Metal-Catalyzed Intra- and Intermolecular Addition of Carboxylic Acids to Alkynes in Aqueous Media: A Review

Gold-Zinc Cooperative Catalysis for Seven-exo-dig Hydrocarboxylation of Internal Alkynes

Seven-exo-dig hydrocarboxylation of nonactivated internal alkynes with conformationally flexible linker chains was achieved with cooperative gold-zinc catalysts composed of an imidazo[1,5-a]pyridinylidene ligand including a bipyridine coordination site at the C5 position. A proximity effect of the gold and zinc sites was essential for their high catalytic activity, in which the internal alkyne activated by the cationic gold species was attacked by the carboxylic acid deprotonated by the basic zinc site. Using a gold(I)-complex with a bulky aromatic N-substituent, 2,6-dibenzhydryl-4-methylphenyl group, for the NHC ligand facilitated seven-membered ring formation while minimizing intermolecular hydrocarboxylation as an undesired side reaction. The reaction mechanism was investigated by quantum chemical calculations.

Metal-Catalyzed Cascade Reactions between Alkynoic Acids and Dinucleophiles: A Review

Cascade reactions provide a straightforward access to many valuable compounds and reduce considerably the number of steps of a synthetic sequence. Among the domino and multicomponent processes that involve alkynes, the cascade reaction between alkynoic acids and C-, N-, O- and S-aminonucleophiles stands out as a particularly powerful tool for the one-pot construction of libraries of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds with scaffold diversity and molecular complexity. This reaction, based on an initial metal-catalyzed cycloisomerization that generates an alkylidene lactone intermediate, was originally catalyzed by gold(I) catalysts, along with silver salts or Brönsted acid additives, but other alternative metal catalysts have emerged in the last decade as well as different reaction media. This review examines the existing literature on the topic of metal-catalyzed cascade reactions of acetylenic acids and dinucleophiles and discusses aspects concerning substrate/catalyst ratio for every catalyst system, nature of the aminonucleophile involved and substrate scope. In addition, alternative solvents are also considered, and an insight into the pathway of the reaction and possible intermediates is also provided.

Effector Regulated Catalytic Cyclization of Alkynoic Acids Using Pt2 L4 Cages

Metabolic pathways are highly regulated by effector molecules that influences the rate of enzymatic reactions. Inspired by the catalytic regulation found in living cells, we report a Pt₂ L₄ cage of which the activity can be controlled by effectors that bind inside the cage. The cage shows catalytic activity in the lactonization of alkynoic acids, with the reaction rates dependent on the effector guest bound in the cage. Some effector guests enhance the rate of the lactonization by up to 19-fold, whereas one decreases it by 5-fold. When mixtures of specific substrates are used, both starting materials and products act as guests for the Pt₂ L₄ cage, enhancing its catalytic activity for one substrate while reducing its activity for the other. The reported regulatory behavior obtained by the addition of effector molecules paves the way to the development of more complex, metabolic-like catalyst systems.

Improved synthetic routes to N-heterocyclic carbene-metal-diketonato complexes of gold and copper

In our search for simple synthetic routes to N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-metal complexes and their derivatives, we herein report an operationally simple, expedient and scalable method to obtain the widely used NHC-metal-diketonates. The reported complexes are synthesized for the first time under mild, aerobic conditions and in excellent yields in a sustainable manner. The protocol is general with regards to the anionic co-ligand and the ancillary carbene ligands. The spectroscopic and crystallographic characterization of the complexes reveal a bidentate binding mode of the diketonate ligand to copper while the gold-congener is C-bound. Finally, the reported Au complex was shown to be an efficient pre-catalyst for the hydrocarboxylation of alkynes.

Palladium-Catalyzed Chemo- and Regiocontrolled Tandem Cyclization/Cross-Coupling of 2-Benzyl-3-alkynyl Chromones with Aryl Iodides for the Synthesis of 4H-Furo[3,2-c]chromenes and Xanthones

A novel Pd-catalyzed chemo- and regiocontrolled tandem cyclization/cross-coupling reaction of 3-alkynyl chromone with aryl iodide was developed for the synthesis of 4H-furo[3,2-c]chromenes and xanthones. The difunctionalization of alkynes through O-attack/5-exo-dig and C-attack/6-endo-dig cyclization was reported by this rare approach, which was selectively controlled by the addition of KF or a bidentate phosphine ligand. A one-pot tandem process was demonstrated directly from γ-alkynyl-1,3-diketone for this method.

Hydrogen bonding-enabled gold catalysis: ligand effects in gold-catalyzed cycloisomerizations in hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)

Gold catalysis has witnessed immense evolution in recent years, yet it still requires the use of activators to render the common [AuCl(L)] complexes catalytically active. Herein, the H-bonding donor properties of hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) are utilized for Au-Cl bond activation and the ancillary ligand and counteranion effects on cycloisomerization reactions are showcased in HFIP as solvent.

Catalytic Hydrofunctionalization Reactions of 1,3-Diynes

Metal-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization reactions of alkynes, i.e., the addition of Y–H units (Y = heteroatom or carbon) across the carbon–carbon triple bond, have attracted enormous attention for decades since they allow the straightforward and atom-economic access to a wide variety of functionalized olefins and, in its intramolecular version, to relevant heterocyclic and carbocyclic compounds. Despite conjugated 1,3-diynes being considered key building blocks in synthetic organic chemistry, this particular class of alkynes has been much less employed in hydrofunctionalization reactions when compared to terminal or internal monoynes. The presence of two C≡C bonds in conjugated 1,3-diynes adds to the classical regio- and stereocontrol issues associated with the alkyne hydrofunctionalization processes’ other problems, such as the possibility to undergo 1,2-, 3,4-, or 1,4-monoadditions as well as double addition reactions, thus increasing the number of potential products that can be formed. In this review article, metal-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization reactions of these challenging substrates are comprehensively discussed.

