Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric ring opening reactions of oxabicyclic alkenes: application of halide effects in the development of a general process

We have demonstrated halide effects in the rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric ring opening reaction of oxabicyclic alkenes. By employing halide and protic additives, the catalyst poisoning effect of aliphatic amines is reversed allowing the amount nucleophile to react in high yield and ee. Second, by simply changing the halide ligand on the rhodium catalyst from chloride to iodide, the reactivity and enantioselectivity of reactions employing an aromatic amine, malonate or carboxylate nucleophile are dramatically improved. Third, through the application of halide effects and more forcing reaction conditions, less reactive oxabicycle [2.2.1] substrates react to generate synthetically useful enantioenriched cyclohexenol products. Application of these new conditions to the more reactive oxabenzonorbornadiene permits the reaction to be run with very low catalyst loadings (0.01 mol %).     

Enantioselective ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis

[reaction: see text] The first enantioselective ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts have been prepared, and high enantiomeric excesses (up to 90%) are observed in the desymmetrization of achiral trienes. A model consistent with the stereochemical outcome of the reactions is described and suggests side-on olefin binding and reorganization of the halide ligands.     

Elucidation of the Alternating Copolymerization Mechanism of Epoxides or Aziridines with Cyclic Anhydrides in the Presence of Halide Salts

Organic halide salts in combination with metal or organic compound are the most common and essential catalysts in ring-opening copolymerizations (ROCOP). However, the role of organic halide salts was neglected. Here, we have uncovered the complex behavior of organic halides in ROCOP of epoxides or aziridine with cyclic anhydride. Coordination of the chain-ends to cations, electron-withdrawing effect, leaving ability of halide atoms, chain-end basicity/nucleophilicity, and terminal steric hindrance cause three types of side reactions: single-site transesterification, substitution, and elimination. Understanding the complex functions of organic halide salts in ROCOP led us to develop highly active and selective aminocyclopropenium chlorides as catalysts/initiators. Adjustable H-bonding interactions of aminocyclopropenium with propagating anions and epoxides create chain-end coordination process that generate highly reactive carboxylate and highly selective alkoxide chain-ends.     

Copper(II)‐Catalyzed Nitroaldol (Henry) Reactions: Recent Developments

Self‐assembled copper(II) complexes are described as effective catalysts for nitroaldol (Henry) reactions on water. The protocol involves a heterogeneous process and the catalysts can be recovered and recycled without loss of activity. Further, C2‐symmetric N,N′‐substituted chiral copper(II) salan complexes are found to be more effective catalysts than chiral copper(II) salen complexes for reactions in homogeneous catalysis, with high enantioselectivities. The reactions involve bifunctional catalysis, bearing the properties of a Brønsted base, as well as a Lewis acid, to effect the reaction in the absence of external additives.     

Metal Triflimidates: Better than Metal Triflates as Catalysts in Organic Synthesis—The Effect of a Highly Delocalized Counteranion

The continuously increasing need for novel and selective methods in organic synthesis to aid drug discovery and to address environmental concerns is a constant source of stimulation to develop novel and more efficient reaction systems. This has often resulted in a focus on transition metals, ligands, and additives, with much less attention paid to the counterion(s) of the metal cation. Recently, metal salts with one or more triflimidate counterion(s) have appeared as a unique class of catalysts that display outstanding σ‐ and π‐Lewis acid character. The highly delocalized nature of the triflimidate counterion, combined with its high steric hindrance results in virtually no nucleophilic behavior and an extremely high positive charge density on the metal cation, thus enhancing its Lewis acid character. Consequently, these metal triflimidates often outperform their metal halide or triflate analogues. This Review describes general methods for the preparation of metal triflimidate salts and their use as catalysts.     

Pd-PEPPSI complexes based on 1,2,4-triazol-3-ylidene ligands as efficient catalysts in the Suzuki—Miyaura reaction

The palladium complexes of the Pd-PEPPSI type with N-heterocyclic carbenes of the 1,2,4-triazole series were synthesized in 76—99% yields by the reactions of PdCl₂ with 1,4-di- alkyl-1,2,4-triazolium salts in pyridine in the presence of KBr or KI as sources of halide ions and tetrabutylammonium salts as phase-transfer catalysts. The obtained complexes can be used as efficient catalysts for the Suzuki—Miyaura cross-coupling and are not inferior to the commercially available Pd-PEPPSI catalysts in activity.     

