Iridium Porphyrin Catalyzed N–H Insertion Reactions: Scope and Mechanism

Heterogeneous Rhodium Single-Atom-Site Catalyst Enables Chemoselective Carbene N-H Bond Insertion

Transition-metal-catalyzed carbene insertion reactions of a nitrogen-hydrogen bond have emerged as robust and versatile methods for the construction of C-N bonds. While significant progress of homogeneous catalytic metal carbene N-H insertions has been achieved, the control of chemoselectivity in the field remains challenging due to the high electrophilicity of the metal carbene intermediates. Herein, we present an efficient strategy for the synthesis of a rhodium single-atom-site catalyst (Rh-SA) that incorporates a Rh atom surrounded by three nitrogen atoms and one phosphorus atom doped in a carbon support. This Rh-SA catalyst, with a catalyst loading of only 0.15 mol %, exhibited exceptional catalytic performance for heterogeneous carbene insertion with various anilines and heteroaryl amines in combination with diazo esters. Importantly, the heterogeneous catalyst selectively transformed aniline derivatives bearing multiple nucleophilic moieties into single N-H insertion isomers, while the popular homogeneous Rh2(OAc)4 catalyst produced a mixture of overfunctionalized side products. Additionally, similar selectivities for N-H bond insertion with a set of stereoelectronically diverse diazo esters were obtained, highlighting the general applicability of this heterogeneous catalysis approach. On the basis of density functional theory calculations, the observed selectivity of the Rh-SA catalyst was attributed to the insertion barriers and the accelerated proton transfer assisted by the phosphorus atom in the support. Overall, this investigation of heterogeneous metal-catalyzed carbene insertion underscores the potential of single-atom-site catalysis as a powerful and complementary tool in organic synthesis.

Rh-Catalyzed Chemodivergent [3+3] Annulations of Diazoenals and α-Aminoketones: Direct Synthesis of Functionalized 1,2-Dihydropyridines and Fused 1,4-Oxazines

Novel rhodium-catalyzed [3+3] annulations of diazoenals and α-amino ketones has been disclosed here. The reactivity of diazoenals has been switched from carbenoid to vinylogous NH-insertion by altering acyclic to cyclic α-amino ketones. In this direction, we report an efficient strategy to synthesize 1,2-dihydropyridines (DHPs) and fused 1,4-oxazines. Mechanistic investigation revealed that the formyl group is necessary for carbenoid [3+3] annulation and the cyclohexyl group is the dictating factor for vinylogous NH- insertion. The synthetic utility of 1,2-dihydropyridines was demonstrated by synthesizing piperidine, pyrido[1,2-a]indole, and 2-pyridone scaffolds. Further, structural diversification of fused 1,4-oxazines resulted in the short synthesis of hexahydroquinolin-2(1H)-ones, hexahydro quinolines and tetrahydroquinolinones via ring opening rearrangement and a new oxidative deformylation, respectively.

Amphiphilic polymeric nanoparticles enable homogenous rhodium-catalysed NH insertion reactions in living cells

Rh-catalysed NH carbene insertion reactions were exported to living cells with help of amphiphilic polymeric nanoparticles. Hereto, hydrophobic dirhodium carboxylate catalysts were efficiently encapsulated in amphiphilic polymeric nanoparticles comprising dodecyl and Jeffamine as side grafts. The developed catalytic nanoparticles promoted NH carbene insertions between α-keto diazocarbenes and 2,3-diaminonaphthalene, followed by intramolecular cyclisation to form fluorescent or biologically active benzoquinoxalines. These reactions were studied in reaction media of varying complexity. The best-performing catalyst was exported to HeLa cells, where fluorescent and cytotoxic benzoquinoxalines were synthesized in situ at low catalyst loading within a short time. Most of the developed bioorthogonal transition metal catalysts reported to date are easily deactivated by the reactive biomolecules in living cells, limiting their applications. The high catalytic efficiency of the Rh-based polymeric nanoparticles reported here opens the door to expanding the repertoire of bioorthogonal reactions and is therefore promising for biomedical applications.

Bismuth-catalyzed arylation of ethyl glyoxylate with aniline via N-H insertion

Glycine derivatives such as ethyl 2-(4-aminophenyl)-2-(phenylamino) acetate is an exciting and essential non-proteinogenic class of amino acids. Herein, we report an efficient and novel route to synthesize glycine derivatives using ethyl glyoxylate, aniline, and its derivatives catalyzed by bismuth salts. In our scheme, mild, non-toxic, and commercially viable reagents were utilized. The synthesized moieties were characterized by ESI-MASS, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and XRD techniques. The target glycine derivatives were successfully obtained with a maximum yield of 87%. Moreover, the reaction is very green as water is the only byproduct.

