Learning organo-transition metal catalyzed reactions by graph neural networks

Chemical reaction outcome prediction presents a fundamental challenge in synthetic chemistry. Most existing machine learning (ML) approaches focus on chemical reactions of typical elements. We developed a simple ML model focused on organo-transition metal-catalyzed reactions (OMCRs). Instead of overall reactions observed in experiments, we let the ML model learn the sequence of simplified elementary reactions. This drastically reduced the complexity of the model and helped it find common patterns from distinct reactions. We let a graph neural network learn the reactivity index of a pair of atoms. The model was able to learn a wide variety of OMCRs, and the accuracy of reaction prediction reached 97%, even though the model has extremely fewer learnable parameters than other standards. The learned reactivity indices of bonds nicely summarize the knowledge of reactions in the dataset.

Olefin skeletal rearrangement enabling access to multiarylated N-sulfonyl amidines

A base-promoted olefin skeletal rearrangement strategy from para-quinone methides (p-QMs) and N-fluoroarenesulfonamides is reported, enabling direct nitrogen insertion of olefins to produce a series of multiarylated (Z)-N-sulfonyl amidines with complete stereoselectivity and generally good yields. Using p-QMs without o-hydroxy substituents gave triarylated N-sulfonyl amidines, whereas tetraarylated N,N'-disulfonyl amidines were synthesized with the existence of o-hydroxy groups.

Electrocatalytic Desulfurizative Amination of Thioureas to Guanidines

Guanidine has been known as an important class of N-containing molecules with a wide range of applications. Described here is a selective and efficient electrochemical approach to the synthesis of guanidines from easily accessible thioureas and amines. The key to success for this reaction is the in situ generation of a hypervalent iodine reagent as a catalyst from iodoarene by anodic oxidation. This mild desulfurizative amination presents ample substrate scope and good functional group tolerance without the use of extra stoichiometric chemical oxidants. As only electrons serve as the oxidation reagents, this method offers a more straightforward and sustainable manner toward versatile guanidines, including late-stage functionalization of pharmaceutically relevant molecules.

Copper-Catalyzed Multicomponent Reactions of Intramolecular and Intermolecular Thiotrifluoromethylation of Alkenes: Access to CF3-Containing 2-Iminothiazolidines and Isothioureas

A copper-catalyzed multicomponent reaction of secondary amines bearing allyl substitution, isothiocyanates, and Togni reagent II has been developed under Cs₂CO₃ in DCE at 75 °C. An intermolecular multicomponent reaction of thioureas, activated and unactivated alkenes, and Togni reagent II has also been developed under DMAP in acetonitrile at room temperature. These two alkene difunctionalization reactions provide CF₃-containing 2-iminothiazolindines and isothioureas in moderate to excellent yields with broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance, respectively.

Guanidinates as Alternative Ligands for Organometallic Complexes

For decades, ligands such as phosphanes or cyclopentadienyl ring derivatives have dominated Coordination and Organometallic Chemistry. At the same time, alternative compounds have emerged that could compete either for a more practical and accessible synthesis or for greater control of steric and electronic properties. Guanidines, nitrogen-rich compounds, appear as one such potential alternatives as ligands or proligands. In addition to occurring in a plethora of natural compounds, and thus in compounds of pharmacological use, guanidines allow a wide variety of coordination modes to different metal centers along the periodic table, with their monoanionic chelate derivatives being the most common. In this review, we focused on the organometallic chemistry of guanidinato compounds, discussing selected examples of coordination modes, reactivity and uses in catalysis or materials science. We believe that these amazing ligands offer a new promise in Organometallic Chemistry.

Flexible Approach for the Synthesis of Annulated 4H-Pyrans Based on a Cu(I)-Catalyzed C-Allylation/O-Vinylation Reaction of Cyclic 1-Bromoallyl Tosylates with Cyclic and Acyclic 1,3-Dicarbonyls

The Cu(I)-catalyzed reaction between five-, six-, seven-, and eight-membered cyclic 1-bromoallyl tosylates and five- and six-membered cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls in DMF at 80 °C using Cs₂CO₃ as a base and 2-picolinic acid as an additive selectively delivers a wide array of bisannulated 4H-pyrans in a single step with yields up to 92%. The transformations are considered to proceed as intermolecular C-allylations/intramolecular O-vinylations. With six-membered cyclic 1-bromoallyl tosylates and acyclic β-ketoesters as substrates, the corresponding 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-chromene-3-carboxylates are obtained with yields up to 59%.

