Electrochemical multicomponent [2+2+1] cascade cyclization of enaminones and primary amines towards the synthesis of 4-acylimidazoles

An electrochemical multicomponent [2+2+1] cascade cyclization of enaminones and primary amines towards the synthesis of 4-acylimidazoles has been developed. In an undivided cell, enaminones and primary amines can smoothly participate in this reaction to provide a series of 1,2-disubstituted 4-acylimidazoles at room temperature. The reaction avoids the use of both transition-metal catalysts and oxidation reagents, which makes it more sustainable and renewable.

Electrochemical-Induced C-N Bond Formation: A New Method to Synthesis (Z)-Quinazolinone Oximes Using Primary Amines and Quinazolin-4(3H)-one

A novel and highly selective electrochemical method for the synthesis of diverse quinazolinone oximes via direct electrooxidation of primary amines/C(sp2)-H functionalization of oximes has been developed. The reaction is conducted in an undivided cell under constant current conditions and is oxidant-free, open-air, and eco-friendly. Notably, the protocol shows good functional group tolerance, providing versatile quinazolinone oximes in good yields. Moreover, the mechanism is investigated through control experiments and cyclic voltammogram (CV) experiments.

Electrochemical Oxidative C-C Bond Cleavage of Ketones for C-N Bond Formation: A Route to Amides

Herein, we report an efficient electrochemical activation of the C-C bond of aryl ketones for the preparation of amides under catalyst- and external-oxidant-free conditions using aliphatic amines as the N source. Under environmentally benign electrolysis conditions, a series of amides were synthesized in good yield. Our control experiments revealed that electricity plays an important role in this transformation.

O2-Mediated Dehydrogenative Phenoxazination of Phenols

Phenoxazines, in particular N-arylated phenoxazines, represent an increasingly important scaffold in the material sciences. Moreover, the oxygen-gas-mediated dehydrogenative phenochalcogenazination concept of phenols has been developed and exemplified for X = sulfur and recently for X = selenium and tellurium. The smallest chalcogen, X = oxygen, is herein exemplified with various functional groups under a likewise trivial oxygen atmosphere.

Te(II)-Catalyzed Cross-Dehydrogenative Phenothiazination of Anilines

Oxidative clicklike reactions are useful for the late-stage functionalization of pharmaceuticals and organic materials. Hence, novel methodologies that enable such transformations are in high demand. Herein we describe a tellurium(II)-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative phenothiazination (CDP) of aromatic amines. A key feature of this method is a cooperative effect between the phenotellurazine catalyst and the silver salt, which serves as a chemical oxidant for the reaction. This novel catalysis concept therefore enables a considerably broader scope compared with previous chemical oxidation methods.

Facile synthesis of N-aryl phenothiazines and phenoxazines via Brønsted acid catalyzed C-H amination of arenes

N-Aryl phenothiazines and phenoxazines are of significant importance in various disciplines throughout academia and industry. The conventional synthetic strategy for the construction of these structures centers on the transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl halides with phenothiazines or phenoxazines. Here we present an organocatalytic approach to access N-naphthyl phenothiazine and phenoxazine scaffolds through a straightforward C-H amination of arenes as enabled by an azo group. This reaction features operational simplicity, adequate substrate generality and excellent functional group compatibility. Notably, the efficiency of the catalyst could be perfectly preserved after 5 catalytic cycles.

Photochemical and Electrochemical Applications of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer in Organic Synthesis

We present here a review of the photochemical and electrochemical applications of multi-site proton-coupled electron transfer (MS-PCET) in organic synthesis. MS-PCETs are redox mechanisms in which both an electron and a proton are exchanged together, often in a concerted elementary step. As such, MS-PCET can function as a non-classical mechanism for homolytic bond activation, providing opportunities to generate synthetically useful free radical intermediates directly from a wide variety of common organic functional groups. We present an introduction to MS-PCET and a practitioner's guide to reaction design, with an emphasis on the unique energetic and selectivity features that are characteristic of this reaction class. We then present chapters on oxidative N-H, O-H, S-H, and C-H bond homolysis methods, for the generation of the corresponding neutral radical species. Then, chapters for reductive PCET activations involving carbonyl, imine, other X═Y π-systems, and heteroarenes, where neutral ketyl, α-amino, and heteroarene-derived radicals can be generated. Finally, we present chapters on the applications of MS-PCET in asymmetric catalysis and in materials and device applications. Within each chapter, we subdivide by the functional group undergoing homolysis, and thereafter by the type of transformation being promoted. Methods published prior to the end of December 2020 are presented.