Effect of Additives on the Selectivity and Reactivity of Enzymes

Enzymes have been widely used as efficient, eco‐friendly, and biodegradable catalysts in organic chemistry due to their mild reaction conditions and high selectivity and efficiency. In recent years, the catalytic promiscuity of many enzymes in unnatural reactions has been revealed and studied by chemists and biochemists, which has expanded the application potential of enzymes. To enhance the selectivity and activity of enzymes in their natural or promiscuous reactions, many methods have been recommended, such as protein engineering, process engineering, and media engineering. Among them, the additive approach is very attractive because of its simplicity to use and high efficiency. In this paper, we will review the recent developments about the applications of additives to improve the catalytic performances of enzymes in their natural and promiscuous reactions. These additives include water, organic bases, water mimics, cosolvents, crown ethers, salts, surfactants, and some particular molecular additives.     

Application of solid-state early-transition metal clusters as catalysts

Metal cluster compounds are expected to be catalysts for new reactions because of synergistic effect of the metal atoms. In solid-state halide clusters and sulfide clusters, metal cluster frameworks are linked in two- or three-dimensions to form a cluster network. Halogen- or sulfur-deficient metal sites in an octahedral metal cluster framework are retained intact and act as catalytically active sites even at high temperatures of 400–700?°C. This review reports recent advances in the development of coordinatively unsaturated metal atoms on solid-state clusters with an octahedral metal framework and their application to organic catalytic reactions.     

Genesis of coordinatively unsaturated palladium complexes dissolved from solid precursors during Heck coupling reactions and their role as catalytically active species

The Forum Article critically summarizes investigations and discussions on the nature and role of potential active species in C-C coupling reactions of the Heck type using catalyst systems with "ligand-free" inorganic salts, simple inorganic complexes, and supported and nonsupported (colloidal) Pd particles. From a series of experiments and reports, it can be concluded that the "active species" is generated in situ in catalytic systems at higher temperature conditions (>100 degrees C). In all heterogeneous systems with solid Pd catalysts, Pd is dissolved from the solid catalyst surface under reaction conditions by a chemical reaction (complex formation and/or oxidative addition of the aryl halide), forming extremely active coordinatively unsaturated Pd species. Pd is partially or completely redeposited onto the support at the end of the reaction when the aryl halide is used up. The Pd dissolution-redeposition processes correlate with the reaction rate and are strongly influenced by the reaction conditions. Skilled preparation of the catalyst and careful adjustment of the reaction conditions allowed the development of highly active heterogeneous catalysts (Pd/C, Pd/metal oxide, and Pd/zeolite), converting aryl bromides and aryl chlorides in high yields and short reaction times. Reaction conditions have been developed allowing the conversion of bromobenzene with turnover numbers (TONs) of 10(7) and even of unreactive aryl chlorides (chlorobenzene and chlorotoluene) in high yields with simple "ligand-free" Pd catalyst systems like PdCl2 or Pd(OH)2 in the absence of any organic ligand. Simple coordinatively unsaturated anionic palladium halide (in particular, bromo) complexes [PdXn](m-) play a crucial role as precursor and active species in all ligand-free and heterogeneous catalyst systems and possibly in Heck reactions at all.     

过渡金属催化氮杂二环烯烃不对称开环反应的研究进展

综述了近年来过渡金属催化氮杂二环烯烃的开环反应的研究进展,重点讨论了过渡金属催化剂的种类、亲核试剂的类型、配体、底物氮杂二环烯烃及其衍生物的结构、溶剂和添加剂等因素对开环反应的影响,并对开环反应的可能的机理进行了讨论.     

Synthesis of large ring macrocycles (12-18) by recyclable palladium-complexed dendrimers on silica gel catalyzed intramolecular cyclocarbonylation reactions

Intramolecular cyclocarbonylation reactions with palladium-complexed dendrimers on silica gel as catalysts are very effective for the synthesis of twelve- to eighteen-membered ring macrocycles. This process can tolerate a wide variety of functional groups, including halide, ether, ketone, and ester. The heterogeneous dendritic catalysts facilitate excellent substrate reactivity, affording oxygen-, nitrogen-, or sulfur-containing tricyclic heterocycles in 70-92 % yields. Importantly, these systems are easily recovered by simple filtration and reused several times with only a slight loss of activity.     