Metal-catalyzed reactions of organic nitriles and boronic acids to access diverse functionality

The nitrile or cyano (-CN) group is one of the most appreciated and effective functional groups in organic synthesis, having a polar unsaturated C-N triple bond. Despite sufficient stability and being intrinsically inert, the nitrile group can be easily transformed into many other functional groups, such as amines, carboxylic acids, ketones, etc. which makes it a vital group in organic synthesis. On the other hand, despite several boronic acids having a low level of genotoxicity, they have found wide applicability in the field of organic synthesis, especially in transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Recently, transition-metal-catalyzed cascade additions or addition/cyclization processes of boronic acids to the nitrile group open up exciting and useful strategies to prepare a variety of functional molecules through the formation of C-C, C-N and CO bonds. Boronic acids can be added to the cyano functionality through catalytic carbometallation or through a radical cascade process to provide newer pathways for the rapid construction of various important acyclic ketones or amides, carbamidines, carbocycles and N,O-heterocycles. The present review focuses on various transition-metal-catalyzed additions of boronic acids via carbometallation or radical cascade processes using the cyano group as an acceptor.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Atropisomeric Biaryls by Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric Buchwald-Hartwig Amination

N-C Biaryl atropisomers are prevalent in natural products and bioactive drug molecules. However, the enantioselective synthesis of such molecules has not developed significantly. Particularly, the enantioselective synthesis of N-C biaryl atropisomers by stereoselective metal-catalyzed aryl amination remains unprecedented. Herein, a Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling strategy is presented for the synthesis of N-C axially chiral biaryl molecules. A broad spectrum of N-C axially chiral compounds was obtained with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee) and good yields (up to 98 %). The practicality of this reaction was validated in the synthesis of useful biological molecules.

Direct, Late-Stage Mono-N-arylation of Pentamidine: Method Development, Mechanistic Insight, and Expedient Access to Novel Antiparastitics against Diamidine-Resistant Parasites

A selective mono‐N‐arylation strategy of amidines under Chan‐Lam conditions is described. During the reaction optimization phase, the isolation of a mononuclear Cu(II) complex provided unique mechanistic insight into the operation of Chan‐Lam mono‐N‐arylation. The scope of the process is demonstrated, and then applied to access the first mono‐N‐arylated analogues of pentamidine. Sub‐micromolar activity against kinetoplastid parasites was observed for several analogues with no cross‐resistance in pentamidine and diminazene‐resistant trypanosome strains and against Leishmania mexicana. A fluorescent mono‐N‐arylated pentamidine analogue revealed rapid cellular uptake, accumulating in parasite nuclei and the kinetoplasts. The DNA binding capability of the mono‐N‐arylated pentamidine series was confirmed by UV‐melt measurements using AT‐rich DNA. This work highlights the potential to use Chan‐Lam mono‐N‐arylation to develop therapeutic leads against diamidine‐resistant trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Cu-Catalyzed C–H Activation Reaction: One-Pot Direct Synthesis of Xanthine and Uric Acid Derivatives from 5-Bromouracil

A one-pot direct synthesis of xanthine and uric acid derivates is reported. This simple yet efficient methodology illustrates concurrent formation of two C–N bonds using CuBr2 as catalyst and one of those C–N bonds is formed by uracil C6–H bond activation.

