Triazine-wingtips accelerated NHC-Pd catalysed carbonylative Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction

The transmetalation as the rate-limiting step was effectively accelerated by newly designed N-heterocyclic carbenes with triazine wingtips (T-NHC). By using a ppm-level precatalyst T-NHC-Pd (8), the highly efficient coupling of aryl iodide, alkyne and carbon monoxide furnished a variety of ynone compounds. T-NHC-Pd (5), which deprotonated 4-methyl-phenylacetylene under mild conditions, converted into alkynyl-coordinated catalytic active species PdCl(T-NHC)(Py)(alkynyl). In the putative Pd/Pd catalytic cycle, both triazine-wingtips and NHCs are key players for establishing the carbonylative cross-couplings with high TON and TOF.

Pd-Catalyzed Oxidative Aminocarbonylation of Arylboronic Acids with Unreactive Tertiary Amines via C-N Bond Activation

An efficient synthesis of tertiary amides from aryl boronic acids and inert tertiary amines through the oxidative carbonylation via C(sp³)-N bond activation is presented. This protocol significantly restricts the homocoupling biarylketone product. It involves the use of a homogeneous PdCl₂/CuI catalyst and a heterogeneous Pd/C based catalyst, which promotes C(sp³)-N bond activation of tertiary amines with aryl boronic acids. This process represents a ligand-free, base-free, and recyclable catalyst along with an ideal oxidant like molecular oxygen.

Soft Heteroleptic N-Heterocyclic Carbene Palladium(II) Species for Efficient Catalytic Routes to Alkynones via Carbonylative Sonogashira Coupling

N,N'-Substituted di-isopropyl (NHC-1), benzyl-isopropyl (NHC-2), and adamantyl-isopropyl (NHC-3) benzimidazolium salts react with palladium(II) bromide in pyridine to afford the corresponding trans-dibromidopyridinepalladium(II) complexes Pd-C1, Pd-C2, and Pd-C3 in high yields. A distorted square planar geometry for Pd-C2 and Pd-C3 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The palladium(II) complexes show a remarkably higher catalytic activity and selectivity, compared to the literature data, in carbonylative Sonogashira coupling reactions of aryl iodides and aryl diiodides with aryl alkynes, alkyl alkynes, and dialkynes. Excellent yields with as low as 0.03 mol % loading of the catalyst were obtained. In the series of benzimidazolium (NHC) precursors, the ¹H NMR signals of the α hydrogen show a consistent probing of the N-substituent donor strength. The density functional theory (DFT) quantum mechanical descriptors of the frontier orbitals were calculated. A linear correlation of the calculated absolute softness of the complexes versus the calculated percent buried volume (%V _bur) of their corresponding ligands was obtained. The catalytic activity experimental data are consistent with the hard soft acid base (HSAB)-predicted high affinity of the softest Pd-C3 complex for soft substrates, such as aryl iodides.

Self-Assembly of Catalytically Active Supramolecular Coordination Compounds within Metal-Organic Frameworks

Supramolecular coordination compounds (SCCs) represent the power of coordination chemistry methodologies to self-assemble discrete architectures with targeted properties. SCCs are generally synthesized in solution, with isolated fully coordinated metal atoms as structural nodes, thus severely limited as metal-based catalysts. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show unique features to act as chemical nanoreactors for the in situ synthesis and stabilization of otherwise not accessible functional species. Here, we present the self-assembly of Pd^II SCCs within the confined space of a pre-formed MOF (SCCs@MOF) and its post-assembly metalation to give a Pd^II-Au^III supramolecular assembly, crystallography underpinned. These SCCs@MOFs catalyze the coupling of boronic acids and/or alkynes, representative multi-site metal-catalyzed reactions in which traditional SCCs tend to decompose, and retain their structural integrity as a consequence of the synergetic hybridization between SCCs and MOFs. These results open new avenues in both the synthesis of novel SCCs and their use in heterogeneous metal-based supramolecular catalysis.

Synthesis of Ethylene Glycol from Syngas via Oxidative Double Carbonylation of Ethanol to Diethyl Oxalate and Its Subsequent Hydrogenation

This work reports a novel sustainable two-step method for the synthesis of ethylene glycol (EG) using syngas. In the first step, diethyl oxalate was selectively synthesized via oxidative double carbonylation of ethanol and carbon monoxide (CO) using a ligand-free, recyclable Pd/C catalyst. In the second step, the diethyl oxalate produced underwent subsequent hydrogenation using [2-(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)-6-(diethylaminomethyl)pyridine]ruthenium(II) chlorocarbonyl hydride to get EG and ethanol. Thus, the generated ethanol can be recycled back to the first step for double carbonylation. This method gives a sustainable route to manufacture EG using carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

Selectivity Controlled Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Synthesis of Propiolates and Chromenones from Phenols and Alkynes

An interesting selectivity-controlled palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation procedure for the synthesis of propiolates and chromenones has been developed. Starting from phenols and alkynes, under slightly different conditions, various propiolates and chromenones can be isolated in moderate to good yields. Additionally, this also presents the first example of direct carbonylative annulation of nonpreactivated phenols and terminal alkynes to produce chromenones.

An Improved Strategy for the Synthesis of Ethylene Glycol by Oxamate-Mediated Catalytic Hydrogenation

The present study reports an improved approach for the preparation of ethylene glycol (EG) by using carbon monoxide as C1 chemical by a two-step oxidative carbonylation and hydrogenation sequence. In the first step, oxamates are synthesized through oxidative cross double carbonylation of piperidine and ethanol by using Pd/C catalyst under phosphine ligand-free conditions and subsequently hydrogenated by Milstein's catalyst (carbonylhydrido[6-(di-t-butylphosphinomethylene)-2-(N,N-diethylaminomethyl)-1,6-dihydropyridine]ruthenium(II)). The presented stepwise oxamate-mediated coupling provides the basis for a new strategy for the synthesis of EG by selective upgrading of C1 chemicals.

Calcium carbide catalytically activated with tetra-n-butyl ammonium fluoride for Sonogashira cross coupling reactions

We report a novel method for the direct synthesis of mono- and bis-arylated alkynes utilizing catalytically activated CaC₂ as the alkyne component.

Rapid access to unsymmetrical tolanes and alkynones by sequentially palladium-catalyzed one-pot processes

Alkynones and unsymmetrically substituted tolanes can be synthesized via consecutive three-component Kumada–(Negishi)–Sonogashira bisalkynylation sequences in good to excellent yields.

Palladium-Catalyzed One-Pot Carbonylative Sonogashira Reaction Employing Formic acid as the CO Source

A convenient palladium-catalyzed carbonylative coupling of aryl iodides and terminal alkynes with formic acid as the CO precursor has been developed. A variety of alkynones were obtained in good yields in a one-pot manner for the first time.