Nickel-Catalyzed Synthesis of Dialkyl Ketones from the Coupling of N-Alkyl Pyridinium Salts with Activated Carboxylic Acids

While ketones are among the most versatile functional groups, their synthesis remains reliant upon reactive and low-abundance starting materials. In contrast, amide formation is the most-used bond-construction method in medicinal chemistry because the chemistry is reliable and draws upon large and diverse substrate pools. A new method for the synthesis of ketones is presented here that draws from the same substrates used for amide bond synthesis: amines and carboxylic acids. A nickel terpyridine catalyst couples N-alkyl pyridinium salts with in situ formed carboxylic acid fluorides or 2-pyridyl esters under reducing conditions (Mn metal). The reaction has a broad scope, as demonstrated by the synthesis of 35 different ketones bearing a wide variety of functional groups with an average yield of 60±16 %. This approach is capable of coupling diverse substrates, including pharmaceutical intermediates, to rapidly form complex ketones.     

Manganese‐Catalyzed Hydroarylation of Unactivated Alkenes

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed hydroarylation of unactivated alkenes with strategic use of remote coordinating functional groups has received significant attention recently to address the issues of both low reactivity and poor selectivity. The bidentate 8‐aminoquinoline amide group is the most successfully adopted in unactivated alkenes for Pd and Ni catalysis. We describe the first manganese‐catalyzed hydroarylation of unactivated alkenes bearing diverse simple functionalities with arylboronic acids. A series of δ‐ and γ‐arylated amides, ketones, pyridines, and amines was accessed with excellent regioselectivity and in high yields. Hydroalkenylation of unactivated alkenes was also shown to be applicable under this manganese‐catalysis regime. The method features earth‐abundant manganese catalysis, easily available substrates, broad functional‐group tolerance, and excellent regioselective control.     

Visible‐Light‐Induced Click Chemistry

A rapid and catalyst‐free cycloaddition system for visible‐light‐induced click chemistry is reported. A readily accessible photoreactive 2H‐azirine moiety was designed to absorb light at wavelengths above 400 nm. Irradiation with low‐energy light sources thus enables efficient small‐molecule synthesis with a diverse range of multiple‐bond‐containing compounds. Moreover, in order to demonstrate the efficiency of the current approach, quantitative ligation of the photoactivatable chromophore with functional polymeric substrates was performed and full conversion with irradiation times of only 1 min at ambient conditions was achieved. The current report thus presents a highly efficient method for applications involving selective cycloaddition to electron‐deficient multiple‐bond‐containing materials.     

Carboxylic Acids as Traceless Directing Groups for the Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative CH Arylation of Thiophenes

A rhodium(III)‐catalyzed carboxylic acid directed decarboxylative C? H/C? H cross‐coupling of carboxylic acids with thiophenes has been developed. With a slight adjustment of the reaction conditions based on the nature of the substrates, aryl carboxylic acids with a variety of substituents could serve as suitable coupling partners, and a broad variety of functional groups were tolerated. This method provides straightforward access to biaryl scaffolds with diverse substitution patterns, many of which have conventionally been synthesized through lengthy synthetic sequences. An illustrative example is the one‐step gram‐scale synthesis of a biologically active 3,5‐substituted 2‐arylthiophene by way of the current method.     

Efficient Synthesis of Diaryl Ketones by Nickel‐Catalyzed Negishi Cross‐Coupling of Amides by Carbon–Nitrogen Bond Cleavage at Room Temperature Accelerated by a Solvent Effect

The first Negishi cross‐coupling of amides for the synthesis of versatile diaryl ketones by selective C?N bond activation under exceedingly mild conditions is reported. The cross‐coupling was accomplished with bench‐stable, inexpensive precatalyst [Ni(PPh₃)₂Cl₂] that shows high functional‐group tolerance and enables the synthesis of highly functionalized diaryl ketone motifs. The coupling occurred with excellent chemoselectivity favoring the ketone (cf. biaryl) products. Notably, this process represents the mildest conditions for amide N?C bond activation accomplished to date (room temperature, <10 min). Considering the versatile role of polyfunctional biaryl ketone linchpins in modern organic synthesis, availability, and excellent functional‐group tolerance of organozinc reagents, this strategy provides a new platform for amide N?C bond/organozinc cross‐coupling under mild conditions.     

