Enantioselective Pd-catalyzed dearomative reductive Heck and domino Heck-Suzuki reactions of 2-CF3-indoles

Enantioselective Synthesis of Isoindolinone by Sequential Palladium-Catalyzed Aza-Heck/Suzuki Coupling Reaction

We present a tandem aza-Heck/Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of O-phenyl hydroxamic ethers with readily available arylboronic and alkenyl boronic acids. This protocol is enabled by a palladium catalyst paired with chiral phosphoramidite ligands, particularly under mild reaction conditions, yielding efficient and succinct synthetic routes to chiral isoindolinones with high enantioselectivity. Furthermore, this reaction exhibits excellent functional group compatibility and a rich diversity of subsequent transformations.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Intramolecular Enantioselective Reductive Heck Reaction toward the Synthesis of Chiral 3-Trifluoromethylated Oxindoles

Herein, a cobalt-catalyzed intramolecular enantioselective reductive Heck reaction is disclosed. Starting from N-ortho-iodoaryl-2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylamides, a plethora of chiral oxindoles bearing trifluoromethylated quaternary stereogenic centers at the C3-position are achieved in moderate to good yields (up to 88% yield) and good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 94% ee) by employing zinc/silane as reducing agent. Other than the trifluoromethyl group, a number of chiral oxindoles bearing alkyl, aryl, and ester groups at C3-position were also obtained albeit in relatively lower enantioselectivities (68-78% ee).

Copper-Catalyzed Dearomative [3 + 2] Annulation of Indoles with 2-Iodoacetic Acid

An efficient copper-catalyzed dearomative [3 + 2] annulation of indoles with 2-iodoacetic acid is developed. By employing Cu(OTf)2/2,2'-bis(2-oxazoline) as the catalyst and LPO as the oxidant, a series of indoline-fused butyrolactones were synthesized in moderate to good yields. The reaction features mild conditions, a broad substrate scope, and readily available starting materials. Furthermore, synthetic transformations of the products were conducted to demonstrate the practical utility of this reaction.

Palladium-Catalyzed Dearomative Heck/C(sp2)-H Activation/Decarboxylative Cyclization of C2-Tethered Indoles

Until now, palladium-catalyzed dearomative Heck reactions of indoles were largely limited to β-H elimination and nucleophilic capture of the transient alkyl-Pd(II) species. Herein, we disclose a novel palladium-catalyzed dearomative Heck/C(sp2)-H activation/decarboxylative cyclization of C2-tethered indoles. In this protocol, the alkyl-Pd(II) species formed by dearomatization of C2-tethered indoles is not terminated by common β-H elimination or nucleophilic capture, but rather generates C,C-palladacycle via C-H activation. The latter is intercepted by α-bromoacrylic acids to produce pentacyclic and heptacyclic fused indolines.

Palladium-catalyzed C-H bond activation and decarboxylation for the assembly of indolo[1,2-f]phenanthridine

A direct and convenient strategy for the assembly of indolo[1,2-f]phenanthridine via a Pd-catalyzed tandem cyclization reaction is presented. The current strategy delivers a range of indolo[1,2-f]phenanthridine derivatives by utilizing readily available 1-(2-iodophenyl)-1H-indole and commercially available o-bromobenzoic acids as the starting materials. The reaction features the formation of two C-C bonds through Pd-catalyzed C-H bond activation and decarboxylation.

Palladium-Catalyzed Domino Heck/Cross-Coupling Cyclization Reaction: Diastereoselective Synthesis of Furan-Containing Indolines

Herein, a palladium-catalyzed diastereoselective dearomatization/cross-coupling cyclization reaction between N-arylacyl indoles and (E)-β-chlorovinyl ketones is reported. Through this cyclization/cycloisomerization cascade, a series of furan-containing indolines were obtained in yields up to 95%. The reaction features readily accessible starting materials, benzyl Pd(II)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of (E)-β-chlorovinyl ketones, the sequential formation of three bonds and bis-heterocycles, and excellent diastereoselectivity. More importantly, the carbene-secondary benzyl migratory insertion is proven to be a critical process in the sequential cyclizations.

Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric Intramolecular Dearomatizing Reductive Heck Reaction of Indoles

An enantioselective Pd-catalyzed intramolecular dearomative reductive Heck reaction of N-(o-bromoaryl) indole-3-carboxamide is developed. By employing Pd(dba)2/SPINOL-based phosphoramidite as the chiral catalyst and HCO2Na as the hydride source, a series of enantioenriched spiro indolines bearing vicinal stereocenters were afforded in moderate to good yields with excellent enantioselectivities. The reductive Heck reaction of formal tetrasubstituted alkene bearing β-hydrogens is therefore realized by inhibiting β-H elimination.