Synergistic Effects of the ZnCl2-SiCl4 Modified TiCl4 /MgCl2 /THF Catalytic System on Ethylene/1-Hexene and Ethylene/1-Octene Copolymerizations简

The copolymerizations of ethylene with 1-hexene or 1-octene by using TiCl4 /MgCl2 /THF catalysts modified with different metal halide additives(ZnCl2, SiCl4, and the combined ZnCl2-SiCl4) were investigated based on catalytic activity and copolymer properties. It was found that the catalyst modified with mixed ZnCl2-SiCl4 revealed the highest activities for both ethylene/1-hexene and ethylene/1-octene copolymerization. The increase in activities was due to the formation of acidic sites by modifying the catalysts with Lewis acids. Based on the FTIR measurements, the characteristic C―O―C peaks of the catalysts modified with metal halide additives were slightly shifted to lower wavenumber when compared to the unmodified catalyst. This showed that the modified catalysts could generate more acid sites in the TiCl4 /MgCl2 /THF catalytic system leading to an increase in activities as well as comonomer insertion(as proven by13C-NMR). However, Lewis acidmodifications did not affect the microstructure of the copolymers obtained. By comparison on the properties of copolymers prepared with the unmodified catalyst, it was found that polymers with ZnCl2 and/or SiCl4 modification exhibited a slight decrease in melting temperature, crystallinity and density. It is suggested that these results were obtained based on the different amount of α-olefins insertion, regardless of the types of Lewis acids and comonomer.     

Highly stereoselective direct aldol reaction of 4-formylcoumarins with acetone catalyzed by L-proline in water–acetone mixtures

Organocatalyzed direct intermolecular aldol reactions have been developed for substituted 4-formylcoumarins with acetone in water using L-proline and phthalimido-prolinamide catalysts without use of additives. Stereoselective products obtained were in excellent yields (up to 97%) with high purity (up to 99%) and enatioselectivities (up to 95%). The isolated compounds were confirmed by infrared, NMR, high-performance liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry and some of them by single-crystal x-ray crystallography.     

水热裂解开采稠油技术研究的进展

从水热裂解反应、催化作用下的水热裂解反应、反应机理及水热裂解开采稠油现场应用实验等四个方面综述了国内外水热裂解开采稠油技术的研究进展。并对此技术的研究成果及未来发展进行了探讨，认为水热裂解开采稠油技术具有很高的潜在价值，是未来经济高效开采稠油的新途径。当前水热裂解开采稠油技术的主要研究方向是深入研究高温水的特性及其作用；对更多稠油中可能参与水热裂解反应的不同组分，选用合适的模型化合物进行模拟实验或其它方法，建立这些组分的反应热力学和动力学模型库；然后，根据具体稠油中所含的组分，设计水热裂解反应的路线，选择合适的催化剂，促使反应向稠油改质降粘的方向进行。其中，最关键的还是针对不同稠油研制成本低、活性和选择性高、反应条件宽的催化剂，并筛选或研制协同效果好的助剂，进而研究催化剂及其助剂在油层中与稠油作用的机理，设计合理的现场实施技术和工艺。     

Advances in liquid-phase Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatics catalyzed by heterogeneous solids

In the last few decades, significant improvements toward the development of environmentally benign processes have been achieved in the liquid-phase Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions. Many efforts have been devoted to the research on solid catalysts adequate to substitute homogeneous protonic acids or Lewis acids as traditionally employed catalysts in the acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts acylation processes. This short article describes the recent developments on catalysis by gallium (Ga), indium (In) and thallium (Tl) based novel heterogeneous solids for the liquid-phase Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatics by acyl halide. The above heterogeneous catalysts are efficient for Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction and exhibited superior activity than the traditionally employed strongly acidic solid catalysts. Unlike conventional acidic catalyst, the acylation activity of Ga, In and Tl based solids, additionally having redox functions, does not depend solely on their acidic properties, even present. These solids in their non-acidic or basic form also show high acylation activity. Based on the catalytic results over these novel solids a plausible reaction mechanism for the acylation is proposed.Dedicated to Professor Seitaro Namba on the occasion of his 64th birthday.     

Heterogeneous oxidation of pyrimidine and alkyl thioethers in ionic liquids over mesoporous Ti or Ti/Ge catalysts

Heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of a series of thioethers (2-thiomethylpyrimidine, 2-thiomethyl-4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidine, 2-thiobenzylpyrimidine, 2-thiobenzyl-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine, thioanisole, and n-heptyl methyl sulfide) was performed in ionic liquids by using MCM-41 and UVM-type mesoporous catalysts containing Ti, or Ti and Ge. A range of triflate, tetrafluoroborate, trifluoroacetate, lactate and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide-based ionic liquids were used. The oxidations were carried out by using anhydrous hydrogen peroxide or the urea-hydrogen peroxide adduct and showed that ionic liquids are very effective solvents, achieving greater reactivity and selectivity than reactions performed in dioxane. The effects of halide and acid impurities on the reactions were also investigated. Recycling experiments on catalysts were carried out in order to evaluate Ti leaching and its effect on activity and selectivity.     

