Enantioselective palladium/copper-catalyzed C-C σ-bond activation synergized with Sonogashira-type C(sp3)-C(sp) cross-coupling alkynylation

Radical Addition-Enabled C-C σ-Bond Cleavage/Reconstruction to Access Functional Indanones: Total Synthesis of Carexane L

C-C σ-bond cleavage and reconstruction is a significant tool for structural modification in synthetic chemistry but it remains a formidable challenge to perform on unstrained skeletons. Herein, we describe a radical addition-enabled C-C σ-bond cleavage/reconstruction reaction of unstrained allyl ketones to access various functional indanones bearing a benzylic quaternary center. The synthetic utility of this method has been showcased by the first total synthesis of carexane L, an indanone-based natural product.

Recent advances in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric cyclization reactions

Over the past few decades, there have been major developments in transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric cyclization reactions, enabling the convenient access to a wide spectrum of structurally diverse chiral carbo- and hetero-cycles, common skeletons found in fine chemicals, natural products, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials. In particular, a plethora of enantioselective cyclization reactions have been promoted by chiral palladium catalysts owing to their outstanding features. This review aims to collect the latest advancements in enantioselective palladium-catalyzed cyclization reactions over the past eleven years, and it is organized into thirteen sections depending on the different types of transformations involved.

Palladium- and nickel-catalyzed cascade enantioselective ring-opening/coupling reactions of cyclobutanones

The chemistry of small ring compounds is an intriguing subject in organic chemistry. As the smallest stable cyclic aliphatic ketones, cyclobutanones have garnered tremendous attention owing to their intrinsic high reactivity such as transition-metal catalyzed C-C bond cleavage. In this context, transition-metal catalyzed formal cycloaddition of cyclobutanones via a "cut and sew" strategy has gained marvelous advances. In contrast, an alternative reaction paradigm, i.e., transition-metal catalyzed ring-opening reactions of cyclobutanones, is still underdeveloped. This feature article aims to summarize our efforts in developing enantioselective palladium-catalyzed ring-opening/coupling reactions and recently emerging nickel-catalyzed ring-opening/reductive coupling reactions of cyclobutanones with a tethered aryl halide. The possible mechanisms are briefly showcased and the advantages and limitations of each strategy as well as their synthetic applications in the synthesis of natural products or bioactive compounds are presented.

Fluorine in metal-catalyzed asymmetric transformations: the lightest halogen causing a massive effect

This review aims at providing an overview of the most significant applications of fluorine-containing ligands reported in the literature starting from 2001 until mid-2021. The ligands are classified according to the nature of the donor atoms involved. This review highlights both metal-ligand interactions and the structure-reactivity relationships resulting from the presence of the fluorine atom or fluorine-containing substituents on chiral catalysts.

Atropisomers with Axial and Point Chirality: Synthesis and Applications

Enantiopure atropisomers have become increasingly important in asymmetric synthesis and catalysis, pharmaceutical science, and material science since the discovery of inherent features of axial chirality originating from rotational restriction. Despite the advances made in this field to date, it remains highly desirable to construct structurally diverse atropisomers with potentially useful functions. We propose superposition to match axial and point chirality as a potentially useful strategy to access structurally complex and diverse building blocks for organic synthesis and pharmaceutical science because merging atropisomeric backbones with one or more extra chiral elements can topologically broaden three-dimensional environments to create complex scaffolds with multiple tunable parameters. Over the past decade, we have successfully implemented a strategic design for the superposition of axial and point chirality to develop a series of enantiopure atropisomers and have utilized the synergistic functions of these molecules to enhance chirality transfer in various catalytic asymmetric transformations.In this Account, we present several novel atropisomers with superposed axial and point chirality developed in our laboratory. In our studies, this superposition strategy was used to design and synthesize both biaryl and non-biaryl atropisomers from commercially available chiral sources. Consequently, these atropisomers were used to demonstrate the importance of the synergetic functions of axial and point chirality in specific enantioselective reactions. For example, aromatic amide-derived atropisomers, simplified as Xing-Phos arrays, were broadly employed in Ag-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition by a series of reactions of aldiminoesters with activated alkenes and imines, as well as being used as chiral solvating agents for the discrimination of optically active mandelic acid derivatives. Considering the powerful potential of non-biaryl atropisomers for asymmetric catalysis, we also explored the transition-metal-catalyzed enantioselective construction of a novel backbone of non-biaryl atropisomers (Ar-alkene, Ar-N axis) bearing both axial and point chirality for the design and synthesis of chiral ligands and functional molecules.The studies presented herein are expected to stimulate further research efforts on the development of functional atropisomers by superposition of matching axial and point chirality. In addition to tunable electron and stereohindrance effects, the synergy between matching chiral elements of axial/point chirality and functional groups is proven to be a special function that cannot be ignored for promoting reactivity and chirality-transfer efficiency in enantioselective synthesis. Consequently, our novel types of scaffolds with superposed axial and point chirality that are capable of versatile coordination with various metal catalysts in asymmetric catalysis highlight the power of the superposition of matching axial and point chirality for the construction of synthetically useful atropisomers.

