CuI heterogenized on thiosemicarbazide modified‐multi walled carbon nanotubes (thiosemicarbazide‐MWCNTs‐CuI): Novel heterogeneous and reusable nanocatalyst in the C‐N Ullmann coupling reactions

Herein we described the synthesis of novel thiosemicarbazide‐MWCNTs‐CuI nanocatalyst by covalent grafting of thiosemicarbazide on carbon nanotubes surface and subsequent coordination with CuI catalyst. The formation of nanocatalyst was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (WDX) and ICP analysis. The morphology of the nanocatalyst was characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopes (SEM and TEM). Additionally, the (thiosemicarbazide‐MWCNTs‐CuI) nanocatalyst was successfully employed in the N ‐arylation of indole, amines and imidazoles through intermolecular C(aryl)‐N bond formation from the corresponding aryl halides (Ar–I, Ar–Br, Ar–Cl) with amines through Ullmann‐type coupling reactions. Interestingly, the novel catalyst could be recovered and recycled five times.     

Metal‐Free Cross‐Dehydrogenative Coupling (CDC): Molecular Iodine as a Versatile Catalyst/Reagent for CDC Reactions

The development of ecofriendly methods for carbon–carbon (C?C) and carbon–heteroatom (C?Het) bond formation is of great significance in modern‐day research. Metal‐free cross‐dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) has emerged as an important tool for organic and medicinal chemists as a means to form C?C and C?Het bonds, as it is atom economical and more efficient and greener than transition‐metal catalyzed CDC reactions. Molecular iodine (I₂) is recognized as an inexpensive, environmentally benign, and easy‐to‐handle catalyst or reagent to pursue CDCs under mild reaction conditions, with good regioselectivities and broad substrate compatibility. This review presents the recent developments of I₂‐catalyzed C?C, C?N, C?O, and C?S/C?Se bond‐forming reactions for the synthesis of various important organic molecules by cross‐dehydrogenative coupling.     

Facile synthesis of 9-azajulolidine and its application to post-Ullmann reactions

This Letter describes the efficient synthesis of 9-azajulolidine from readily available reagents and its utilization as an effective electron-rich ligand for post-Ullmann-type reactions, that is, for C(aryl)-heteroatom (N, O, S) bond formation reactions, with dramatically enhanced reaction rates.     

Recent advances in oxidative C–C coupling reaction of amides with carbon nucleophiles

The C–C coupling reaction of N-electron withdrawing group (EWG) protected amides with coupling partners is one of the most important methods for C–C bond formation at the α-position of amides to directly give α-substituted amides. Of the four reactions, namely, the reaction via the generation of carbanion with an electrophile, that via the generation of carbon radical with a radical donor, that via the generation of iminium ion species with a nucleophile (oxidative coupling reaction), and that using a transition metal carbenoid, the oxidative coupling reaction presents a challenge although the reaction products are very useful for the transformation of a wide range of nitrogen-containing derivatives. In this review, recent developments in the oxidative coupling reaction of N-EWG protected amides with nucleophiles are summarized with focus on the reaction using a transition metal, the transition-metal-free reaction, the enantioselective reaction using a chiral catalysts, and the organocatalyzed oxidative coupling reaction.     

A Reusable CNT-Supported Single-Atom Iron Catalyst for the Highly Efficient Synthesis of C−N Bonds

C−N bond formation is regarded as a very useful and fundamental reaction for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing molecules in both organic and pharmaceutical chemistry. Noble-metal and homogeneous catalysts have frequently been used for C−N bond formation, however, these catalysts have a number of disadvantages, such as high cost, toxicity, and low atom economy. In this work, a low-toxic and cheap iron complex (iron ethylene-1,2-diamine) has been loaded onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to prepare a heterogeneous single-atom catalyst (SAC) named Fe-N_x/CNTs. We employed this SAC in the synthesis of C−N bonds for the first time. It was found that Fe-N_x/CNTs is an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of C−N bonds starting from aromatic amines and ketones. Its catalytic performance was excellent, giving yields of up to 96 %, six-fold higher than the yields obtained with noble-metal catalysts, such as AuCl₃/CNTs and RhCl₃/CNTs. The catalyst showed efficacy in the reactions of thirteen aromatic amine substrates, without the need for additives, and seventeen enaminones were obtained. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy in combination with X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that the iron species were well dispersed in the Fe-N_x/CNTs catalyst as single atoms and that Fe-N_x might be the catalytic active species. This Fe-N_x/CNTs catalyst has potential industrial applications as it could be cycled seven times without any significant loss of activity.     

