Birch‐Type Photoreduction of Arenes and Heteroarenes by Sensitized Electron Transfer

The direct reduction of arenes and heteroarenes by visible‐light irradiation remains challenging, as the energy of a single photon is not sufficient for breaking aromatic stabilization. Shown herein is that the energy accumulation of two visible‐light photons allows the dearomatization of arenes and heteroarenes. Mechanistic investigations confirm that the combination of energy‐transfer and electron‐transfer processes generates an arene radical anion, which is subsequently trapped by hydrogen‐atom transfer and finally protonated to form the dearomatized product. The photoreduction converts planar aromatic feedstock compounds into molecular skeletons that are of use in organic synthesis.     

Asymmetric Photocatalysis by Intramolecular Hydrogen‐Atom Transfer in Photoexcited Catalyst–Substrate Complex

3‐(2‐Formylphenyl)‐1‐pyrazol‐1‐yl‐propenones undergo an asymmetric photorearrangement to benzo[d]cyclopropa[b]pyranones with up to >99 % ee, which is catalyzed by a bis‐cyclometalated rhodium catalyst in the presence of visible light. Mechanistic experiments and DFT calculations support a mechanism in which a photoexcited catalyst/substrate complex triggers an intramolecular hydrogen‐atom transfer followed by a highly stereocontrolled hetero‐Diels–Alder reaction. In this reaction scheme, the rhodium catalyst fulfills multiple functions by 1) enabling visible‐light π→π* excitation of the catalyst‐bound enone substrate, 2) facilitating the hydrogen‐atom transfer, and 3) providing the asymmetric induction for the hetero‐Diels–Alder reaction.     

SOMOphilic Alkynylation of Unreactive Alkenes Enabled by Iron-Catalyzed Hydrogen Atom Transfer

We report an efficient and practical iron-catalyzed hydrogen atom transfer protocol for assembling acetylenic motifs into functional alkenes. Diversities of internal alkynes could be obtained from readily available alkenes and acetylenic sulfones with excellent Markovnikov selectivity. An iron hydride hydrogen atom transfer catalytic cycle was described to clarify the mechanism of this reaction.     

Concerted Determination of the Hydrogen Atom and Electron Transfer Capacity of Lipid Soluble Reducing Agents

This paper describes a method based on square wave voltammetry to evaluate either the electron transfer or the hydrogen atom transfer of lipid soluble antioxidants such as dl ‐mix‐tocopherol, BHT, ethoxyquin and retynil acetate. The electron transfer (ET) capacity was evaluated by the peak current, peak potential and the area under the anodic wave, whereas the hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) capacity by the kinetic rate of the reaction between antioxidants and 2,2‐Azobis(2‐methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH). The results indicate that ethoxyquin and tocopherol have the highest ET and HAT capacity. However, HAT capacity of tocopherol, BHT and retinyl acetate depend on the concentration. The approach has the advantage to assess HAT and ET capacity of lipid soluble antioxidant in a single concerted protocol.     

Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Arenes and Heteroarenes

Transfer hydrogenation reactions are of great interest to reduce diverse molecules under mild reaction conditions. To date, this type of reaction has only been successfully applied to alkenes, alkynes and polarized unsaturated compounds such as ketones, imines, pyridines, etc. The reduction of benzene derivatives by transfer hydrogenation has never been described, which is likely due to the high energy barrier required to dearomatize these compounds. In this context, we have developed a catalytic transfer hydrogenation reaction for the reduction of benzene derivatives and heteroarenes to form complex 3-dimensional scaffolds bearing various functional groups at room temperature without needing compressed hydrogen gas.     

Photocatalytic Deuterium Atom Transfer Deuteration of Electron-Deficient Alkenes with High Functional Group Tolerance

Due to its mild reaction conditions and unique chemoselectivity, hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) hydrogenation represents an indispensable method for the synthesis of complex molecules. Its analog using deuterium, deuterium atom transfer (DAT) deuteration, is expected to enable access to complex deuterium-labeled compounds. However, DAT deuteration has been scarcely studied for synthetic purposes, and a method that possesses the favorable characteristics of HAT hydrogenations has remained elusive. Herein, we report a protocol for the photocatalytic DAT deuteration of electron-deficient alkenes. In contrast to the previous DAT deuteration, this method tolerates a variety of synthetically useful functional groups including haloarenes. The late-stage deuteration also allows access to deuterated amino acids as well as donepezil-d₂. Thus, this work demonstrates the potential of DAT chemistry to become the alternative method of choice for preparing deuterium-containing molecules.     

