Rhodium‐Catalyzed Addition of Aryl Boronic Acids to 2,2‐Disubstituted Malononitriles

β‐Ketonitriles bearing a quaternary carbon at the 2‐position were prepared through Rh‐catalyzed addition of aryl boronic acids to 2,2‐disubstituted malononitriles. In contrast to the previously described transnitrilative cyanation of aryl boronic acids with dialkylmalononitriles, the present reaction avoids retro‐Thorpe collapse of the intermediate addition product through the use of a milder base. The reaction was amenable to a variety of aryl boronic acids and disubstituted malononitriles, providing a diverse array of β‐ketonitriles. The products could be further derivatized to valuable chiral α,α‐disubstituted‐β‐aminonitriles through addition reactions to the corresponding N ‐tert ‐butanesulfinyl imines.     

Synthesis of 4‐halo‐2 (5H)‐furanones and their suzuki‐coupling reactions with organoboronic acids. A general route to 4‐aryl‐2 (5 H) ‐furanones

4‐Halo‐2(5H)‐furanones were prepared by the halolactonization of 2,3‐allenoic acids. The subsequent Suzuki coupling reaction of 4‐halo 2(5H)‐furanones with aryl boronic acids was carried out to produce 4‐aryl‐2(5H)‐furanones in excellent yields.     

Decarboxylative Conjunctive Cross‐coupling of Vinyl Boronic Esters using Metallaphotoredox Catalysis

The synthesis of complex alkyl boronic esters through conjunctive cross‐coupling of vinyl boronic esters with carboxylic acids and aryl iodides is described. The reaction proceeds under mild metallaphotoredox conditions and involves an unprecedented decarboxylative radical addition/cross‐coupling cascade of vinyl boronic esters. Excellent functional‐group tolerance is displayed, and application of a range of carboxylic acids, including secondary α‐amino acids, and aryl iodides provides efficient access to highly functionalized alkyl boronic esters. The decarboxylative conjunctive cross‐coupling was also applied to the synthesis of sedum alkaloids.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Arylation of Cyclopropenes Based on Asymmetric Direct Functionalization of Three‐Membered Carbocycles

A variety of highly diastereo‐ and enantiomerically enriched arylcyclopropanes is obtained through the asymmetric rhodium‐catalyzed arylation reaction of achiral nonfunctionalized cyclopropene derivatives with commercially available aryl boronic acids in the presence of (R,S)‐Josiphos.     

PhSO2SCF2H: A Shelf‐Stable,Easily Scalable Reagent for Radical Difluoromethylthiolation

A new shelf‐stable and easily scalable difluoromethylthiolating reagent S‐(difluoromethyl) benzenesulfonothioate (PhSO₂SCF₂H) was developed. PhSO₂SCF₂H is a powerful reagent for radical difluoromethylthiolation of aryl and alkyl boronic acids, decarboxylative difluoromethylthiolation of aliphatic acids, and a phenylsulfonyl‐difluoromethylthio difunctionalization of alkenes under mild reaction conditions.     

The Discovery of a Palladium(II)‐Initiated Borono‐Catellani Reaction

Reported is a novel palladium(II)‐initiated Catellani‐type reaction that utilizes widely accessible aryl boronic acids as the substrates instead of aryl halides, thereby greatly expanding the existing scope of this powerful transformation. This borono‐Catellani reaction was promoted by cooperative catalysis between Pd(OAc)₂ and the inexpensive 5‐norbornene‐2‐carbonitrile. Practicality is the striking feature of the reaction: it is run open to air at ambient temperature and no phosphine ligand is needed. This mild, chemoselective, and scalable protocol is compatible with a large range of readily available functionalized aryl boronic acids and bromides, as well as terminating olefins (50 examples, 39–97 % yields). Moreover, the orthogonal reactivity between the borono‐Catellani and classical Catellani reaction was demonstrated. This work is expected to open new avenues for developing novel Catellani‐type reactions.     

PhSO2SCF2H: A Shelf‐Stable,Easily Scalable Reagent for Radical Difluoromethylthiolation

A new shelf‐stable and easily scalable difluoromethylthiolating reagent S‐(difluoromethyl) benzenesulfonothioate (PhSO₂SCF₂H) was developed. PhSO₂SCF₂H is a powerful reagent for radical difluoromethylthiolation of aryl and alkyl boronic acids, decarboxylative difluoromethylthiolation of aliphatic acids, and a phenylsulfonyl‐difluoromethylthio difunctionalization of alkenes under mild reaction conditions.     

Base‐Free Conditions for Rhodium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation To Produce Stereochemically Labile α‐Aryl Ketones

The asymmetric arylation of 2,2‐dialkyl cyclopent‐4‐ene‐1,3‐diones with aryl boronic acids was found to be efficiently catalyzed by a chiral diene–rhodium μ‐chloro dimer, [{RhCl((R)‐diene*)}₂], in the absence of bases in toluene/H₂O to give 2,2‐dialkyl 4‐aryl cyclopentane‐1,3‐diones in high yields with high enantioselectivity. Such compounds can not be obtained with high enantiomeric purity under the standard basic conditions used for rhodium‐catalyzed asymmetric arylation because the α‐aryl ketone products undergo racemization under the basic conditions.     