Metal-Free Stereoselective Addition of Propiolic acids to Ynamides: A Concise Synthetic Route to Highly Substituted Ene-Diyne/Dienyne-(E)-N,O-Acetals

A straight forward and sustainable approach for 1,2-addition of propiolic acids to ynamide has led to bench stable sp2 (E)-enol-enamides of enediynes & dienynes. The reaction is chemo, regio, as...

Metal-free catalytic hydrocarboxylation of hexafluorobut-2-yne

An efficient method for stereoselective synthesis of trifluorinated enol esters catalyzed by base was introduced.

A PEGylated N-heterocyclic carbene-gold(i) complex: an efficient catalyst for cyclization reaction in water

A recyclable, PEGylated N-heterocyclic carbene(NHC)–gold(i) catalyst was synthesized, which exhibited high reactivity and regio-selectivity in the cyclization of alkynoic acids and cascade reaction of tryptamine and alkynoic acids in water.

Gold-Catalyzed Addition of Carboxylic Acids to Alkynes and Allenes: Valuable Tools for Organic Synthesis

In this contribution, the application of gold-based catalysts in the hydrofunctionalization reactions of alkynes and allenes with carboxylic acids is comprehensively reviewed. Both intra- and intermolecular processes, leading respectively to lactones and linear unsaturated esters, are covered. In addition, cascade transformations involving the initial cycloisomerization of an alkynoic acid are also discussed.

Catalytic Addition of Indole-2-Carboxylic Acid to 1-Hexyne

The synthesis of two novel enol esters, namely hex-1-en-2-yl indole-2-carboxylate and hex-1-en-2-yl 1-(hex-1-en-2-yl)-indole-2-carboxylate, is presented. Both compounds were generated by addition of indole-2-carboxylic acid to 1-hexyne employing [RuCl2(η6-p-cymene)(PPh3)] and [AuCl(PPh3)]/AgPF6, respectively, as catalysts.

Metal-Catalyzed Synthesis and Transformations of β-Haloenol Esters

In the last years there has been an increasing interest in the search for protocols to obtain β-haloenol esters in an efficient and selective manner as they are versatile building blocks in synthetic organic chemistry. In this article, metal-catalyzed transformations allowing the access to both acyclic and cyclic (i.e., haloenol lactones) β-haloenol esters are reviewed. Metal-catalyzed reactions in which these molecules participate as substrates are also discussed.

Phosphine-Free Ru-Catalyzed Regio- and Stereoselective Addition of Benzoic Acids to Trifluoromethylated Alkynes toward Facile Access to Trifluoromethyl Group-Substituted (E)-Enol Esters

A combination of ruthenium catalyst with silver salt and copper salt was proved to be a highly efficient protocol for the direct addition reaction of benzoic acids with unsymmetrical trifluoromethylated internal alkynes. Diverse trifluoromethyl group-substituted (E)-enol esters were readily obtained for a broad substrate scope in moderate to good yields with excellent regio- and stereoselectivities under mild reaction conditions.

Gold(I) Complexes with Ferrocenylphosphino Sulfonate Ligands: Synthesis and Application in the Catalytic Addition of Carboxylic Acids to Internal Alkynes in Water

The synthesis and characterization of novel gold(I) complexes containing hydrophilic ferrocenylphosphino sulfonate ligands, i.e., compounds [AuCl{(η5-C5H3PR2(SO3iPr))Fe(η5-C5H5)}] (R = Ph (2a), p-Tol (2b), Cy (2c)), are presented, including a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study on 2a. Complexes 2a–c were checked as catalysts for the intermolecular addition of carboxylic acids to nonactivated internal alkynes using water as a green reaction medium. The best results in terms of activity were obtained with 2a in combination with AgOAc, which was able to promote the selective anti addition of a variety of aromatic, aliphatic, and α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids to both symmetrical and unsymmetrical internal alkynes at 60 °C, employing metal loadings of only 2 mol %.

Straightforward formation of carbocations from tertiary carboxylic acids via CO release at room temperature

We report an unprecedented mode of reactivity of carboxylic acids. A series of tertiary carboxylic acids, containing at least one phenyl α-substituent, undergo loss of carbon monoxide at room temperature (295 K), by a one pot reaction with 0.5-1 molar equivalents of WCl₆ in dichloromethane. A plausible mechanism for the Ph₃CCO₂H/WCl₆ reaction, leading to [CPh₃][WOCl₅] and Ph₃CCl, is proposed on the basis of DFT calculations. The analogous reactions involving CEt(Ph)₂CO₂H, CMe(Ph)₂CO₂H and CMe₂(Ph)CO₂H selectively afforded stable hydrocarbons (alkene or indene, depending on the case), apparently resulting from the rearrangement of elusive tertiary carbocations.

Homogeneous Catalysis and Mechanisms in Water and Biphasic Media

After its discovery in the early 1980s and successful application on an industrial scale (Ruhrchemie/Rhone-Poulenc process) [...]