Rapid formation of triarylphosphines by microwave-assisted transition metal-catalyzed C-p cross-coupling reactions

Rapid, direct transition metal-catalyzed C-P(III) cross-coupling reactions were performed by microwave dielectric heating, employing diphenylphosphine and aryl halides/triflates as substrates. Depending on the specific aryl halide/triflate precursor, the highest yields were obtained utilizing heterogeneous or homogeneous Pd or Ni catalysts in DMF or NMP in the presence of KOAc or DABCO as a base. [reaction: see text]     

The mechanism of the modified Ullmann reaction

The copper-mediated aromatic nucleophilic substitution reactions developed by Fritz Ullmann and Irma Goldberg required stoichiometric amounts of copper and very high reaction temperatures. Recently, it was found that addition of relatively cheap ligands (diamines, aminoalcohols, diketones, diols) made these reactions truly catalytic, with catalyst amounts as low as 1 mol% or even lower. Since these catalysts are homogeneous, it has opened up the possibility to investigate the mechanism of these modified Ullmann reactions. Most authors agree that Cu(I) is the true catalyst even though Cu(0) and Cu(II) catalysts have also shown to be active. It should be noted however that Cu(I) is capable of reversible disproportionation into Cu(0) and Cu(II). In the first step, the nucleophile displaces the halide in the LnCu(I)X complex forming LnCu(I)ZR (Z = O, NR′, S). Quite a number of mechanisms have been proposed for the actual reaction of this complex with the aryl halide: 1. Oxidative addition of ArX forming a Cu(III) intermediate followed by reductive elimination; 2. Sigma bond metathesis; in this mechanism copper remains in the Cu(II) oxidation state; 3. Single electron transfer (SET) in which a radical anion of the aryl halide is formed (Cu(I)/Cu(II)); 4. Iodine atom transfer (IAT) to give the aryl radical (Cu(I)/Cu(II)); 5. π-complexation of the aryl halide with the Cu(I) complex, which is thought to enable the nucleophilic substitution reaction. Initially, the radical type mechanisms 3 and 4 where discounted based on the fact that radical clock-type experiments with ortho-allyl aryl halides failed to give the cyclised products. However, a recent DFT study by Houk, Buchwald and co-workers shows that the modified Ullmann reaction between aryl iodide and amines or primary alcohols proceeds either via an SET or an IAT mechanism. Van Koten has shown that stalled aminations can be rejuvenated by the addition of Cu(0), which serves to reduce the formed Cu(II) to Cu(I); this also corroborates a Cu(I)/Cu(II) mechanism. Thus the use of radical clock type experiments in these metal catalysed reactions is not reliable. DFT calculations from Hartwig seem to confirm a Cu(I)/Cu(III) type mechanism for the amidation (Goldberg) reaction, although not all possible mechanisms were calculated.     

Synthesis and Reactivity of Paramagnetic Nickel Polypyridyl Complexes Relevant to C(sp2)–C(sp3)Coupling Reactions

A number of new transition metal catalyzed methods for the formation of C(sp²)–C(sp³) bonds have recently been described. These reactions often utilize bidentate polypyridyl‐ligated Ni catalysts, and paramagnetic Ni^I halide or aryl species are proposed in the catalytic cycles. However, there is little knowledge about complexes of this type. Here, we report the synthesis of paramagnetic bidentate polypyridyl‐ligated Ni halide and aryl complexes through elementary reactions proposed in catalytic cycles for C(sp²)–C(sp³) bond formation. We investigate the ability of these complexes to undergo organometallic reactions that are relevant to C(sp²)–C(sp³) coupling through stoichiometric studies and also explore their catalytic activity.     

Symmetrical Fluorinated Dialkyl Carbonates as Precursors of Promising Materials

Fluorinated carbamates were synthesized in high yield by reactions of di(2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentyl) carbonate with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine and N-methylpiperazine without a base. The compounds obtained show promise as additives to industrial oils, improving the tribological characteristics of a friction pair, as precursors of quaternary ammonium salts reducing the rate of uniform hydrochloric acid corrosion of low-carbon steel, and as effective catalysts of curing of epoxy resins.