New approaches to organocatalysis based on C-H and C-X bonding for electrophilic substrate activation

Trialkylphosphonium oxoborates as C(sp3)-H oxyanion holes and their application in catalytic chemoselective acetalization

The use of trialkylphosphonium oxoborates (TOB) as catalysts is reported. The site-isolated borate counter anion in a TOB catalyst increases the availability of C(sp3)-H to interact with electron donor substrates. The catalytic protocol is applicable to a wide range of substrates in the acetalization reaction and provides excellent chemoselectivity in the acetalization over thioacetalization in the presence of alcohols and thiols, which is otherwise hard to achieve using typical acid catalysts. Experimental and computational studies revealed that the TOB catalysts have multiple preorganized C(sp3)-Hs that serve as a mimic of oxyanion holes, which can stabilize the oxyanion intermediates via multiple C(sp3)-H non-classical hydrogen bond interactions.

Balancing Activity and Stability in Halogen-Bonding Catalysis: Iodopyridinium-Catalyzed One-Pot Synthesis of 2,3-Dihydropyridinones

A one-pot cascade reaction for 2,3-dihydropyridinone synthesis was accomplished with 3-fluoro-2-iodo-1-methylpyridinium triflate as the halogen bond catalyst. The desired [4+2] cycloaddition products, bearing aryl, heteroaryl, alkyl, and alicyclic substituents, were successfully furnished in 28-99% yields. Mechanistic investigations proved that a strong halogen-bonding interaction forged between the iodopyridinium catalyst and imine intermediate was essential to dynamically masking the vulnerable C-I bond on the catalyst and accelerating the following aza-Diels-Alder reaction.

Main Group Molecular Switches with Swivel Bifurcated to Trifurcated Hydrogen Bond Mode of Action

Artificial molecular machines have captured the full attention of the scientific community since Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart, and Ben Feringa were awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The past and current developments in molecular machinery (rotaxanes, rotors, and switches) primarily rely on organic-based compounds as molecular building blocks for their assembly and future development. In contrast, the main group chemical space has not been traditionally part of the molecular machine domain. The oxidation states and valency ranges within the p-block provide a tremendous wealth of structures with various chemical properties. Such chemical diversity─when implemented in molecular machines─could become a transformative force in the field. Within this context, we have rationally designed a series of NH-bridged acyclic dimeric cyclodiphosphazane species, [(μ-NH){PE(μ-N^tBu)₂PE(NH^tBu)}₂] (E = O and S), bis-P^V₂N₂, displaying bimodal bifurcated R²₁(8) and trifurcated R³₁(8,8) hydrogen bonding motifs. The reported species reversibly switch their topological arrangement in the presence and absence of anions. Our results underscore these species as versatile building blocks for molecular machines and switches, as well as supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering based on cyclophosphazane frameworks.

Screening of simple carbohydrates as a renewable organocatalyst for the efficient construction of 1,3-benzoxazine scaffold

A convenient protocol for the two component preparation of 1,3-benzoxazines by using several protected and unprotected carbohydrate molecules as organocatalysts have been developed which is broadly applicable to condensation reaction between variety of Mannich bases and paraformaldehyde. This study revealed that fructose have much higher catalytic activity than the other carbohydrates and can be an alternative to metal-containing catalysts as a green renewable organocatalyst for efficient and rapid construction of 1,3-benzoxazine skeleton. In this context, 21 benzoxazine compounds were successfully synthesized and spectral characterizations of these compounds were carried out by spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to study the detailed mechanism of organocatalyst assisted synthesis of the benzoxazine monomers. The results obtained from these calculations showed that the more realistic reaction pathway involves formation of a phenolate based intermediate which loses a water molecule to form benzenaminium ion. Subsequently, this ion provides the formation of the corresponding benzoxazines with good yields through the intramolecular ring closure step.

Metal Centers as Nucleophiles: Oxymoron of Halogen Bond-Involving Crystal Engineering

This review highlights recent studies discovering unconventional halogen bonding (HaB) that involves positively charged metal centers. These centers provide their filled d‐orbitals for HaB, and thus behave as nucleophilic components toward the noncovalent interaction. This role of some electron‐rich transition metal centers can be considered an oxymoron in the sense that the metal is, in most cases, formally cationic; consequently, its electron donor function is unexpected. The importance of Ha⋅⋅⋅d‐[M] (Ha=halogen; M is Group 9 (Rh, Ir), 10 (Ni, Pd, Pt), or 11 (Cu, Au)) interactions in crystal engineering is emphasized by showing remarkable examples (reported and uncovered by our processing of the Cambridge Structural Database), where this Ha⋅⋅⋅d‐[M] directional interaction guides the formation of solid supramolecular assemblies of different dimensionalities.