Rhodium-catalyzed coupling of α-lactams with indole derivatives

We report herein a method that allows for the formation of a C–N bond between the C–3 carbon of α-lactams and the nitrogen atom of indoles. A general procedure for the coupling of indoles and α-lactams in only 25 min with high yield is reported. The scope of the reaction was extended by the development of a method for the in situ generation of less stable phenyl-substituted α-lactams. The developed method provides an atom-economical method for the formation of substituted α-amino amides that are found in a variety of biologically-active compounds.     

Electrochemical dehydrogenative N–H/N–H coupling reactions

The N–N bond is present in many important organic compounds, such as hydrazines, pyrazoles, azos, etc. Many methods based on transition metal catalyzed N–N coupling or functionalization of hydrazine have been reported for the synthesis of N–N containing organic compounds. In recent years, electrochemical dehydrogenative N–H/N–H coupling has become a powerful tool for the construction of N–N bearing organic compounds. The electrochemical methods employ electrons as traceless redox reagents instead of chemicals and produce hydrogen as the only byproduct. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the electrochemical dehydrogenative N–H/N–H coupling reactions with focus on the mechanistic insights and synthetic applications of these transformations.     

Advances in Copper‐Catalyzed C?C Coupling Reactions and Related Domino Reactions Based on Active Methylene Compounds

Active methylene compounds are a major class of reaction partners for C? C bond formation with sp² C? X (X=halide) fragments. As one of the most‐classical versions of the Ullmann‐type coupling reaction, activated‐methylene‐based C? C coupling reactions have been efficiently employed in a large number of syntheses. Although this type of reaction has long relied on noble‐metal catalysis, the renaissance of copper catalysis at the end of last century has led to dramatic developments in Ullmann C? C coupling reactions. Owing to its low cost, abundance, as well as excellent catalytic activity, the exceptional atom economy of copper catalysis is gaining widespread attention in various organic synthesis. This review summarizes the advances in copper‐catalyzed intermolecular and intramolecular C? C coupling reactions that use activated methylene species as well as in tandem reactions that are initiated by this transformation.     

Nano ceria catalyzed Ullmann type coupling reactions

Ullmann type intermolecular coupling of aryl halide with hetero-aromatic compounds, such as phenols, amines, and thiophenols are key reactions for the formation of carbon-heteroatom bond in organic synthesis. We report a robust and novel method that provides an efficient and economic route for the synthesis of O, N, and S-arylation via Ullman coupling by using nano cerium oxide (ceria, CeO₂). CeO₂ is a cheaper catalyst compared to related copper based catalysts. This method provides a wide range of substrate applicability in the case of phenols and amines. Less reactive chlorobenzene substituted with strong electron withdrawing groups such as 4-nitrochlorobenzene and 4-cyanochlorobenzene favor the reaction. This protocol avoids the use of ligand and gives arylated product in satisfactory yields.     

Homogeneous and supported copper(II) acetate as catalyst for CO coupling reactions

The reactivity of copper(II) acetate as catalyst in a standard CO coupling reaction has been systematically evaluated. Optimization of the reaction conditions resulted in a protocol involving stoichiometric amounts of reagents, a substoichiometric amount of base and 20 mol% catalyst, at 50 °C in 1,2-dichloroethane and under 1 atm O₂. Next, the reactivity of polymer-supported copper(II) acetate was evaluated. Although it is found that, in contrast to previous results obtained in related CN coupling reactions, the polymer-supported catalyst is in this case less efficient than the corresponding homogeneous one, the catalyst turns out to be conveniently recovered from the reaction mixture by simple filtration.     

Recent Advances in Carbon-Nitrogen/Carbon-Oxygen Bond Formation Under Transition-Metal-Free Conditions

Carbon-heteroatom bond formation under transition-metal free conditions provides a powerful synthetic alternative for the efficient synthesis of valuable molecules. In particular, C−N and C−O bonds are two important types of carbon-heteroatom bonds. Thus, continuous efforts have been deployed to develop novel C−N/C−O bond formation methodologies involving various catalysts or promoters under TM-free conditions, which enables the synthesis of various functional molecules comprising C−N/C−O bonds in a facile and sustainable manner. Considering the significance of C−N/C−O bond construction in organic synthesis and materials science, this review aims to comprehensively present selected examples on the construction of C−N (including amination and amidation) and C−O (including etherification and hydroxylation) bonds without transition metals. Besides, the involved promoters/catalysts, substrate scope, potential application and possible reaction mechanisms are also systematically discussed.     

