Photoredox Catalytic Pentafluorosulfanylative Domino Cyclization of α-Substituted Alkenes to Oxaheterocycles by Using SF6

Virtually inert sulfur hexafluoride becomes a precious pentafluorosulfanylation agent, if properly activated by photoredox catalysis, to access α-fluoro and α-alkoxy SF₅-compounds. This advanced protocol converts SF₆ in the presence of alkynols as bifunctional C−C- and C−O-bond forming reagents directly into pentafluorosulfanylated oxygen-containing heterocycles in a single step from α-substituted alkenes. The proposed mechanism is supported by theoretical calculations and gives insights not only in the pentafluorosulfanylation step but also into formation of the carbon-carbon bond and is in full agreement with Baldwin's cyclization rules. The key step is a radical type 5-, 6- respectively 7-exo-dig-cyclization. The synthesized oxaheterocycles cannot be simply prepared by other synthetic methods, show a high level of structural complexity and significantly expand the scope of pentafluorosulfanylated building blocks valuable for medicinal and material chemistry.     

Reactivity of Binary and Ternary Sulfur Halides towards Transition-Metal Compounds

Binary sulfur fluorides exhibit an interesting reactivity towards transition metal complexes. They open up routes for the generation of sulfur-containing building blocks. Often ligands with particular properties can be constructed. This includes their ability to transfer sulfur atoms or polysulfide units as well as fluorination reactions. This Minireview provides an insight into the reactivity of the binary and ternary sulfur halides S₂Cl₂, SCl₂, SF₄, SF₆ and SF₅Cl towards transition-metal compounds.     

Recent advancements in the synthesis of pentafluorosulfanyl (SF5)-containing heteroaromatic compounds

The unique features of the pentafluorosulfanyl (SF₅) group have made it renowned as a “super trifluoromethyl (CF₃)” group. Owing to the big success of CF₃-containing heteroaromatic compounds in medicinal chemistry, agro-chemistry and material sciences, SF₅-substituted heteroaromatic compounds have gained a lot of attention in very recent years as novel and potential candidates in these fields. However, the synthetic methodology for SF₅-substituted heteroaromatic compounds is still highly limited. This digest highlights the recent, rapid, and significant advances made in the synthesis of SF₅-heteroaromatics.     

Importance of a Fluorine Substituent for the Preparation of meta‐ and para‐Pentafluoro‐λ6‐sulfanyl‐Substituted Pyridines

Although there are ways to synthesize ortho‐pentafluoro‐λ⁶‐sulfanyl (SF₅) pyridines, meta‐ and para‐SF₅‐substituted pyridines are rare. We disclose herein a general route for their synthesis. The fundamental synthetic approach is the same as reported methods for ortho‐SF₅‐substituted pyridines and SF₅‐substituted arenes, that is, oxidative chlorotetrafluorination of the corresponding disulfides to give pyridylsulfur chlorotetrafluorides (SF₄Cl‐pyridines), followed by chloride/fluoride exchange with fluorides. However, the trick in this case is the presence on the pyridine ring of at least one fluorine atom, which is essential for the successful transformation of the disulfides into m‐and p‐SF₅‐pyridines. After enabling the synthesis of an SF₅‐substituted pyridine, ortho‐F groups can be efficiently substituted by C, N, S, and O nucleophiles through an S_NAr pathway. This methodology provides access to a variety of previously unavailable SF₅‐substituted pyridine building blocks.     

Formation of α‐SF5‐Enolate Enables Preparation of 3‐SF5‐Quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF5‐Quinolines,and 3‐SF5‐Pyridin‐2‐ones: Evaluation of their Physicochemical Properties

This study describes, for the first time, the generation of a SF₅‐substituted ester enolate from benzyl SF₅‐acetate under soft enolization conditions, which in turn participates in aldol addition reactions in high yield. The reaction was applied in the synthesis of 3‐SF₅‐quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF₅‐quinolines, and 3‐SF₅‐pyridin‐2‐ones, none of which have previously been reported. To provide guidelines for their use in drug discovery, the physicochemical properties of these building blocks were determined and compared with those of their CF₃‐ and t‐Bu‐analogues.     

Formation of α‐SF5‐Enolate Enables Preparation of 3‐SF5‐Quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF5‐Quinolines,and 3‐SF5‐Pyridin‐2‐ones: Evaluation of their Physicochemical Properties

This study describes, for the first time, the generation of a SF₅‐substituted ester enolate from benzyl SF₅‐acetate under soft enolization conditions, which in turn participates in aldol addition reactions in high yield. The reaction was applied in the synthesis of 3‐SF₅‐quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF₅‐quinolines, and 3‐SF₅‐pyridin‐2‐ones, none of which have previously been reported. To provide guidelines for their use in drug discovery, the physicochemical properties of these building blocks were determined and compared with those of their CF₃‐ and t‐Bu‐analogues.     