Application of ortho‐palladated homoveratrylamine complex containing mixed phosphorus–nitrogen donors in the Suzuki reaction

The catalytic activity of [Pd{C₆H₂(CH₂CH₂NH₂)‐(OMe)₂,3,4}Br(PPh₃)] monomeric ortho‐palladated complex of homoveratrylamine and triphenylphosphine was investigated in the Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction of various aryl halides with aryl boronic acids. The substituted biaryls were produced in excellent yields using a catalytic amount of this complex in ethanol at 60°C. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pentafluoroethylbenziodoxole (BIX‐C2F5): A Shelf‐Stable Reagent for Pentafluoroethylation of β‐Ketoesters and Arylboronic Acids

An improved method for the preparation of pentafluoroethylating reagent pentafluoroethyl‐substituted benziodoxole (BIX‐C₂F₅) was described. Under mild conditions, BIX‐C₂F₅ was able to react with β‐ketoesters or aryl/heteroaryl boronic acids to generate pentafluoroethylated compounds in good yields.     

Facile and Versatile Synthesis of End‐Functionalized Poly(phenylacetylene)s: A Multicomponent Catalytic System for Well‐Controlled Living Polymerization of Phenylacetylenes

A rhodium‐based multicomponent catalytic system for well‐controlled living polymerization of phenylacetylenes has been developed. The catalytic system is composed of readily available and bench‐stable [Rh(nbd)Cl]₂, aryl boronic acid derivatives, diphenylacetylene, 50 % aqueous KOH, and PPh₃. This system offers a method for the facile and versatile synthesis of various end‐functionalized cis‐stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene)s because components from aryl boronic acids and diphenylacetylene were introduced to the initiating end of the polymers. The polymerization reaction shows a typical living nature with a high initiation efficiency, and the molecular weight of the resulting poly(phenylacetylene)s can be readily controlled with very narrow molecular‐weight distributions (M_w/M_n=1.02–1.09). The experimental results suggest that the present catalytic system has a higher polymerization activity than the polymerization activities of other rhodium‐based catalytic systems previously reported.     

Reaction Optimization,Scalability, and Mechanistic Insight on the Catalytic Enantioselective Desymmetrization of 1,1‐Diborylalkanes via Suzuki–Miyaura Cross‐Coupling

A method for enantioselective desymmetrization of 1,1‐diborylalkanes through a stereoselective Pd‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling has been thoroughly optimized. The most effective ligand was found to be a α,α,α,α‐tetra‐aryl‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4,5‐dimethanol (TADDOL)‐derived phosphoramidite. Results show that in order to achieve high selectivity, a suitable balance between the sterics of the aryl groups and the amino group on the ligand must be achieved. While the base has been known to facilitate transmetallation in cross‐coupling reactions, mechanistic studies on this desymmetrization process reveal that the base, in the presence of KHF₂, likely plays an additional role in the hydrolysis of the pinacol boronates to the corresponding boronic acids. Through an in depth optimization of the chiral ligand and mechanistic studies, it was possible to obtain ee values over 90 % for several aryl bromides and to develop a reliably scalable process (up to one gram of 1,1‐diborylalkane substrate).     

A Highly Efficient Catalyst for the Suzuki Cross‐coupling Reaction of 3‐Chloro‐5‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl Pyridine

A facile access to diversely substituted 3‐aryl/heteroaryl‐5‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl‐pyridines using PdCl₂(dtbpf) as palladium precursor has been developed. The method is compatible with a wide range of aryl/heteroaryl boronic acids.     

Rhodium-Catalyzed Addition of Aryl Boronic Acids to 2,2-Disubstituted Malononitriles

β-Ketonitriles bearing a quaternary carbon at the 2-position were prepared through Rh-catalyzed addition of aryl boronic acids to 2,2-disubstituted malononitriles. In contrast to the previously described transnitrilative cyanation of aryl boronic acids with dialkylmalononitriles, the present reaction avoids retro-Thorpe collapse of the intermediate addition product through the use of a milder base. The reaction was amenable to a variety of aryl boronic acids and disubstituted malononitriles, providing a diverse array of β-ketonitriles. The products could be further derivatized to valuable chiral α,α-disubstituted-β-aminonitriles through addition reactions to the corresponding N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines.     

Gold(I)‐catalyzed Benzylation of (Hetero)aryl Boronic Acids with (Hetero)benzyl Bromides by the Strategy of a SN2‐type Reaction

Herein, the first example of gold‐catalyzed benzylation of (hetero)aryl boronic acids with (hetero)benzyl bromides to give the corresponding cross‐coupling products in moderate to good yields is reported. The reaction proceeds through a possible intermolecular S_N2‐type reaction pathway to give a wide variety of di(hetero)arylmethanes as the desired products. An intriguing reaction mechanism has been proposed on the basis of control experiments, ³¹P‐NMR spectroscopic detection and DFT calculations.     

