Palladium-Catalyzed Room Temperature Acylative Cross-Coupling of Activated Amides with Trialkylboranes

Classes of Amides that Undergo Selective N-C Amide Bond Activation: The Emergence of Ground-State Destabilization

Ground-state destabilization of the N-C(O) linkage represents a powerful tool to functionalize the historically inert amide bond. This burgeoning reaction manifold relies on the availability of amide bond precursors that participate in weakening of the nN → π*C=O conjugation through N-C twisting, N pyramidalization, and nN electronic delocalization. Since 2015, acyl N-C amide bond activation through ground-state destabilization of the amide bond has been achieved by transition-metal-catalyzed oxidative addition of the N-C(O) bond, generation of acyl radicals, and transition-metal-free acyl addition. This Perspective summarizes contributions of our laboratory in the development of new ground-state-destabilized amide precursors enabled by twist and electronic activation of the amide bond and synthetic utility of ground-state-destabilized amides in cross-coupling reactions and acyl addition reactions. The use of ground-state-destabilized amides as electrophiles enables a plethora of previously unknown transformations of the amide bond, such as acyl coupling, decarbonylative coupling, radical coupling, and transition-metal-free coupling to forge new C-C, C-N, C-O, C-S, C-P, and C-B bonds. Structural studies of activated amides and catalytic systems developed in the past decade enable the view of the amide bond to change from the "traditionally inert" to "readily modifiable" functional group with a continuum of reactivity dictated by ground-state destabilization.

Stereospecific Acylative Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling: General Access to Optically Active α-Aryl Carbonyl Compounds

A novel strategy for the stereospecific Pd-catalyzed acylative cross-coupling of enantiomerically enriched alkylboron compounds has been developed. The protocol features an extremely high level of enantiospecificity to allow facile access to synthetically challenging and valuable chiral ketones and carboxylic acid derivatives. The use of a sterically encumbered and electron-rich phosphine ligand proved to be crucial for the success of the reaction. Furthermore, on the basis of experimental and computational studies, a unique mechanism for the transmetalation, assisted by the noncovalent interactions of the C(sp³)-based organoboron reagent, has been identified.

Amide N-C Bond Activation: A Graphical Overview of Acyl and Decarbonylative Coupling

This Graphical Review provides an overview of amide bond activation achieved by selective oxidative addition of the N-C(O) acyl bond to transition metals and nucleophilic acyl addition, resulting in acyl and decarbonylative coupling together with key mechanistic details pertaining to amide bond distortion underlying this reactivity manifold.

Nickel-Catalyzed Synthesis of Dialkyl Ketones from the Coupling of N-Alkyl Pyridinium Salts with Activated Carboxylic Acids

While ketones are among the most versatile functional groups, their synthesis remains reliant upon reactive and low-abundance starting materials. In contrast, amide formation is the most-used bond-construction method in medicinal chemistry because the chemistry is reliable and draws upon large and diverse substrate pools. A new method for the synthesis of ketones is presented here that draws from the same substrates used for amide bond synthesis: amines and carboxylic acids. A nickel terpyridine catalyst couples N-alkyl pyridinium salts with in situ formed carboxylic acid fluorides or 2-pyridyl esters under reducing conditions (Mn metal). The reaction has a broad scope, as demonstrated by the synthesis of 35 different ketones bearing a wide variety of functional groups with an average yield of 60±16 %. This approach is capable of coupling diverse substrates, including pharmaceutical intermediates, to rapidly form complex ketones.

Nickel-Catalyzed Deaminative Acylation of Activated Aliphatic Amines with Aromatic Amides via C-N Bond Activation

Deaminative functionalization of aliphatic primary amines has great synthetic utility. Herein, we describe a Ni-catalyzed reductive deaminative cross-electrophile coupling reaction between Katritzky salts and aromatic amides. This work provides examples of the synthesis of various ketones from alkylpyridinium salts, including both primary and secondary alkylamines. Given its mild reaction conditions and high functional group tolerance, this cross-coupling strategy is expected to be useful for late-stage functionalization of complex compounds.

N-Acylphthalimides: Efficient Acyl Coupling Reagents in Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling by N–C Cleavage Catalyzed by Pd–PEPPSI Precatalysts

We report a general, highly selective method for Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of N-acylphthalimides via N–C(O) acyl cleavage catalyzed by Pd–PEPPSI-type precatalysts. Of broad synthetic interest, the method introduces N-acylphthalimides as new, bench-stable, highly reactive, twist-controlled, amide-based precursors to acyl-metal intermediates. The reaction delivers functionalized biaryl ketones by acylative Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling with readily available boronic acids. Studies demonstrate that cheap, easily prepared, and broadly applicable Pd–PEPPSI-type precatalysts supported by a sterically demanding IPr (1,3-Bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) ancillary ligand provide high yields in this reaction. Preliminary selectivity studies and the effect of Pd–N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) complexes with allyl-type throw-away ligands are described. We expect that N-acylphthalimides will find significant use as amide-based acyl coupling reagents and cross-coupling precursors to acyl-metal intermediates.

Well-Defined Pre-Catalysts in Amide and Ester Bond Activation

Over the past few decades, transition metal catalysis has witnessed a rapid and extensive development. The discovery and development of cross-coupling reactions is considered to be one of the most important advancements in the field of organic synthesis. The design and synthesis of well-defined and bench-stable transition metal pre-catalysts provide a significant improvement over the current catalytic systems in cross-coupling reactions, avoiding excess use of expensive ligands and harsh conditions for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials. Among various well-defined pre-catalysts, the use of Pd(II)-NHC, particularly, provided new avenues to expand the scope of cross-coupling reactions incorporating unreactive electrophiles, such as amides and esters. The strong σ-donation and tunable steric bulk of NHC ligands in Pd-NHC complexes facilitate oxidative addition and reductive elimination steps enabling the cross-coupling of broad range of amides and esters using facile conditions contrary to the arduous conditions employed under traditional catalytic conditions. Owing to the favorable catalytic activity of Pd-NHC catalysts, a tremendous progress was made in their utilization for cross-coupling reactions via selective acyl C⁻X (X=N, O) bond cleavage. This review highlights the recent advances made in the utilization of well-defined pre-catalysts for C⁻C and C⁻N bond forming reactions via selective amide and ester bond cleavage.

Recent Advances in Acyl Suzuki Cross-Coupling

Acyl Suzuki cross-coupling involves the coupling of an organoboron reagent with an acyl electrophile (acyl halide, anhydride, ester, amide). This review provides a timely overview of the very important advances that have recently taken place in the acylative Suzuki cross-coupling. Particular emphasis is directed toward the type of acyl electrophiles, catalyst systems and new cross-coupling partners. This review will be of value to synthetic chemists involved in this rapidly developing field of Suzuki cross-coupling as well as those interested in using acylative Suzuki cross-coupling for the synthesis of ketones as a catalytic alternative to stoichiometric nucleophilic additions or Friedel-Crafts reactions.

Palladium/copper-catalyzed decarbonylative heteroarylation of amides via C–N bond activation

A novel strategy for the synthesis of 2-arylated oxazole derivatives via palladium/copper-catalyzed decarbonylative heteroarylation of amides via C–N bond activation by ground-state destabilization is reported.