Transition-Metal-Free Synthesis of Heterobiaryls through 1,2-Migration of Boronate Complex

The synthesis of a diverse range of heterobiaryls has been achieved by a transition-metal-free sp²–sp² cross-coupling strategy using lithiated heterocycle, aryl or heteroaryl boronic ester and an electrophilic halogen source. The construction of heterobiaryls was carried out through electrophilic activation of the aryl–heteroaryl boronate complex, which triggered 1,2-migration from boron to the carbon atom. Subsequent oxidation of the intermediate boronic ester afforded heterobiaryls in good yield. A comprehensive ¹¹B NMR study has been conducted to support the mechanism. The cross coupling between two nucleophilic cross coupling partners without transition metals reveals a reliable manifold to procure heterobiaryls in good yields. Various heterocycles like furan, thiophene, benzofuran, benzothiophene, and indole are well tolerated. Finally, we have successfully demonstrated the gram scale synthesis of the intermediates for an anticancer drug and OLED material using our methodology.     

Direct Light-Enabled Access to α-Boryl Radicals: Application in the Stereodivergent Synthesis of Allyl Boronic Esters**

Operationally simple strategies to assemble boron containing organic frameworks are highly enabling in organic synthesis. While conventional retrosynthetic logic has engendered many platforms focusing on the direct formation of C−B bonds, α-boryl radicals have recently reemerged as versatile open-shell alternatives to access organoborons via adjacent C−C bond formation. Direct light-enabled α-activation is currently contingent on photo- or transition metal-catalysis activation to efficiently generate radical species. Here, we disclose a facile activation of α-halo boronic esters using only visible light and a simple Lewis base to enable homolytic scission. Intermolecular addition to styrenes facilitates the rapid construction of highly versatile E-allylic boronic esters. The simplicity of activation permits the strategic merger of this construct with selective energy transfer catalysis to enable the complimentary stereodivergent synthesis of Z-allylic boronic esters.     

Porous Organic Phenanthroline-Based Polymer as an Efficient Transition-Metal-Free Heterogeneous Catalyst for Direct Aromatic C−H Activation

Direct C−H bond transformation has been regarded as one of the most important areas in organic synthesis in both academia and industry. However, the heterogeneous transition-metal-free catalysis of direct C−H bond transformation has remained a contemporary challenge. To tackle this challenge, we designed and constructed a porous phenanthroline-based polymer (namely POP-Phen) via free radical polymerization of vinyl-functionalized phenanthroline monomers. POP-Phen shows excellent catalytic performances in transition-metal-free catalyzed C−H arylation, even better than those of the corresponding homogeneous catalyst, which is mainly attributed to the high density of catalytically active sites in the heterogeneous catalyst. Kinetic isotope experiments and spectral characterizations demonstrate the electron-transfer between the heterogeneous catalyst and the base (t-BuOK), a key step for C−H activation. We believe that this porous organic phenanthroline polymer could open a new door for the design of novel heterogeneous transition-metal-free catalysts for direct C−H activation.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of Secondary and Tertiary Boronic Esters

Non‐racemic chiral boronic esters are recognised as immensely valuable building blocks in modern organic synthesis. Their stereospecific transformation into a variety of functional groups—from amines and halides to arenes and alkynes—along with their air and moisture stability, has established them as an important target for asymmetric synthesis. Efforts towards the stereoselective synthesis of secondary and tertiary alkyl boronic esters have spanned over five decades and are underpinned by a wealth of reactivity platforms, drawing on the unique and varied reactivity of boron. This Review summarizes strategies for the asymmetric synthesis of alkyl boronic esters, from the seminal hydroboration methods of H. C. Brown to the current state of the art.     

Photocatalyzed Transition-Metal-Free Oxidative Cross-Coupling Reactions of Tetraorganoborates**

Readily accessible tetraorganoborate salts undergo selective coupling reactions under blue light irradiation in the presence of catalytic amounts of transition-metal-free acridinium photocatalysts to furnish unsymmetrical biaryls, heterobiaryls and arylated olefins. This represents an interesting conceptual approach to forge C−C bonds between aryl, heteroaryl and alkenyl groups under smooth photochemical conditions. Computational studies were conducted to investigate the mechanism of the transformation.     

A C-h borylation approach to suzuki-miyaura coupling of typically unstable 2-heteroaryl and polyfluorophenyl boronates

A method for the synthesis of biaryls and heterobiaryls from arenes and haloarenes without the intermediacy of unstable boronic acids is described. Pinacol boronate esters that are analogous to unstable boronic acids are formed in high yield by iridium-catalyzed C-H borylation of heteroarenes and fluoroarenes. These boronates are stable in the solid state or in solution and can be generated and used in situ. They couple with aryl halides in the presence of simple palladium catalysts, providing a convenient route to biaryl and heteroaryl products that have been challenging to prepare via boronic acids.     

