 4, 7.17CDCl3.2Et2O, 8.6CHCl3.8CH3OH, and 9.17CDCl3. In hexamers 7-9, all six square-planar palladium(II) metal centers comprise a kappa2-P2-chelating diphosphine, a kappa1-O-monodentate carboxylate, and either a chloride or iodide ligand, leading to 48-membered metallomacrocycles (with outside diameters of ca. 2.5 nm). Whereas only intramolecular O-H...N hydrogen bonding between the hydroxy group and tertiary amine has been observed in 7, strong intermolecular O-H...O hydrogen bonding of the type CO...HO(CH3)...HO, involving a methanol solvate, has been found in 8, leading to an unprecedented three-dimensional network motif.

Synthesis of novel palladium OCN-pincer complexes: unprecedented sequential C(sp3)–H activation and aerobic oxidation in the reaction of N,N-dialkyl-3-[(N,N-dimethylamino)methyl]-2-iodoanilines with Pd2(dba)3

The reaction of N,N-dialkyl-3-[(N,N-dimethylamino)methyl]-2-iodoanilines with Pd2(dba)3 under O2 gives palladium OCN-pincer complexes by means of an unprecedented process that involves the formal aerobic oxidation of C(sp3)-H bonds at the alpha position of the aniline N atom.