Upgrading CO2 by Incorporation into Urethanes through Silver‐Catalyzed One‐Pot Stepwise Amidation Reaction

One‐pot two‐step stepwise reaction of terminal propargylic alcohols, carbon dioxide, and primary/secondary amines for the effective synthesis of various urethanes through robust silver‐catalysed C‐O/C‐N bond formation is reported. Catalytic activities were investigated by controlling catalyst loading, reaction pressure and time, and very high turnover number (turnover frequency) was obtained: 3350 (35 h⁻¹) with 0.01 mol% silver catalyst under 0.1 MPa, and up to 13360 (139 h⁻¹) with 0.005 mol% silver catalyst under 2.0 MPa at room temperature. The strategy was ingeniously regulated, and synchronously afforded a wide range of β‐oxopropylcarbamate and 1,3‐oxazolidin‐2‐one motifs in excellent yields and selectivity together with unprecedented high turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) value.     

Recent Advances in Organic Electrochemical C—H Functionalization

Organic electrochemistry has a rich history in organic synthesis and has been considered as a promising alternative to traditional chemical oxidants and reductants because it obviates the use of stoichiometric amount of dangerous and toxic reagents. In particular, the electrochemical C—H bonds functionalization is one of the most desirable approaches for the construction of carbon–carbon (C—C) and carbon–heteroatom (C—X) bonds. This review summarizes the substantial progress made in the last few years in C—H functionalization via organic electrochemistry. It is divided into sections on C—C, C—N, C—O, C—S, C–Halogen and C—P bond formation.     

Copper-catalysed domino reaction of 2-bromobenzylidenemalonates and 1,3-dicarbonyls for the synthesis of chromenes

4H-Chromenes were synthesized from 2-bromobenzylidenemalonates and 1,3-dicarbonyls under mild and simple reaction conditions via copper-catalysed domino reactions involving Michael addition and intramolecular Ullmann-type C(aryl)–O bond formation. Although a competitive elimination affected these reactions, this catalytic system readily provided chromenes with functionality at the C-4 position.     

Transition-metal-free site-selective C–F bond activation for synthesis of 8-aminoquinolines

An efficient and general selective method for the synthesis of 8-aminoquinoline derivatives has been disclosed through transition metal direct C–N coupling from fluoroquinolines and arylamines. Significantly, good chemo- and regio-selectivity was observed for polyfluoroquinolines in which only C–F bond on 8-substituted position was broken. Thus, this methodology proves its value as an inexpensive and efficient synthetic way to access quinolin-8amine derivatives in moderate to good yields.     

Microwave assisted synthesis of 2-aminooxazolo [4,5-b] pyridine derivatives via intramolecular C–O bond formation in aqueous medium

A highly, efficient synthetic protocol for the synthesis of 2-aminooxazolo[4,5-b]pyridine derivatives is established via intramolecular C–O bond coupling using copper iodide as a catalyst and water as solvent. A variety of functionalized substrates were found to react under this reaction conditions to provide products in good to excellent yields.     

Cu nanoparticles immobilized on modified magnetic zeolite for the synthesis of 1,2,3‐triazoles under ultrasonic conditions

Magnetically recoverable copper nanoparticle‐loaded natural zeolite (CuNPs/MZN) as an efficient catalyst was synthesized. The Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles were immobilized into the pores of natural clinoptilolite zeolite, which were modified with epichlorohydrine and ethylenediamine species and then CuNPs were decorated on the surface of functionalized zeolite (CuNPs/MZN). The catalysts were successfully characterized by Fourier transform‐infrared, CHN, thermogravimetric analysis, inductively coupled plasma, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The 1,2,3‐triazoles were readily synthesized through using the catalyst in high yields and short reaction times under ultrasonic conditions via CuAAC reactions of aryl azides and terminal alkynes. The CuNPs/MZN was easily separated from the reaction mixture by an external magnet and reused several times successfully. The catalyst could be used for the synthesis of various organic compounds.     