Synthesis of high enantiopurity N-protected alpha-amino ketones by thiol ester-organostannane cross-coupling using pH-neutral conditions

An efficient synthesis of high enantiopurity N-protected alpha-amino ketones is described. Complementing other studies using boronic acids and thiol esters, this Cu(I) diphenylphosphinate (CuDPP)-mediated, palladium-catalyzed coupling of alpha-amino thiol esters with aryl, heteroaryl, allyl, and alkenyl organostannanes gives N-protected alpha-amino ketones in high yields with high enantiopurity (in almost all cases) under mild and pH-neutral reaction conditions. The viability of pi-deficient heteroarylstannanes is an advantage of this reaction compared to the related boronic acid system.     

Transition-Metal-Free C(sp2)–C(sp2) Cross-Coupling of Diazo Quinones with Catechol Boronic Esters

A transition-metal-free C(sp²)−C(sp²) bond formation reaction by the cross-coupling of diazo quinones with catechol boronic esters was developed. With this protocol, a variety of biaryls and alkenyl phenols were obtained in good to high yields under mild conditions. The reaction tolerates various functionalities and is applicable to the derivatization of pharmaceuticals and natural products. The synthetic utility of the method was demonstrated by the short synthesis of multi-substituted triphenylenes and three bioactive natural products, honokiol, moracin M, and stemofuran A. Mechanistic studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the reaction involves attack of the boronic ester by a singlet quinone carbene followed by a 1,2-rearrangement through a stepwise mechanism.     

Vinylidene Homologation of Boronic Esters and its Application to the Synthesis of the Proposed Structure of Machillene

Alkenyl boronic esters are important reagents in organic synthesis. Herein, we report that these valuable products can be accessed by the homologation of boronic esters with lithiated epoxysilanes. Aliphatic and electron‐rich aromatic boronic esters provided vinylidene boronic esters in moderate to high yields, while electron‐deficient aromatic and vinyl boronic esters were found to give the corresponding vinyl silane products. Through DFT calculations, this divergence in mechanistic pathway has been rationalized by considering the stabilization of negative charge in the C?Si and C?B bond breaking transition states. This vinylidene homologation was used in a short six‐step stereoselective synthesis of the proposed structure of machillene, however, synthetic and reported data were found to be inconsistent.     

One-pot conversion of 1,1-dibromoalkenes into internal alkynes by sequential Suzuki-Miyaura and dehydrobromination reactions

A protocol for the one-pot synthesis of internal alkynes from 1,1-dibromoalkenes is reported. The method is hinged upon the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of 2-aryl- or 2-heteroaryl-1,1-dibromoalkenes with aryl or heteroaryl boronic acids or borate esters followed by dehydrobromination of the intermediate coupled products. Yields up to 89% were obtained.     

Room Temperature Anhydrous Suzuki–Miyaura Polymerization Enabled by C−S Bond Activation

The Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling is one of the most important and powerful methods for constructing C−C bonds. However, the protodeboronation of arylboronic acids hinder the development of Suzuki–Miyaura coupling in the precise synthesis of conjugated polymers (CPs). Here, an anhydrous room temperature Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction between (hetero)aryl boronic esters and aryl sulfides was explored, of which universality was exemplified by thirty small molecules and twelve CPs. Meanwhile, the mechanistic studies involving with capturing four coordinated borate intermediate revealed the direct transmetalation of boronic esters in the absence of H₂O suppressing the protodeboronation. Additionally, the room temperature reaction significantly reduced the homocoupling defects and enhanced the optoelectronic properties of the CPs. In all, this work provides a green protocol to synthesize alternating CPs.     

Intermolecular Pummerer Coupling with Carbon Nucleophiles in Non‐Electrophilic Media

A new Pummerer‐type C−C coupling protocol is introduced based on turbo‐organomagnesium amides, which unlike traditional Pummerer reactions, does not require strong electrophilic activators, engages a broad range of C(sp³)‐, C(sp²)‐, and C(sp)‐nucleophiles, and seamlessly integrates with C−H and C−X magnesiation. Given the central character of sulfur compounds in organic chemistry, this protocol allows access to unrelated carbonyls, olefins, organometallics, halides, and boronic esters through a single strategy.     