Design and Synthesis of a Chiral Halogen-Bond Donor with a Sp3-Hybridized Carbon-Iodine Moiety in a Chiral Fluorobissulfonyl Scaffold

The first example of a chiral halogen-bond donor with a sp³-hybridized carbon–iodine moiety in a fluorobissulfonyl scaffold is described. The binaphthyl backbone was designed as a chiral source and the chiral halogen-bond donor (R)-1 was synthesized from (R)-1,1′-binaphthol in 11 steps. An NMR titration experiment demonstrated that (R)-1 worked as a halogen-bond donor. The Mukaiyama aldol reaction and quinoline reduction were examined using (R)-1 as a catalyst to evaluate the asymmetric induction.

Why Can Cationic Halogen Bond Donors Activate the Ritter-Type Solvolysis of Benzhydryl Bromide but Cationic Hydrogen Bond Donors Can Not?

It is found by experiment that the cationic halogen bond donors (cationic iodoimidazolium compounds) can activate the Ritter-type solvolysis of benzhydryl bromide, while the cationic hydrogen bond donors (cationic imidazolium compounds) could not. To understand the activation mechanism, various noncovalent interactions between benzhydryl bromide and a series of activators in solution, including halogen bond, hydrogen bond, lone pair···π/π+, and C-H···π/π+, were explored theoretically. Our study revealed that the activation difference can be contributed by the variation of the noncovalent interactions. For halogen bond donors, the successful activation is attributed by halogen bond and lone pair···π. The halogen bonds mainly provide the stabilization energy of the ion-pair complex with the help of lone pair···π. For hydrogen-bond donors, the contribution of the hydrogen bond is unable to compensate the like-charge repulsion arising from the generation of the carbocation, leading to the unsuccessful activation. In general, lone pair···π makes a difference.

On the reciprocal relationship between σ-hole bonding and (anti)aromaticity gain in ketocyclopolyenes

σ-Hole bonding interactions (e.g., tetrel, pnictogen, chalcogen, and halogen bonding) can polarize π-electrons to enhance cyclic [4n] π-electron delocalization (i.e., antiaromaticity gain) or cyclic [4n + 2] π-electron delocalization (i.e., aromaticity gain). Examples based on the ketocyclopolyenes: cyclopentadienone, tropone, and planar cyclononatetraenone are presented. Recognizing this relationship has implications, for example, for tuning the electronic properties of fulvene-based π-conjugated systems such as 9-fluorenone.

Bidentate Chiral Bis(imidazolium)-Based Halogen-Bond Donors: Synthesis and Applications in Enantioselective Recognition and Catalysis

Even though halogen bonding-the noncovalent interaction between electrophilic halogen substituents and Lewis bases-has now been established in molecular recognition and catalysis, its use in enantioselective processes is still very rarely explored. Herein, we present the synthesis of chiral bidentate halogen-bond donors based on two iodoimidazolium units with rigidly attached chiral sidearms. With these Lewis acids, chiral recognition of a racemic diamine is achieved in NMR studies. DFT calculations support a 1:1 interaction of the halogen-bond donor with both enantiomers and indicate that the chiral recognition is based on a different spatial orientation of the Lewis bases in the halogen-bonded complexes. In addition, moderate enantioselectivity is achieved in a Mukaiyama aldol reaction with a preorganized variant of the chiral halogen-bond donor. This represents the first case in which asymmetric induction was realized with a pure halogen-bond donor lacking any additional active functional groups.

Symmetrical Noncovalent Interactions Br···Br Observed in Crystal Structure of Exotic Primary Peroxide

4-Bromobenzamidrazone reacts with cyclopentanone giving 3-(4-bromophenyl)-5-(4-peroxobutyl)-1,2,4-triazole, which precipitated as pale-yellow crystals during the reaction. The intermolecular noncovalent interactions Br···Br in the single-crystal XRD structure of the peroxo compound were studied theoretically using quantum chemical calculations (ωB97XD/x2c-TZVPPall) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis. These attractive intermolecular noncovalent interactions Br···Br is type I halogen···halogen contacts and their estimated energy is 2.2–2.5 kcal/mol. These weak interactions are suggested to be one of the driving forces (albeit surely not the main one) for crystallization of the peroxo compound during the reaction and thus its stabilization in the solid state.

Metal-involving halogen bond Ar–I⋯[dz2PtII] in a platinum acetylacetonate complex

The observed and confirmed theoretically metal-involving halogen bond Ar–I⋯[d_z2Pt^II] provides experimental evidence favoring a XB formation step upon oxidative addition of ArI to Pt^II.

