Rhodium‐Catalyzed PIII‐Directed ortho‐C−H Borylation of Arylphosphines

Transition‐metal‐mediated metalation of an aromatic C?H bond that is adjacent to a tertiary phosphine group in arylphosphines via a four‐membered chelate ring was first discovered in 1968. Herein, we overcome a long‐standing problem with the ortho‐C?H activation of arylphosphines in a catalytic fashion. In particular, we developed a rhodium‐catalyzed ortho‐selective C?H borylation of various commercially available arylphosphines with B₂pin₂ through P^III‐chelation‐assisted C?H activation. This discovery is suggestive of a generic platform that could enable the late‐stage modification of readily accessible arylphosphines.     

Metal-Free Phosphorus-Directed Borylation of C(sp2)−H Bonds

Spectacular progress has recently been achieved in transition metal-catalyzed C?H borylation of phosphines as well as directed electrophilic C?H borylation. As shown here, P-directed electrophilic borylation provides a new, straightforward, and efficient access to phosphine–boranes. It operates under metal-free conditions and leverages simple, readily available substrates. It is applicable to a broad range of backbones (naphthyl, biphenyl, N-phenylpyrrole, binaphthyl, benzyl, naphthylmethyl) and gives facile access to various substitution patterns at boron (by varying the boron electrophile or post-derivatizing the borane moiety). NMR monitoring supports the involvement of P-stabilized borenium cations as key intermediates. DFT calculations reveal the existence and stabilizing effect of π-arene/boron interactions in the (biphenyl)(i-Pr)₂P→BBr₂⁺ species.     

Stereoselective CH Borylations of Cyclopropanes and Cyclobutanes with Silica‐Supported Monophosphane–Ir Catalysts

Heteroatom‐directed C?H borylation of cyclopropanes and cyclobutanes was achieved with silica‐supported monophosphane–Ir catalysts. Borylation occurred at the C?H bonds located γ to the directing N or O atoms with exceptional cis stereoselectivity relative to the directing groups. This protocol was applied to the borylation of a tertiary C?H bond of a ring‐fused cyclopropane.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Decarbonylative Borylation of Amides: Evidence for Acyl C−N Bond Activation

A nickel/N‐heterocyclic carbene catalytic system has been established for decarbonylative borylation of amides with B₂nep₂ by C?N bond activation. This transformation shows good functional‐group compatibility and can serve as a powerful synthetic tool for late‐stage borylation of amide groups in complex compounds. More importantly, as a key intermediate, the structure of an acyl nickel complex was first confirmed by X‐ray analysis. Furthermore, the decarbonylative process was also observed. These findings confirm the key mechanistic features of the acyl C?N bond activation process.     

Zinc‐Catalyzed Dual C–X and C–H Borylation of Aryl Halides

A zinc‐catalyzed combined C? X and C? H borylation of aryl halides using B₂pin₂ (pin=OCMe₂CMe₂O) to produce the corresponding 1,2‐diborylarenes under mild conditions was developed. Catalytic C? H bond activation occurs ortho to the halide groups if such a site is available or meta to the halide if the ortho position is already substituted. This method thus represents a novel use of a group XII catalyst for C? H borylation. This transformation does not proceed via a free aryne intermediate, but a radical process seems to be involved.     

PIII‐Chelation‐Assisted Indole C7‐Arylation,Olefination, Methylation,and Acylation with Carboxylic Acids/Anhydrides by Rhodium Catalysis

Rhodium‐catalyzed C7‐selective decarbonylative arylation, olefination, and methylation of indoles with carboxylic acids or anhydrides by C?H and C?C bond activation have been developed. Furthermore, C7‐acylation products can also be generated selectively at a lower reaction temperature in the developed system. The key to the high reactivity and regioselectivity of this transformation is the appropriate choice of an indole N‐PtBu₂ chelation‐assisted group. This method has many advantages, including easy access and removal of the directing group, the use of cheap and widely available coupling agents, no requirement of an external ligand or oxidant, a broad substrate scope, high efficiency, and the formation of a sole regioisomer.     

PIII‐Chelation‐Assisted Indole C7‐Arylation,Olefination, Methylation,and Acylation with Carboxylic Acids/Anhydrides by Rhodium Catalysis

Rhodium‐catalyzed C7‐selective decarbonylative arylation, olefination, and methylation of indoles with carboxylic acids or anhydrides by C?H and C?C bond activation have been developed. Furthermore, C7‐acylation products can also be generated selectively at a lower reaction temperature in the developed system. The key to the high reactivity and regioselectivity of this transformation is the appropriate choice of an indole N‐PtBu₂ chelation‐assisted group. This method has many advantages, including easy access and removal of the directing group, the use of cheap and widely available coupling agents, no requirement of an external ligand or oxidant, a broad substrate scope, high efficiency, and the formation of a sole regioisomer.     