Copper-catalyzed intramolecular dearomative aza-Wacker reaction of indole

Herein, we describe a copper-catalyzed intramolecular dearomative amination of indoles via a formal aza-Wacker reaction. This protocol provides an efficient method to access aza-polycyclic indoline molecules bearing exocyclic CC bonds in moderate to excellent yields in the presence of molecular oxygen as an oxidant. It is worth noting that indolin-3-ones are achieved when employing C3-non-substituted indoles as substrates.

Palladium-Catalyzed Heck/Suzuki Tandem Reaction of (Z)-1-Iodo-1,6-dienes and Organoboronic Acids

The Heck/Suzuki tandem reaction has emerged as an essential strategy for the synthesis of complex molecules. Herein, an efficient palladium-catalyzed Heck/Suzuki tandem reaction of (Z)-1-iodo-1,6-dienes with organoboronic acids is described, providing various tetrahydropyridines in good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. The key to the success of this approach is the avoidance of the intramolecular second Heck insertion occurring prior to the transmetalation step. In addition, the asymmetric version of this reaction is investigated to deliver chiral tetrahydropyridine in excellent yield with promising enantioselectivity.

Pd-Catalyzed Intramolecular Dearomative [4 + 2] Cycloaddition of Naphthalenes with Arylalkynes

A Pd-catalyzed intramolecular dearomative [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of naphthalenes with arylalkynes is developed. The protocol provides a straightforward method to access a range of polycyclic dihydronaphthalenes containing two vicinal all-carbon stereocenters in moderate yields under mild conditions in an air atmosphere. The deuterium labeling experiment suggests a pathway involving electrophilic dearomatization followed by Friedel-Crafts cyclization. Several synthetic transformations of the product were conducted to demonstrate the utility of this reaction.

Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Intramolecular Heck Dearomative Annulation of Indoles with N-Tosylhydrazones

An elegant Pd(dba)2-catalyzed enantioselective Heck dearomative annulation of indoles and N-tosylhydrazones for the straightforward assembly of structurally diverse optically active indoline scaffolds containing the quaternary carbon centers at the C2 position has been developed. The tandem protocol, which utilized a Pd(dba)2/BINOL-based phosphoramidite ligand as the catalytic system, proceeded smoothly through successive oxidative addition, intramolecular carbon palladation, migratory insertion, and β-elimination sequences, leading to the chiral indoline derivatives in moderate to excellent yields, with excellent enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities. In addition, the synthetic practicability of the catalytic system was underlined by a scaled-up experiment and the late-stage derivatization of the products, thus highlighting the potential applications in synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and material science.

Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective Dearomative Heck-Reductive Allylic Defluorination Reaction of Indoles

Herein, we describe a nickel-catalyzed asymmetric dearomative aryl-difluoroallylation reaction of indoles with α-trifluoromethyl alkenes as an electrophilic coupling partner. The reaction proceeds via a cascade sequence involving dearomative Heck cyclization and reductive allylic defluorination. A series of gem-difluoroallyl substituted indolines are obtained in moderate to good yields (36-77% yield) with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). The reaction features broad functional group tolerance, scaled-up synthesis, and late-stage diversification.

Divergent Access to Chiral C2- and C3-Alkylated Pyrrolidines by Catalyst-Tuned Regio- and Enantioselective C(sp3)-C(sp3) Coupling

Novel-substituted pyrrolidine derivatives are widely used in drugs and bioactive molecules. The efficient synthesis of these valuable skeletons, especially enantiopure derivatives, is still recognized as a key bottleneck to overcome in chemical synthesis. Herein, we report a highly efficient catalyst-tuned regio- and enantioselective hydroalkylation reaction for the divergent synthesis of chiral C2- and C3-alkylated pyrrolidines through desymmetrization of the readily available 3-pyrrolines. The catalytic system consists of CoBr₂ with a modified bisoxazoline (BOX) ligand, which can achieve the asymmetric C(sp³)-C(sp³) coupling via the distal stereocontrol, providing a series of C3-alkylated pyrrolidines in high efficiency. Moreover, the nickel catalytic system allows the enantioselective hydroalkylation to synthesize the C2-alkylated pyrrolidines through the tandem alkene isomerization/hydroalkylation reaction. This divergent method uses readily available catalysts, chiral BOX ligands, and reagents, delivering enantioenriched 2-/3-alkyl substituted pyrrolidines with excellent regio- and enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee). We also demonstrate the compatibility of this transformation with complex substrates derived from a series of drugs and bioactive molecules in good efficiency, which offers a distinct entry to more functionalized chiral N-heterocycles.