Light‐Induced CH Arylation of (Hetero)arenes by In Situ Generated Diazo Anhydrides

Diazo anhydrides (Ar?N?N?O?N?N?Ar) have been known since 1896 but have rarely been used in synthesis. This communication describes the development of a photochemical catalyst‐free C?H arylation methodology for the preparation of bi(hetero)aryls by the one‐pot reaction of anilines with tert‐butyl nitrite and (hetero)arenes under neutral conditions. The key step in this procedure is the in situ formation and subsequent photochemical (>300 nm) homolytic cleavage of a transient diazo anhydride intermediate. The generated aryl radical then efficiently reacts with a (hetero)arene to form the desired bi(hetero)aryls producing only nitrogen, water, and tert‐butanol as byproducts. The scope of the reaction for several substituted anilines and (hetero)arenes was investigated. A continuous‐flow protocol increasing selectivity and safety has been developed enabling the experimentally straightforward preparation of a variety of substituted bi(hetero)aryls within 45 min of reaction time.     

Mechanism of the hydrogen transfer from the OH group to oxygen-centered radicals: proton-coupled electron-transfer versus radical hydrogen abstraction

High-level ab initio electronic structure calculations have been carried out with respect to the intermolecular hydrogen-transfer reaction HCOOH+.OH-->HCOO.+H(2)O and the intramolecular hydrogen-transfer reaction .OOCH2OH-->HOOCH(2)O.. In both cases we found that the hydrogen atom transfer can take place via two different transition structures. The lowest energy transition structure involves a proton transfer coupled to an electron transfer from the ROH species to the radical, whereas the higher energy transition structure corresponds to the conventional radical hydrogen atom abstraction. An analysis of the atomic spin population, computed within the framework of the topological theory of atoms in molecules, suggests that the triplet repulsion between the unpaired electrons located on the oxygen atoms that undergo hydrogen exchange must be much higher in the transition structure for the radical hydrogen abstraction than that for the proton-coupled electron-transfer mechanism. It is suggested that, in the gas phase, hydrogen atom transfer from the OH group to oxygen-centered radicals occurs by the proton-coupled electron-transfer mechanism when this pathway is accessible.     

Dehydrogenative Silylation of Alkenes for the Synthesis of Substituted Allylsilanes by Photoredox,Hydrogen‐Atom Transfer,and Cobalt Catalysis

A synergistic catalytic method combining photoredox catalysis, hydrogen‐atom transfer, and proton‐reduction catalysis for the dehydrogenative silylation of alkenes was developed. With this approach, a highly concise route to substituted allylsilanes has been achieved under very mild reaction conditions without using oxidants. This transformation features good to excellent yields, operational simplicity, and high atom economy. Based on control experiments, a possible reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Dehydrogenative Silylation of Alkenes for the Synthesis of Substituted Allylsilanes by Photoredox,Hydrogen‐Atom Transfer,and Cobalt Catalysis

A synergistic catalytic method combining photoredox catalysis, hydrogen‐atom transfer, and proton‐reduction catalysis for the dehydrogenative silylation of alkenes was developed. With this approach, a highly concise route to substituted allylsilanes has been achieved under very mild reaction conditions without using oxidants. This transformation features good to excellent yields, operational simplicity, and high atom economy. Based on control experiments, a possible reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Effect of structure in benzaldehyde oximes on the formation of aldehydes and nitriles under photoinduced electron-transfer conditions