Recent developments in selective N-arylation of azoles

Transition-metal based carbon-heteroatom (C-X) bond formation has attracted the attention of synthetic chemists over the past few years because the resultant aryl/heteroaryl motifs are important substructures in many natural products, pharmaceuticals, etc. Several efficient protocols such as Buchwald-Hartwig amination, Ullmann coupling, Chan-Lam coupling and metal-free approaches have proved beneficial in C-X bond formation. Selective arylation of one hetero-centre over other centres without protection/deprotection thus allowing minimum synthetic manipulation has been achieved for several substrates using these protocols. Azoles are one such novel five-membered heterocyclic core with huge pharmaceutical applications. Though N-arylation on azole-bearing analogues has been extensively practised, selective N-arylation either on one N-centre or the exocyclic N-site of the azole ring in competition with other hetero-centres in the framework has been recently explored for azole-carrying systems. Thus, this review would focus on recent advances in chemo- and regio-selective N-arylation (either on one N-centre or the exocyclic N-site of the azole ring) on azole-containing frameworks.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Functionalized 5-Amino-3,4-Dihydro-2H-Pyrrole-2-Carboxylic Acid Esters: One-Pot Approach Using Commercially Available Compounds and Benign Solvents

A novel three-step four-transformation approach to highly functionalized 5-amino-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid esters, starting from commercially available phenylsulfonylacetonitrile, aldehydes, and N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine tert-butyl ester, was developed. The one-pot strategy delivered this class of amidines bearing, for the first time, three contiguous stereocenters, in good to high yield and diastereoselectivity. The entire sequence was carried out using diethyl carbonate and 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran as benign solvents, operating under metal-free conditions. The process could be conveniently scaled-up, and the synthetic utility of the products was demonstrated.

Catalytic synthesis of functionalized amidines via cobalt-carbene radical coupling with isocyanides and amines

An atom- and step-economic multi-component cobalt-catalyzed synthesis of amidines has been reported by using amines, isocyanides, and diazo compounds as carbene sources.

Pd-Catalyzed Functionalization of Aryl Amines on a Soluble Polymer Support

Herein we report the use of a soluble polymer support PEG-2000 on Pd-catalyzed reactions to improve the functionalization of aromatic amines and the synthesis of N-heterocycles. Compatibility of metal-catalyzed reactions for assembling privileged structures such as functionalized anilines were studied. PEG-supported anilines were found to be suitable substrates for Pd-catalyzed N-arylation, Sonogashira and Heck reactions. PEGylated substrates were prepared in yields up to 94%. This work consists on a proof of concept on the use of PEGylated anilines on Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Indole core was attained in 82% and 62% yields, via two different routes.

Anion influences on the structures of pyridyl-iminosulfonate copper(II) complexes and their reactivity in Chan–Lam couplings

Reaction of pyridylcarbaldehyde with taurine or orthanilic acid in the presence of copper salts provided copper complexes (PyC(H)N-CxHy-SO3)CuX with X = chloride, nitrate, acetate, or triflate and CxHy = o-C6H4 or C2H4. All complexes were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and formed either mononuclear water adducts, dimeric complexes, or one-dimensional coordination polymers. Activities in the Chan–Lam coupling of aniline with phenylboronic acid varied by less than a factor of two between catalysts with various anions, supporting previous mechanistic claims that the anion does not participate in the formation of copper–boron intermediates. There is no difference in the performance of a catalyst with an alkyl backbone, indicating that sulfonate dissociation is not part of the catalytic cycle.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel N-sulfonylamidine-based derivatives as c-Met inhibitors via Cu-catalyzed three-component reaction

In our continuing efforts to develop novel c-Met inhibitors as potential anticancer candidates, a series of new N-sulfonylamidine derivatives were designed, synthesized via Cu-catalyzed multicomponent reaction (MCR) as the key step, and evaluated for their in vitro biological activities against c-Met kinase and four cancer cell lines (A549, HT-29, MKN-45 and MDA-MB-231). Most of the target compounds showed moderate to significant potency at both the enzyme-based and cell-based assay and possessed selectivity for A549 and HT-29 cancer cell lines. The preliminary SAR studies demonstrated that compound 26af (c-Met IC₅₀ = 2.89 nM) was the most promising compound compared with the positive foretinib, which exhibited the remarkable antiproliferative activities, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.28 to 0.72 μM. Mechanistic studies of 26af showed the anticancer activity was closely related to the blocking phosphorylation of c-Met, leading to cell cycle arresting at G2/M phase and apoptosis of A549 cells by a concentration-dependent manner. The promising compound 26af was further identified as a relatively selective inhibitor of c-Met kinase, which also possessed an acceptable safety profile and favorable pharmacokinetic properties in BALB/c mouse. The favorable drug-likeness of 26af suggested that N-sulfonylamidines may be used as a promising scaffold for antitumor drug development. Additionally, the docking study and molecular dynamics simulations of 26af revealed a common mode of interaction with the binding site of c-Met. These positive results indicated that compound 26af is a potential anti-cancer candidate for clinical trials, and deserves further development as a selective c-Met inhibitor.

