Desulfurative Functionalization of β-Acyl Allylic Sulfides with N-H Free Indoles Highly Regioselective at C3 and N1 Positions: Rapid Access to α-Branched Enones

A regiodivergent allylation of 1H-indoles highly selectively at the C3 and N1 positions with β-acyl allylic sulfides through desulfurative C-C/C-N bond-forming reactions has been developed under mild conditions. Notably, the remarkable site-selective switch can be achieved by a delicate choice of solvents and bases. This cost-efficient method displays a broad substrate scope, good functional compatibility, and excellent site-selectivity, thus offering a divergent synthesis of indole substituted α-branched enones, which possess diverse potential opportunities for further applications and derivatization.

The Synthesis of Five-Membered N-Heterocycles by Cycloaddition of Nitroalkenes with (In)Organic Azides and Other 1,3-Dipoles

Cycloaddition reactions have emerged as rapid and powerful methods for constructing heterocycles and carbocycles. [3+2] Cyclo­additions of nitroalkenes with various 1,3-dipoles have been an interesting research area for many organic chemists. This review outlines the synthesis of N-substituted and NH-1,2,3-triazoles along with other five-membered N-heterocycles through cycloaddition reactions of nitro­alkenes.

1 Introduction

2 Synthesis of 1,2,3-Triazoles

2.1 Synthesis of NH-1,2,3-Triazoles

2.2 Synthesis of N-Substituted 1,2,3-Triazoles

3 Synthesis of Pyrrolidines and Pyrroles

4 Synthesis of Pyrazoles

5 Conclusion

Dealkenylative Thiylation of C(sp3)-C(sp2) Bonds

Carbon-carbon bond fragmentations are useful methods for the functionalization of molecules. The value of such cleavage events is maximized when paired with subsequent bond formation. Herein we report a protocol for the cleavage of an alkene C(sp³)-C(sp²) bond, followed by the formation of a new C(sp³)-S bond. This reaction is performed in nonanhydrous solvent and open to the air, employs common starting materials, and can be used to rapidly diversify natural products.

Palladium Catalyzed Arylation and Benzylation of Nitroarenes Using Aryl Sulfonates and Benzyl Acetates

Pd-catalyzed arylation or benzylation of nitroazoles using aryl sulfonates or benzyl acetates is described. Electronically varied aryl tosylates and mesylates, as well as benzyl acetates, afford the arylated and benzylated products. Arylation of nitrobenzene is also reported. The relative rate for the arylation of halides is greater than that of tosylates using the reported reaction parameters. These studies enhance the scope of electrophiles for nitroarene arylations and benzylations, which was hitherto limited to the use of halide electrophiles.

Iron-catalyzed cross-coupling of unactivated secondary alkyl thio ethers and sulfones with aryl Grignard reagents

The first systematic investigation of unactivated aliphatic sulfur compounds as electrophiles in transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling are described. Initial studies focused on discerning the structural and electronic features of the organosulfur substrate that enable the challenging oxidative addition to the C(sp(3))-S bond. Through extensive optimization efforts, an Fe(acac)3-catalyzed cross-coupling of unactivated alkyl aryl thio ethers with aryl Grignard reagents was realized in which a nitrogen "directing group" on the S-aryl moiety of the thio ether served a critical role in facilitating the oxidative addition step. In addition, alkyl phenyl sulfones were found to be effective electrophiles in the Fe(acac)3-catalyzed cross-coupling with aryl Grignard reagents. For the latter class of electrophile, a thorough assessment of the various reaction parameters revealed a dramatic enhancement in reaction efficiency with an excess of TMEDA (8.0 equiv). The optimized reaction protocol was used to evaluate the scope of the method with respect to both the organomagnesium nucleophile and sulfone electrophile.