The mechanistic aspects of the photosensitized reactions of a series of benzaldehyde oximes (1a-o) were studied by steady-state (product studies) and laser flash photolysis methods. Nanosecond laser flash photolysis studies have shown that the reaction of the oxime with triplet chloranil (3CA) proceeds via an electron-transfer mechanism provided the free energy for electron transfer (DeltaG(ET)) is favorable; typically, the oxidation potential of the oxime should be below 2.0 V. Substituted benzaldehyde oximes with oxidation potentials greater than 2.0 V quench 3CA at rates that are independent of the substituent and the oxidation potential. The most likely mechanism under these conditions is a hydrogen atom transfer mechanism as this reaction should be dependent on the O-H bond strength only, which is virtually the same for all oximes. Product studies have shown that aldoximes react to give both the corresponding aldehyde and the nitrile. The important intermediate in the aldehyde pathway is the iminoxyl radical, which is formed via an electron transfer-proton transfer (ET-PT) sequence (for oximes with low oxidation potentials) or via a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) pathway (for oximes with larger oxidation potentials). The nitriles are proposed to result from intermediate iminoyl radicals, which can be formed via direct hydrogen atom abstraction or via an electron-transfer-proton-transfer sequence. The experimental data seems to support the direct hydrogen atom abstraction as evidenced by the break in linearity in the plot of the quenching rates against the oxidation potential, which suggests a change in mechanism. The nitrile product is favored when electron-accepting substituents are present on the benzene ring of the benzaldehyde oximes or when the hydroxyl hydrogen atom is unavailable for abstraction. The latter is the case in pyridine-2-carboxaldoxime (2), where a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond is formed. Other molecules that form weaker intramolecular hydrogen bonds such as 2-furaldehyde oxime (3) and thiophene-2-carboxaldoxime (4) tend to yield increasing amounts of aldehyde.     

Radical Cyclization of Alkene‐Tethered Ketones Initiated by Hydrogen‐Atom Transfer

An unprecedented C?C coupling reaction between alkenes and ketones by hydrogen‐atom transfer, using Fe(acac)₃ and PhSiH₃ in EtOH, is described. This mild protocol features high site selectivity and allows the construction of sterically congested structures containing tertiary alcohols and quaternary centers. The overall process introduces a novel strategic bond disconnection for ring‐closing reactions.     

Dehydrogenative α-Oxygenation of Cyclic Ethers by a High-Valent Manganese(IV)-Oxo Species

High-valent metal-oxo species are typical catalytic cycle intermediates in mono-oxygenases and dioxygenases and commonly react through oxygen atom transfer to substrates. In this work we study a biomimetic model complex with a 1,1’-bis((3,5-dimethylpyridin-2-yl)methyl)-2,2’-bipiperidine ligand system bound to a manganese(IV)-oxo(hydroxo) species and study its formation from manganese(II)-hydroxo and H₂O₂ as well as its reaction with (S)-1-phenylisochromane through dehydrogenative α-oxygenation. The work utilizes density functional theory methods to explore its catalytic cycle and its reactivity patterns. We show that the manganese(IV)-oxo(hydroxo) species is an active oxidant and preferentially the oxo group abstracts a hydrogen atom from substrate with barriers well lower in energy than those found for hydrogen atom abstraction by the hydroxo group. Interestingly, the rate-determining step is the OH rebound rather than the hydrogen atom abstraction, which would imply they would have limited kinetic isotope effect for the replacement of the transferring hydrogen atom by deuterium.     