Ligand-enabled silver-catalyzed carbene insertion into the N–H bond of aliphatic and electron-rich aromatic amines

The stable effect of tris(pyrazolyl)borate ligand and 1,2-diaminocyclohexane ligand on the silver metal center was used respectively, to realize the efficient N–H bond insertion reaction of carbene to aliphatic amines and aromatic amines.

Directed Evolution of Artificial Metalloenzymes in Whole Cells

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs), created by introducing synthetic cofactors into protein scaffolds, are an emerging class of catalyst for non-natural reactions. Although many classes of ArMs are known, in vitro reconstitution of cofactors and proteins has been a limiting step in the high-throughput screening and directed evolution of ArMs because purification of individual host proteins is time-consuming. We describe the application of a platform to combine mutants of the P450 enzyme CYP119 and the cofactor Ir(Me)MPIX in vivo, by coexpression of the CYP119 mutants with the heme transporter encoded by the hug operon, to the directed evolution of ArMs containing Ir(Me)MPIX in whole cells. We applied this platform to the development an ArMs catalyzing the insertion of the acyclic carbene from α-diazopropanoate esters (Me-EDA) into the N-H bonds of N-alkyl anilines, a combination of carbene and amine classes for which mutant enzymes of natural hemoproteins previously reacted with low enantioselectivity. The mutants of the artificial metalloenzyme Ir(Me)CYP119 identified by an evolution campaign involving more than 4000 mutants are shown to catalyze the reaction of Me-EDA with N-methyl anilines to form chiral chiral amino esters with high TON and good enantioselectivity, thereby demonstrating that the directed evolution of ArMs can rival that of natural enzymes in vivo.

TfOH-Catalyzed N-H Insertion of α-Substituted-α-Diazoesters with Anilines Provides Access to Unnatural α-Amino Esters

A time-economical TfOH-catalyzed N-H insertion between anilines and α-alkyl and α-aryl-α-diazoacetates provides a straightforward approach to access unnatural α-amino esters, which readily undergo various transformations and can thus be used for the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant molecules. The α-amino esters were obtained in moderate to excellent yields.

Selective carbene transfer to amines and olefins catalyzed by ruthenium phthalocyanine complexes with donor substituents

Electron-rich ruthenium phthalocyanine complexes were evaluated in carbene transfer reactions from ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) to aromatic and aliphatic olefins as well as to a wide range of aromatic, heterocyclic and aliphatic amines for the first time. It was revealed that the ruthenium octabutoxyphthalocyanine carbonyl complex [(BuO)8Pc]Ru(CO) is the most efficient catalyst converting electron-rich and electron-poor aromatic olefins to cyclopropane derivatives with high yields (typically 80-100%) and high TON (up to 1000) under low catalyst loading and nearly equimolar substrate/EDA ratio. This catalyst shows a rare efficiency in the carbene insertion into amine N-H bonds. Using a 0.05 mol% catalyst loading, a high amine concentration (1 M) and 1.1 eq. of EDA, a number of structurally divergent amines were selectively converted to mono-substituted glycine derivatives with up to quantitative yields and turnover numbers reaching 2000. High selectivity, large substrate scope, low catalyst loading and practical reaction conditions place [(BuO)8Pc]Ru(CO) among the most efficient catalysts for the carbene insertion into amines.

Metal-free C-C, C-O, C-S and C-N bond formation enabled by SBA-15 supported TFMSA

The construction of intermolecular C-C, C-O, C-S and C-N bonds between diazo compounds and acyclic and cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, thiophenol and alkynes was developed by using TFMSA@SBA-15, thus providing a metal-free and eco-friendly platform for forging those chemical bonds.

Carbene insertion to N–H bonds of 2-aminothiazole and 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives catalyzed by iron phthalocyanine

Iron(III) phthalocyaninate decorated with crown ether substituents, [(15C5)4PcFe]Cl, efficiently catalyzed the insertion of carbene derived from ethyl diazoacetate to six amines functionalized with thiazole, thiazoline and thiadiazole heterocycles. The reactions were carried out under practical conditions using EDA:amine stoechiometric ratio with 0.05 mol% catalyst loading. Turnover numbers up to 3360 have been achieved. The aminoacid derivatives bearing heterocyclic moieties were obtained under catalytic conditions for the first time with 36–69% yields in the case of single N–H insertion products and up to 77% in the case of double N–H insertion products.