Electrochemical radical C(sp3)–H arylation of xanthenes with electron-rich arenes

An efficient electrochemical C(sp3)–H arylation of xanthenes using a carbon anode and platinum cathode as the electrodes is disclosed.

Electrochemical Reductive Arylation of Nitroarenes with Arylboronic Acids

The synthesis of diarylamine is extremely important in organic chemistry. Herein, a novel electrochemical reductive arylation of nitroarenes with arylboronic acids was developed. A variety of diarylamines were synthesized without the need for transition-metal catalysts. The reaction could be scaled up efficiently in a flow cell and several derivatization reactions were carried out smoothly. Cyclic voltammetry experiments and mechanism studies showed that acetonitrile, formic acid, and triethyl phosphite all played a role in promoting this reductive arylation transformation.

Electrochemical phenothiazination of naphthylamines and its application in photocatalysis

N-Phenylphenothiazine as an inexpensive, highly reductive and oxygen tolerant organophotocatalyst has exhibited potential in various challenging photochemical transformations. Here we report a general and straightforward method to access structurally diverse N-phenylphenothiazine derivatives by means of a novel electrochemical tool. The introduction of a 2-naphthylamine moiety with an extended π-system and an amine group led to the variation of spectral characterization. Photochemical verification experiments demonstrated that the formed N-arylation products with good efficacy and chemo/site-control displayed competitive catalytic activity in challenging transformations.

Electrochemical Dehydrogenative C(sp2 )-H Amination

A transition-metal-free direct electrolytic C-H amination involving an electrochemically generated nitrenium ion intermediate has been developed. The electrosynthesis takes place in the absence of any organoiodine catalysts and is enabled by an in situ generated electrolyte. A novel, efficient intramolecular and intermolecular C-H amination has been demonstrated using a simple reaction setup.

Dehydrogenative C-H Phenochalcogenazination

Heavy-atom-modified chalcogen-fused triarylamine organic materials are becoming increasingly important in the photochemical sciences. In this context, the general and direct dehydrogenative C–H phenochalcogenazination of phenols with the heavier chalcogens selenium and tellurium is herein described. The latter dehydrogenative C–N bond-forming processes operate under simple reaction conditions with highly sustainable O₂ serving as the terminal oxidant.

Efficient copper(i)-catalyzed oxidative intermolecular 1,2-estersulfenylation of styrenes with peroxyesters and disulfides

A simple and practical method for the synthesis of thio-substituted esters through copper(i)-catalyzed intermolecular 1,2-estersulfenylation of styrenes with peroxyesters and disulfides was developed. In this transformation, two new C-S bond and C-O bond were constructed simultaneously under a copper catalyst system, and the transformation exhibits a broad substrate scope and good functional group compatibility. In addition, this method can also be applied to arylthiols. It should be noted that peroxyesters not only acted as nucleophilic reagents but also as oxidants.

Transition-Metal-Free Synthesis of N-Arylphenothiazines through an N- and S-Arylation Sequence

An efficient synthetic method of N-arylphenothiazines from o-sulfanylanilines under transition-metal-free conditions is disclosed. An N- and S-arylation sequence of o-sulfanylanilines enabled us to synthesize a wide variety of N-arylphenothiazines. In particular, one-pot synthesis of N-arylphenothiazines was accomplished from easily available modules through preparation of o-sulfanylanilines by thioamination of aryne intermediates and following N- and S-arylation sequence.

Tellurium(II)/Tellurium(III)-Catalyzed Cross-Dehydrogenative C-N Bond Formation

The TeII /TeIII -catalyzed dehydrogenative C-H phenothiazination of challenging phenols featuring electron-withdrawing substituents under mild aerobic conditions and with high yields is described. These unexpected TeII /TeIII radical catalytic properties were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, EPR spectroscopy, kinetic experiments, and DFT calculations.

Iron-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative C–H amidation of benzofurans and benzothiophenes with anilines

An efficient iron-catalyzed radical cross-dehydrogenative aromatic C–H amidation provides a straightforward access to structurally diverse diarylamine derivatives incorporating benzofuran/benzothiophene motifs.

