Selenoether ligand assisted Heck catalysis

Selenoether ligands, 2,2′-methylenebis(selanediyl)bis(2,1-phenylene)dimethanol (5), (2,2′-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(selanediyl))bis(2,1-phenylene))dimethanol (6) and (2-(benzylselanyl)phenyl)methanol (7) have been synthesized by reducing di-o-formylphenyl diselenide and reacting the in situ generated selenolate with dibromomethane, 1,2-dibromoethane and benzyl chloride, respectively. The ligands, bis(2-(4,4-dimethyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-2-yl)phenylselanyl)methane (8) and 1,2-bis(2-(4,4-dimethyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-2-yl)phenylselanyl)ethane (9) have been synthesized similarly from bis[2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenyl] diselenide using electrophiles dibromomethane and 1,2-dibromoethane, respectively. Activity of ligands 5-9 along with 2-(2-(benzylselanyl)phenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-4,5-dihydrooxazole (10) and 1-(2-(benzylselanyl)phenyl)-N,N-dimethylmethanamine (11) were examined for the Heck reaction of aryl halides with olefins. Bidentate Se,N ligand 11 was found to be the best one in the series and constitutes an efficient phosphine-free catalytic system with PdCl₂. The catalytic system showed moderate activity for the coupling of activated aryl chlorides in the presence of tetra-n-butyl ammonium bromide (TBAB). Complexes [10-PdCl₂] (12) and [11-PdCl₂] (13) have shown marginally better activity in comparison to the in situ generated catalysts from PdCl₂ and 10 and 11, respectively in the coupling of 4-bromoacetophenone with n-butylacrylate. Ligand 9 and complex 13 have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Oxovanadium(IV) complexes as molecular catalysts in epoxidation: Simple access to pyridylalkoxide derivatives

Reaction of bis(aryl)-2-pyridylmethanol ligands (1a-7a) with VO(SO₄) · 5H₂O results in the formation of metal-oxo complexes [VO(N-O)₂] (1-7), with N-O = bis(aryl)-2-pyridylmethanol. A molecular structure of (4) has been determined by single crystals X-ray diffraction study, which showed the expected square planar pyramidal geometry with the pyridine ring nitrogens in trans-position to each other. The metal-oxo complexes (1-4,6,7) demonstrated the ability to catalyse epoxidation reactions of alkenes with molecular oxygen.     

Oxidation of sulfides with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by synthetic flavin adducts with dendritic bis(acylamino)pyridines

The catalytic activities of the cationic synthetic flavin adduct 1 with various dendritic and non-dendritic 2,6-bis(acylamino)pyridines 2 were examined for the oxidation of organic sulfides with H₂O₂. The adduct of 5-ethyllumiflavinium perchlorate 1a with 2b–d bearing poly(benzyl ether) dendron units acts as an efficient organocatalyst for the oxidative transformation of sulfides to the corresponding sulfoxides under mild conditions.     

Synthesis of substituted aryl enol ethers

A facile route toward substituted aryl diarylvinyl ethers 4 is developed from CuI-mediated cross-coupling reaction of substituted phenols 2 with diarylvinyl bromides 3 in the presence of various bidentate-based ligands in DMF. Skeleton 3 is prepared by Yan’s bromomethylenation of diarylketones 1 with CHBr₃–TiCl₄–Mg in the co-solvent of DME and CH₂Cl₂. The synthetic route obtains moderate yields from the one-step operation and the key structure of 4k is confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The CADD docking experiments of 4k have been included.     

Synthesis and reactions of 3-alkylsulfanyl-1,3-dihydro-2,1-benzisothiazole 2,2-dioxides

Alkyl- and arylsulfanylation of 1,3-dihydro-2,1-benzisothiazole 2,2-dioxides (benzosultams) 1a-c and pyridosultam 1d with dialkyl and diaryl disulfides provides dithioacetals of 2-aminobenzaldehydes 6-13. 1,3-Dimethylbenzosultam 19 with disulfides forms 3-alkyl(aryl)sulfanyl-1,3-dimethylbenzosultams 20-22 that undergo thermal extrusion of SO₂ followed by a [1,5] sigmatropic hydrogen shift in the intermediate aza-ortho-xylylene leading to 1-arylvinyl sulfides 24-26. Tandem alkylation-sulfanylation of benzo- and pyridosultams 1a-d with 4-bromobutyl thiocyanate gives tetrahydrothiopyrano-spiro-benzosultams 27-30 that, after extrusion of SO₂ and [1,5] hydrogen shift, form 2-aryl-5,6-dihydro-4H-thiopyrans 32-35. Alkylation of pyridosultam 1d with 3-chloropropyl thiocyanate leads directly to 2-pyrido-3,4-dihydrothiophene derivative 37.     

