Palladium-Catalyzed Skeletal Rearrangement of Substituted 2-Silylaryl Triflates via 1,5-C-Pd/C-Si Bond Exchange

A palladium-catalyzed skeletal rearrangement of 2-(2-allylarylsilyl)aryl triflates has been developed to give highly fused tetrahydrophenanthrosilole derivatives via unprecedented 1,5-C-Pd/C-Si bond exchange. The reaction pathways can be switched toward 4-membered ring-forming C(sp2 )-H alkylation by tuning the reaction conditions to give completely different products, fused dihydrodibenzosilepin derivatives, from the same starting materials. The inspection of the reaction conditions revealed the importance of carboxylates in promoting the C-Pd/C-Si bond exchange.

Copper-Catalyzed Regio- and Stereoselective Formal Hydro(borylmethylsilyl)ation of Internal Alkynes via Alkenyl-to-Alkyl 1,4-Copper Migration

Catalytic reactions involving 1,n-metal migration from carbon to carbon enable a nonclassical way of constructing organic molecular skeletons, rapidly providing complex molecules from relatively simple precursors. By utilization of this attractive feature, a new and efficient synthesis of alkenylsilylmethylboronates has been developed by formal hydro(borylmethylsilyl)ation of unsymmetric internal alkynes with silylboronates under copper catalysis. The reaction proceeds regioselectively and involves an unprecedented alkenyl-to-alkyl 1,4-copper migration. The reaction mechanism has been investigated by a series of kinetic, NMR, and deuterium-labeling experiments.

Multiple Reaction Pathways of Eight-Membered Rhodacycles in Rh-Catalyzed Annulations of 2-Alkenyl Phenols/Anilides with Alkynes

Density functional theory calculations were performed to study the competing pathways of rhodacycle intermediates generated in Rh(III)-catalyzed annulations of 2-alkenyl phenols and 2-alkenyl anilides with alkynes. The results show that the multiple pathways of eight-membered rhodacycles can be subtly tuned to give specific cyclic products. The seven-membered oxacyclic and spirocyclic products from 2-alkenyl phenols are formed by favoring the pathway of dissociating the Rh-O bond of O-contained rhodacycles, which are followed by antarafacial nucleophilic attack. The indoline product from 2-alkenyl anilides is generated through the pathway of intramolecular olefin migratory insertion of the N-contained rhodacycle.

Ni-catalyzed reductive decyanation of nitriles with ethanol as the reductant

Ethanol, as an environmentally friendly and renewable reagent, was applied as a hydride donor to convert C–CN to C–H bonds in this nickel-catalyzed protocol.

Methodologies and Strategies for Selective Borylation of C-Het and C-C Bonds

Organoborons have emerged as versatile building blocks in organic synthesis to achieve molecular diversity and as carboxylic acid bioisosteres with broad applicability in drug discovery. Traditionally, these compounds are prepared by the substitution of Grignard/lithium reagents with electrophilic boron species and Brown hydroboration. Recent developments have provided new routes for the efficient preparation of organoborons by applying reactions using chemical feedstocks with leaving groups. As compared to the previous methods that used organic halides (I, Br, and Cl), the direct borylation of less reactive C-Het and C-C bonds has become highly important to get efficiency and functional-group compatibility. This Review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of this topic, including (1) C-F bond borylation, (2) C-O bond borylation, (3) C-S bond borylation, (4) C-N bond borylation, and (5) C-C bond borylation. Considerable attention is given to the strategies and mechanisms involved. We expect that this Review will inspire chemists to discover more efficient transformations to expand this field.