Benzophenothiazine and Its Cr(III)-Catalyzed Cross Dehydrogenative Couplings

In stark contrast to phenothiazines and their prevalence for cross-dehydrogenative amination reactions, benzophenothiazine has a pronounced preference for cross-dehydrogenative C-C bond-forming reactions. Moreover, the substrate is very versatile, leading to several new classes of C-C bond-forming reactions and many new oxidative coupling product architectures, including unprecedented indole fused paddlewheel-like structures.

Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Hydrazobenzenes toward Azo Compounds Catalyzed by tert-Butyl Nitrite in EtOH

We describe a tert-butyl nitrite-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrazobenzenes for producing azobenzenes. This method proceeds at ambient temperature and under an atmospheric environment by employing eco-friendly EtOH as the medium, representing a mild, general route to the synthesis of various symmetrical and nonsymmetrical azobenzenes in excellent yields with broad functional group tolerance.

Tunable Electrochemical C-N versus N-N Bond Formation of Nitrogen-Centered Radicals Enabled by Dehydrogenative Dearomatization: Biological Applications

Herein, an environmentally friendly electrochemical approach is reported that takes advantage of the captodative effect and delocalization effect to generate nitrogen-centered radicals (NCRs). By changing the reaction parameters of the electrode material and feedstock solubility, dearomatization enabled a selective dehydrogenative C-N versus N-N bond formation reaction. Hence, pyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazole and tetraarylhydrazine frameworks were prepared through a sustainable transition-metal- and exogenous oxidant-free strategy with broad generality. Bioactivity assays demonstrated that pyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazoles displayed antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity against human cancer cells. Compound 21 exhibited good photochemical properties with a large Stokes shift (approximately 130 nm) and was successfully applied to subcellular imaging. A preliminary mechanism investigation and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the possible reaction pathway.

Direct Amination of Aromatic C-H Bonds with Free Amines

Aromatic amines belong to a highly important class of organic compounds which are found in various natural products, functional materials, and pharmaceutical agents. Their prevalence has sparked continuing interest in the development of highly efficient and environmentally benign synthetic strategies for the construction of these compounds. Cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions between two unmodified C(X)-H bonds have recently emerged as a versatile and powerful strategy for the fabrication of new C(X)-C(X) bonds. In this context, several procedures have been reported for the synthesis of aromatic amines through the direct amination of aromatic C-H bonds with free amines. This review highlights recent advances and progress in this appealing research arena, with special emphasis on the mechanistic features of the reactions.

An Air-Stable, Neutral Phenothiazinyl Radical with Substantial Radical Stabilization Energy

The vital effect of radical states on the pharmacological activity of phenothiazine-based drugs has long been speculated. Whereas cationic radicals of N-substituted phenothiazines show high stability, the respective neutral radicals of N-unsubstituted phenothiazines have never been isolated. Herein, the 1,9-diamino-3,7-di-tert-butyl-N1 ,N9 -bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-10H-phenothiazin-10-yl radical (SQH2 . ) is described as the first air-stable, neutral phenothiazinyl free radical. The crystalline dark-blue species is characterized by means of EPR and UV/Vis/near-IR spectroscopy, as well as cyclic voltammetry, spectro-electrochemical analysis, single-crystal XRD, and computational studies. The SQH2 . radical stands out from other aminyl radicals by an impressive radical stabilization energy and its parent amine has one of the weakest N-H bond dissociation energies ever determined. In addition to serving as open-shell reference in medicinal chemistry, its tridentate binding pocket or hydrogen-bond-donor ability might enable manifold uses as a redox-active ligand or proton-coupled electron-transfer reagent.

The interplay of conformations and electronic properties in N-aryl phenothiazines

Extra and intra conformations govern electronic properties of N-aryl phenothiazines as shown by combined experimental and computational structure–property relationships.

Manganese(iii)-promoted tandem phosphinoylation/cyclization of 2-arylindoles/2-arylbenzimidazoles with disubstituted phosphine oxides

A simple and practical method for the synthesis of phosphoryl-substituted indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-6(5H)-ones and benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-6(5H)-ones through manganese(iii)-promoted tandem phosphinoylation/cyclization of 2-arylindoles or 2-arylbenzimidazoles with disubstituted phosphine oxides was developed. In this transformation, new C-P bond and C-C bond were constructed simultaneously under silver-free conditions, exhibiting a broad substrate scope. It was noted that not only diarylphosphine oxides but also dialkyl and arylalkyl-phosphine oxides were compatible with the conditions.

