Palladium-Catalyzed C3-Carbaldehyde Directed Regioselective C2-Thioarylation of Indoles

Palladium-catalyzed thioarylation of indoles by diaryl disulfides in the presence of phenyliododiacetate is reported. The directing potential of weakly coordinating aldehyde group present at 3-position of indole was exploited for regioselective C2-H thioarylation over the possible C4-H functionalization. Mechanistic studies reveal that the process involves initial generation of thioaryl radical followed by sequential C-H activation, thiolate transfer, and reductive elimination.

Versatile Palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization to access new luminescent azaphosphaphenalene motifs

Using a straightforward sequence of diphosphonylation and a Pd-catalysed concerted-metalation-deprotonation (CMD), a synthetic strategy towards polyaromatic phosphorus containing heterocycles was developed. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of new azaphosphaphenalenes, using easily accessible palladium catalysts and starting materials. The key tetrahydroquinoline intermediates of the reaction were synthesised via a fast and effective procedure and could be isolated as such, or further reacted towards the target polyaromatic structures. The obtained products showed interesting luminescent properties and their emission, excitation and quantum yields were evaluated.

Cooperative Chiral Lewis Base/Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Syntheses of Methylene-Containing δ-Lactams

We herein report a two-step approach for the enantioselective synthesis of novel chiral δ-lactams. By using a cooperative chiral ITU/achiral Pd-catalyst system, this protocol proceeds via an asymmetric α-allylation of activated aryl esters first, followed by an acid-mediated lactam formation. A variety of differently substituted products could be obtained with usually high levels of enantioselectivities and in reasonable yields (16 examples, up to 98 : 2 er and 73 % yield over two steps). In addition, further utilizations of the products via transformations of the exocyclic double bond were successfully carried out as well.

Late-Stage C(sp2 )-H Arylation of Artemisinic Acid and Arteannuin B: Effect of Olefin Migration Towards Synthesis of C-13 Arylated Artemisinin Derivatives

In recent years, C-H bond functionalization has emerged as a pivotal tool for late-stage functionalization of complex natural products for the synthesis of potent biologically active derivatives. Artemisinin and its C-12 functionalized semi-synthetic derivatives are well-known clinically used anti-malarial drugs due to the presence of the essential 1,2,4-trioxane pharmacophore. However, in the wake of parasite developing resistance against artemisinin-based drugs, we conceptualized the synthesis of C-13 functionalized artemisinin derivatives as new antimalarials. In this regard, we envisaged that artemisinic acid could be a suitable precursor for the synthesis of C-13 functionalized artemisinin derivatives. Herein, we report C-13 arylation of artemisinic acid, a sesquiterpene acid and our attempts towards synthesis of C-13 arylated artemisinin derivatives. However, all our efforts resulted in the formation of a novel ring-contracted rearranged product. Additionally, we have extended our developed protocol for C-13 arylation of arteannuin B, a sesquiterpene lactone epoxide considered to be the biogenetic precursor of artemisinic acid. Indeed, the synthesis of C-13 arylated arteannuin B renders our developed protocol to be effective in sesquiterpene lactone as well.

Polyoxa- and Polyazamacrocycles Incorporating 6,7-Diaminoquinoxaline Moiety: Synthesis and Application as Tunable Optical pH-Indicators in Aqueous Solution

Synthetic approach to fluorescent polyaza- and polyoxadiazamacrocycles comprising a structural fragment of 6,7-diamino-2,3-diphenylquinoxaline has been elaborated using Pd-catalyzed amination providing target compounds in yields up to 77%. A series of nine novel N- and N,O-containing macrocyclic ligands differing by the number of donor sites and cavity size has been obtained. These compounds possess well-pronounced fluorescent properties with emission maxima in a blue region in aprotic solvents and high quantum yields of fluorescence, while in proton media, fluorescence shifts towards the green region of the spectrum. Using macrocycles 5c and 5e as examples, we have shown that such compounds can serve as dual-channel (colorimetric and fluorimetric) pH indicators in water media, with pH transition point and response being dependent on the macrocycle structure due to different sequences of protonation steps.

Enantioselective Addition of Pyrazoles to Dienes*

We report the first enantioselective addition of pyrazoles to 1,3-dienes. Secondary and tertiary allylic pyrazoles can be generated with excellent regioselectivity. Mechanistic studies support a pathway distinct from previous hydroaminations: a Pd⁰ -catalyzed ligand-to-ligand hydrogen transfer (LLHT). This hydroamination tolerates a range of functional groups and advances the field of diene hydrofunctionalization.

Pd-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling of Pentafluorophenyl Esters

Although the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of aryl esters has received significant attention, there is a lack of methods that utilize cheap and readily accessible Pd-phosphane catalysts, and can be routinely carried out with high cross-coupling selectivity. Herein, we report the first general method for the cross-coupling of pentafluorophenyl esters (pentafluorophenyl = pfp) by selective C–O acyl cleavage. The reaction proceeds efficiently using Pd(0)/phosphane catalyst systems. The unique characteristics of pentafluorophenyl esters are reflected in the fully selective cross-coupling vs. phenolic esters. Of broad synthetic interest, this report establishes pentafluorophenyl esters as new, highly reactive, bench-stable, economical, ester-based, electrophilic acylative reagents via acyl-metal intermediates. Mechanistic studies strongly support a unified reactivity scale of acyl electrophiles by C(O)–X (X = N, O) activation. The reactivity of pfp esters can be correlated with barriers to isomerization around the C(acyl)–O bond.

Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions of anhydro-aldose tosylhydrazones with aryl bromides to produce substituted exo-glycals

Palladium-catalyzed cross-couplings of O-peracylated and O-permethylated 2,6-anhydro-aldose tosylhydrazones with aryl halides were studied under thermic conditions in the presence of LiOtBu and phosphine ligands. The reactions gave the corresponding aryl substituted exo-glycals as mixtures of diastereomers in 11-75% yields. The transformations represent a new access to these types of glycomimetic compounds. The double bond of some aryl substituted exo-glycals was saturated to give good yields of benzylic C-glycosyl derivatives.

Pd- and Cu-catalyzed approaches in the syntheses of new cholane aminoanthraquinone pincer-like ligands

Cu- and Pd-catalyzed arylation of aminocholanes has been described for the first time. While this Cu-catalyzed protocol provides high yields in reactions of aminocholanes with iodoarenes, Pd catalysis was found to be preferable for the reactions of aminocholanes with dichloroanthraquinones. UV-vis titration of bis(cholanylamino)anthraquinones with a series of cations demonstrated their high binding affinity to Cu²⁺, Al³⁺, and Cr³⁺.

P(O)R2-directed Pd-catalyzed C-H functionalization of biaryl derivatives to synthesize chiral phosphorous ligands

Chiral phosphorus ligands have been widely used in transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric reactions. Herein, we report a new synthesis approach of chiral biaryls containing a phosphorus moiety using P(O)R₂-directed Pd-catalyzed C–H activation; the functionalized products are produced with good enantioselectivity.