Cross‐Coupling of Alkyl Redox‐Active Esters with Benzophenone Imines: Tandem Photoredox and Copper Catalysis

Alkyl amines are an important class of organic compounds in medicinal and materials chemistry. Until now very have been very few methods for the synthesis of alkyl amines by metal‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of alkyl electrophiles with nitrogen nucleophiles. Described here is an approach to employ tandem photoredox and copper catalysis to enable the cross‐coupling of alkyl N‐hydroxyphthalimide esters, readily derived from alkyl carboxylic acids, with benzophenone‐derived imines. Hydrolysis of the coupling products furnish alkylated primary amines. Primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl groups can be transferred, and the coupling tolerates a diverse set of functional groups. The method allows rapid functionalization of natural products and drugs, and can be used to expedite syntheses of pharmaceuticals from readily available chemical feedstocks.     

Visible‐Light‐Enabled Direct Decarboxylative N‐Alkylation

The development of efficient and selective C?N bond‐forming reactions from abundant feedstock chemicals remains a central theme in organic chemistry owing to the key roles of amines in synthesis, drug discovery, and materials science. Herein, we present a dual catalytic system for the N‐alkylation of diverse aromatic carbocyclic and heterocyclic amines directly with carboxylic acids, by‐passing their preactivation as redox‐active esters. The reaction, which is enabled by visible‐light‐driven, acridine‐catalyzed decarboxylation, provides access to N‐alkylated secondary and tertiary anilines and N‐heterocycles. Additional examples, including double alkylation, the installation of metabolically robust deuterated methyl groups, and tandem ring formation, further demonstrate the potential of the direct decarboxylative alkylation (DDA) reaction.     

A New and Efficient Method for Synthesis of 5′‐Conjugates of Oligonucleotides through Amide‐Bond Formation on Solid Phase

An efficient method for synthesis of oligonucleotide 5′‐conjugates through amide‐bond formation on solid phase is described. Protected oligonucleotides containing a 5′‐carboxylic acid function were obtained by use of a novel non‐nucleosidic phosphoramidite building block, where the carboxylic acid moiety was protected by a 2‐chlorotrityl group. The protecting group is stable to the phosphoramidite coupling conditions used in solid‐phase oligonucleotide assembly, but is easily deprotected by mild acidic treatment. The protecting group may be removed also by ammonolysis. 5′‐Carboxylate‐modified oligonucleotides were efficiently conjugated on solid support under normal peptide‐coupling conditions to various amines or to the N‐termini of small peptides to yield products of high purity. The method is well‐suited in principle for the synthesis of peptide‐oligonucleotide conjugates containing an amide linkage between the 5′‐end of an oligonucleotide and the N‐terminus of a peptide.     

Recent Advances in the Metal‐Catalyzed Activation of Amide Bonds

The amide functional group is commonly found in peptides, proteins, pharmaceutical compounds, natural products, and polymers. The synthesis of amides is typically performed by using classical approaches that involve the reaction between a carboxylic acid and an amine in the presence of an activator. Amides are thought to be an inert functional group, because they are unsusceptible to nucleophile attack, owing to their low electrophilicity. The reason for this resistance is clear: the resonance stability of the amide bond. However, transition metal catalysis can circumvent this stability by selectively rupturing the N?C bond of the amide, thereby facilitating further cross‐coupling or other reactions. In this Focus Review, we discuss the recent advances in this area and present a summary of methods that have been developed for activating the amide N?C bond by using precious and non‐precious metals.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Esterification of Aliphatic Amides

Recent studies have demonstrated that amides can be used in nickel‐catalyzed reactions that lead to cleavage of the amide C?N bond, with formation of a C?C or C?heteroatom bond. However, the general scope of these methodologies has been restricted to amides where the carbonyl is directly attached to an arene or heteroarene. We now report the nickel‐catalyzed esterification of amides derived from aliphatic carboxylic acids. The transformation requires only a slight excess of the alcohol nucleophile and is tolerant of heterocycles, substrates with epimerizable stereocenters, and sterically congested coupling partners. Moreover, a series of amide competition experiments establish selectivity principles that will aid future synthetic design. These studies overcome a critical limitation of current Ni‐catalyzed amide couplings and are expected to further stimulate the use of amides as synthetic building blocks in C?N bond cleavage processes.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of N‐Substituted β‐Amino Alcohols from Aldehydes and Isocyanides

A practical two‐stage one‐pot synthesis of N‐substituted β‐amino alcohols using aldehydes and isocyanides as starting materials has been developed. This method features mild reaction conditions, broad scope, and general tolerance of functional groups. Based on a less common central carbon–carbon bond disconnection, this protocol complements traditional approaches that involve amines and various carbon electrophiles (epoxides, α‐halo ketones, β‐halohydrins). Medicinally relevant products can be prepared in a concise and efficient way from simple building blocks, as demonstrated in the synthesis of the antiasthma drug salbutamol. Upgrading the synthesis to an enantioselective variant is also feasible.     