Umpolung Chemo- and Regioselective Cascade Addition of Diethylzinc to α-Diketones Followed by Intramolecular Michael Reaction: Stereoselective Synthesis of Highly Substituted 1- Indanones

Herein we report an efficient stereoselective umpolung 1,2-addition of Et₂Zn onto α-diketones followed by intramolecular cascade Michael cyclization. This strategy effectively delivers a broad range of substituted 1-indanones in excellent yields in a chemo- and regioselective fashion. Additionally, we performed a variety of synthetic transformations on the 1-indanone products. Furthermore, a hitherto-unexplored asymmetric variant of this methodology that provides up to 94:6 er using an easily accessible cinchona alkaloid ligand has been addressed.

Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of γ-Lactams with β-Quaternary Centers via Merging of C-C Activation and Sulfonyl Radical Migration

Transition-metal-catalyzed C-C activation has become synthetically valuable; however, it rarely involves single-electron downstream processes. To expand the repertoire of C-C activation, here we describe the discovery of a Rh-catalyzed enantioselective C-C activation involving migration of a sulfonyl radical. This reaction directly transforms cyclobutanones containing a sulfonamide-tethered 1,3-diene moiety into γ-lactams containing a β-quaternary center with excellent enantioselectivity. This unusual process involves cleavage of C-C and N-S bonds and subsequent formation of C-N and C-S bonds. The reaction also exhibits broad functional group tolerance and a good substrate scope. A combined experimental and computational mechanistic study suggested that the reaction goes through a Rh(I)-mediated oxidative addition into the cyclobutanone C-C bond followed by a Rh(III)-triggered N-S bond homolysis and sulfonyl radical migration.

Merging C-C σ-bond activation of cyclobutanones with CO2 fixation via Ni-catalysis

A carboxylative Ni-catalyzed tandem C-C σ-bond activation of cyclobutanones followed by CO₂-electrophilic trapping is documented as a direct route to synthetically valuable 3-indanone-1-acetic acids. The protocol shows an adequate functional group tolerance and useful chemical outcomes (yield up to 76%) when AlCl₃ is adopted as an additive. Manipulations of the targeted cyclic scaffolds and a mechanistic proposal based on experimental evidence complete the investigation.

Atroposelective Kinetic Resolution of 8H-Indeno[1,2-c]thiophen-8-ols via Pd-Catalyzed C-C Bond Cleavage Reaction

The present work demonstrates a palladium-catalyzed kinetic resolution/ring-opening reaction of 8H-indeno[1,2-c]thiophen-8-ols. The reaction proceeds in a highly regioselective manner, and both optically active thiophene-phenyl atropisomers and stereogenic 8H-indeno[1,2-c]thiophen-8-ols were obtained with high enantiomeric excesses. The synthetic applications of the obtained thiophenyl atropisomers were briefly investigated.

Copper and palladium bimetallic sub-nanoparticles were stabilized on modified polyaniline materials as an efficient catalyst to promote C-C coupling reactions in aqueous solution

Modified polyaniline self-stabilizing Cu/Pd bimetallic sub-nanocluster composite materials (Cu/Pd@Mod-PANI-3OH) are obtained through the three steps of oxidative polymerization, structural modification, and metal self-trapping. Palladium and copper are confined and coordinated in the composite material by participating in the reaction and are highly uniformly dispersed in the carrier in the form of sub-nano clusters. The Cu/Pd@Mod-PANI-3OH micro-nano reactor catalyst formed by the self-assembly of copper, palladium and polyaniline has excellent electronic effects, including a tunable microenvironment, metal-carrier and metal-metal synergy, and the stabilizing effect of metal by polyaniline materials. It can efficiently catalyse C-C coupling (Sonogashira and Suzuki) reactions in aqueous solution with high catalytic activity and a wide range of applications (40 substrates). The characterization test results show that the Cu/Pd@Mod-PANI-3OH composite material obtained by self-trapping metal is a kind of prefabricated catalyst. During the reaction process, the high-valent metals in the pre-catalyst are in situ converted into active zero-valent metals. The catalyst's pre-fabrication strategy well protects the catalytic active centre, largely prevents agglomeration of the metal particles (can be recycled 8 times) and exhibits excellent interfacial domain-limited catalysis. The research strategy of modulation of catalytic active sites to improve the properties of materials at the molecular and atomic level reported in this article will open a new door in the research of polyaniline materials.