Divergent 2-Chloroquinazolin-4(3H)-one Rearrangement: Twisted-Cyclic Guanidine Formation or Ring-Fused N-Acylguanidines via a Domino Process

A highly efficient 2-chloroquinazolin-4(3H)-one rearrangement was developed that predictably generates either twisted-cyclic or ring-fused guanidines in a single operation, depending on the presence of a primary versus secondary amine in the accompanying diamine reagent. Exclusive formation of twisted-cyclic guanidines results from pairing 2-chloroquinazolinones with secondary diamines. Use of primary amine-containing diamines permits a domino quinazolinone rearrangement/intramolecular cyclization, gated through (E)-twisted-cyclic guanidines, to afford ring-fused N-acylguanidines. This scalable, structurally tolerant transformation generated 55 guanidines and delivered twisted-cyclic guanidines with robust plasma stability and an abbreviated total synthesis of an antitumor ring-fused guanidine (4 steps, 55 % yield).

Iron-catalyzed C–O bond functionalization of butyrolactam derivatives with various N-/C-nucleophiles

An iron-catalyzed C–O bond functionalization of butyrolactam derivatives with N-/C-nucleophiles to enable the synthesis of butyrolactam derivatives has been developed.

N-Arylation of (hetero)arylamines using aryl sulfamates and carbamates via C–O bond activation enabled by a reusable and durable nickel(0) catalyst

An effective and general aryl amination protocol has been developed using a magnetically recoverable Ni(0) based nanocatalyst.

Direct Amination of Arenes with Azodicarboxylates Catalyzed by Bisulfate Salt/HFIP Association

A mild and efficient amination of arenes with azodicarboxylates using potassium bisulfate (KHSO4) as the catalyst in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol has been developed. This protocol allowed the amination of a broad range of arenes leading to corresponding hydrazides in good to excellent yields.

Replacing sulfonate by carboxylate: application of pyridyliminocarboxylato copper(II) complexes in rac-lactide polymerization and Chan–Evans–Lam coupling

Copper(II) complexes carrying pyridylmethyleneaminobenzoate or –propanoate ligands, LCuX, were prepared in one-pot reactions from pyridinecarboxaldehyde, aminobenzoic acid or β-alanine, and CuX2 (X = Cl, NO3, OAc, or OTf). All complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies and formed either dimers, tetramers, or coordination polymers. Attempted preparation of the respective alkoxide complexes, LCu(OR), was unsuccessful, but use of LCuX/NaOMe mixtures in rac-lactide polymerization indicated under some conditions coordination–insertion polymerization via a copper alkoxide as the mechanism. The complexes performed poorly in rac-lactide polymerization, showing low activities (12 h to completion at 140 °C), low to moderate heterotacticity (Pr = 0.6–0.8), and poor polymer molecular weight control (intramolecular transesterification). They were competent catalysts for Chan–Evans–Lam couplings with phenylboronic acid, without any indication of side reactions such as deboration or aryl homocoupling. The complexes were active in undried methanol, without addition of base, ligand, or molecular sieves. Aniline, n-octylamine, and cyclohexylamine were coupled quantitatively under identical reaction conditions. There is only little influence of the anion on activities (less than a factor of 2) but a strong influence on induction periods. The complexes were not active in CEL coupling with alcohols, phenols, or alkylboronic acids.

Facile amidinations of 2-aminophenylboronic acid promoted by boronate ester formation

Amidine synthesis by amine addition to nitriles normally requires high temperatures or harsh catalysts. Here, we report that boronate esters can facilitate amidination of proximal amines with moderate heating. With amidines present in a number of drugs and the synthetic handle provided by the boron, this chemistry should find useful applications.