Pd-Catalyzed one-pot synthesis of vinylsilanes via a three-component tandem reaction

A palladium-catalyzed three-component tandem reaction for stereoselective assembly of various tri- or tetrasubstituted vinylsilanes is established.

Electrochemical dehydrogenative cross-coupling of xanthenes with ketones

An oxidant-free electrochemical dehydrogenative cross-coupling of xanthenes and ketones for the preparation of functionalized 9-alkyl-9H-xanthenes was developed.

Recent advances in photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) for organic synthesis

The application of PECs in organic synthesis reactions and their reaction mechanisms are highlighted.

Copper-catalyzed C–H [3 + 2] annulation of N-substituted anilines with α-carbonyl alkyl bromides via C(sp3)–Br/C(sp2)–H functionalization

A copper-catalyzed C–H [3 + 2] annulation of N-substituted anilines with α-carbonyl alkyl bromides for the synthesis of 3,3′-disubstituted oxindoles is developed.

Electrochemical Oxidative Cross-Coupling with Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

Oxidative cross-coupling has proved to be one of the most straightforward strategies for forming carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds from easily available precursors. Over the past two decades, tremendous efforts have been devoted in this field and significant advances have been achieved. However, in order to remove the surplus electrons from substrates for chemical bonds formation, stoichiometric oxidants are usually needed. Along with the development of modern sustainable chemistry, considerable efforts have been devoted to perform the oxidative cross-coupling reactions under external-oxidant-free conditions. Electrochemical synthesis is a powerful and environmentally benign approach, which can not only achieve the oxidative cross-couplings under external-oxidant-free conditions, but also release valuable hydrogen gas during the chemical bond formation. Recently, the electrochemical oxidative cross-coupling with hydrogen evolution reactions has been significantly explored. This Account presents our recent efforts toward the development of electrochemical oxidative cross-coupling with hydrogen evolution reactions. (1) We explored the oxidative cross-coupling of thiols/thiophenols with arenes, heteroarenes, and alkenes for C-S bond formation. (2) Using the strategy of electrochemical oxidative C-H/N-H cross-coupling with hydrogen evolution, we successfully realized the C-H amination of phenols, anilines, imidazopyridines, and even ethers. (3) Employing halide salts as the green halogenating reagents, we developed a clean C-H halogenation protocol under electrochemical oxidation conditions. To address the limitation that this reaction had to carry out in aqueous solvent, we also developed an alternative method that uses CBr₄, CHBr₃, CH₂Br₂, CCl₃Br, and CCl₄ as halogenating reagents and the mixture of acetonitrile and methanol as cosolvent. (4) We also developed an approach for constructing C-O bonds in a well-developed electrochemical oxidative cross-coupling with hydrogen evolution manner. (5) Under mild external-oxidant-free electrochemical conditions, we realized the C(sp²)-H and C(sp³)-H phosphonylation with modest to high yields. (6) We successfully achieved the S-H/S-H cross-coupling with hydrogen evolution under electrochemical oxidation conditions. By anodic oxidation instead of chemical oxidants, the overoxidation of thiols and thiophenols was well avoided. (7) The methods for constructing structurally diverse heterocyclic compounds were also developed via the electrochemical oxidative annulations. (8) We have also applied the electrochemical oxidative cross-coupling with hydrogen evolution strategy to the alkenes difunctionalization for constructing multiple bonds in one step, such as C-S/C-O bonds, C-S/C-N bonds, C-Se/C-O bonds, and C-Se/C-N bonds. We hope our studies will stimulate the research interest of chemists and pave the way for the discovery of more electrochemical oxidative cross-coupling with hydrogen evolution reactions.

Para-Selective Dehydrogenative Phenothiazination of Hydroquinolines and Indolines

Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic systems, such as hydroquinolines, indolines, and phenothiazines, are prevalent in pharmaceuticals, natural products, and organic materials. It is therefore important to develop novel reaction strategies that give access to such biologically relevant scaffolds. This report demonstrates a novel robust, para-selective C-N bond formation between phenothiazines and quinolines or indolines under extremely mild and user-friendly conditions. Furthermore, we bring forward a surprising discovery arising from the homocoupling of indolines through an unprecedented C5-H functionalization.

Exogenous-oxidant- and catalyst-free electrochemical deoxygenative C2 sulfonylation of quinoline N-oxides

By employing quinoline N-oxides as the starting materials, the electrochemical C–H sulfonylation of electron-deficient quinolines was indirectly achieved at room temperature.