Recent Progress in Synthetic Applications of Hypervalent Iodine(III) Reagents

Hypervalent iodine(III) compounds have found wide application in modern organic chemistry as environmentally friendly reagents and catalysts. Hypervalent iodine reagents are commonly used in synthetically important halogenations, oxidations, aminations, heterocyclizations, and various oxidative functionalizations of organic substrates. Iodonium salts are important arylating reagents, while iodonium ylides and imides are excellent carbene and nitrene precursors. Various derivatives of benziodoxoles, such as azidobenziodoxoles, trifluoromethylbenziodoxoles, alkynylbenziodoxoles, and alkenylbenziodoxoles have found wide application as group transfer reagents in the presence of transition metal catalysts, under metal-free conditions, or using photocatalysts under photoirradiation conditions. Development of hypervalent iodine catalytic systems and discovery of highly enantioselective reactions using chiral hypervalent iodine compounds represent a particularly important recent achievement in the field of hypervalent iodine chemistry. Chemical transformations promoted by hypervalent iodine in many cases are unique and cannot be performed by using any other common, non-iodine-based reagent. This review covers literature published mainly in the last 7-8 years, between 2016 and 2024.

Photocatalytic synthesis of polyfluoroalkylated dihydropyrazoles and tetrahydropyridazines

A photocatalytic trifluoromethylation/cyclization reaction of N-allyl and N-homoallyl aldehyde hydrazones with trifluoromethyl thianthrenium triflate was developed for the synthesis of trifluoromethylated dihydropyrazoles and tetrahydropyridazines. Besides, PhI(O2CCHF2)2 was employed to realize the construction of difluoromethylated dihydropyrazoles and tetrahydropyridazines. These protocols exhibit a broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance.

Synthesis of Fluoromethylated Chromones and Their Heteroatom Analogues via Sodium Fluoromethanesulfinate-Enabled Direct Fluoromethylation

An array of biologically interesting tri/difluoromethylated chromones and their heteroatom analogues were conveniently synthesized from the reaction of chromones and their heteroatom analogues with CF3SO2Na or HCF2SO2Na in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide under mild conditions. A mechanistic pathway involving the generation of the electrophilic tri/difluoromethyl radical, followed with the radical substitution of chromones and their heteroatom analogues, was postulated.

Copper-catalyzed selective oxidation of hydrazones through C(sp3)-H functionalization

A simple and mild protocol for copper-catalyzed oxidation of hydrazones at the α-position has been reported. Various substrates are compatible, providing the corresponding products in moderate to good yields. This strategy provides an efficient and convenient solution for the synthesis of carbonyl hydrazone. A free radical pathway mechanism is suggested for the transformation.

Visible-light mediated stereospecific C(sp2)-H difluoroalkylation of (Z)-aldoximes

A visible light mediated stereospecific C(sp²)-H difluoroalkylation of (Z)-aldoximes to (E)-difluoroalkylated ketoximes has been described. In this reaction, (hetero)-aromatic and aliphatic difluoroalkylated ketoximes could be obtained with the retention of the configuration of the starting aldoximes. A preliminary mechanism study showed that a difluoromethyl radical via an SET pathway was involved.

Synthesis of Polysubstituted Pyrroles via Silver-Catalyzed Oxidative Radical Addition of Cyclopropanols to Imines

A silver-catalyzed formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction, with cyclopropanols as a C3 subunit and imines as a two-atom subunit, is developed. The reaction takes place under mild conditions and produces a broad array of polysubstituted pyrroles in medium to high yields. It represents the first example of oxidative radical addition to imines, thus offering a new choice for the direct C-H functionalization of imines.

A simple method for the synthesis of N-difluoromethylated pyridines and 4-pyridones/quinolones by using BrCF2COOEt as the difluoromethylation reagent

We describe a novel transition metal-free method for the synthesis of N-difluoromethylated pyridines and 4-pyridones/quinolones by using readily available ethyl bromodifluoroacetate as a fluorine source. The formation of N-difluoromethylated pyridines involves a two-step process in which N-alkylation by ethyl bromodifluoroacetate is followed by in situ hydrolysis of the ester and decarboxylation. Besides optimizing the N-difluoromethylation conditions and assessing the influence of steric and electronic effects on the outcome of the reaction, we have synthesized the N-difluoromethylated analogues of two fluorophores and demonstrated that their spectroscopic properties can be improved through replacement of N-CH₃ group by N-CF₂H.

A simple transition-metal free method was developed for the synthesis of N-difluoromethylated pyridinium-containing compounds and 4-pyridones/quinolones.

Bond-Forming and -Breaking Reactions at Sulfur(IV): Sulfoxides, Sulfonium Salts, Sulfur Ylides, and Sulfinate Salts

Organosulfur compounds have long played a vital role in organic chemistry and in the development of novel chemical structures and architectures. Prominent among these organosulfur compounds are those involving a sulfur(IV) center, which have been the subject of countless investigations over more than a hundred years. In addition to a long list of textbook sulfur-based reactions, there has been a sustained interest in the chemistry of organosulfur(IV) compounds in recent years. Of particular interest within organosulfur chemistry is the ease with which the synthetic chemist can effect a wide range of transformations through either bond formation or bond cleavage at sulfur. This review aims to cover the developments of the past decade in the chemistry of organic sulfur(IV) molecules and provide insight into both the wide range of reactions which critically rely on this versatile element and the diverse scaffolds that can thereby be synthesized.