Facile synthesis of alkynyl‐, aryl‐ and ferrocenyl‐substituted pyrazoles via Sonogashira and Suzuki–Miyaura approaches

A concise and efficient synthesis of densely substituted novel pyrazoles with alkynyl, aryl and ferrocenyl functionalities is reported, providing a platform for biological studies. The general strategy involves Sonogashira and Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions of easily obtainable 5‐ferrocenyl/phenyl‐4‐iodo‐1‐phenylpyrazoles with terminal alkynes and boronic acids, respectively. The starting 4‐iodopyrazoles were synthesized by electrophilic cyclization of α,β‐alkynic hydrazones with molecular iodine. Sonogashira reactions have been achieved by employing 5 mol% PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂, 5 mol% CuI, excess Et₃N and 1.2 equiv. of terminal alkyne, relative to 4‐iodopyrazole, in tetrahydrofuran at 65 °C, while Suzuki–Miyaura reactions have been accomplished using 5 mol% PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂ and 1.4 equiv. of both boronic acid/ester and KHCO₃, with respect to 4‐iodopyrazole, in 4:1 dimethylformamide–H₂O solution at 110 °C. Both Sonogashira and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions have proven effective for the synthesis of alkynyl‐, aryl‐ and ferrocenyl‐substituted pyrazoles and demonstrated good tolerance to a diverse range of substituents, including electron‐donating and electron‐withdrawing groups. These coupling approaches could allow for the rapid construction of a library of functionalized pyrazoles of pharmacological interest. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of Enaminone‐Pd(II) Complexes and Their Application in Catalysing Aqueous Suzuki‐Miyaura Cross Coupling Reaction

A series of Pd(II)‐enaminone complexes, termed Pd(eao)₂, have been synthesized and characterized. The investigation on the catalytic activities of these new Pd(II)‐reagents has proved that the Pd(eao)₂‐ 1 possesses excellent catalytic activity for the Suzuki‐ Miyaura cross coupling reactions of aryl bromides/chlorides with aryl/vinyl boronic acids in the environmentally benign media of aqueous PEG400 at low loading (5 mol‰). The superiority of this Pd(II)‐reagent to those commercial Pd(II) and Pd(0) catalysts in catalyzing the reactions has been confirmed by parallel experiments. What's more, Pd(eao)₂‐ 2 has been found as a practical catalyst for the homo‐coupling reactions of aryl boronic acids.     

Enantiospecific Synthesis of ortho‐Substituted 1,1‐Diarylalkanes by a 1,2‐Metalate Rearrangement/anti‐SN2′ Elimination/Rearomatizing Allylic Suzuki–Miyaura Reaction Sequence

The one‐pot sequential coupling of benzylamines, boronic esters, and aryl iodides has been investigated. In the presence of an N‐activator, the boronate complex formed from an ortho‐lithiated benzylamine and a boronic ester undergoes stereospecific 1,2‐metalate rearrangement/anti‐S_N2′ elimination to form a dearomatized tertiary boronic ester. Treatment with an aryl iodide under palladium catalysis leads to rearomatizing γ‐selective allylic Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling to generate 1,1‐diarylalkanes. When enantioenriched α‐substituted benzylamines are employed, the corresponding 1,1‐diarylalkanes are formed with high stereospecificity.     

Synthesis of Functionalized o‐, m‐, and p‐Terphenyl Derivatives by Consecutive Cross‐Coupling Reactions of Triazene‐Substituted Arylboronic Esters

Triazene‐substituted arylboronic esters were prepared readily from the corresponding aryl magnesium derivatives and shown to function as a new class of donor–acceptor‐substituted coupling reagents. The selective functionalization of these aromatic derivatives led to a wide variety of terphenyl derivatives in which the original bifunctional unit (often further substituted with another functional group) formed the central aromatic ring. The functionalized terphenyl derivatives were formed in two efficient cross‐coupling steps from the triazene‐substituted boronic esters: Suzuki cross‐coupling with an aryl halide was followed by BF₃?OEt₂‐induced palladium‐catalyzed coupling of the diazonium salt generated in situ from the triazene with an arylboronic acid.     

Carbene adduct of cyclopalladated ferrocenylimine: Efficient catalyst for the Suzuki coupling of sterically hindered aryl chlorides with a weaker base and low catalyst loading

One-pot synthesis of the N,N′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr) adduct of cyclopalladated ferrocenylimine complex 1 has been described. This complex has been successfully applied to Suzuki coupling reaction. Various aryl chlorides and boronic acids can be coupled efficiently with a mild base K₃PO₄·7H₂O and low catalyst loadings. This system has been proven to be compatible with the sterically hindered aryl chlorides and some boronic acids leading to form di- and tri-ortho-substituted biaryls in high yields.