Iridium porphyrin complexes with μ-nitrido, hydroxo, hydrosulfido and alkynyl ligands

Iridium porphyrin complexes containing μ-nitrido, hydroxo, hydrosulfido, and alkynyl ligands have been synthesized and structurally characterized, and their oxidation has been studied. The alkyl-IrIII porphyrin complex [Ir(tpp)R] (tpp2- = 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin dianion; R = C8H13; 1) was synthesized by reaction of [Ir(cod)Cl]2 (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) with H2tpp in refluxing monoethylene glycol. Treatment of 1 with PPh3 and [(LOEt)Ru(N)Cl2] (LOEt- = [(η5-C5H5)Co{P(O)(OEt)2}3]-) gave [Ir(tpp)(R)(PPh3)] (2) and the μ-nitrido complex [R(tpp)Ir(μ-N)RuCl2(LOEt)] (3), respectively. The cyclic voltammogram of 3 exhibited a reversible oxidation couple at 0.44 V versus Fc+/0 (Fc = ferrocene). The oxidation of 3 with [(4-BrC6H4)3N](SbCl6) resulted in Ir-C bond homolysis and formation of the chloride complex [Cl(tpp)Ir(μ-N)RuCl2(LOEt)] (4). The short Ir-N(nitrido) bond distances in 3 [1.944(3) Å] and 4 [1.831(4) Å] are indicative of multiple bond character and thus these two μ-nitrido complexes can be described by the two resonance forms: IrIII-N[triple bond, length as m-dash]RuVI and IrV[double bond, length as m-dash]N[double bond, length as m-dash]RuIV. Similarly, the oxidation of 2 with [(4-BrC6H4)3N](SbCl6) yielded [Ir(tpp)Cl(PPh3)] (5). Chloride abstraction of 5 with TlPF6 in tetrahydrofuran (thf) afforded [Ir(tpp)(PPh3)(thf)](PF6) (6) that reacted with CsOH·H2O and Li2S to give the hydroxo [Ir(tpp)(OH)(PPh3)] (7) and hydrosulfido [Ir(tpp)(PPh3)(SH)] (8) complexes, respectively. Treatment of 6 with phenylacetylene in the presence of CuI and Et3N yielded the bimetallic complex [Ir(tpp)(PPh3)(μ-η1:η2-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]CPh)(CuI)] (9), whereas the transmetallation of 6 with LiC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CPh afforded the mononuclear alkynyl complex [Ir(tpp)(PPh3)(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]CPh)] (10). The electrochemistry of the Ir porphyrin complexes has been studied using cyclic voltammetry. On the basis of the measured redox potentials of [Ir(tpp)(PPh3)X], the ability of X- to stabilize the IrIV state is ranked in the order: R- > PhC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C- > Cl- ∼ OH-. Oxidation of 8 and 9 with [(4-BrC6H4)3N](SbCl6) led to isolation of 5 and [Ir(tpp)(PPh3)(H2O)]+, respectively. The crystal structures of complexes 3, 4, and 7-10 have been determined.

Vanadyl β-tetrabromoporphyrin: synthesis, crystal structure and its use as an efficient and selective catalyst for olefin epoxidation in aqueous medium

We hereby report the synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications in the epoxidation of alkenes by a vanadyl porphyrin having bulky bromo substituents at the β-positions viz. vanandyltetrabromotetraphenylporphyrin (1). The synthesized porphyrin was characterized by various spectroscopic techniques like UV-visible, FT-IR, EPR, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and single crystal X-ray analysis. Porphyrin 1 has a nonplanar structure as indicated by its X-ray structure, DFT and electrochemical studies. 1 was analyzed for its catalytic application in the epoxidation of various alkenes. The catalytic reactions were carried out in CH₃CN/H₂O mixture in 3 : 1 (v/v) ratio. 1 displayed good efficiency in terms of mild reaction conditions, lower reaction temperature and minimal catalyst amount consumption. 1 exhibited excellent selectivity, high conversion efficiency and huge TOF (7600–9800 h⁻¹) in a significantly low reaction time of 0.5 h. Catalyst 1 was regenerated at the end of various catalytic cycles making it reusable and industrially important.

We have synthesized β-tetrabromo-meso-tetraphenylporphyrinatooxidovanadium(iv) (VOTPPBr₄) which possesses high thermal stability and nonplanar macrocyclic core. Further, it was utilized for selective epoxidation of olefins in good yields with very high TOF numbers.

Carbene Transfer Reactions Catalysed by Dyes of the Metalloporphyrin Group

Carbene transfer reactions are very important transformations in organic synthesis, allowing the generation of structurally challenging products by catalysed cyclopropanation, cyclopropenation, carbene C-H, N-H, O-H, S-H, and Si-H insertion, and olefination of carbonyl compounds. In particular, chiral and achiral metalloporphyrins have been successfully explored as biomimetic catalysts for these carbene transfer reactions under both homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions. In this work the use of synthetic metalloporphyrins (MPorph, M = Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Sn) as homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts for carbene transfer reactions in the last years is reviewed, almost exclusively focused on the literature since the year 2010, except when reference to older publications was deemed to be crucial.