Hydrogen Bond Directed ortho‐Selective C−H Borylation of Secondary Aromatic Amides

Reported is an iridium catalyst for ortho‐selective C?H borylation of challenging secondary aromatic amide substrates, and the regioselectivity is controlled by hydrogen‐bond interactions. The BAIPy ‐Ir catalyst forms three hydrogen bonds with the substrate during the crucial activation step, and allows ortho‐C?H borylation with high selectivity. The catalyst displays unprecedented ortho selectivities for a wide variety of substrates that differ in electronic and steric properties, and the catalyst tolerates various functional groups. The regioselective C?H borylation catalyst is readily accessible and converts substrates on gram scale with high selectivity and conversion.     

Catalytic Borylation of SCF3‐Functionalized Arenes by Rhodium(I) Boryl Complexes: Regioselective CH Activation at the ortho‐Position

An unprecedented reaction pathway for the borylation of SCF₃‐containing arenes using [Rh(Bpin)(PEt₃)₃] (pin=pinacolato) is reported. Catalytic processes were developed and the functionalizations proceed under mild reaction conditions. The C? H activations occur with a unique regioselectivity for the position ortho to the SCF₃ group, which apparently serves as directing group. Borylated SCF₃ compounds can serve as versatile building blocks.     

Site‐Selective CH Borylation of Quinolines at the C8 Position Catalyzed by a Silica‐Supported Phosphane–Iridium System

Site‐selective C? H borylation of quinoline derivatives at the C8 position has been achieved by using a heterogeneous Ir catalyst system based on a silica‐supported cage‐type monophosphane ligand SMAP. The efficient synthesis of a corticotropin‐releasing factor₁ (CRF₁) receptor antagonist based on a late‐stage C? H borylation strategy demonstrates the utility of the C8 borylation reaction.     

Lewis Acid–Base Interaction‐Controlled ortho‐Selective C−H Borylation of Aryl Sulfides

An iridium/bipyridine‐catalyzed ortho ‐selective C−H borylation of aryl sulfides was developed. High ortho ‐selectivity was achieved by a Lewis acid–base interaction between a boryl group of the ligand and a sulfur atom of the substrate. This is the first example of a catalytic and regioselective C−H transformation controlled by a Lewis acid–base interaction between a ligand and a substrate. The C−H borylation reaction could be conducted on a gram scale, and with a bioactive molecule as a substrate, demonstrating its applicability to late‐stage regioselective C−H borylation. A bioactive molecule was synthesized from an ortho ‐borylated product by converting the boryl and methylthio groups of the product.     

Cobalt‐Catalyzed C−H Nitration of Indoles by Employing a Removable Directing Group

A mild and efficient C(sp²)?H nitration of 3‐substituted indoles, by using the economical and non‐toxic cobalt nitrate hexahydrate [Co(NO₃)₂ ? 6 H₂O] as a catalyst and tert‐butyl nitrite (TBN) as the nitro source, is reported. This approach provides a unique methodology involving a site‐selective C?N bond formation for preparation of C‐2 substituted nitro indoles. Utilization of the tBoc as the removable directing group enhances the synthetic utility of the method.     

Catalyst‐Controlled Regiodivergent CH Borylation of Multifunctionalized Heteroarenes by Using Iridium Complexes

The regiodivergent C?H borylation of 2,5‐disubstituted heteroarenes with bis(pinacolato)diboron was achieved by using iridium catalysts formed in situ from [Ir(OMe)(cod)]₂/dtbpy (cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene, dtbpy: 4,4′‐di‐tert‐butyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine) or [Ir(OMe)(cod)]₂/2 AsPh₃. When [Ir(OMe)(cod)]₂/dtbpy was used as the catalyst, borylation at the 4‐position proceeded selectively to afford 4‐borylated products in high yields (dtbpy system A). The regioselectivity changed when the [Ir(OMe)(cod)]₂/2 AsPh₃ catalyst was used; 3‐borylated products were obtained in high yields with high regioselectivity (AsPh₃ system B). The regioselectivity of borylation was easily controlled by changing the ligands. This reaction was used in the syntheses of two different bioactive compound analogues by using the same starting material.     