Hydrogen peroxide mediated formation of heteroaryl ethers from pyridotriazol-1-yloxy heterocycles and arylboronic acids

Pyridotriazol-1-yloxypyrimidine 3 reacts with arylboronic acids under palladium-free, Cs₂CO₃, (0.8%) H₂O₂, and DME conditions to produce heteroaryl ethers 4-16 in good yields comparable to the oxidative palladium-catalyzed reaction. The yields of aryl ethers 17-19 from quinazoline 2 with (0.8%) H₂O₂ were modest. Hydrogen peroxide is superior to dioxygen as an oxidant in these reactions.     

Mechanism of asymmetric sulfimidation with N-alkoxycarbonyl azide in the presence of (OC)Ru(salen) complex

Spectroscopic analysis of imidation of alkyl aryl sulfides with N-2,2,2-trichloro-1,1-dimethylethyloxycarbonyl azide 2 in the presence of (OC)Ru(salen) complex 1 strongly suggests that an addition compound of the azide 2 to 1 is the active species for the imidation, while the addition compound undergoes the undesired intramolecular CH insertion onto the salen ligand of the complex in the absence of sulfide, directly or via the corresponding nitrene-ruthenium species.     

Methylenepyran unsaturated Fischer carbene complexes from γ-methylpyrylium salts and alkynylcarbenes. Evolution to spiro-pyran-cyclopentenone compounds

Push-pull methylenepyran compounds 3 containing ferrocenyl or aryl groups are synthesized from reaction of condensation between γ-methyl-pyrylium salts 1 as precursors of γ-methylenepyrans and alkynylcarbene complexes 2 as Michaël-type acceptors. The new carbenes 3 evolve in CH₂Cl₂ solution at room temperature to provide spiro-fused-pyran-cyclopentenenone 4 and polysubstituted cyclopentenones 5.     

New axially dissymmetric ligand recoverable with fluorous solvent

Axially dissymmetric ligands with perfluoroalkyl groups, (Ra)-2,2′-bis[(R)-1-hydroxy-1H-perfluorooctyl]biphenyl [(Ra)-(R)₂-1c] and its enantiomer, have been synthesized successfully by the coupling reaction of the corresponding aryl bromide using Ni(COD)₂. These ligands showed much higher asymmetric induction in the reaction of various aldehydes with diethylzinc than the trifluoromethyl (1a) or pentafluoroethyl (1b) analogues. Furthermore, 1c was recovered quantitatively by extraction with a fluorous solvent from the reaction mixture due to its high fluorine content. The recovered ligand 1c was pure enough to be reused without purification. The efficiency of 1c as the chiral ligand was not decreased at all even after seven times recycling.     

Convenient and efficient Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions catalyzed by palladium complexes containing N,N,O-tridentate ligands

N,N,O-Tridentate ligands 1-9 were prepared from the condensation of amines with nine aromatic aldehydes or ketones. These ligands are thermally stable and neither air- nor moisture-sensitive. Combination of either 2-methoxy-6-[(pyridine-2-ylmethylimino)-methyl]-phenol, 1 or 2-(benzothiazol-2-yl-hydrazonomethyl)-4,6-di-tert-butyl-phenol, 6 with Pd(OAc)₂ furnished an excellent catalyst precursor for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of various aryl bromides with arylboronic acids. The effects of varying solvents, bases, and ligand/palladium ratios on the performance of the coupling reaction were investigated. The molecular structures of both free ligand 1 and its palladium acetate complex 10 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. The DFT studies revealed that the catalytic performance of palladium complexes involving this type of a ligand may differ greatly upon a small variation in its structure.     