吖啶和钴肟配合物协同光催化苯乙烯放氢二聚反应构筑1,2-二氢-1-芳基萘（英文）

芳基二氢萘类衍生物是许多生物活性的天然产物以及药物的常见结构单元,其合成一直都受到化学家们的关注.传统的1,2-二氢-1-芳基萘骨架化合物的构筑大都需要进行底物的预官能团化,在高温条件下进行,且产物的选择性较差,因此发展一种简单温和的制备方法很有必要.最近兴起的可见光催化因具有条件温和、环境友好等特点而成为了合成化学家的研究热点.近期研究发现,在可见光作用下利用吖啶光敏剂的强氧化能力,可以实现苯乙烯的加成.但此类反应需要当量的氧化剂或氢原子转移试剂,容易导致苯乙烯的二聚环合产物的进一步氧化或还原.我们在前期发展的"放氢交叉偶联"反应的基础上,利用吖啶光催化和钴肟催化的协同作用,实现了苯乙烯的放氢二聚反应,在室温下高效构筑了1,2-二氢-1-芳基萘骨架,反应条件温和,底物脱除的电子和质子在钴肟催化剂作用下以氢气的形式释放,反应具有中等及以上的收率.本文以苯乙烯为模型底物,吖啶为光敏剂,钴肟配合物为质子还原催化剂,在乙腈溶剂中,蓝色LED灯下光照24 h可以获得56%的产率,对于其它的光敏剂如fac-Ⅰr(ppy)3等则不能催化该反应.通过催化剂种类及用量筛选表明,7 mol%的Co(dmgH_2)pyCl配合物具有最好的反应效果,可以获得72%的收率.控制实验表明,光敏剂、钴肟催化剂和光照都是必须的.通过底物拓展我们发现,烷基、卤素等不同取代基的苯乙烯类化合物均可以获得较好的收率,不同苯乙烯之间也可以发生交叉反应.随后,我们进一步通过光谱和中间体捕获实验对反应机理进行了研究.自由基捕获实验说明反应过程可能涉及自由基历程;光谱淬灭实验表明苯乙烯和Co(dmgH_2)pyCl均可淬灭吖啶的发光,但苯乙烯淬灭吖啶的程度远大于Co(dmgH_2)pyCl淬灭吖啶的程度.在反应时苯乙烯的浓度远大于催化剂的溶度,因此,我们认为激发态吖啶首先与苯乙烯发生反应;可见光照射反应体系1 min后在440–500和550–650 nm处观察到明显的Co~Ⅱ和Co~Ⅰ的吸收峰.基于以上实验结果,我们提出了可能的催化循环:吖啶受光激发到达激发态后,首先与底物苯乙烯发生单电子转移生成苯乙烯正离子自由基和吖啶阴离子自由基Acr~·-Mes,Acr~·-Mes还原Co(dmgH_2)pyCl生成Co ~Ⅱ中间体,从而回到基态完成光催化循环.苯乙烯正离子自由基与另一分子苯乙烯加成环合,进而通过芳构化生成自由基中间体,再与Co Ⅱ作用生成目标产物1,2-二氢-1-芳基萘和Co~Ⅰ,Co~Ⅰ通过结合体系中的质子进而释放出氢气回到Co~ Ⅲ从而完成钴肟催化循环.     

Hydrogen Atom Transfer-Mediated Domino Cyclisation Reaction to Access (Spiro)Quinazolinones

A radical domino cyclisation reaction of N-cyanamide alkenes, mediated by hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) has been developed. This method, using PhSiH₃ and catalytic Fe(acac)₃, allows for the synthesis of challenging (spiro)quinazolinone scaffolds from simple, tractable (hetero)aryl carboxylic acid and cyanamide building blocks.     

A polar effects controlled enantioselective 1,2-chlorine atom migration via a chlorine-bridged radical intermediate

An enantioselective 1,2-chlorine atom migration was observed in the tributyltin hydride reduction of various dihalogenated dihydrocinnamic acid derivatives. It is proposed that the reduction involves the formation of a chlorine-bridged radical intermediate, followed by hydrogen atom transfer to either the beta- or the alpha-carbon. The product distribution is affected by electron-withdrawing groups in that hydrogen atom transfer to the proximate carbon is favored. Presumably, this is due to the transition state of the hydrogen delivery step being electron rich, due to the relatively electropositive tin radical. These results demonstrate a 1,2-chlorine atom migration reaction governed by polar effects.     

Are pterins able to modulate oxidative stress?