Visible-light-induced radical hydrodifluoromethylation of alkenes

Visible-light-induced radical hydrodifluoromethylation of alkenes with the phosphonium salt [Ph₃P⁺CF₂H Br⁻] under transition-metal-free conditions is described.

Copper(i) reagent-promoted hydroxytrifluoromethylation of enamides: flexible synthesis of substituted-3-hydroxy-2-aryl-3-(2,2,2-trifluoro-1-arylethyl)isoindolin-1-one

A novel CuBr-catalyzed hydroxytrifluoromethylation reaction was investigated. Substituted 3-benzylidene-2-arylisoindolin-1-ones was reacted with sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate to afford substituted-3-hydroxy-2-aryl-3-(2,2,2-trifluoro-1-arylethyl)isoindolin-1-one. The reaction proceeded at 25 °C in air atmosphere in the absence of base and ligands. Our results indicate that trifluoromethyl free radical tends to attack a double bond rather than aryl in this reaction.

Exploration of C-H Transformations of Aldehyde Hydrazones: Radical Strategies and Beyond

The chemistry of hydrazones has gained great momentum due to their involvement throughout the evolution of organic synthesis. Herein, we discuss the tremendous developments in both the methodology and application of hydrazones. Hydrazones can be recognized not only as synthetic equivalents to aldehydes and ketones but also as versatile synthetic building blocks. Consequently, they can participate in a range of practical synthetic transformations. Furthermore, hydrazone derivatives display a broad array of biological activities and have been widely applied as pharmaceuticals. Owing to the weak directing group effect of simple aldehydes and ketones in C-H bond functionalizations, the C-H bond functionalizations of hydrazones that have been developed in the past five years represent a significant step forward. These novel transformations open a new door to a broader library of functionalized and complex small molecules. Moreover, a wide range of biologically important N-heterocycles (dihydropyrazoles, pyrazoles, indazoles, cinnolines, etc.) can be efficiently synthesized in an atom- and step-economical manner through single, double, or triple C-H bond functionalizations of hydrazones. Both radical C-H functionalizations and transition-metal-catalyzed directing-group strategies have enhanced the synthetic utility of hydrazones in the chemical community because these strategies solve the long-standing challenge of C-H functionalizations adjacent to aldehydes and ketones. We began this study based on our ongoing interest in visible-light photoredox catalysis. Visible-light photoredox catalysis has become a powerful tool in contemporary synthetic chemistry due to its remarkable advantages in sustainability and use of radical chemistry. By exploiting a photoredox-catalyzed aminyl radical polar crossover (ARPC) strategy, we successfully achieved visible-light-induced C(sp²)-H difluoroalkylation, trifluoromethylation, and perfluoroalkylation of aldehyde-derived hydrazones. This intriguing result was later applied in the C(sp²)-H amination of hydrazones and a cascade cyclization reaction for the synthesis of polycyclic compounds. Encouraged by this redox-neutral C-H functionalization of aldehyde hydrazones, we extended the oxidative C-H/P-H cross-coupling method, which represents a novel and efficient method for the synthesis of α-iminophosphine oxides. Furthermore, an elegant [3 + 2] cycloaddition of azides and aldehyde hydrazones for the synthesis of functionalized tetrazoles was advantageously developed during our investigation of the oxidative C(sp²)-H azidation of aldehyde hydrazones with TMSN₃. The sequential C(sp²)-H/C(sp³)-H bond functionalization of aldehyde-derived hydrazones with simple 2,2-dibromo-1,3-dicarbonyls was achieved by employing relay photoredox catalysis, and it provides a novel method of accessing bioactive fused dihydropyrazole derivatives. The notable feature of this approach was further reflected in the formal [4 + 1] annulation of aldehyde-derived N-tetrahydroisoquinoline hydrazones with 2-bromo-1,3-dicarbonyls. To complement these radical C-H functionalization strategies, we recently applied a directing-group strategy in the Rh-catalyzed C(aldehyde)-H functionalization of aldehyde-derived hydrazones for the synthesis of distinctive and bioactive 1H-indazole scaffolds. In summary, this Account presents recent contributions to the exploration, development, mechanistic insights, and synthetic applications of C-H bond functionalizations of aldehyde hydrazones.

Redox-neutral tri-/difluoromethylation of para-quinone methides with sodium sulfinates

A redox-neutral, mild, and simple protocol is developed for the synthesis of functionalized phenols from para-quinone methides upon visible-light irradiation.

C(sp2)–H functionalization of aldehyde-derived hydrazones via a radical process

This review is focused on the recent advances in the C(sp²)–H functionalization of aldehyde-derived hydrazones via a radical process. Diverse substituted hydrazones including N-heterocycles are afforded under mild conditions with excellent selectivities. In general, an aminyl radical as the key intermediate is involved during the reaction process.