Pd/P(t-Bu)(3): a mild and general catalyst for Stille reactions of aryl chlorides and aryl bromides

Pd/P(t-Bu)(3) serves as an unusually reactive catalyst for Stille reactions of aryl chlorides and bromides, providing solutions to a number of long-standing challenges. An unprecedented array of aryl chlorides can be cross-coupled with a range of organotin reagents, including SnBu(4). Very hindered biaryls (e.g., tetra-ortho-substituted) can be synthesized, and aryl chlorides can be coupled in the presence of aryl triflates. The method is user-friendly, since a commercially available complex, Pd(P(t-Bu)(3))(2), is effective. Pd/P(t-Bu)(3) also functions as an active catalyst for Stille reactions of aryl bromides, furnishing the first general method for room-temperature cross-couplings.     

Directly observed reductive elimination of aryl halides from monomeric arylpalladium(II) halide complexes

Monomeric, three-coordinate arylpalladium(II) halide complexes undergo reductive elimination of aryl halide to form free haloarene and Pd(0). Reductive elimination of aryl chlorides, bromides, and iodides were observed upon the addition of P(t-Bu)3 to Pd[P(t-Bu)3](Ar)(X) (X = Cl, Br, I). Conditions to observe the equilibrium between reductive elimination and oxidative addition were established with five haloarenes. Reductive elimination of aryl chloride was most favored thermodynamically, and elimination of aryl iodide was the least favored. However, reductive elimination from the aryl chloride complex was the slowest, and reductive elimination from the aryl bromide complex was the fastest. These data show that the electronic properties of the halide, not the thermodynamic driving force for the addition of elimination reaction, control the rates for addition and elimination of haloarenes. Mechanistic data suggest that reversible reductive elimination of aryl bromide to form Pd[P(t-Bu)3] and free aryl bromide is followed by rate-limiting coordination of P(t-Bu)3 to form Pd[P(t-Bu)3]2.     

(t-Bu)2PN=P(i-BuNCH2CH2)3N: new efficient ligand for palladium-catalyzed C-N couplings of aryl and heteroaryl bromides and chlorides and for vinyl bromides at room temperature

By employing Pd(OAc)2, Cs2CO3, or NaOH, and the new ligand (t-Bu)2PN=P(i-BuNCH2CH2)3N (3a), an electronically diverse array of aryl bromides and chlorides possessing base-sensitive substituents (nitro, ester, and keto) provide coupling products with bulky aryl amines in good to excellent yields. Aryl halides possessing other functional groups including cyano, amino, trifluoromethyl, and phenol, coupled with equal ease, producing highly functionalized amines in good to excellent yields. Moreover, an aryl chloro group can be preserved in the presence of a bromo substituent under our reaction conditions. BOC-protected amines also participated efficiently. Heterocyclic bromides and chlorides underwent clean couplings with amines in excellent yields. An important strength of our protocol is the use of lower palladium loadings than those reported earlier, without compromising yields. The air-stable palladium complex (eta3-cinnamyl)PdCl.(3a) (5) was also employed successfully in C-N coupling reactions while the crotyl analogue was less efficacious. The 3a/Pd(OAc)2 catalyst system promotes, for the first time, efficient coupling of vinyl bromides with a variety of amines to produce imines and enamines at room temperature.     

Design of highly active heterogeneous palladium catalysts for the activation of aryl chlorides in Heck reactions

In situ generation of highly active palladium species by intermediate dissolution of Pd from solid supported catalysts has been demonstrated to be a very successful approach for the activation of aryl chlorides in Heck reactions. The new ‘heterogeneous’ Pd catalysts act as reservoir for molecular Pd species with unsaturated coordination sphere in solution. Crucial Pd leaching and re-deposition onto the support can be controlled by optimization of reaction conditions and by the properties of the catalysts. Pd is re-deposited onto the support at the end of the reaction. The catalysts, palladium supported on activated carbon, on various metal oxides or fluorides and Pd complexes in zeolites, are easy to prepare, though the preparation conditions are crucial. The catalysts convert all aryl bromides completely within minutes (TON 100,000). Aryl chlorides (even deactivated ones) are converted with high yields, within 2-6 h. The catalysts belong to the most active ones in Heck reactions at all (including best homogeneous systems) and fulfill all relevant requirements for practical applications in laboratory and industry.     