A (2-(naphthalen-2-yl)phenyl)rhodium(i) complex formed by a proposed intramolecular 1,4-ortho-to-ortho' Rh metal-atom migration and its efficacy as an initiator in the controlled stereospecific polymerisation of phenylacetylene

The synthesis of a novel Rh(i)-aryl complex is detailed and its ability to serve as an initiator in the stereospecific polymerisation of phenylacetylene evaluated. Targeting the Rh(i) species, (2-phenylnaphthalen-1-yl)rhodium(i)(2,5-norbornadiene)tris(para-fluorophenylphosphine), Rh(nbd)(P(4-FC₆H₄)₃)(2-PhNapth), following recrystallization we obtained the isomeric (2-(naphthalen-2-yl)phenyl)rhodium(i) complex, Rh(nbd)(P(4-FC₆H₄)₃)(2-NapthPh), as determined by X-ray single-crystal structure analysis, and confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction. The isolation of the latter species was proposed to occur from the target (2-PhNapth) derivative via an intramolecular 1,4-Rh atom migration. This supposition was supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations that indicated the isolated (2-NapthPh) derivative has lower energy (-19 kJ mol^-1) than the targeted complex. The structure of the isolated (2-NapthPh) species was confirmed by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy including 2D ³¹P-¹⁰³Rh{¹H, ¹⁰³Rh}, heteronuclear multiple-quantum correlation (HMQC) experiments; however, NMR analysis indicated the presence of a second, minor species in solution in an approximate 1 : 4 ratio with the 2-NapthPh complex. The minor species was identified as a second structural isomer, the 3-phenylnaphthyl derivative, proposed to be formed under a dynamic equilibrium with the 2-NapthPh derivative via a second 1,4-Rh atom migration. DFT calculations indicate that this 1,4-migration proceeds through a low-energy pathway involved in the oxidative addition of a C-H bond to Rh followed by a reductive elimination with the distribution of the products being thermodynamically controlled. The recrystallized Rh(nbd)(P(4-FC₆H₄)₃)(2-NapthPh) complex was subsequently evaluated as an initiator in the polymerisation of phenylacetylene (PA); gratifyingly, the Rh(i) species was an active initiating species with the pseudo-first-order kinetic and molecular weight evolution vs time plots both linear implying a controlled polymerisation while yielding (co)polymers with low dispersities (Đ = M_w/M_n typically ≤1.25) and high cis-transoidal stereoregularity (>95%). Typical initiation efficiencies, while not quantitative (as judged by size exclusion chromatography), were nonetheless high at ca. 0.8. The presence of the minor 3-phenylnaphthyl species when in solution is proposed to be the cause of the observed non-quantitative initiation.

Ruthenium-catalyzed oxidative decyanative cross-coupling of acetonitriles with amines in air: a general access to primary to tertiary amides under mild conditions

C–CN activation catalyzed by Ru/C in open air was achieved, affording an efficient access to primary, secondary and tertiary amides under mild conditions.

Catalytic Reductive ortho-C-H Silylation of Phenols with Traceless, Versatile Acetal Directing Groups and Synthetic Applications of Dioxasilines

A new, highly selective, bond functionalization strategy, achieved via relay of two transition metal catalysts and the use of traceless acetal directing groups, has been employed to provide facile formation of C-Si bonds and concomitant functionalization of a silicon group in a single vessel. Specifically, this approach involves the relay of Ir-catalyzed hydrosilylation of inexpensive and readily available phenyl acetates, exploiting disubstituted silyl synthons to afford silyl acetals and Rh-catalyzed ortho-C-H silylation to provide dioxasilines. A subsequent nucleophilic addition to silicon removes the acetal directing groups and directly provides unmasked phenol products and, thus, useful functional groups at silicon achieved in a single vessel. This traceless acetal directing group strategy for catalytic ortho-C-H silylation of phenols was also successfully applied to preparation of multisubstituted arenes. Remarkably, a new formal α-chloroacetyl directing group has been developed that allows catalytic reductive C-H silylation of sterically hindered phenols. In particular, this new method permits access to highly versatile and nicely differentiated 1,2,3-trisubstituted arenes that are difficult to access by other catalytic routes. In addition, the resulting dioxasilines can serve as chromatographically stable halosilane equivalents, which allow not only removal of acetal directing groups but also introduce useful functional groups leading to silicon-bridged biaryls. We demonstrated that this catalytic C-H bond silylation strategy has powerful synthetic potential by creating direct applications of dioxasilines to other important transformations, examples of which include aryne chemistry, Au-catalyzed direct arylation, sequential orthogonal cross-couplings, and late-stage silylation of phenolic bioactive molecules and BINOL scaffolds.