Making the SF5 Group More Accessible: A Gas‐Reagent‐Free Approach to Aryl Tetrafluoro‐λ6‐sulfanyl Chlorides

Modern pentafluorosulfanyl (SF₅) chemistry has an Achilles heel: synthetic accessibility. Herein, we present the first approach to aryl‐SF₄Cl compounds (key intermediates in state‐of‐the‐art aryl‐SF₅ synthesis) that overcomes the reliance on hazardous fluorinating reagents and/or gas reagents (e.g. Cl₂) by employing easy‐to‐handle trichloroisocyanuric acid, potassium fluoride, and catalytic amounts of acid. These simple, mild conditions allow direct access to aryl‐SF₄Cl intermediates that either have not been or cannot be demonstrated using previous methods. Furthermore, the same approach provides access to aryl‐SF₃ and aryl‐SeF₃ compounds, which extend the applications of this chemistry beyond arene SF₅‐functionalization, and demonstrate its ability to address a more general oxidative fluorination problem.     

Synthesis of Phthalocyanines with a Pentafluorosulfanyl Substituent at Peripheral Positions

The pentafluorosulfanyl (SF₅) group is more electronegative, lipophilic and sterically bulky relative to the well‐explored trifluoromethyl (CF₃) group. As such, the SF₅ group could offer access to pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and optoelectronic materials with novel properties. Here, the first synthesis of phthalocyanines (Pcs), a class of compounds used as dyes and with potential as photodynamic therapeutics, with a SF₅ group directly attached on their peripheral positions is disclosed. The key for this work is the preparation of a series of SF₅‐containing phthalonitriles, which was beautifully regio‐controlled by a stepwise cyanation via ortho‐lithiation/iodination from commercially available pentafluorosulfanyl arenes. The macrocyclization of the SF₅‐containing phthalonitriles to SF₅‐substituted Pcs required harsh conditions with the exception of the synthesis of β‐SF₅‐substituted Pc. The regiospecificity of the newly developed SF₅‐substituted Pcs observed by UV/Vis spectra and fluorescence quantum yields depend on the peripheral positon of the SF₅ group.     

The Supramolecular Structural Chemistry of Pentafluorosulfanyl and Tetrafluorosulfanylene Compounds

The analysis of crystal structures of SF₅- or SF₄-containing molecules revealed that these groups are often surrounded by hydrogen or other fluorine atoms. Even though fluorine prefers F⋅⋅⋅H over F⋅⋅⋅F contacts, the latter appeared to be important in many compounds. In a significant number of datasets, the closest F⋅⋅⋅F contacts are below 95 % of the van der Waals distance of two F atoms. Moreover, a number of repeating structural motifs formed by contacts between SF₅ groups was identified, including different supramolecular dimers and infinite chains. Among SF₄-containing molecules, the study focused on SF₄Cl compounds, including the first solid-state structure analyses of these reactive species. Additionally, electrostatic potential surfaces of a series of Ph-SF₅ derivatives were calculated, pointing out the substituent influence on the ability of F⋅⋅⋅X contact formation (X=F or other electronegative atom). Interaction energies were calculated for different dimeric arrangements of Ph-SF₅, which were extracted from experimental crystal structure determinations.     

Preparation and Characterization of Pentafluoro-λ6-sulfanyldifluoromethane and Pentafluoro-λ6-sulfanyl-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane

The pentafluorosulfanyl-λ⁶-perfluoroalkyl halides SF₅CF₂I, SF₅CF₂CF₂Br, and SF₅CF₂CF₂I were prepared for use in the syntheses of other SF₅-containing compounds. For example, new, convenient syntheses were developed for the hydro compounds SF₅CF₂H and SF₅CF₂CF₂H from the reduction of these iodides or bromides with either triethylborane or tributyltin hydride. Herein, more thorough spectroscopic analyses of the hydro compounds are presented, including multinuclear NMR and vibrational spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and computational chemistry. Unfortunately, under the conditions tried, little to no evidence was obtained for potential SF₅(CF₂)_n- (where n=1 or 2) transfer reagents such as SF₅(CF₂)_nSi(CH₃)₃ or Cu(CF₂)_nSF₅.     