A guide to Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions: the influence of substituents in aryl bromides, acetylenes, and phosphines

The conversion-time data for 168 different Pd/Cu-catalyzed Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions of five arylacetylenes (phenylacetylene; 1-ethynyl-2-ethylbenzene; 1-ethynyl-2,4,6-R(3)-benzene (R = Me, Et, i-Pr)) and Me(3)SiCCH with seven aryl bromides (three 2-R-bromobenzenes (R = Me, Et, i-Pr); 2,6-Me(2)-bromobenzene and three 2,4,6-R(3)-bromobenzenes (R = Me, Et, i-Pr)) with four different phosphines (P-t-Bu(3), t-Bu(2)PCy, t-BuPCy(2), PCy(3)) were determined using quantitative gas chromatography. The stereoelectronic properties of the substituents in the aryl bromides, acetylenes, and phosphines were correlated with the performance in Sonogashira reactions. It was found that the nature of the most active Pd/PR(3) complex for a Sonogashira transformation is primarily determined by the steric bulk of the acetylene; ideal catalysts are: Pd/P-t-Bu(3) or Pd/t-Bu(2)PCy for sterically undemanding phenylacetylene, Pd/t-BuPCy(2) for 2- and 2,6-substituted arylacetylenes or Me(3)SiCCH and Pd/PCy(3) for extremely bulky acetylenes and aryl bromides. Electron-rich and sterically demanding aryl bromides with substituents in the 2- or the 2,6-position require larger amounts of catalyst than 4-substituted aryl bromides. The synthesis of tolanes with bulky groups at one of the two aryl rings is best done by placing the steric bulk at the arylacetylene, which is also the best place for electron-withdrawing substituents.     

Aqueous hydroxide as a base for palladium-catalyzed amination of aryl chlorides and bromides

The amination of aryl halides in the presence of inexpensive and air-stable alkali metal hydroxide bases and Pd[P(t-Bu)3]2 as catalyst gave arylamines in high yields. The reactions were conducted with a catalytic amount of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as phase-transfer agent and either aqueous hydroxide or solid hydroxide in the presence of water. This combination of alkali metal hydroxide base, H2O, and the ammonium salt performed as well as NaO-t-Bu in the amination of p-chlorotoluene with dibutylamine. Hydroxide base was suitable for reactions of a wide range of aryl chlorides and bromides with aliphatic and aromatic amines. Some functional groups that were intolerant of tert-butoxide base, such as esters, enolizable ketones, nitriles, and nitro groups, were tolerated by the combination of hydroxide base, H2O, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in toluene solvent.     

Pd(PhCN)(2)Cl(2)/P(t-Bu)(3): a versatile catalyst for Sonogashira reactions of aryl bromides at room temperature

[reaction: see text] Pd(PhCN)(2)Cl(2)/P(t-Bu)(3) serves as an efficient and a versatile catalyst for room-temperature Sonogashira reactions of aryl bromides.     

Elucidating reactivity differences in palladium-catalyzed coupling processes: the chemistry of palladium hydrides

This communication describes a series of studies directed at obtaining a better understanding of the Heck reaction. For the first time, the postulated palladium-hydride intermediate (L2PdHX) in the catalytic cycle of the Heck arylation has been identified. In addition, this study establishes that the base-mediated Pd(0)-regeneration step (L2PdHX --> PdL2) of the cycle can be kinetically slow and thermodynamically unfavorable and that the process is remarkably sensitive to the structure of L (PCy3 vs P(t-Bu)3). Finally, this investigation demonstrates that, for certain catalyst systems, slow rates of Heck arylation can be correlated with reluctant reductive elimination of L2PdHX, furnishing a possible rationalization for Br?nsted-base (Cs2CO3 vs Cy2NMe) and ligand (PCy3 vs P(t-Bu)3) effects that have been observed.     