Ruthenium‐Catalyzed ortho C−H Borylation of Arylphosphines

Efficient, phosphine‐directed ortho C?H borylation of arylphosphine derivatives was achieved using Ru catalysts for the first time. The reaction is applicable to various tertiary arylphosphine and arylphosphinite derivatives to give (o‐borylaryl)phosphorus compounds in high yields. This reaction enables easy access to a variety of functionalized phosphine ligands and ambiphilic phosphine boronate compounds, thus realizing a new late‐stage modification of phosphorus compounds.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed,Silyl‐Directed,peri‐Borylation of C−H Bonds in Fused Polycyclic Arenes and Heteroarenes

peri‐Disubstituted naphthalenes exhibit interesting physical properties and unique chemical reactivity, due to the parallel arrangement of the bonds to the two peri‐disposed substituents. Regioselective installation of a functional group at the position peri to 1‐substituted naphthalenes is challenging due to the steric interaction between the existing substituent and the position at which the second one would be installed. We report an iridium‐catalyzed borylation of the C?H bond peri to a silyl group in naphthalenes and analogous polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The reaction occurs under mild conditions with wide functional group tolerance. The silyl group and the boryl group in the resulting products are precursors to a range of functional groups bound to the naphthalene ring through C?C, C?O, C?N, C?Br and C?Cl bonds.     

C7‐Indole Amidations and Alkenylations by Ruthenium(II) Catalysis

C7?H‐functionalized indoles are ubiquitous structural units of biological and pharmaceutical compounds for numerous antiviral agents against SARS‐CoV or HIV‐1. Thus, achieving site‐selective functionalizations of the C7?H position of indoles, while discriminating among other bonds, is in high demand. Herein, we disclose site‐selective C7?H activations of indoles by ruthenium(II) biscarboxylate catalysis under mild conditions. Base‐assisted internal electrophilic‐type substitution C?H ruthenation by weak O‐coordination enabled the C7?H functionalization of indoles and offered a broad scope, including C?N and C?C bond formation. The versatile ruthenium‐catalyzed C7?H activations were characterized by gram‐scale syntheses and the traceless removal of the directing group, thus providing easy access to pharmaceutically relevant scaffolds. Detailed mechanistic studies through spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses shed light on the unique nature of the robust ruthenium catalysis for the functionalization of the C7?H position of indoles.     

Ligand‐Promoted Borylation of C(sp3)H Bonds with Palladium(II) Catalysts

A quinoline‐based ligand effectively promotes the palladium‐catalyzed borylation of C(sp³)? H bonds. Primary β‐C(sp³)? H bonds in carboxylic acid derivatives as well as secondary C(sp³)? H bonds in a variety of carbocyclic rings, including cyclopropanes, cyclobutanes, cyclopentanes, cyclohexanes, and cycloheptanes, can thus be borylated. This directed borylation method complements existing iridium(I)‐ and rhodium(I)‐catalyzed C? H borylation reactions in terms of scope and operational conditions.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Regioselective C7‐Functionalization of N‐Pivaloylindoles

An efficient rhodium‐catalyzed method for direct C? H functionalization at the C7 position of a wide range of indoles has been developed. Good to excellent yields of alkenylation products were observed with acrylates, styrenes, and vinyl phenyl sulfones, whereas the saturated alkylation products were obtained in good yield with α,β‐unsaturated ketones. Both the N‐pivaloyl directing group and the rhodium catalyst proved to be crucial for high regioselectivity and conversion.     

Ruthenium(II)‐Catalyzed C−H Activation of Imidamides and Divergent Couplings with Diazo Compounds: Substrate‐Controlled Synthesis of Indoles and 3H‐Indoles

Indoles are an important structural motif that is commonly found in biologically active molecules. In this work, conditions for divergent couplings between imidamides and acceptor–acceptor diazo compounds were developed that afforded NH indoles and 3H‐indoles under ruthenium catalysis. The coupling of α‐diazoketoesters afforded NH indoles by cleavage of the C(N₂)?C(acyl) bond whereas α‐diazomalonates gave 3H‐indoles by C?N bond cleavage. This reaction constitutes the first intermolecular coupling of diazo substrates with arenes by ruthenium‐catalyzed C?H activation.     

Stereodivergent Synthesis of Arylcyclopropylamines by Sequential CH Borylation and Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling

A step‐economical and stereodivergent synthesis of privileged 2‐arylcyclopropylamines (ACPAs) through a C(sp³)? H borylation and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling sequence has been developed. The iridium‐catalyzed C? H borylation of N‐cyclopropylpivalamide proceeds with cis selectivity. The subsequent B‐cyclopropyl Suzuki–Miyaura coupling catalyzed by [PdCl₂(dppf)]/Ag₂O proceeds with retention of configuration at the carbon center bearing the Bpin group, while epimerization at the nitrogen‐bound carbon atoms of both the starting materials and products is observed under the reaction conditions. This epimerization is, however, suppressed in the presence of O₂. The present new ACPA synthesis results in not only a significant reduction in the steps required for making ACPA derivatives, but also the ability to access either isomer (cis or trans) by simply changing the atmosphere (N₂ or O₂) in the coupling stage.