O-Aryloxime ether analogues as novel and efficient ligands for palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling in water

O-Aryloxime ether analogues L1–L3 were studied as ligands in palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of aryl bromides and aryl boronic acids in water at room temperature. Reaction conditions for the cross-coupling were optimized using PdCl₂ and Pd(OAc)₂ under aerobic condition. From the three electronically diverse O-aryloxime ether ligands studied herein, the use of 1-phenyl-ethanone O-(4-chloro-phenyl)-oximeL2 exhibits the best catalytic system in the presence of K₂CO₃ as the base and TBAB as the promoter.     

Diketopiperazine-derived hydroperoxide for chemoselective oxidations of sulfides and enantioselective Weitz-Scheffer epoxidations

l-Proline-derived hydroperoxide (−)-2, which was obtained from the corresponding diketopiperazine by irradiation under oxygen atmosphere, was applied to the oxidation of a variety of sulfides and asymmetric Weitz-Scheffer epoxidations of cyclic and acyclic enones. The sulfoxidation, however, gave only racemic products. In contrast, depending on the base catalyst, enantioselectivities up to 37% were achieved in the epoxidation of chalcone with (−)-2.     

Syntheses and catalytic activities of Pd(II) dicarbene and hetero-dicarbene complexes

A series of palladium(II) complexes (1-6) bearing cis-chelating homo-dicarbene ligands with varying alkyl bridges (C1-C3) and N-heterocyclic backbones (imidazole and benzimidazole) have been synthesized by reaction of Pd(OAc)₂ with the respective diazolium bromides (A·2HBr - F·2HBr) in DMSO. A comparative catalytic study employing aryl chlorides in the Mizoroki-Heck reaction revealed the superiority of methylene- and propylene-bridged dibenzimidazolin-2-ylidenes over their imidazole-derived analogues. Based on these results, two new propylene-bridged hetero-dicarbene complexes (7 and 8) were designed containing a mixed benzimidazole/imidazole-derived NHC-donor set. Notably, both complexes outperformed their homo-dicarbene analogues, which may be due to the electronic asymmetry induced by hetero-dicarbene ligands. The molecular structures of complex 6 and 8 are also presented.     

Synthesis and properties of novel crown ether-annelated 4′,5′-diaza-9′-(1,3-dithiole-2-ylidene)-fluorenes and their ruthenium(II) complexes

Two novel redox-active 1,3-dithiole (DT) ring-fused 4,5-diazafluorene ligands with crown ether moieties (L1 and L2) were synthesized and characterized. The crystal structure of L1 was studied. The electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of these new ligands, as well as the corresponding bis(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complexes [4: Ru L1(bpy)₂ and 5: Ru L2(bpy)₂], were also been investigated.     

Normal and abnormal carbene complexes derived from thiazole: Preparation and a preliminary investigation of their relative catalytic performance

Readily prepared 2-, 4- and 5-bromo-3-methyl thiazolium triflates react by oxidative substitution with M(PPh₃)₄ (M = Ni or Pd) to furnish five of the expected normal and abnormal cationic thiazolylidene complexes (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, and 3b). Carbene complex formation is accompanied by a ca. 40 ppm downfield shift of the α-N carbene carbons in Pd complexes 1 and 2 in their ¹³C NMR spectra but the chemical shift of C(carbene) in the abnormal3b (δ 135.7) is particularly low. Crystal and molecular structures of complexes 1a, 2b, and 3b all indicate a square planar arrangement of the ligands around the central metal atoms. The new complexes catalyse Suzuki-Miyaura aryl coupling.     

The synthesis, spectroscopic properties and X-ray structure of Zn(II) complexes with amino derivatives of chromone

Three new Zn(II) complexes containing the ligands 5-amino-8-methyl-4H-chromen-4-one (1), 6- or 7-amino-2-phenyl-4H-chromen-4-one (2, 3) were prepared. The new synthesised compounds were characterised by IR, ¹H NMR and MS spectroscopy. The crystal structure of complex 4 was determined with the use X-ray diffraction. The Zn(II) centre of 4 is linked by two chlorido and two N-bound aminochromone ligands, 1, in a strongly distorted tetrahedral configuration with the dissymetric point group C₂. The protonation constants of the ligands 1, 2 and 3 corresponded to 3.68, 3.88 and 6.83, respectively. The stability constants of the Zn(II) complexes were calculated from the potentiometric titration data. The complexes were found to have the formulae ML and ML₂ for ligands 1 and 2, and ML for ligand 3. Fluorescence spectroscopic properties were also studied; the strongest fluorescence in solution was exhibited by complex 6.     