Cp2Fe(PR2)2PdCl2 (R = i-Pr, t-Bu) complexes as air-stable catalysts for challenging Suzuki coupling reactions

[reaction: see text] The use of Cp(2)Fe(PR(2))(2)PdCl(2) (R = i-Pr and t-Bu) in Suzuki coupling reactions were illustrated using a high throughput screening approach. The di-tbpfPdCl(2) catalyst was shown to be the more active catalyst for unactivated and sterically challenging aryl chlorides. Comparison studies using the commercial catalysts dppfPdCl(2), (Ph(3)P)(2)PdCl(2), (Cy(3)P)(2)PdCl(2), DPEPhosPdCl(2), dppbPdCl(2), dppePdCl(2), Pd(t-Bu(3)P)(2), and [Pd(mu-Br)(t-Bu(3)P)](2) were also done for selected cases to demonstrate the superior activities of di-tbpfPdCl(2) and di-isoppfPdCl(2).     

Efficient synthesis of alpha-aryl esters by room-temperature palladium-catalyzed coupling of aryl halides with ester enolates

A catalytic amount of Pd(dba)(2) ligated by either carbene precursor N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazolium (1) or P(t-Bu)(3) mediated the coupling of aryl halides and ester enolates to produce alpha-aryl esters in high yields at room temperature. The reaction was highly tolerant of functionalities and substitution patterns on the aryl halide. Improved protocols for the selective monoarylation of tert-butyl acetate and the efficient arylation of alpha,alpha-disubstituted esters were developed with LiNCy(2) as base and P(t-Bu)(3) as ligand. In addition, tert-butyl esters, such as those of Naproxen and Flurbiprofen, were prepared from tert-butyl propionate and aryl bromides in high yields in the presence of Pd(dba)(2) and the hindered, saturated heterocyclic carbene ligand precursor.     

Palladium-catalyzed arylation of malonates and cyanoesters using sterically hindered trialkyl- and ferrocenyldialkylphosphine ligands.

Palladium-catalyzed reactions of aryl bromides and chlorides with two common stabilized carbanions-enolates of dialkyl malonates and alkyl cyanoesters-are reported. An exploration of the scope of these reactions was conducted, and the processes were shown to occur in a general fashion. Using P(t-Bu)(3) (1), the pentaphenylferrocenyl ligand (Ph(5)C(5))Fe(C(5)H(4))P(t-Bu)(2) (2), or the adamantyl ligand (1-Ad)P(t-Bu)(2) (3), reactions of electron-poor and electron-rich, sterically hindered and unhindered aryl bromides and chlorides were shown to react with diethyl malonate, di-tert-butyl malonate, diethyl fluoromalonate, ethyl cyanoacetate, and ethyl phenylcyanoacetate. Although alkyl malonates and ethyl alkylcyanoacetates did not react with aryl halides using these catalysts, the same products were formed conveniently in one pot from diethylmalonate by cross-coupling of an aryl halide in the presence of excess base and subsequent alkylation.     

Highly selective palladium-catalyzed Heck reactions of aryl bromides with cycloalkenes

[reaction: see text] The influence of palladium catalysts and reaction conditions on the selectivity of Heck reactions of aryl bromides with cyclohexene and cyclopentene has been investigated. It is shown that the addition of DMSO as a cosolvent leads to improved selectivities of nonconjugated aryl olefins. On the other hand, high selectivities for conjugated arylcyclopentenes have been obtained with the catalytic system DMA/Na2CO3/Pd2(dba)3 x dba/PCy3.     