Palladium-catalyzed enantioselective domino ring-opening/Hiyama coupling of cyclobutanones: development and application to the synthesis of (+)-herbertene-1,14-diol

A palladium-catalyzed enantioselective domino ring-opening/Hiyama coupling of cyclobutanones is reported, providing chiral 1-indanones bearing a versatile alkenyl group.

Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of Octahydro-1H-cyclpenta[c]pyridine Skeleton via Pd/Au-Relay Catalyzed Cascade Reaction of (Z)-1-Iodo-1,6-diene and Alkyne

The Octahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyridine Skeletons exist in a broad spectrum of bioactive natural products, and the development of efficient and convenient protocols to construct this skeleton remains a challenging task. Herein, we...

Palladium-catalysed alkenyl and carbonylative C-C bond activation of cyclobutanones

A palladium catalysed C-C bond activation of cyclobutanones for the construction of alkenyl and carbonylated indanones has been developed. The in situ generated σ-alkylpalladium intermediate VIA C-C bond cleavage of cyclobutanone could be trapped with N-tosylhydrazones and carbon monoxide, respectively. The reactions were carried out under mild conditions with excellent functional group tolerance.

The Discovery of Multifunctional Chiral P Ligands for the Catalytic Construction of Quaternary Carbon/Silicon and Multiple Stereogenic Centers

The development of highly effective chiral ligands is a key topic in enhancing the catalytic activity and selectivity in metal-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis. Traditionally, the difficulty of ligand synthesis, insufficient accuracy in controlling the stereoselectivity, and poor universality of the systems often become obstacles in this field. Using the concept of nonequivalent coordination to the metal, our group has designed and synthesized a series of new chiral catalysts to access various carbon/silicon and/or multiple stereogenic centers containing products with excellent chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity.In this Account, we summarize a series of new phosphine ligands with multiple stereogenic centers that have been developed in our laboratory. These ligands exhibited good to excellent performance in the transition-metal-catalyzed enantioselective construction of quaternary carbon/silicon and multiple stereogenic centers. In the first section, notable examples of the design and synthesis of new chiral ligands by non-covalent interaction-based multisite activation are described. The integrations of axial chirality, atom-centered chirality, and chiral anions and multifunctional groups into a single scaffold are individually highlighted, as represented by Ar-BINMOLs and their derivative ligands, HZNU-Phos, Fei-Phos, and Xing-Phos. In the second, third, and fourth sections, the enantioselective construction of quaternary carbon stereocenters, multiple stereogenic centers, and silicon stereogenic centers using our newly developed chiral ligands is summarized. These sections refer to detailed reaction information in the chiral-ligand-controlled asymmetric catalysis based on the concept of nonequivalent coordination with multisite activation. Accordingly, a wide array of transition metal and main-group metal catalysts has been applied to the enantioselective synthesis of chiral heterocycles, amino acid derivatives, cyclic ketones, alkenes, and organosilicon compounds bearing one to five stereocenters.This Account shows that this new model of multifunctional ligand-controlled catalysts exhibits excellent stereocontrol and catalytic efficiency, especially in a stereodivergent and atom-economical fashion. Furthermore, a brief mechanistic understanding of the origin of enantioselectivity from our newly developed chiral catalyst systems could inspire further development of new ligands and enhancement of enantioselective synthesis by asymmetric metal catalysis.

Rhodium-catalyzed enone carbonyl directed C–H activation for the synthesis of indanones containing all-carbon quaternary centers

Rhodium(iii)-catalyzed enone carbonyl directed C–H activation/annulation of α-aroyl ketene dithioacetals with diazo compounds has been realized for the synthesis of β-quaternary indanones.

Palladium-catalyzed gaseous CO-free carbonylative C–C bond activation of cyclobutanones

A palladium-catalyzed carbonylative C–C bond activation reaction of cyclobutanones is reported, and it affords a variety of indanones bearing ester or amide groups using phenyl formate and benzene-1,3,5-triyl triformate as CO surrogates.