弱碱柔能克刚:动力学去质子官能化反应

碳氢键的去质子官能化反应是碳碳键构建最常用的方法,是一种重要的碳氢键活化方式.近年来,碱催化碳碳键形成反应在含弱酸性碳氢键化合物作为亲核试剂的底物拓展方面取得了重要进展.强碱性试剂或催化剂是实现这些弱酸性碳氢键官能化反应的关键.根据酸碱平衡理论,相对较强的碱才能够对弱酸性碳氢键发生去质子化反应,形成较大浓度的碳负离子中间体,进而发生亲核反应.相对较弱的碱不足以对弱酸性碳氢键进行去质子化反应,然而尽管碳负离子中间体可能浓度很低,但应该仍然存在于反应体系中.如果可以选择性地进行热力学有利的化学转化,碳负离子中间体的浓度将会下降并引起去质子化平衡的重新构建.结合碳负离子中间体不可逆的转化和去质子平衡的重新构建,弱酸性碳氢键就可以在弱碱条件下实现缓慢却持续不断的去质子官能化反应.为区别于强碱条件下、通过热力学稳定碳负离子中间体的传统碳氢键去质子官能化反应,我们将这种在弱碱条件下、通过热力学不利的碳负离子中间体转化和酸碱平衡重新构建实现的弱酸性碳氢键的官能化反应称为动力学去质子官能化反应.本文总结了碳氢键去质子官能化反应研究现状和本研究团队近年来在弱碱条件下的动力学去质子官能化反应研究进展.     

MnO2‐Promoted Oxidative Radical Sulfonylation of Haloalkynes with Sulfonyl Hydrazides: C(sp)–S Bond Formation towards Alkynyl Sulfones

A catalyst‐free oxidative radical sulfonylation of haloalkynes with sulfonyl hydrazides is reported. It represents an example of C(sp)−S bond formation using sulfonyl hydrazides as sulfonyl radical sources. Various alkynyl sulfones were synthesized in moderate to good yields. Having MnO₂ as the oxidant is very critical for this transformation. Remarkably, the self‐coupling reaction of haloalkynes through C(sp)−C(sp) bond formation is significantly inhibited under the standard reaction conditions.     

电极表面第二配位环境对水氧化分子催化剂O–O键形成机理的调控

水氧化反应可以提供四个电子和四个质子,反应产物是可以资源化的氧气,因而,水氧化反应是大规模能源转化和存储技术理想的阳极反应.但是,由于水氧化反应具有较高的热力学能垒,涉及四个电子和四个质子的转移过程以及氧-氧键(O–O)的形成,是一个耗能高且动力学缓慢的复杂反应.因此,开发高效的水氧化催化剂来加速水氧化反应速率,对于能源转化和存储相关技术至关重要.然而,人们对水氧化催化剂的合理设计和在催化反应中提高反应活性的方法了解甚少,在温和条件下促进O–O键的有效形成仍然是一个根本性的挑战.迄今为止,关于水氧化分子催化剂的研究主要集中在催化剂的配位结构(第一配位环境)和催化效率之间的关系上,水氧化分子催化剂的第二配位环境对其催化活性的影响尚未得到充分研究.将催化剂引入到电极表面时,其催化环境和均相反应时完全不同.因此,水氧化催化剂在电极表面的催化反应动力学、质子耦合电子转移过程以及其O–O键形成机理可能发生改变.本文以4-乙烯基吡啶为轴向配体的[Ru(bda)](络合物1,bda=2,2’-联吡啶-6,6’-二羧酸)水氧化分子催化剂,通过电化学聚合的方法将络合物1固载在玻璃碳电极表面,用于研究第二配位环境对电极表面水氧化分子催化剂催化机理的影响.通过直接聚合络合物1在玻璃碳表面得到电极材料poly-1@GC;将4-三氟甲基苯乙烯和苯乙烯作为限制单元分别与络合物1共聚,得到电极材料poly-1+P3F@GC和poly-1+PSt@GC.通过一系列电极表面动力学方法和DFT计算分别求出催化剂在三种电极材料中的反应级数ρcata、催化剂的溶液质子-原子转移性质、催化剂的水氧化氘动力学同位素效应KIEs_H/D,以及[Ru(bda)]催化剂在不同材料中的偶极矩的变化.通过对比催化剂在不同电极材料中的催化行为和相关关键参数发现,电极表面催化剂的第二层配位环境对其水氧化反应过程中的O–O键形成机制和质子耦合电子转移过程有着显著的影响.[Ru(bda)]在直接聚合的电极材料poly-1@GC中,通过自由基耦合机理(I2M)形成O–O键.而当[Ru(bda)]与4-三氟甲基苯乙烯和苯乙烯共聚时,由于[Ru(bda)]催化剂被分散,不利于自由基耦合机理的发生,[Ru(bda)]在电极材料poly-1+P3F@GC和poly-1+PSt@GC中主要通过水分子亲核进攻机理进行(WNA)催化水氧化.同时,具有强偶极矩的4-三氟甲基苯基能够稳定[Ru(bda)]在催化过程的中间体,可以使引发O–O键生成的关键物种Ru^V=O的氧化电位发生明显的负向移动,使得[Ru(bda)]在poly-1+P3F@GC可以更容易触发水氧化反应,进而加快了[Ru(bda)]采用水分子亲核进攻机理时的催化反应速率.