Cascade alkenyl amination/Heck reaction promoted by a bifunctional palladium catalyst: a novel one-pot synthesis of indoles from o-haloanilines and alkenyl halides

A novel approach for the synthesis of the important indole ring is described. Indoles are obtained from o-bromoanilines and alkenyl halides in a Pd-catalyzed cascade process that involves an alkenyl amination followed by an intramolecular Heck reaction. The overall process represents the first example of the participation of alkenyl amination reactions in Pd-catalyzed cascade reactions. Initially, the relative reactivity of aryl and alkenyl bromides and chlorides towards Pd-catalyzed amination was investigated. Competition experiments were carried out in the presence of primary and secondary amines, and these revealed the reactivity order alkenyl bromides > aryl bromides > alkenyl chlorides > aryl chlorides, as well as very high chemoselectivity; the more reactive halide was always favored. Thereafter, optimized reaction conditions for the sequential alkenyl amination/Heck cyclization to give indoles were investigated with the model reaction of o-bromoaniline with alpha-bromostyrene. An extensive screening of ligands, bases, and reaction conditions revealed that the [Pd2(dba)3]/DavePhos, NaOtBu, toluene combination at 100 degrees C were the optimized reaction conditions to carry out the cascade process (dba=dibenzylideneacetone, DavePhos=2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2'-N,N-dimethylaminobiphenyl). The reaction proceeds with aryl, alkyl, and functionalized substitutents in both starting reactants. The cyclization was also studied with N-substituted o-bromoanilines (which would give rise to N-substituted indoles); however, in this case, indole formation occurred only with 1-substituted-2-bromoalkenes. Finally, the application of this methodology to o-chloroanilines required further optimization. Although the catalyst based on DavePhos failed to promote the cascade process, a catalytic combination based on [Pd2(dba)3]/X-Phos promoted the formation of the indole ring also from the less reactive chloroanilines.     

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.     

9-fluorenylphosphines for the Pd-catalyzed sonogashira, suzuki, and Buchwald-Hartwig coupling reactions in organic solvents and water

The lithiation/alkylation of fluorene leads to various 9-alkyl-fluorenes (alkyl=Me, Et, iPr, -Pr, -C18H25) in>95% yields, for which lithiation and reaction with R2PCl (R=Cy, iPr, tBu) generates 9-alkyl, 9-PR2-fluorenes which constitute electron-rich and bulky phosphine ligands. The in-situ-formed palladium-phosphine complexes ([Na2PdCl4], phosphonium salt, base, substrates) were tested in the Sonogashira, Suzuki, and Buchwald-Hartwig reactions of aryl chlorides and aryl bromides in organic solvents. The Sonogashira coupling of aryl chlorides at 100-120 degrees C leads to>90% yields with 1 mol% of Pd catalyst. The Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides typically requires 0.05 mol% of Pd catalyst at 100 degrees C in dioxane for quantitative product formation. To carry out "green" cross-coupling reactions in water, 9-ethylfluorenyldicyclohexylphosphine was reacted in sulphuric acid to generate the respective 2-sulfonated phosphonium salt. The Suzuki coupling of activated aryl chlorides by using this water-soluble catalyst requires only 0.01 mol% of Pd catalyst, while a wide range of aryl chlorides can be quantitatively converted into the respective coupling products by using 0.1-0.5 mol% of catalyst in pure water at 100 degrees C. Difficult substrate combinations, such as naphthylboronic acid or 3-pyridylboronic acid and aryl chlorides are coupled at 100 degrees C by using 0.1-0.5 mol% of catalyst in pure water to obtain the respective N-heterocycles in quantitative yields. The copper-free aqueous Sonogashira coupling of aryl bromides generates the respective tolane derivatives in>95% yield.     