Recent Advances on Synthetic Methodology Merging C-H Functionalization and C-C Cleavage

The functionalization of C-H bonds has become a major thread of research in organic synthesis that can be assessed from different angles, for instance depending on the type of catalyst employed or the overall transformation that is carried out. This review compiles recent progress in synthetic methodology that merges the functionalization of C-H bonds along with the cleavage of C-C bonds, either in intra- or intermolecular fashion. The manuscript is organized in two main sections according to the type of substrate in which the cleavage of the C-C bond takes place, basically attending to the scission of strained or unstrained C-C bonds. Furthermore, the related research works have been grouped on the basis of the mechanistic aspects of the different transformations that are carried out, i.e.,: (a) classic transition metal catalysis where organometallic intermediates are involved; (b) processes occurring via radical intermediates generated through the use of radical initiators or photochemically; and (c) reactions that are catalyzed or mediated by suitable Lewis or Brønsted acid or bases, where molecular rearrangements take place. Thus, throughout the review a wide range of synthetic approaches show that the combination of C-H and C-C cleavage in single synthetic operations can serve as a platform to achieve complex molecular skeletons in a straightforward manner, among them interesting carbo- and heterocyclic scaffolds.

Regio- and Enantioselective Allylic Alkylation of Terminal Alkynes by Synergistic Rh/Cu Catalysis

A highly branch- and enantioselective 1,4-enynes synthesis from readily available terminal alkynes and racemic allylic carbonates by Sonogashira type synergistic Rh and Cu catalysis under neutral conditions has been developed. Aliphatic and aromatic terminal alkynes with various functional groups could be used directly. An inner-sphere reductive elimination C(sp)-C(sp³) bond formation mechanism is supported by the stoichiometric reaction.

Catalytic C-C Cleavage/Alkyne-Carbonyl Metathesis Sequence of Cyclobutanones

A ring-opening/alkyne-carbonyl metathesis sequence of alkyne-tethered cyclobutanones catalyzed by AgSbF₆ is realized for the first time to furnish multisubstituted naphthyl ketones under mild conditions. A range of substrates decorated with various substituents at different positions were all well accommodated. Preliminary mechanistic studies show that silver salt acted as a Lewis acid to facilitate both C-C cleavage of the cyclobutanone moiety and the subsequent metathesis between C═O and C≡C bonds.

Enantioselective Desymmetrization of Cyclobutanones: A Speedway to Molecular Complexity

Cyclobutanones hold a privileged role in enantioselective desymmetrization because their inherent ring strain allows for a variety of unusual reactions to occur. Current strategies include α-functionalization, rearrangement, and C-C bond activation to directly convert cyclobutanones into a wide range of enantiomerically enriched compounds, including many biologically significant scaffolds. This Minireview provides an overview of state-of-the-art methods that generate complexity from prochiral cyclobutanones in a single operation.

Nickel-Catalyzed Asymmetric Domino Ring Opening/Cross-Coupling Reaction of Cyclobutanones via a Reductive Strategy

Herein we demonstrate the successful application of reductive strategy in the asymmetric domino ring opening/cross-coupling reaction of prochiral cyclobutanones. Under the catalysis of a chiral nickel complex, various aryl iodide-tethered cyclobutanones were reacted with alkyl bromides as the electrophilic coupling partner, providing a variety of chiral indanones bearing a quaternary stereogenic center in highly enantioselective manner, which can be further converted to diverse benzene-fused cyclic compounds including indane, indene, dihydrocoumarin, and dihydroquinolinone. The preliminary mechanistic investigations support a mechanism involving Ni(I)-mediated enantiotopic C-C σ-bond activation of cyclobutanones as key elementary step in the catalytic cycle.

Stereo- and regio-selective synthesis of silicon-containing diborylalkenes via platinum-catalyzed mono-lateral diboration of dialkynylsilanes

A highly chemoselective platinum-catalyzed mono-lateral diboration of dialkynylsilanes for the construction of silicon-tethered alkynyl diborylalkenes is described, in which tris(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphine was found to be an effective ligand for the cis-addition of diboron agents to the silicon-tethered alkynes, and the chiral ligand (AFSi-Phos)-mediated diboration of dialkynylsilanes resulted in the desymmetric construction of silicon-stereogenic centers with promising enantioselectivity.