Tetrachloroplatinate(ii) anion as a square-planar tecton for crystal engineering involving halogen bonding

The tetrachloroplatinate(ii) anion behaves as a useful XB-accepting tecton toward sigma-hole-donating organohalide species.

Frontiers in Halogen and Chalcogen-Bond Donor Organocatalysis

Non-covalent molecular interactions on the basis of halogen and chalcogen bonding represent a promising, powerful catalytic activation mode. However, these "unusual" non-covalent interactions are typically employed in the solid state and scarcely exploited in catalysis. In recent years, an increased interest in halogen and chalcogen bonding has been awaken, as they provide profound characteristics that make them an appealing alternative to the well-explored hydrogen bonding. Being particularly relevant in the binding of "soft" substrates, the similar strength to hydrogen bonding interactions and its higher directionality allows for solution-phase applications with halogen and chalcogen bonding as the key interaction. In this mini-review, the special features, state-of-the-art and key examples of these so-called σ-hole interactions in the field of organocatalysis are presented.

Photoacid-Catalyzed Friedel-Crafts Arylation of Carbonyls

In this report, we demonstrate that visible-light-induced thiourea photoacids catalyze C-C bond-forming reactions. Upon photoirradiation, Schreiner's thiourea [(N,N'-bis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-thiourea] catalyzes the double Friedel-Crafts addition of indoles to aldehydes and isatins to form the corresponding triarylmethanes and 3,3'-diarylindolin-2-ones. This protocol is amenable to a wide range of aldehyde and isatin electrophiles, as well as a variety of electronically diverse indoles. Mechanistic studies show that light is required for reaction initiation.

Four-Center Nodes: Supramolecular Synthons Based on Cyclic Halogen Bonding

The isocyanide trans-[PdBr₂ (CNC₆ H₄ -4-X')₂ ] (X'=Br, I) and nitrile trans-[PtX₂ (NCC₆ H₄ -4-X')₂ ] (X/X'=Cl/Cl, Cl/Br, Br/Cl, Br/Br) complexes exhibit similar structural motif in the solid state, which is determined by hitherto unreported four-center nodes formed by cyclic halogen bonding. Each node is built up by four Type II C-X'⋅⋅⋅X-M halogen-bonding contacts and include one Type I M-X⋅⋅⋅X-M interaction, thus giving the rhombic-like structure. These nodes serve as supramolecular synthons to form 2D layers or double chains of molecules linked by a halogen bond. Results of DFT calculations indicate that all contacts within the nodes are typical noncovalent interactions with the estimated strengths in the range 0.6-2.9 kcal mol^-1 .

Investigations towards the stereoselective organocatalyzed Michael addition of dimethyl malonate to a racemic nitroalkene: possible route to the 4-methylpregabalin core structure

Chiral derivatives of γ-aminobutyric acid are widely used as medicines and can be obtained by organocatalytic Michael additions. We show here the stereoselective synthesis of 4-methylpregabalin stereoisomers using a Michael addition of dimethyl malonate to a racemic nitroalkene. The key step of the synthesis operates as a kinetic resolution with a chiral squaramide catalyst. Furthermore, specific organocatalysts can provide respective stereoisomers of the key Michael adduct in up to 99:1 er.

Experimental and computational evidence of halogen bonds involving astatine

The importance of halogen bonds-highly directional interactions between an electron-deficient σ-hole moiety in a halogenated compound and an acceptor such as a Lewis base-is being increasingly recognized in a wide variety of fields from biomedicinal chemistry to materials science. The heaviest halogens are known to form stronger halogen bonds, implying that if this trend continues down the periodic table, astatine should exhibit the highest halogen-bond donating ability. This may be mitigated, however, by the relativistic effects undergone by heavy elements, as illustrated by the metallic character of astatine. Here, the occurrence of halogen-bonding interactions involving astatine is experimentally evidenced. The complexation constants of astatine monoiodide with a series of organic ligands in cyclohexane solution were derived from distribution coefficient measurements and supported by relativistic quantum mechanical calculations. Taken together, the results show that astatine indeed behaves as a halogen-bond donor-a stronger one than iodine-owing to its much more electrophilic σ-hole.

Reductive Etherification via Anion-Binding Catalysis

Reductive condensations of alcohols with aldehydes/ketones to generate ethers are catalyzed by a readily accessible thiourea organocatalyst that operates in combination with HCl. 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane serves as a convenient reducing reagent. This strategy is applicable to challenging substrate combinations and exhibits functional group tolerance. Competing reductive homocoupling of the carbonyl component is suppressed.