Heterogeneous Versus Homogeneous Palladium Catalysts for Ligandless Mizoroki–Heck Reactions: A Comparison of Batch/Microwave and Continuous‐Flow Processing

Mizoroki–Heck couplings of aryl iodides and bromides with butyl acrylate were investigated as model systems to perform transition‐metal‐catalyzed transformations in continuous‐flow mode. As a suitable ligandless catalyst system for the Mizoroki–Heck couplings both heterogeneous and homogeneous Pd catalysts (Pd/C and Pd acetate) were considered. In batch mode, full conversion with excellent selectivity for coupling was achieved applying high‐temperature microwave conditions with Pd levels as low as 10^?3 mol %. In continuous‐flow mode with Pd/C as a catalyst, significant Pd leaching from the heterogeneous catalyst was observed as these Mizoroki–Heck couplings proceed by a homogeneous mechanism involving soluble Pd colloids/nanoparticles. By applying low levels of Pd acetate as homogeneous Pd precatalyst, successful continuous‐flow Mizoroki–Heck transformations were performed in a high‐temperature/pressure flow reactor. For both aryl iodides and bromides, high isolated product yields of the cinnamic esters were obtained. Mechanistic issues involving the Pd‐catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck reactions are discussed.     

Palladium-catalyzed alpha-arylation of esters and amides under more neutral conditions

Two procedures for the alpha-arylation of carbonyl compounds under conditions that are more neutral than those of reactions of aryl halides with alkali metal enolates are reported. The first procedure rests upon the development of catalysts bearing the hindered pentaphenylferrocenyl di-tert-butylphosphine (Q-phos) and the highly reactive dimeric Pd(I) complex {P(t-Bu)3]PdBr}2. By this procedure, zinc enolates prepared from alpha-bromo esters and amides react with aryl halides to form alpha-aryl esters and amides in high yields under mild conditions with 1-2 mol % catalyst and with remarkable functional group tolerance. By the second procedure, silyl ketene and silyl ketimine acetals react with aryl bromides in the presence of substoichiometric zinc fluoride, 1 mol % Pd(dba)2, and 2 mol % P(t-Bu)3 in DMF solvent at 80 degrees C. Reactions of zinc tert-butyl acetate and propionate enolates and trimethylsilyl ketene acetals of tert-butyl propionate and methyl isobutyrate with aryl bromides bearing electron-donating and potentially reactive, base-sensitive electron-withdrawing groups and with pyridyl bromides are reported. In addition, the diastereoselective coupling of phenyl bromide with an imide enolate bearing the Evans auxiliary is reported, and this study shows that racemization of base-sensitive stereocenters does not occur during the coupling process under these more neutral conditions.     

Highly efficient Heck reactions of aryl bromides with n-butyl acrylate mediated by a palladium/phosphine-imidazolium salt system

[reaction: see text] A new phosphine-imidazolium salt, L.HBr (1, L = (1-ethylenediphenylphosphino-3-(mesityl))imidazol-2-ylidene), has been prepared. A combination of 0.5 mol % of Pd(dba)(2) and 0.5 mol % of L.HBr in the presence of 2 equiv of Cs(2)CO(3) as base has proven to be highly efficient in the Heck coupling reactions of aryl bromides (from electron-deficient to electron-rich aryl bromides) with n-butyl acrylate.     

Efficient and general protocol for the copper-free sonogashira coupling of aryl bromides at room temperature

[reaction: see text]. A mild and general protocol for the copper-free Sonogashira coupling of aryl bromides with acetylenes has been developed. The use of (AllylPdCl)2 and P(t-Bu)3 provides the active Pd(0) catalyst that allows subsequent coupling of various alkynes at room temperature with good to excellent yields.     

Sterically bulky thioureas as air- and moisture-stable ligands for pd-catalyzed Heck reactions of aryl halides

We demonstrate that sterically bulky N,N'-disubstituted cyclic thiourea-Pd(0) complexes are air- and moisture-stable and highly active catalysts for palladium-catalyzed Heck reaction of aryl iodides and bromides with olefins (TONs up to 500000 for the reaction of PhI and methyl acrylate). Even activated aryl chlorides can undergo complete conversion in Bu(4)NBr in the presence of 1 mol % Pd catalyst.