Aryne-Enabled C−N Arylation of Anilines

Anilines are potentially high-value arylating agents, but are limited by the low reactivity of the strong C−N bond. We show that the reactive intermediate benzyne can be used to both activate anilines, and set-up an aryl transfer reaction in a single step. The reaction does not require any transition metal catalysts or stoichiometric organometallics, and establishes a metal-free route to valuable biaryl products by functionalizing the aniline C−N bond.     

Cycloaddition reactions of benzyne with olefins

Some novel cycloaddition reactions based on benzyne and olefins have been developed.These reactions were performed in the absence of a transition metal catalyst,and they displayed good yields.These cycloaddition reactions of benzyne with olefins provide effective routes for synthesizing benzocyclobutenes,biaryl compounds and 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene derivatives.     

Reaction of o-benzyne with tropothione involving biradical processes

A benzyne-tropothione reaction was studied experimentally and computationally. Three isomeric products were detected by a careful experiment using two benzyne sources. The three equimolar products were identified. The expected symmetry-allowed [4+2] or [8+2] cycloadduct was not detected. In order to explain the unexpected products, density functional calculations and complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) calculations were carried out. The benzyne is, first, added to the tropothione via one-center C-S bond formation. Then a singlet biradical intermediate is formed. In the biradical, an alpha hydrogen atom of the tropothione moiety is moved to the benzyne moiety. A closed-shell intermediate is generated. This allene-type intermediate is isomerized to the second intermediate. The intramolecular proton shift in the latter leads to the three products. The biradical character of the benzyne has a key role in the present reaction and was discussed in reference to other benzyne reactions.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Electrochemical α‐Arylation of Cyclic β‐Ketocarbonyls with Anodic Benzyne Intermediates

Asymmetric catalysis with benzyne remains elusive because of the highly fleeting and nonpolar nature of benzyne intermediates. Reported herein is an electrochemical approach for the oxidative generation of benzynes (cyclohexyne) and its successful merging with chiral primary aminocatalysis, formulating the first catalytic asymmetric enamine–benzyne (cyclohexyne) coupling reaction. Cobalt acetate was identified to stabilize the in situ generated arynes and facilitate its coupling with an enamine. This catalytic enamine‐benzyne protocol provides a concise method for the construction of diverse α‐aryl (α‐cyclohexenyl) quaternary carbon stereogenic centers with good stereoselectivities.     

Chemical properties of a para-benzyne

5,8-Didehydroisoquinolinium ion, a para benzyne analogue, was generated in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, and its reactivity toward various neutral reagents was examined. A direct comparison of the reaction kinetics of the para benzyne, a meta isomer, and analogous monoradicals, indicates that the para benzyne is a poorer electrophile but a more reactive radical than its meta isomer.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Electrochemical α-Arylation of Cyclic β-Ketocarbonyls with Anodic Benzyne Intermediates

Asymmetric catalysis with benzyne remains elusive because of the highly fleeting and nonpolar nature of benzyne intermediates. Reported herein is an electrochemical approach for the oxidative generation of benzynes (cyclohexyne) and its successful merging with chiral primary aminocatalysis, formulating the first catalytic asymmetric enamine–benzyne (cyclohexyne) coupling reaction. Cobalt acetate was identified to stabilize the in situ generated arynes and facilitate its coupling with an enamine. This catalytic enamine-benzyne protocol provides a concise method for the construction of diverse α-aryl (α-cyclohexenyl) quaternary carbon stereogenic centers with good stereoselectivities.     

Facile One‐Pot Synthesis of 2‐Aryl‐substituted Nitriles and 2‐Aryl‐3‐keto Nitriles via Benzyne Reaction

2‐Aryl‐substituted nitriles were prepared in good to excellent yields in a one‐pot reaction by the reaction of benzyne, generated using neutral conditions from (phenyl)[o‐(trimethylsilyl)‐phenyl]iodonium triflate, and 2‐lithionitriles. 3‐Keto nitriles substituted at the 2‐position were obtained in good yields when these reactions were trapped with acid chlorides. The mechanism of the benzyne reaction in terms of a N‐lithiobenzocyclobutanimine intermediate is discussed.     

Synthesis of C-glycosylindazoles by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of α-Diazoketoses to benzynes

A number of C-glycosylindazoles were prepared by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddilion of several α-diazoketoses to benzyne. When the cycloaddition reaction was carried out with benzyne derivatives the two possible isomeric indazoles were obtained in most of the cases. Structural assignments were made on the basis of nmr data.     

New cycloaddition reaction between 4-arylidene-2-phenyl-5(4H)-1,3-oxazolones and benzyne; facile synthesis of 1,4(H)-benzoxazepine-2-ones and their N-phenyl derivatives

Reaction of 4-arylidene-2-phenyl-5(4H)-1,3-oxazolones with benzyne afforded predominantly, 3-arylidene-7-hydroxy-7-phenyl-1,4(H)-benzoxazepine-2-ones in addition to their N-phenyl derivatives. However, the reaction of the target oxazolones with an excess of benzyne gave only the N-phenyl derivatives of 1,4(H)-benzoxazepine-2-ones in good yields. The reaction mechanism describing product formation is also explained. Arylation of 1,4(H)-benzoxazepine-2-ones with benzyne proceeded successfully to give the N-phenyl products.     

Catalytic atropo-enantioselective reduction of biaryl lactones to axially chiral biaryl compounds

The atropo-enantioselective borohydride reduction with dynamic kinetic resolution of biaryl lactones was catalyzed by an optically active beta-ketoiminatocobalt(II) complex to afford optically active biaryl compounds. Chiral HPLC analysis of the starting biaryl lactones was performed at various temperatures to determine suitable reaction conditions for dynamic kinetic resolution. Various types of axially chiral biaryl compounds were obtained with high enantioselectivity.     

