Iodine-promoted transfer of dihydrogen from ketones to alkenes, triphenylmethyl, and diphenylmethyl derivatives

Herein, a novel class of transfer hydrogenation agent, cycloheptanone, was successfully employed in metal-free hydrogenation facilitated by iodine. A series of alkenes, triphenylmethyl derivatives, and diphenylmethyl derivatives were reduced to the desired compounds in moderate to excellent yields. The transfer hydrodeuteration of alkenes using α-deuterated cyclododecanone exhibited high regioselectivity. Preliminary mechanism studies confirmed the origins of the two hydrogen atoms involved in the reduction of alkenes. The current study paves the way for the use of ketones as unique transfer hydrogenation agents in chemical synthesis.

Nickel-Catalyzed Chemo- and Enantioselective Hydrogenation and Deuteration of α,β-Unsaturated Ketimines Using Alcohols: Synthesis of Deuterated Chiral Allylic Amines

A nickel-catalyzed chemoselective asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated ketimines using ethanol as a hydrogen donor under mild conditions that avoid using high-pressure hydrogen gas was developed. With this catalyst, C1-selective deuterated chiral allylic amines were efficiently synthesized using only stoichiometric 2-propanol-d8. Mechanism studies demonstrated the formation of a nickel hydride intermediate.

Umpolung Reactivity of Imine Ester: Visible-Light Mediated Transfer Hydrogenation of α-Aryl Imino Esters by Phenylsilane and Water

A visible-light mediated chemoselective transfer hydrogenation of α-aryl imino esters was demonstrated. The methodology allowed the efficient and practical preparation of α-amino acid esters. The mechanism of the reaction was probed by DFT calculations, and deuteration experiments indicated deuterium was introduced into amino acid esters efficiently (up to 99 % D ratio), enabling a feasible way to obtain deuterated amino acids using D₂ O as a cheap deuterium source.

Synthesis of N-alkoxy amines and hydroxylamines via the iridium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of oximes

Cationic iridium (Ir) complexes were found to catalyze the transfer hydrogenation of oximes to access N-alkoxy amines and hydroxylamines, and the reaction was accelerated by trifluoroacetic acid. The practical application of this protocol was demonstrated by a gram-scale transformation and two-step synthesis of the fungicide furmecyclox (BAS 389F) in overall yields of 92 and 85%, respectively. An asymmetric protocol using chiral Ir complexes to afford chiral N-alkoxy amines was demonstrated, but the low yields/ee obtained indicated that further development was required.

Theoretical Study on the Selective 1,2-Reduction of α,β-Unsaturated Ketones by Hydrogen Transfer Reaction on MgO(100)

Catalytic reduction of α,β-unsaturated ketones with MgO has been found to improve selectivity to the desired unsaturated alcohol product. Using the density functional theory, we have studied the competitive hydrogenation of C=O and C=C bonds on Mg(100) employing two α,β-unsaturated ketones: mesityl oxide (MO) and 2-cyclohexenone (CH), with isopropanol (IPA) as hydrogen source. For both ketones, MgO promotes the formation of a six-membered cyclic transition state for selective C=O reductions via a Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley mechanism. Similar concerted mechanism is also possible for the C=C hydrogenation following an Eley-Rideal mechanism, in which IPA interacts directly with the adsorbed ketone. The activation barriers are smaller for C=O reduction because this bond is activated on MgO(100). The selective C=O reduction is more favorable for CH than for MO due to the tendency of CH to be perpendicularly oriented. The desorption energies of the unsaturated alcohol are lower than the subsequent C=C reductions.

Palladium/Zinc Co-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of γ-Keto Carboxylic Acids

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of levulinic acid has been successful developed by using Zn(OTf)₂ as co-catalyst. The present method not only has provided a strategy in the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of ketone, but also allowed the preparation of a wide range of chiral γ-valerolactones in good yields with excellent enantioselectivities.

Asymmetric Reduction of Aromatic α-Dehydroamino Acid Esters with Water as Hydrogen Source

The asymmetric reduction of aromatic α-dehydroamino acid esters with water as the hydrogen source was developed by a Rh/Cu co-catalytic system. The reaction tolerates various functional groups, providing a valuable synthetic tool to access chiral α-amino acid esters readily. Moreover, the present methodology also was applied in the cost-effective and easy to handle preparation of chiral deuterated α-amino esters by using D₂O.

Iridium Complex-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation of N-Heteroarenes and Tentative Asymmetric Synthesis

An iridium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of N-heteroarenes to access a series of substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline derivatives in excellent yields is disclosed. This transformation is distinguished with water-soluble and air-stable iridium complexes as the catalyst, formic acid as the hydrogen source, mild reaction conditions, and broad functional group compatibility. Most importantly, a tentative chiral N,N-chelated Cp*Ir(III) complex-catalyzed enantioselective transfer hydrogenation is also presented, affording chiral products in excellent yields and good enantioselectivities.

Nickel-Catalyzed Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation and α-Selective Deuteration of N-Sulfonyl Imines with Alcohols: Access to α-Deuterated Chiral Amines

A nickel-catalyzed enantioselective transfer hydrogenation and deuteration of N-sulfonyl imines was developed. Excellent α-selectivity and high deuterium content were achieved by using inexpensive 2-propanol-d₈ as a deuterium source. As a highlight, no deuteration of β-C-H and the remote C-H of N-sulfonyl amines occurred, which is hard to achieve using other imines or by hydrogen isotope exchange with D₂O. Mechanism studies indicated a stepwise pathway through the [Ni-D] intermediate.

The dual alkylation of the C(sp3)–H bond of cyclic α-methyl-N-sulfonyl imines via the sequential condensation/hydride transfer/cyclization process

The dual alkylation of the C(sp³)–H bond of the cyclic α-methyl-N-sulfonyl imine has been achieved through the piperidine-promoted cascade condensation/[1,5]-hydride transfer/cyclization from cyclic α-methyl-N-sulfonyl imine and o-aminobenzaldehyde in trifluoroethanol.

A diversity of recently reported methodology for asymmetric imine reduction

This review describes recent developments in enantioselective imine reduction, including related substrates in which a CN bond is the target for reduction, and in situ methods.

Photocatalyzed transfer hydrogenation and deuteriation of cyclic N-sulfonylimines

Photocatalyzed transfer hydrogenation of cyclic N-sulfonylimines by using water as the hydrogen source is described.

Rhodium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of quinoxalines with water as a hydrogen source

Rhodium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of quinoxalines with water as a hydrogen source was reported.

Cobalt catalyzed stereodivergent semi-hydrogenation of alkynes using H2O as the hydrogen source

Cobalt-catalyzed stereodivergent semi-hydrogenation of internal alkynes to alkenes is developed.

Hydrogenation and N-alkylation of anilines and imines via transfer hydrogenation with homogeneous nickel compounds

The nickel-catalyzed N-alkylation of a variety of arylamines via transfer hydrogenation in the absence of pressurized hydrogen and basic or acidic additives was achieved in a tandem reaction.

Pd(ii)/Zn co-catalyzed chemo-selective hydrogenation of α-methylene-γ-keto carboxylic acids

Divergent synthesis of α-methyl-γ-keto carboxylic acids, α-methylcarboxylic acids, and lactones from α-methylene-γ-keto carboxylic acids.