C2-Alkylation of N-pyrimidylindole with vinylsilane via cobalt-catalyzed C-H bond activation

Transition metal-catalyzed C–H functionalizations of indoles

This review summarises a wide range of transformations on the indole skeleton, including arylation, alkenylation, alkynylation, acylation, nitration, borylation, and amidation, using transition-metal catalyzed C–H functionalization as the key step.

Rh(ii)-catalyzed branch-selective C-H alkylation of aryl sulfonamides with vinylsilanes

Rhodium(ii)-catalyzed unusual branch-selective ortho-C-H alkylation of aryl sulfonamides with vinylsilanes was achieved using an 8-aminoquinoline directing group. Notably, the para-substituted aryl sulfonamides gave mono-(branched)alkylated products exclusively without the formation of any double C-H alkylated byproducts. The results of deuterium labeling experiments suggest that both hydrometalation and carbometalation pathways are involved in this conversion.

3d Transition Metals for C-H Activation

C-H activation has surfaced as an increasingly powerful tool for molecular sciences, with notable applications to material sciences, crop protection, drug discovery, and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Despite major advances, the vast majority of these C-H functionalizations required precious 4d or 5d transition metal catalysts. Given the cost-effective and sustainable nature of earth-abundant first row transition metals, the development of less toxic, inexpensive 3d metal catalysts for C-H activation has gained considerable recent momentum as a significantly more environmentally-benign and economically-attractive alternative. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview on first row transition metal catalysts for C-H activation until summer 2018.

Hydroarylations by cobalt-catalyzed C-H activation

As an earth-abundant first-row transition metal, cobalt catalysts offer a broad range of economical methods for organic transformations via C-H activation. One of the transformations is the addition of C-H to C-X multiple bonds to afford alkylation, alkenation, amidation, and cyclization products using low- or high-valent cobalt catalysts. This hydroarylation is an efficient approach to build new C-C bonds in a 100% atom-economical manner. In this review, the recent developments of Co-catalyzed hydroarylation reactions and their mechanistic studies are summarized.

Ru-catalysed C-H arylation of indoles and pyrroles with boronic acids: scope and mechanistic studies

The Ru-catalysed C2–H arylation of indoles and pyrroles by using boronic acids under oxidative conditions is reported. This reaction can be applied to tryptophan derivatives and tolerates a wide range of functional groups on both coupling partners, including bromides and iodides, which can be further derivatised selectively. New indole-based ruthenacyclic complexes are described and investigated as possible intermediates in the reaction. Mechanistic studies suggest the on-cycle intermediates do not possess a para-cymene ligand and that the on-cycle metalation occurs through an electrophilic attack by the Ru centre.

Low-valent cobalt catalysis: new opportunities for C-H functionalization

Rapid progress in the fields of organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis has made it possible for synthetic chemists to consider using ubiquitous yet unreactive C-H bonds as starting points to construct complex organic molecules. However, a majority of the C-H functionalization reactions currently in use require noble transition metal catalysts and harsh reaction conditions, so researchers have placed a priority on the development of mild and cost-effective catalysts. Given this situation, we wondered whether earth-abundant first-row transition metals could emulate the reactivity of a noble transition metal catalyst and carry out similar C-H functionalization reactions at a lower cost and under milder conditions. We also wondered whether we could use first-row transition metals to achieve hitherto unknown, but useful, C-H functionalization reactions. This Account summarizes our research on the development of three different types of C-H functionalization reactions using low-valent cobalt catalysts: (1) hydroarylation of alkynes and olefins, (2) ortho C-H functionalization with electrophiles, and (3) addition of arylzinc reagents to alkynes involving 1,4-cobalt migration. Although synthetic chemists have previously paid little attention to cobalt in designing catalytic C-H functionalization reactions, earlier studies, particularly those on stoichiometric cyclometalation, inspired us as we developed the hydroarylation and ortho C-H functionalization reactions. In these transformations, we combined a cobalt precatalyst, a ligand (such as phosphine or N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)), and Grignard reagent to generate low-valent cobalt catalysts. These novel catalysts promoted a series of pyridine- and imine-directed hydroarylation reactions of alkynes and olefins at mild temperatures. Notably, we observed branched-selective addition to styrenes, which highlights a distinct regioselectivity of the cobalt catalyst compared with typical rhodium and ruthenium catalysts. The combination of a cobalt-NHC catalyst and a Grignard reagent allows directed aromatic C-H functionalizations with electrophiles such as aldimines, aryl chlorides, and alkyl chlorides or bromides. This second reaction has a particularly broad scope, allowing us to introduce secondary alkyl groups at the ortho position of aryl imines, a difficult reaction to carry out by other means. Serendipitously, we found that a cobalt-Xantphos complex catalyzed the third type of C-H functionalization: the addition of an arylzinc reagent to an alkyne to afford ortho-alkenylarylzinc species through a 1,4-cobalt migration. This "migratory arylzincation" allowed us to quickly construct a diverse group of functionalized benzothiophenes and benzoselenophenes. Collectively, our studies of cobalt catalysis have provided cost-effective catalysts and milder conditions for existing C-H functionalizations and have led to some unprecedented, attractive chemical transformations.

Cobalt mediated C–H bond functionalization: emerging tools for organic synthesis

This review provides a perspective on C–H bond functionalization mediated by cobalt complexes used in either stoichiometric or catalytic amounts, without the contribution of any other transition metal, for organic synthesis applications.

Rhodium(iii)-catalyzed regioselective C2-amidation of indoles with N-(2,4,6-trichlorobenzoyloxy)amides and its synthetic application to the development of a novel potential PPARγ modulator

Here an efficient rhodium(iii)-catalyzed C2-amidation of indoles and its synthetic application to a new PPARγ modulator have been developed.

Oxidative addition and C–H activation chemistry with a PNP pincer-ligated cobalt complex

The bis(phosphino)pyridine (PNP) cobalt(i) methyl complex, (^iPrPNP)CoCH₃is a rich platform for the oxidative addition of non-polar reagents such as H₂, the C–H bonds of arenes and terminal alkynes.