Pterins (also known as pteridines) are common animal colorants that constitute heterocyclic compounds and have the highest nitrogen content of any pigment analyzed from animals. It has been reported that pterins modulate oxidative stress as these molecules are able to scavenge free radicals. Previous reports suggest three possible mechanisms that are responsible for scavenging free radicals; these are electron transfer (ET) reaction, hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and radical addition. In this paper, the facility to scavenge free radicals (antiradical power) of pterins is analyzed, using density functional theory calculations and considering two possible mechanisms: ET and HAT. For the electron transfer process, considering the electron donor facility of the free radical scavenger molecules, vertical ionization energy of pterins indicates that the antiradical power of those pterins is lower than the antiradical power of any carotenoids (except for tetrahydrobiopterin). In terms of the HAT mechanism, the bond dissociation energy involved in the removal of one hydrogen atom from pterins is higher than for carotenoids (except for sepiapterin and 7,8-dihydrobiopterin). It can be expected that the most reactive molecules are those that have the smallest dissociation energy since the dissociation of the hydrogen atom is the first step of the reaction. This could indicate that some pterins are depicted as poorer antiradicals than carotenoids in terms of the HAT mechanism. Further studies focusing on the third mechanism (radical addition) and the kinetics of the reactions are necessary in order to fully understand the antiradical power of these substances. For this reason, work continues in order to clarify these aspects.     

8-羟基鸟嘌呤自由基的开环反应机理

使用经实验校准的B3LYP/DZP++方法研究了8-羟基鸟嘌呤自由基的开环反应机理. 计算结果表明, 该反应先后历经C8—N9键的断裂、羟基H原子向N7原子转移两个步骤完成, 转移中的H原子具有阳离子的特征. 当没有水存在时, 羟基H原子的转移反应需经历一个四元环的过渡态, 具有较高的活化能, 反应较困难. 但如果有水分子存在, 羟基H原子的转移步骤将经历一个低活化能的六元环过渡态, 使整个8-羟基鸟嘌呤自由基的开环反应可以在较温和的条件下顺利完成. 在无水催化时, 羟基H转移是反应的速率控制步骤; 而有水催化时, 反应的速率由C8—N9键的断裂步骤控制.     

Catalyzing aldehyde hydrosilylation with a molybdenum(VI) complex: a density functional theory study

[MoCl(2)O(2)] catalyzes the hydrosilylation reaction of aldehydes and ketones, as well as the reduction of other related groups, in apparent contrast to its known behavior as an oxidation catalyst. In this work, the mechanism of this reaction is studied by means of density functional theory calculations using the B3LYP functional complemented by experimental data. We found that the most favorable pathway to the first step, the Si--H activation, is a [2+2] addition to the Mo=O bond, in agreement with previous and related work. The stable intermediate that results is a distorted-square-pyramidal hydride complex. In the following step, the aldehyde approaches this species and coordinates weakly through the oxygen atom. Two alternative pathways can be envisaged: the classical reduction, in which a hydrogen atom migrates to the carbon atom to form an alkoxide, which then proceeds to generate the final silyl ether, or a concerted mechanism involving migration of a hydrogen atom to a carbon atom and of a silyl group to an oxygen atom to generate the silyl ether weakly bound to the molybdenum atom. In this Mo(VI) system, the gas-phase free energies of activation for both approaches are very similar, but if solvent effects are taken into account and HSiMe(3) is used as a source of silicon, the classical mechanism is favored. Several unexpected results led us to search for still another route, namely a radical path. The energy involved in this and the classical pathway are similar, which suggests that hydrosilylation of aldehydes and ketones catalyzed by [MoCl(2)O(2)] in acetonitrile may follow a radical pathway, in agreement with experimental results.     

Electronic mechanism of STM-induced diffusion of hydrogen on Si(100)

We have observed a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) induced lateral transfer of a single hydrogen atom on the Si(100) surface. The transfer rate of the hydrogen atom is proportional to the electron dose, indicating an electron-assisted transfer mechanism. Measurements of the relations between the transfer rate and the sample bias and temperature give further support for an electronic mechanism. The bias dependence of the transfer rate shows a peak, and from a first principles electronic structure calculation we show that the position of the peak is related to the energy of a localized surface resonance. We propose that the hydrogen transfer is related to inelastic hole scattering with this surface resonance. We develop a microscopic model for the hydrogen transfer, and using the experimental data we extract information on the resonance lifetime and the transfer yield per resonant electron. The transfer takes place by tunneling through a small excited state transfer barrier. The transfer rate is increased if the hydrogen atom before the resonant excitation is vibrationally excited, and this gives rise to an increasing transfer rate with increasing sample temperature.