Ketones from Nickel‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative,Non‐Symmetric Cross‐Electrophile Coupling of Carboxylic Acid Esters

Synthesis of the C?C bonds of ketones relies upon one high‐availability reagent (carboxylic acids) and one low‐availability reagent (organometallic reagents or alkyl iodides). We demonstrate here a ketone synthesis that couples two different carboxylic acid esters, N‐hydroxyphthalimide esters and S‐2‐pyridyl thioesters, to form aryl alkyl and dialkyl ketones in high yields. The keys to this approach are the use of a nickel catalyst with an electron‐poor bipyridine or terpyridine ligand, a THF/DMA mixed solvent system, and ZnCl₂ to enhance the reactivity of the NHP ester. The resulting reaction can be used to form ketones that have previously been difficult to access, such as hindered tertiary/tertiary ketones with strained rings and ketones with α‐heteroatoms. The conditions can be employed in the coupling of complex fragments, including a 20‐mer peptide fragment analog of Exendin(9–39) on solid support.     

Ketones from Nickel‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative,Non‐Symmetric Cross‐Electrophile Coupling of Carboxylic Acid Esters

Synthesis of the C?C bonds of ketones relies upon one high‐availability reagent (carboxylic acids) and one low‐availability reagent (organometallic reagents or alkyl iodides). We demonstrate here a ketone synthesis that couples two different carboxylic acid esters, N‐hydroxyphthalimide esters and S‐2‐pyridyl thioesters, to form aryl alkyl and dialkyl ketones in high yields. The keys to this approach are the use of a nickel catalyst with an electron‐poor bipyridine or terpyridine ligand, a THF/DMA mixed solvent system, and ZnCl₂ to enhance the reactivity of the NHP ester. The resulting reaction can be used to form ketones that have previously been difficult to access, such as hindered tertiary/tertiary ketones with strained rings and ketones with α‐heteroatoms. The conditions can be employed in the coupling of complex fragments, including a 20‐mer peptide fragment analog of Exendin(9–39) on solid support.     

Experimental and Theoretical Studies on the Rearrangement of 2‐Oxoazepane α,α‐Amino Acids into 2′‐Oxopiperidine β2,3,3‐Amino Acids: An Example of Intramolecular Catalysis

Enantiopure β‐amino acids represent interesting scaffolds for peptidomimetics, foldamers and bioactive compounds. However, the synthesis of highly substituted analogues is still a major challenge. Herein, we describe the spontaneous rearrangement of 4‐carboxy‐2‐oxoazepane α,α‐amino acids to lead to 2′‐oxopiperidine‐containing β^2,3,3‐amino acids, upon basic or acid hydrolysis of the 2‐oxoazepane α,α‐amino acid ester. Under acidic conditions, a totally stereoselective synthetic route has been developed. The reordering process involved the spontaneous breakdown of an amide bond, which typically requires strong conditions, and the formation of a new bond leading to the six‐membered heterocycle. A quantum mechanical study was carried out to obtain insight into the remarkable ease of this rearrangement, which occurs at room temperature, either in solution or upon storage of the 4‐carboxylic acid substituted 2‐oxoazepane derivatives. This theoretical study suggests that the rearrangement process occurs through a concerted mechanism, in which the energy of the transition states can be lowered by the participation of a catalytic water molecule. Interestingly, it also suggested a role for the carboxylic acid at position 4 of the 2‐oxoazepane ring, which facilitates this rearrangement, participating directly in the intramolecular catalysis.     