Single crystal X-ray structural features of aromatic compounds having a pentafluorosulfuranyl (SF<Subscript>5</Subscript>) functional group

Nine pentafluorosulfuranyl (SF₅)-containing aromatic compounds have been characterized crystallographically. The SF₅ group has an umbrella geometry, and the sulfur atom in the SF₅ group is in an approximately octahedral coordination environment. All S–F bond lengths [1.572(3)–1.618(3) Å] are very similar, and the C–S–F_ax bond angles [178.94(14)–180°] are very close to each other. The angle of two adjacent F_eq is approximately 90°. The intramolecular and intermolecular interactions such as C_aryl–H···F_eq, C_aryl–H···O/N/F/Cl interactions, and π-stacking interactions play a very important role in their three-dimensional packing frameworks.     

Tuning the Regioselective Functionalization of Trifluoromethylated Dienes via Lanthanum-Mediated Single C−F Bond Activation

The development of new fluorine-containing building blocks and their efficient synthetic access is currently a challenging research field. Herein, the highly regio- and stereoselective addition of a large range of aldehydes onto trifluoromethylated benzofulvenes was achieved using a simple La/I₂/DIBAL-Cl system via a selective C−F bond activation process. This versatile methodology provided homodienyl alcohols bearing a terminal CF₂-alkene with potential further applications, as shown by the dehydration to the first benzofulvenes carrying a difluorovinyl group. In addition, for certain electron-poor aldehydes, unprecedented ipso substitution of the CF₃ group in a diene was observed, which, according to DFT studies, is related to the presence of the large, Lewis-acidic lanthanum metal.     

Synthèse d'acétals de désoxy-3-hydroxyamino-3-furannoses. Note de laboratoire

Synthesis of 3-Deoxy-3-(hydroxyamino)furanose Acetals Reduction of sugar ketoximes with NaBH₃CN under acidic conditions constitutes a good synthetic pathway to deoxy(hydroxyamino)sugar derivatives. These compounds which are useful building blocks for the preparation of analogs of various classes of biologically important carbohydrates are reasonably stable.     

Organoboron Reagent-Controlled Selective (Deutero)Hydrodefluorination

(Deuterium-labeled) CF₂H- and CFH₂-moieties are of high interest in drug discovery. The high demand for the incorporation of these fluoroalkyl moieties into molecular structures has witnessed significant synthetic progress, particularly in the (deutero)hydrodefluorination of CF₃-containing compounds. However, the controllable replacement of fluorine atoms while maintaining high chemoselectivity remains challenging. Herein, we describe the development of a selective (deutero)hydrodefluorination reaction via electrolysis. The reaction exhibits a remarkable chemoselectivity control, which is enabled by the addition of different organoboron sources. The procedure is operationally simple and scalable, and provides access in one step to high-value building blocks for application in medicinal chemistry. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been carried out to investigate the reaction mechanism and to rationalize the chemoselectivity observed.     

Synthesis and Characterization of 2‐Pyridylsulfur Pentafluorides

Current approaches to prepare SF₅‐substituted heterocycles during the synthesis of targeted heterocyclic compounds require the use of SF₅‐functionalized aryl or alkyne reagents or SF₅Cl as a source of the SF₅ functional group. Herein we report that excess oxidative fluorination of 2,2′‐dipyridyl disulfide with a KF/Cl₂/MeCN system leads to the formation of thirteen new 2‐pyridylsulfur chlorotetrafluorides (2‐SF₄Cl‐pyridines). These molecules are found to undergo further chlorine–fluorine exchange reactions by treatment with silver(I) fluoride enabling ready access to a series of ten new substituted 2‐pyridylsulfur pentafluorides (2‐SF₅‐pyridines). This is the first preparatively simple and readily scalable example of the transformation of an existing heterocyclic sulfur functionality to prepare SF₅‐substituted heterocycles.     

Carbenoid Complexes of Electron-Deficient Transition Metals—Syntheses of and with Short-Lived Building Blocks