Carbene insertion into N–H bonds with size-selectivity induced by a microporous ruthenium–porphyrin metal–organic framework

A stable and porous porphyrinic metal–organic framework Ru-PMOF-1(Hf) has been prepared and used for N–H insertion reactions with high efficiency and selectivity.

Metal Substitution Modulates the Reactivity and Extends the Reaction Scope of Myoglobin Carbene Transfer Catalysts

Engineered myoglobins have recently emerged as promising scaffolds for catalyzing carbene-mediated transformations. In this work, we investigated the effect of altering the metal center and its first-sphere coordination environment on the carbene transfer reactivity of myoglobin. To this end, we first established an efficient protocol for the recombinant expression of myoglobin variants incorporating metalloporphyrins with non-native metals, including second- and third-row transition metals (ruthenium, rhodium, iridium). Characterization of the cofactor-substituted myoglobin variants across three different carbene transfer reactions (cyclopropanation, N-H insertion, S-H insertion) revealed a major influence of the nature of metal center, its oxidation state and first-sphere coordination environment on the catalytic activity, stereoselectivity, and/or oxygen tolerance of these artificial metalloenzymes. In addition, myoglobin variants incorporating manganese- or cobalt-porphyrins were found capable of catalyzing an intermolecular carbene C-H insertion reaction involving phthalan and ethyl α-diazoacetate, a reaction not supported by iron-based myoglobins and previously accessed only using iridium-based (bio)catalysts. These studies demonstrate how modification of the metalloporphyrin cofactor environment provides a viable and promising strategy to enhance the catalytic properties and extend the reaction scope of myoglobin-based carbene transfer catalysts.

Unexpected formation of a μ-carbido diruthenium(iv) complex during the metalation of phthalocyanine with Ru3(CO)12 and its catalytic activity in carbene transfer reactions

Catalytic activity of novel μ-carbido Ru(iv) bisphthalocyaninate was firstly demonstrated by the olefin cyclopropanation and carbene insertion into N–H bonds.

Fe-Porphyrin functionalized microporous organic nanotube networks and their application for the catalytic olefination of aldehydes and carbene insertion into N–H bonds

Fe-Porphyrin functionalized microporous organic nanotubes networks were synthesized by an in situ hyper-crosslinking reaction between bottlebrush copolymers and meso-tetraphenylporphyrin iron(iii) chloride.

Iridium catalyzed acceptor/acceptor carbene insertion into N–H bonds in water

Carbenes from highly stable acceptor/acceptor diazo compounds can be inserted into the N–H bonds of aromatic amines using an Ir(i) catalyst in an aqueous medium.

User-friendly aerobic reductive alkylation of iridium(III) porphyrin chloride with potassium hydroxide: scope and mechanism

Alkylation of iridium 5,10,15,20-tetrakistolylporphyrinato carbonyl chloride, Ir(ttp)Cl(CO) (1), with 1°, 2° alkyl halides was achieved to give (ttp)Ir-alkyls in good yields under air and water compatible conditions by utilizing KOH as the cheap reducing agent. The reaction rate followed the order: RCl < RBr < RI (R = alkyl), and suggests an SN2 pathway by [Ir(I)(ttp)](-). Ir(ttp)-adamantyl was obtained under N2 when 1-bromoadamantane was utilized, which could only undergo bromine atom transfer pathway. Mechanistic investigations reveal a substrate dependent pathway of SN2 or halogen atom transfer.

Ir-Catalyzed enantioselective group transfer reactions

This tutorial review highlights the emergence of iridium complexes as catalysts for enantioselective group transfer reactions.

Electron deficient nonplanar β-octachlorovanadylporphyrin as a highly efficient and selective epoxidation catalyst for olefins

Highly electron deficient and nonplanar β-octachlorovanadylporphyrin (VOTPPCl₈) was synthesized and utilized for selective epoxidation of olefins with very high TOF numbers (6566-9650 h⁻¹).

Cytochrome P450-Catalyzed Insertion of Carbenoids into N-H Bonds

Expanding nature's catalytic repertoire to include reactions important in synthetic chemistry will open new opportunities for 'green' chemistry and biosynthesis. We demonstrate enzyme-catalyzed insertion of carbenoids into N-H bonds. This type of bond disconnection, which has no counterpart in nature, can be mediated by variants of the cytochrome P450 from Bacillus megaterium. The N-H insertion reaction takes place in water, provides the desired products in 26-83% yield, forms the single addition product exclusively, and does not require slow addition of the diazo component.