A Metal-Free Three-Component Reaction of trans-β-Nitrostyrene Derivatives, Dibromo Amides, and Amines Leading to Functionalized Amidines

A mild, metal-free, and multicomponent route for the preparation of N-acyl amidines from nitroalkene derivatives, dibromo amides, and amines has been developed that accesses an initial α,α-dibromonitroalkane intermediate that can undergo C-C bond cleavage. This protocol offers an alternative approach toward N-acyl amidines and features the rapid construction of amidine frameworks with high diversity and complexity. The procedure also accesses bisamidine and α,β-unsaturated amidines which are challenging targets by traditional methods.

Rigid hindered N-heterocyclic carbene palladium precatalysts: synthesis, characterization and catalytic amination

Rigid hindered N-heterocyclic carbene palladium complexes have been developed and exhibited high activities for a variety of (hetero)aryl chlorides with (hetero)anilines and amines under aerobic conditions.

An Fe3O4@SiO2/Schiff base/Cu(ii) complex as an efficient recyclable magnetic nanocatalyst for selective mono N-arylation of primary O-alkyl thiocarbamates and primary O-alkyl carbamates with aryl halides and arylboronic acids

A convenient and efficient selective mono N-arylation of primary O-alkyl thiocarbamates and carbamates is reported by a recyclable magnetic Cu(ii) nanocatalyst.

Palladium-catalysed regioselective N-arylation of anthranilamides: a tandem route for dibenzodiazepinone synthesis

A palladium-catalyzed tandem reaction of 2-aminobenzamide and 1,2-dihaloarenes for the synthesis of dibenzodiazepinone via double N-arylations (inter and intra-molecular) has been achieved.

Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Amidines via tert-Butyl isocyanide Insertion

Para-substituted iodobenzenes were reacted with tert-butyl isocyanide and piperidine as nucleophiles in the presence of palladium-diphosphine catalysts. Both single and double insertion of the isocyanide was observed and the corresponding amidines and ketimine-amidines were obtained in yields of practical interest. With the increase of the tert-butyl isocyanide/iodobenzene ratio, 100% chemoselectivity toward the ketimine-amidine was achieved. The formation of the products was rationalized on the basis of a catalytic cycle analogous to that of the aminocarbonylation reactions. Clear connection was found between the activity and the electronic structure of the proposed catalyst Pd(diphosphine) by computational studies, as the more negative partial charge on palladium resulted in higher conversion. Among five isocyanide substrates, only tert-butyl isocyanide was proved to be active.

Polymeric hole-transport materials with side-chain redox-active groups for perovskite solar cells with good reproducibility

Two monomers, M:OO and M:ON, and their corresponding polymers, P:OO and P:ON, were prepared from styrene derivatives N,N-diphenyl-4-vinyl-aniline with different substituents (-OCH3 and -N(CH3)2) in the N-phenyl para positions. The polymers were synthesised and fully characterised to study their function as hole transport materials (HTMs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The thermal, optical and electrochemical properties and performance of these monomers and polymers as HTMs in PSCs were compared in terms of their structure. The polymers form more stable amorphous glassy states and showed higher thermal stability than the monomers. The different substituent in the para position influenced the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level, altering the oxidation potential. Both monomers and polymers were employed as HTMs in perovskite solar cells with a device configuration FTO/bl-TiO2/mp-TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3/HTM/Au resulting in power conversion efficiencies of 7.48% for M:OO, 5.14% for P:OO, 5.28% for P:ON and 3.52% for M:ON. Although showing comparatively low efficiencies, the polymers showed much superior reproducibility in comparison with Spiro-OMeTAD or the monomers, suggesting further optimisation of polymeric HTMs with redox side groups is warranted.

NMR-based assignment of isoleucine vs. allo-isoleucine stereochemistry

A simple ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectrometric analysis is demonstrated that permits differentiation of isoleucine and allo-isoleucine residues by inspection of the chemical shift and coupling constants of the signals associated with the proton and carbon at the α-stereocentre. This is applied to the estimation of epimerisation during metal-free N-arylation and peptide coupling reactions.