Direct meta-C−H Perfluoroalkenylation of Arenes Enabled by a Cleavable Pyrimidine-Based Template

The development of efficient and mild methods for the synthesis of organofluorine compounds is of foremost interest in various fields of chemistry. A direct pyrimidine-based selective meta-C−H perfluoroalkenylation of arenes involving several commercially available perfluoroolefins is described. The synthetic versatility of the protocol is demonstrated by an extensive substrate scope including different benzylsulfonyl, alkylarene and phenylacetic acid scaffolds. The generality of this methodology including the meta-C−H perfluoroalkenylation of Ibuprofen, the facile cleavage of the directing group and gram-scale reactions are presented.     

Regioselective Hydroformylation of Internal and Terminal Alkenes via Remote Supramolecular Control

Regioselective catalytic transformations using supramolecular directing groups are increasingly popular as it allows for control over challenging reactions that may otherwise be impossible. In most examples the reactive group and the directing group are close to each other and/or the linker between the directing group is very rigid. Achieving control over the regioselectivity using a remote directing group with a flexible linker is significantly more challenging due to the large conformational freedom of such substrates. Herein, we report the redesign of a supramolecular Rh–bisphosphite hydroformylation catalyst containing a neutral carboxylate receptor (DIM pocket) with a larger distance between the phosphite metal binding moieties and the DIM pocket. For the first time regioselective conversion of internal and terminal alkenes containing a remote carboxylate directing group is demonstrated. For carboxylate substrates that possess an internal double bond at the Δ-9 position regioselectivity is observed. As such, the catalyst was used to hydroformylate natural monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in a regioselective fashion, forming of an excess of the 10-formyl product (10-formyl/9-formyl product ratio of 2.51), which is the first report of a regioselective hydroformylation reaction of such substrates.     

Superacid-Mediated Late-Stage Aromatic Polydeuteration of Pharmaceuticals

The field of medicinal chemistry is currently witnessing a deuterium rush owing to the remarkable properties of this element as bioisoster of hydrogen atom. Aromatic hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE) is one of the most studied strategies nowadays as it promises to access deuterium-modified drugs directly from their non-labeled parents. While most of the recent studies focus on metal-catalyzed C−H activation strategy, the use of superacidic conditions has been largely overlooked. This study shows that the use of TfOD as reaction medium allows the late-stage polydeuteration of a broad library of pharmaceuticals bearing a wide array of functional groups, complementing existing procedures.     

Palladium-catalyzed direct allylation of fluorinated benzothiadiazoles with allyl chlorides

A palladium catalyzed cross-coupling of fluorinated benzothiadiazoles (FBTs) with allyl chlorides is reported. The significant feature of this method is synthetic simplicity, providing a straightforward access to unsymmetrical and symmetrical alkylated FBT derivatives that are of interest in organic electronic and optoelectronic materials.     

Electrochemical Sensing of Uric Acid Using Glassy Carbon Modified with Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes Dispersed in Polyethylenimine

This work reports the advantages of using glassy carbon electrodes modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) dispersed in polyethylenimine (PEI). The presence of MWCNTs wrapped by PEI largely facilitated the strong adsorption of uric acid (UA) and allowed its highly sensitive and selective quantification even in the presence of high excess of ascorbic acid. The selected conditions for the electrochemical sensing were 5 s accumulation at ?0.300 V under stirring and quantification in a 0.050 M phosphate buffer solution pH 7.40 by differential pulse voltammetry adsorptive‐stripping after medium exchange. The platform allowed the successful application in the quantification of UA in urine.     

Late-Stage Dehydroxyazidation of Alcohols Promoted by Trifunctional Hypervalent Azido-Iodine(III) Reagents

The development of convenient new methods for the synthesis of organic azides is highly desirable. Herein, we report a practical method for dehydroxyazidation of alcohols via an S_N2 pathway involving PPh₃ and trifunctional benziodazolone-based hypervalent azido-iodine(III) reagents, which function as an electrophilic center, an azido source, and a base. This mild, chemoselective method was used for late-stage azidation of structurally complex alcohols, as well as for a new synthetic route to the antiepileptic drug rufinamide. The reaction mechanism was also investigated both experimentally and computationally.     

Remote Fluorination and Fluoroalkyl(thiol)ation Reactions

Remote functionalization reactions have the power to transform a C−H (or C−C) bond at a distant position from a functional group. This Review summarizes recent advances and key breakthroughs in remote fluorination, trifluoromethylation, difluoromethylation, trifluoromethylthiolation, and fluoroalkenylation reactions. Several powerful strategies have emerged to control the reactivity and distal selectivity such as the undirected radical approach, the 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer, the metal migration, the use of distant directing groups, and the ring-opening reactions. These unconventional and predictable C−H (and C−C) functionalization transformations should allow for the preparation of a wide range of otherwise-difficult-to-access alkyl, aromatic, heteroaromatic, and structurally complex fluorides.     

Improved Interfacial Bonding Strength and Reliability of Functionalized Graphene Oxide for Cement Reinforcement Applications

Poor bonding strength between nanomaterials and cement composites inevitably lead to the failure of reinforcement. Herein, a novel functionalization method for the fabrication of functionalized graphene oxide (FGO), which is capable of forming highly reliable covalent bonds with cement hydration products, and therefore, suitable for use as an efficient reinforcing agent for cement composites, is discussed. The bonding strength between cement and aggregates was improved more than 21 times with the reinforcement of FGO. The fabricated FGO also demonstrated many important features, including high reliability in cement pastes, good dispersibility, and efficient structural refinement of cement hydration products. With the incorporation of FGO, cement mortar samples demonstrated up to 40 % increased early and ultimate strength. Such results make the fast demolding and manufacture of light constructions become highly possible, and show strong advantages on improving productivity, saving cost, and reducing CO₂ emissions in practical applications.     

Versatile functional poly(3‐hexylthiophene) for hybrid particles synthesis by the grafting onto technique: Core@shell ZnO nanorods

We demonstrate an efficient strategy to anchor poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) onto zinc oxide (ZnO) surfaces. Synthesis of a novel triethoxysilane‐terminated regioregular P3HT is herein reported and supported by thorough characterization. Three triethoxysilane‐terminated P3HTs of different molar masses were prepared via a hydrosilylation reaction from allyl‐terminated P3HT. MALDI‐TOF and ¹H NMR were performed to characterize the polymer and show that around 80% of the chains are end‐functionalized. These polymers were then grafted onto the ZnO nanorods to create a macromolecular self‐assembled monolayer. This versatile technique could be subsequently applied to different metal oxide surfaces, such as silicon, titanium, or indium‐tin oxide, and represents a new one‐pot strategy based on triethoxysilane coupling reaction. Importantly, the influence of the molar mass on the grafting density and the polymer shell thickness was studied via thermo gravimetric analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The optical properties of the hybrid materials were determined by UV–visible absorption and photoluminescence to show a quenching effect of P3HT fluorescence by ZnO when grafted. This electronic transfer associated with an improved miscibility of the ZnO@P3HT, makes these hybrid materials suitable candidates for photovoltaic applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 30–38