Direct Catalytic Asymmetric Aldol Reaction of α‐Alkoxyamides to α‐Fluorinated Ketones

α‐Oxygen‐functionalized amides found particular utility as enolate surrogates for direct aldol couplings with α‐fluorinated ketones in a catalytic manner. Because of the likely involvement of open transition states, both syn‐ and anti‐aldol adducts can be accessed with high enantioselectivity by judicious choice of the chiral ligands. A broad variety of alkoxy substituents on the amides and aryl and fluoroalkyl groups on the ketone were tolerated, and the corresponding substrates delivered a range of enantioenriched fluorinated 1,2‐dihydroxycarboxylic acid derivatives with divergent diastereoselectivity depending on the ligand used. The amide moiety of the aldol adduct was transformed into a variety of functional groups without protection of the tertiary alcohol, showcasing the synthetic utility of the present asymmetric aldol process.     

Synthesis of Branched‐Chain Sugars with a DHAP‐Dependent Aldolase: Ketones are Electrophile Substrates of Rhamnulose‐1‐phosphate Aldolases

Dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP)‐dependent rhamnulose aldolases display an unprecedented versatility for ketones as electrophile substrates. We selected and characterized a rhamnulose aldolase from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (RhuABthet) to provide a proof of concept. DHAP was added as a nucleophile to several α‐hydroxylated ketones used as electrophiles. This aldol addition was stereoselective and produced branched‐chain monosaccharide adducts with a tertiary alcohol moiety. Several aldols were readily obtained in good to excellent yields (from 76 to 95 %). These results contradict the general view that aldehydes are the only electrophile substrates for DHAP‐dependent aldolases and provide a new C?C bond‐forming enzyme for stereoselective synthesis of tertiary alcohols.     

C−C Bond‐Forming Strategy by Manganese‐Catalyzed Oxidative Ring‐Opening Cyanation and Ethynylation of Cyclobutanol Derivatives

A novel C?C bond‐forming strategy employing manganese‐catalyzed ring‐opening of cyclobutanol substrates, followed by cyanation or ethynylation, is described. A cyano C1 unit and ethynyl C2 unit are regiospecifically introduced to the γ‐position of ketones at room temperature, providing a mild yet powerful method for production of elusive aliphatic nitriles and alkynes. All transformations described are based on a common sequence: 1) oxidative ring‐opening of cyclobutanol substrates by C?C bond cleavage; 2) radical addition to triple bonds bearing an arylsulfonyl group; and 3) radical‐mediated C?S bond cleavage.     

Carbonyl Compounds′ Journey to Amide Bond Formation

The formation of amide bonds is one of the most stimulating emerging areas in organic and medicinal chemistry. Amides are recognized as central building blocks in a plethora of interesting pharmaceuticals, proteins, peptides, polymers, natural products, functional materials, and biologically relevant carbocyclic or heterocyclic molecules, and they are also found in a variety of industrial fields. Therefore, a review of recent developments and challenges in the formation of amide bonds from carbonyl compounds is particularly important. Herein, we have scrutinized a range of metal‐catalyzed and metal‐free approaches for the synthesis of amides from aldehydes, ketones, and oximes. In addition, this Minireview highlights relevant mechanistic studies, as well as the potential applications of these methods in the synthesis of candidate drug molecules. We hope that the data compiled herein will encourage further progress in this notable area of chemistry research.     

Carboxylic Acids as Traceless Directing Groups for the Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative C?H Arylation of Thiophenes

A rhodium(III)‐catalyzed carboxylic acid directed decarboxylative C H/C H cross‐coupling of carboxylic acids with thiophenes has been developed. With a slight adjustment of the reaction conditions based on the nature of the substrates, aryl carboxylic acids with a variety of substituents could serve as suitable coupling partners, and a broad variety of functional groups were tolerated. This method provides straightforward access to biaryl scaffolds with diverse substitution patterns, many of which have conventionally been synthesized through lengthy synthetic sequences. An illustrative example is the one‐step gram‐scale synthesis of a biologically active 3,5‐substituted 2‐arylthiophene by way of the current method.     

Bridging C−H Activation: Mild and Versatile Cleavage of the 8‐Aminoquinoline Directing Group

8‐Aminoquinoline has emerged as one of the most powerful bidentate directing groups in history of C?H activation within the last decade. However, cleavage of its robust amide bond has shown to be challenging in several cases, thus jeopardizing the general synthetic utility of the method. To overcome this limitation, we herein report a simple oxidative deprotection protocol. This transformation rapidly converts the robust amide to a labile imide, allowing subsequent cleavage in a simple one‐pot fashion to rapidly access carboxylic acids or amides as final products.