Stereoselective Synthesis of (E)- and (Z)-Triethoxy(vinyl-d2)silanes by Hydrosilylation of Acetylene-d2

3D Printing to Increase the Flexibility of the Chemical Synthesis of Biologically Active Molecules: Design of On-Demand Gas Generation Reactors

The development of new drugs is accelerated by rapid access to functionalized and D-labeled molecules with improved activity and pharmacokinetic profiles. Diverse synthetic procedures often involve the usage of gaseous reagents, which can be a difficult task due to the requirement of a dedicated laboratory setup. Here, we developed a special reactor for the on-demand production of gases actively utilized in organic synthesis (C2H2, H2, C2D2, D2, and CO2) that completely eliminates the need for high-pressure equipment and allows for integrating gas generation into advanced laboratory practice. The reactor was developed by computer-aided design and manufactured using a conventional 3D printer with polypropylene and nylon filled with carbon fibers as materials. The implementation of the reactor was demonstrated in representative reactions with acetylene, such as atom-economic nucleophilic addition (conversions of 19-99%) and nickel-catalyzed S-functionalization (yields 74-99%). One of the most important advantages of the reactor is the ability to generate deuterated acetylene (C2D2) and deuterium gas (D2), which was used for highly significant, atom-economic and cost-efficient deuterium labeling of S,O-vinyl derivatives (yield 68-94%). Successful examples of their use in organic synthesis are provided to synthesize building blocks of heteroatom-functionalized and D-labeled biologically active organic molecules.

An effective Pd nanocatalyst in aqueous media: stilbene synthesis by Mizoroki-Heck coupling reaction under microwave irradiation

Aqueous Mizoroki–Heck coupling reactions under microwave irradiation (MW) were carried out with a colloidal Pd nanocatalyst stabilized with poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). Many stilbenes and novel heterostilbenes were achieved in good to excellent yields starting from aryl bromides and different olefins. The reaction was carried out in a short reaction time and with low catalyst loading, leading to high turnover frequency (TOFs of the order of 100 h⁻¹). The advantages like operational simplicity, high robustness, efficiency and turnover frequency, the utilization of aqueous media and simple product work-up make this protocol a great option for stilbene syntheses by Mizoroki–Heck reaction.

Mechanistic studies on the Pd-catalyzed vinylation of aryl halides with vinylalkoxysilanes in water: the effect of the solvent and NaOH promoter

The mechanism of the Pd-catalyzed vinylation of aryl halides with vinylalkoxysilanes in water has been studied using different catalytic precursors. The NaOH promoter converts the initial vinylalkoxysilane into a highly reactive water-soluble vinylsilanolate species. Similarly, deuterium-labeling experiments have shown that, irrespective of the catalytic precursor used, vinylation occurs exclusively at the CH vinylic functionality via a Heck reaction and not at the C-Si bond via a Hiyama cross-coupling. The involvement of a Heck mechanism is interpreted in terms of the reduced nucleophilicity of the base in water, which disfavors the transmetalation step. The Heck product (β-silylvinylarene) undergoes partial desilylation, with formation of a vinylarene, by three different routes: (a) hydrolytic desilylation by the aqueous solvent (only at high temperature); (b) transmetalation of the silyl olefin on the PdH Heck intermediate followed by reductive elimination of vinylarene; (c) reinsertion of the silyl olefin into the PdH bond of the Heck intermediate followed by β-Si syn-elimination. Both the Hiyama and Heck catalytic cycles and desilylation mechanisms b and c have been computationally evaluated for the [Pd(en)Cl2] precursor in water as solvent. The calculated Gibbs energy barriers support the reinsertion route proposed on the basis of the experimental results.