Synthesis and evaluation of bipendant-armed (oligo)thiophene crown ether derivatives as new chemical sensors

Three new (oligo)thiophene bipendant-armed ligands 2a-c, derived from 2-(aminomethyl)-15-crown-5, have been synthesized and characterized. Compounds 2a-c were prepared by reductive amination of the corresponding macrocycle with formyl thiophene derivatives 1a-c in the presence of NaBH(OAc)₃ in fair to good yields. The photophysical properties of ligands 2a-c were studied and they were also evaluated as chemosensors in the presence of Na(I), Ag(I), Pd(II) and Hg(II) cations in acetonitrile solution.     

Preparation, coordination properties and catalytic use of 1′-(diphenylphosphanyl)-1-ferrocenecarboxamides bearing 2-hydroxyethyl pendant groups

Polar amido-phosphane ligands, viz 1-(diphenylphosphanyl)-1′-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)carbamoyl]ferrocene (1) and 1-(diphenylphosphanyl)-1′-[N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)carbamoyl]ferrocene (2) were synthesised from 1′-(diphenylphosphanyl)-1-ferrocenecarboxylic acid (Hdpf) by direct amide coupling or via Hdpf-pentafluorophenyl ester 3. Subsequent reactions of 1 and 2 with [PdCl₂(cod)] (cod = η²:η²-cyclocta-1,5-diene) gave the respective bis(phosphane) complexes trans-[PdCl₂L₂] (4, L = 1; 5, L = 2). Depending on the solvent used in their subsequent crystallisation (ethanol or chloroform), these complexes were isolated in several defined solvated forms. The structure determination for free ligands and their solvated complexes (4·2EtOH, 4·6CHCl₃, 5·2EtOH, and 5·4CHCl₃) revealed the dominating role of hydrogen bonding in their crystal assemblies, the nature and complexity of the formed hydrogen-bonded arrays strongly varying with the ligand structure (one vs. two 2-hydroxethyl chains), their number in the discrete species (free ligands vs. the complexes), and also with the solvate. Catalytic tests performed with 4 and 5 in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction showed that both complexes form active catalysts for the coupling of aryl bromides with phenylboronic acid in common polar organic solvents, in water and in toluene-water biphasic mixture. Yet, complex 4 gave rise to hydrolytically more stable catalyst, which could be used five times without any detectable loss of activity in the toluene/water system. Complex 4 was also successfully applied to the synthesis of biaryl anti-inflammatory drugs and their analogues in pure water and in the toluene-water mixture.     

Chiral β-diketonate ligands of ‘pseudo planar chiral’ topology: enantioselective synthesis and transition metal complexation

A practical enantioselective synthesis of chiral β-diketonate ligands 1a-1d, which are of ‘pseudo planar-chiral’ topology, is described. Additionally, the first chiral bis(diketonates) 2a-2c, ligands of C₂-symmetry that are isoelectronic with respect to related salen ligand systems, have been prepared. Protocols for the metallation of ligands 1a-1d, 2b and 2c are reported.     

N-phosphanylamidine ligands and their catalytic activity in the hydroformylation of 1-octene and styrene

Pyridine-based N-phosphanylamidine ligands i-Pr₂N-C(pyr)N-PR₂ (R = Ph (3), i-Pr (4)) were synthesized and fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Mononuclear rhodium complexes 7 and 8 were obtained in one step from the [RhCl(COD)]₂ dimer and the monodentate ligands 1 and 2. Their single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed the structural adaptive behavior of the monodentate N-phosphanylamidine ligands 1 and 2 upon k¹-P coordination mode in rhodium(I) complexes with the imino nitrogen atom of the amidine function which behaves as a “universal joint”. Compounds 1-4 were evaluated as ligands in the 1-octene and styrene hydroformylation reactions. The results obtained are encouraging and represent the first report on the use of N-phosphanylamidine ligands of the type R″₂N-C(R′)N-PR₂ in catalytic reactions.