A Lewis Base Catalysis Approach for the Photoredox Activation of Boronic Acids and Esters

We report herein the use of a dual catalytic system comprising a Lewis base catalyst such as quinuclidin‐3‐ol or 4‐dimethylaminopyridine and a photoredox catalyst to generate carbon radicals from either boronic acids or esters. This system enabled a wide range of alkyl boronic esters and aryl or alkyl boronic acids to react with electron‐deficient olefins via radical addition to efficiently form C−C coupled products in a redox‐neutral fashion. The Lewis base catalyst was shown to form a redox‐active complex with either the boronic esters or the trimeric form of the boronic acids (boroxines) in solution.     

Transient and Recyclable Halogenation Coupling (TRHC) for Isoflavonoid Synthesis with Site-Selective Arylation

A transient and recyclable C−H iodination has been designed for the synthesis of isoflavonoids through the domino reactions of o-hydroxyphenyl enaminones and aryl boronic acids in the presence of catalytic KI and Pd catalyst. Instead of the conventional cross-coupling strategy employing pre-halogenated substrates, this method transforms raw C−H bond by means of a transient C−H halogenation to smoothly relay the subsequent C-arylation. Consequently, such a method avoids the pre-functionalization for C−halogen bond installation as well as the generation of stoichiometric halogen-containing waste following the cross-coupled product, disclosing an intriguing new coupling protocol to forge the C−C bond in the virgin area between classical C−X (X=halogen) bond cross coupling and the C−H activation.     

The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of trifluoroethyl iodide with aryl and heteroaryl boronic acid esters

The cross-coupling reactions of 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-iodoethane with aryl and heteroaryl boronic acid esters have been successfully achieved. The new protocol allows for a convenient introduction of trifluoroethyl groups into a variety of aryl and heteroaryl moieties under mild conditions.     

Transition Metal-Free Alkyne-Aldehyde Reductive C−C Coupling trough Cascade Borylation/Olefin Isomerization

A direct approach to γ-keto esters through cascade alkyne-aldehyde reductive C−C coupling of propargyl esters and aromatic aldehydes under transition-metal-free (TM-free) fashion was developed. Compared with multistep processes, this procedure provides a fast path using commercially available materials and could be handled conveniently to produce various γ-keto esters in moderate yields.     

Synthesis of internal alkynes via one-pot palladium-catalyzed and dehydrobromination reactions of 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes

Tandem palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl 2-substituted 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes with aryl or heteroaryl boronic acids or borate esters and dehydrobromination of the intermediate coupled products afforded internal alkynes in moderate to good yields (up to 89%). The synthesis has been carried out in a one-pot process and in a two-step sequence according to the nature of the starting 1,1-dibromoalkenes. The reported protocol is compatible with the presence in the 1,1-dibromo-1-alkene molecule of additional reactive halogen–carbon bonds, thus allowing to build up more complex alkyne derivatives.     

Ambient temperature synthesis of high enantiopurity N-protected peptidyl ketones by peptidyl thiol ester-boronic acid cross-coupling

alpha-Amino acid thiol esters derived from N-protected mono-, di-, and tripeptides couple with aryl, pi-electron-rich heteroaryl, or alkenyl boronic acids in the presence of stoichiometric Cu(I) thiophene-2-carboxylate and catalytic Pd(2)(dba)(3)/triethylphosphite to generate the corresponding N-protected peptidyl ketones in good-to-excellent yields and in high enantiopurity. Triethylphosphite plays a key role as a supporting ligand by mitigating an undesired palladium-catalyzed decarbonylation-beta-elimination of the alpha-amino thiol esters. The peptidyl ketone synthesis proceeds at room temperature under nonbasic conditions and demonstrates a high tolerance to functionality.     

Base-Promoted Difunctionalization of Alkynes: One-Pot Synthesis of Polysubstituted Chromones

A transition-metal-free one-pot procedure for the difunctionalization of alkynes by C−C triple bond oxidation and transformation towards chromone derivatives has been developed. It involves cascade reactions for carbonylation of alkynes, base-promoted C−C σ-bond cleavage, and intramolecular cyclization. This procedure provides an efficient protocol for the synthesis of polysubstituted chromones from readily available starting materials.     

Chemoselective Boronic Ester Synthesis by Controlled Speciation

Control of boronic acid solution speciation is presented as a new strategy for the chemoselective synthesis of boronic esters. Manipulation of the solution equilibria within a cross‐coupling milieu enables the formal homologation of aryl and alkenyl boronic acid pinacol esters. The generation of a new, reactive boronic ester in the presence of an active palladium catalyst also facilitates streamlined iterative catalytic C? C bond formation and provides a method for the controlled oligomerization of sp²‐hybridized boronic esters.