Facile construction of three-membered rings via benzyne-promoted Darzens-type reaction of tertiary amines

A range of tertiary amines having electron-withdrawing groups were activated in situ by benzyne, generated from 2-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl triflate and a fluoride source, and participated in the Darzens-type reaction with carbonyl compounds, imines, and vinyl ketones to afford structurally diverse epoxides, aziridines, and cyclopropanes, respectively, in moderate to excellent yields with high trans-selectivity. The reaction involves in situ formation of unstrained ammonium ylides from tertiary amines and benzyne, proceeds in the absence of transition metals and strong bases, and tolerates a wide variety of functional groups.     

Catalytic generation of arynes and trapping by nucleophilic addition and iodination

A fair exchange: In the title reaction, alkynyllithium serves as an initiator for benzyne generation through an iodine-lithium exchange (see scheme; Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl). When performed in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of a nucleophile, the generated benzyne undergoes attack by lithio nucleophiles to generate aryllithium, which is then iodinated by iodoalkyne to give the iodoarenes 1.     

Synthesis of benzonorbornadienes: regioselective benzyne formation

This report details the synthesis of several benzonorbornadienes by Diels--Alder cycloaddition of cyclopentadiene derivatives with substituted benzyne intermediates, which were generated by low-temperature metal--halogen exchange of halobenzenes. General conditions were developed, allowing synthesis of most benzonorbornadienes described herein at the multigram scale with isolated yields approaching 90% in some cases. Cycloaddition of the benzyne produced by substitution of a chlorodifluorobenzene for a bromodifluorobenzene in the metal--halogen exchange reaction unexpectedly gave a different benzonorbornadiene. The benzyne, which resulted by a deprotonation pathway rather than by metal-halogen exchange, formed in a highly regioselective elimination step.     

Minimisation of palladium content in Suzuki cross-coupling reactions

A protocol for conducting Suzuki reactions in a plate format amenable to use in library synthesis of biaryl compounds has been developed. A key objective was to determine reaction conditions which give biaryl products containing <10 ppm of Pd for a wide variety of building blocks. A Design of Experiments (DoE) approach for the identification of an optimised set of reaction conditions was successfully applied. The utility of the protocol developed has been demonstrated by preparation of an array of 96 biaryl compounds in a parallel fashion.     

Iterative benzyne-furan cycloaddition reactions: studies toward the total synthesis of ent-Sch 47554 and ent-Sch 47555

[reaction: see text] 7-Fluoro-5,8-dimethoxy-1-naphthol, prepared from the lithiation and benzyne formation from 1,4-difluoro-2,5-dimethoxybenzene and Diels-Alder cycloaddition with furan, was sequentially C-glycosidated under Suzuki conditions and O-glycosidated using di-O-acetyl-L-rhamnal to provide the corresponding beta-naphthyl C,O-disaccharide. Further lithiation, benzyne formation, and cycloaddition with furan gave an oxa-bridged 1,4-dihydroanthracenyl C,O-disaccharide, a model compound relevant to the total synthesis of Sch 47555.     

Design and application of new imidazolylsulfonate-based benzyne precursor: an efficient triflate alternative

Several o-(trimethylsilyl)aryl imidazolylsulfonates were synthesized in a simple process and successfully applied in cycloadditions involving benzyne intermediates. The precursor offers an efficient alternative for generating benzynes compared to widely used ortho TMS triflates under similar reaction conditions. With the utilization of this new precursor, the formation of potentially genotoxic trifluoromethanesulfonate side product is eliminated. The applicability of the new benzyne precursor was demonstrated in different types of cycloaddition reactions to prepare heterocyclic molecules.     

Direct benzyne-C60 addition does not generate a [5,6] open fulleroid

Recent reports describe the different products resulting from the reaction of C₆₀ with benzyne generated from anthranilic acid derivatives and isoamyl nitrate in the presence and absence of triethylamine. Reinvestigation here via ¹H, ¹³C, HMBC NMR and Mass spectroscopy elucidates that these products are the [6,6] closed C₆₀-fused δ lactones, and not the [5,6] open fulleroids which would result from benzyne addition. Furthermore, theoretical calculations show that the open isomer [5,6] benzyne addition is less stable than the [5,6] closed isomer as an isolable product.     

Three-component coupling of benzyne: domino intermolecular carbopalladation

A new three-component coupling reaction of benzyne is described that uses two intermolecular carbopalladation reactions to produce 1,2-functionalized benzene derivatives.     

Chiral Phosphoric Acid Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrolysis of Biaryl Oxazepines for the Synthesis of Axially Chiral Biaryl Amino Phenol Derivatives

The development of catalytic asymmetric reaction with water as the reactant is challenging due to the reactivity- and stereoselectivity-control issues resulted from the low nucleophilicity and the small size of water. We disclose herein a chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) catalyzed atroposelective ring-opening reaction of biaryl oxazepines with water. A series of biaryl oxazepines undergo the CPA catalyzed asymmetric hydrolysis in a highly enantioselective manner. The key for the success of this reaction is the use of a new SPINOL-derived CPA catalyst and the high reactivity of biaryl oxazepine substrates towards water under acidic conditions. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the reaction proceeds via a dynamic kinetic resolution pathway and the CPA catalyzed addition of water to the imine group is both enantio- and rate-determining.     

A new tandem reaction of benzyne: one-pot synthesis of aryl amines containing anthracene

[reaction: see text] The reaction of benzyne with N-substituted imidazoles affords a novel way to prepare arylamines containing anthracene under very mild conditions. This transformation is assumed to proceed via a tandem reaction involving a Diels-Alder reaction and an intermolecular nucleophilic coupling reaction.