Silylations of Arenes with Hydrosilanes: From Transition-Metal-Catalyzed C¢X Bond Cleavage to Environmentally Benign Transition-Metal-Free C¢H Bond Activation

The construction of carbon-silicon bonds is highlighted as an exciting achievement in the field of organosilicon chemistry and green chemistry. Recent developments in this area will enable the sustainable chemical conversion of silicon resources into synthetically useful compounds. Especially, the catalytic silylation through C¢H bond activation without directing groups and hydrogen acceptors is one of the most challenging topics in organic chemistry and green chemistry. These remarkable findings on catalytic silylation can pave the way to a more environmentally benign utilization of earth-abundant silicon-based resources in synthetic chemistry.

Modular Approach to Reductive C(sp2)-H and C(sp3)-H Silylation of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives through Single-Pot, Sequential Transition Metal Catalysis

We report a modular approach to catalytic reductive Csp2-H and Csp3-H silylation of carboxylic acid derivatives encompassing esters, ketones, and aldehydes. Choice of either an Ir(I)/Rh(I) or Rh(I)/Rh(I) sequence leads to either exhaustive reductive ester or reductive ketone/aldehyde silylation, respectively. Notably, a catalyst-controlled direct formation of doubly reduced silyl ethers is presented, specifically via Ir-catalyzed exhaustive hydrosilylation. The resulting silyl ethers undergo Csp2-H and benzylic Csp3-H silylation in a single vessel.

Rhodium-catalysed arylative annulation of 1,4-enynes with arylboronic acids

Rhodium(i)-catalysed arylative annulation of 1,4-enynes with arylboronic acids affords 1,1-disubstituted 3-(arylmethylene)indanes via an addition–1,4-rhodium migration–addition sequence.

A rhodium(i)-catalysed formal intramolecular C–C/C–H bond metathesis

The rhodium-catalyzed phenylcyclobutane-to-indane transformation proceedsviaconsecutive chelation-assisted C–C bond cleavage and intramolecular C–H bond cleavage.

Recent advances in transition-metal-catalyzed C–CN bond activations

Recent advances in transition-metal-catalyzed C–CN bond activation, leading to a lot of important approaches such as cyanofunctionalization, cross-coupling and cyanation, are reviewed.

1,5-Rhodium shift in rearrangement of N-arenesulfonylazetidin-3-ols into benzosultams

Benzosultams are synthesized in an enantiopure form starting from α-amino acids through a rhodium-catalyzed rearrangement reaction of N-arenesulfonylazetidin-3-ols. Mechanistically, this reaction involves C-C bond cleavage by β-carbon elimination and C-H bond cleavage by a 1,5-rhodium shift.

Fused heteroaromatic dihydrosiloles: synthesis and double-fold modification

An efficient method for the synthesis of fused heteroaromatic dihydrosiloles via Ni-catalyzed hydrosilylation/intramolecular Ir-catalyzed dehydrogenative coupling of the Si-H bond with the heteroaromatic C-H bond has been developed. The method is efficient for both electron-deficient and -rich heterocycles. It exhibits high functional group tolerance and good regioselectivity. Fused heteroaromatic dihydrosiloles can be smoothly halogenated and then oxidized or arylated. Application of these transformations allows obtaining highly functionalized heteroaromatic structures. A gram-scale synthesis of dihydropyridinosilole has also been accomplished using reduced amounts of Ni- and Ir-catalysts.