The relation of thermodynamic stability and kinetic lability of σ-organometallic compounds of transition metals, together with an improved understanding of the subtle interactions between central metal, ligands, and substrates, has increased the chemist's ability to plan organometallic syntheses. This article presents new results on intermediary and isolable synthetic building blocks incorporating metal–ligand multiple bonds of electron-deficient transition metals; the main emphasis will be placed on compounds with titanium–carbon double bonds. This particular class of compounds is mainly generated by H-transfer reactions starting from readily accessible alkyl and alkenyl derivatives. The preparative use of [L₂Ti(CHR₂)R′] derivatives as sources for [L₂Ti?CR₂] intermediates will be discussed, as well as the nature of these intermediates. Application of the same approach to vinyltitanium compounds [L₂Ti(CH?CH₂)R] opens up an access to a short-lived metallaallene derivative [L₂Ti?C?CH₂] of an electron-deficient transition metal. The reactivity of these synthetic building blocks is mainly characterized by the nucleophilic properties of the α-C atoms as well as by the spatial orientation of the π-bonding planes. Numerous cycloaddition products with unsaturated substrates could be isolated and characterized for the first time by using [L₂Ti?C?CH₂] intermediates. Hence it is possible to compare the properties of a multitude of metallacyclic ring systems with those obtained from “Tebbe–Grubbs chemistry”, and in this context, the dependence of the properties of metallacyclic four-membered rings on the substitution pattern is discussed. This class of compounds includes the metallaoxetanes, which have been obtained for the first time by the cycloaddition of the [CpTi?C?CH₂] intermediate with cumulenes and metal carbonyls. The differing cycloreversion behavior of these metallaoxetanes enables the differentiation of species exhibiting classical and nonclassical reactivity. The number and position of the exocyclic double bonds are the determining factors of the reactivity of the formed metallacycles. The discussion of the products obtained from titanium methylene and vinylidene building blocks is an up-to-date report on the formation and applications of carbene complexes and carbene intermediates of group 4 metals.     

Helical β-isoindigo-Based Chromophores with B−O−B Bridge: Facile Synthesis and Tunable Near-Infrared Circularly Polarized Luminescence

It is essential to create organic compounds that exhibit circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) in the near-infrared (NIR) range. Helicene-type emitters possess appealing chiroptical features, however, such NIR molecules are scarce due to a paucity of synthetic strategies. Herein, we developed a series of helical β-isoindigo-based B−O−B bridged aza-BODIPY analogs that were synthesized conveniently. The reaction of diimino-β-isoindigo with a heteroaromatic amine produced a restricted ligand cavity, which triggered off the generation of a B−O−B bridge. The B−O−B bridge led to distorted conformations that satisfy the helical requirements, resulting in excellent spectroscopic and chiroptical properties. Tunable CPL with the highest luminescence dissymmetry factor (g_lum) of 1.3×10⁻³ and a CPL brightness (B_CPL=11.5 M⁻¹ cm⁻¹) in the NIR region was achieved. This synthetic approach is expected to offer a new opportunity to chiral chemistry and increase flexibility for chiroptical tuning.     

Fluorine-Containing Organozinc Reagents Part 1 A Simple Synthesis of 2,2-Dichloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropanol

The title compound 1 , which can be regarded as a synthetic equivalent of substituted 1,1,1-trifluoroacetone 2 , is prepared by Zn-induced reductive addition of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane ( 3 ) to formaldehyde ( 4 ). A brief survey of the scope of this C? C-bond formation leading to a variety of new CF₃-containing synthetic building blocks is also given.     

Cu/Pd Synergistic Dual Catalysis: Asymmetric α-Allylation of an α-CF3 Amide

Despite the burgeoning demand for fluorine-containing chemical entities, the construction of CF₃-containing stereogenic centers has remained elusive. Herein, we report the strategic merger of Cu^I/base-catalyzed enolization of an α-CF₃ amide and Pd⁰-catalyzed allylic alkylation in an enantioselective manner to deliver chiral building blocks bearing a stereogenic carbon center connected to a CF₃, an amide carbonyl, and a manipulable allylic group. The phosphine complexes of Cu^I and Pd⁰ engage in distinct catalytic roles without ligand scrambling to render the dual catalysis operative to achieve asymmetric α-allylation of the amide. The stereoselective cyclization of the obtained α-CF₃-γ,δ-unsaturated amides to give tetrahydropyran and γ-lactone-fused cyclopropane skeletons highlights the synthetic utility of the present catalytic method as a new entry to non-racemic CF₃-containing compounds.     

Simple Synthetic Routes to N-Heterocyclic Carbene Gold(I)–Aryl Complexes: Expanded Scope and Reactivity

The discovery of sustainable and scalable synthetic protocols leading to gold–aryl compounds bearing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands sparked an investigation of their reactivity and potential utility as organometallic synthons. The use of a mild base and green solvents provide access to these compounds, starting from widely available boronic acids and various [Au(NHC)Cl] complexes, with reactions taking place under air, at room temperature and leading to high yields with unprecedented ease. One compound, (N,N′-bis[2,6-(di-isopropyl)phenyl]imidazol-2-ylidene)(4-methoxyphenyl)gold, ([Au(IPr)(4-MeOC₆H₄)]), was synthesized on a multigram scale and used to gauge the reactivity of this class of compounds towards C−H/N−H bonds and with various acids, revealing simple pathways to gold–based species that possess attractive properties as materials, reagents and/or catalysts.