Direct C−H Carbamoylation of Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles

Nucleophilic radical additions at innately electrophilic C(sp²) centers are perfectly suited for the direct functionalization of heterocycles. Using bench stable and commercially available alkyl oxamate and oxamic acid derivatives in combination with photoredox catalysis, a direct carbamoylation of heterocycles yielding amide functionalized pharmacophores in a single step is reported. The reaction conditions reported are compatible with structurally complex heterocyclic substrates of pharmaceutical interest. Notably, derivatives containing functional groups incompatible with standard amidation reactions, such as carboxylic acids and unprotected amines, were found to be amenable to this reaction paradigm.     

Aryl Boronic Acid Catalysed Dehydrative Substitution of Benzylic Alcohols for C−O Bond Formation

A combination of pentafluorophenylboronic acid and oxalic acid catalyses the dehydrative substitution of benzylic alcohols with a second alcohol to form new C−O bonds. This method has been applied to the intermolecular substitution of benzylic alcohols to form symmetrical ethers, intramolecular cyclisations of diols to form aryl-substituted tetrahydrofuran and tetrahydropyran derivatives, and intermolecular crossed-etherification reactions between two different alcohols. Mechanistic control experiments have identified a potential catalytic intermediate formed between the aryl boronic acid and oxalic acid.     

Alkylation of Allyl/Alkenyl Sulfones by Deoxygenation of Alkoxyl Radicals

A challenging deoxygenation of alkoxyl radicals from readily accessible alcohol derivatives was developed, affording facile synthesis of functionalized alkenes with good functional group tolerance under mild reaction conditions. Because alkoxyl radicals can easily undergo β-fragmentations or hydrogen abstractions, this new strategy for deoxygenation of alkoxyl radicals is highly valuable. Moreover, mechanistic studies revealed that the electron-neutral phosphine acts as the deoxygenation reagent.     

When Gold Cations Meet Polyoxometalates

Merging gold(I) cations with polyoxometalate anions results in various interclusters and complexes. Herein, the synthesis of these newly emerging gold(I)/polyoxometalate materials is reviewed. The applications of these promising hybrids in organic catalysis are also summarized and evaluated in terms of the advantages and limitations of the catalysts including efficiency, synergistic effects and recyclability.     

Copper-Catalyzed Electrophilic Thiolation of Organozinc Halides by Using N-Thiophthalimides Leading to Polyfunctional Thioethers

(Hetero)aryl, benzylic, and alkyl zinc halides were thiolated with N-thiophthalimides at 25 °C within 1 h in the presence of 5–10 % Cu(OAc)₂ ⋅ H₂O to furnish the corresponding polyfunctionalized thioethers in good yields. This electrophilic thiolation was extended to the introduction of trifluoromethylthio (SCF₃), thiocyanate (SCN), and selenophenyl (SePh) groups. The utility of this method was shown in a seven-step synthesis of a potent cathepsin D inhibitor in 34 % overall yield.     

Are Two Metal Ions Better than One? Mono- and Binuclear α-Diimine-Re(CO)3 Complexes with Proton-Responsive Ligands in CO2 Reduction Catalysis

Here, the reduction chemistry of mono- and binuclear α-diimine-Re(CO)₃ complexes with proton responsive ligands and their application in the electrochemically-driven CO₂ reduction catalysis are presented. The work was aimed to investigate the impact of 1) two metal ions in close proximity and 2) an internal proton source on catalysis. Therefore, three different Re complexes, a binuclear one with a central phenol unit, 3 , and two mononuclear, one having a central phenol unit, 1 , and one with a methoxy unit, 2 , were utilised. All complexes are active in the CO₂-to-CO conversion and CO is always the major product. The catalytic rate constant k_cat for all three complexes is much higher and the overpotential is lower in DMF/water mixtures than in pure DMF (DMF=N,N-dimethylformamide). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies in the absence of substrate revealed that this is due to an accelerated chloride ion loss after initial reduction in DMF/water mixtures in comparison to pure DMF. Chloride ion loss is necessary for subsequent CO₂ binding and this step is around ten times faster in the presence of water [ 2 : k^Cl(DMF)≈1.7 s⁻¹; k^Cl(DMF/H₂O)≈20 s⁻¹]. The binuclear complex 3 with a proton responsive phenol unit is more active than the mononuclear complexes. In the presence of water, the observed rate constant k_obs for 3 is four times higher than of 2 , in the absence of water even ten times. Thus, the two metal centres are beneficial for catalysis. Lastly, the investigation showed that the phenol unit has no impact on the rate of the catalysis, it even slows down the CO₂-to-CO conversion. This is due to an unproductive, competitive side reaction: After initial reduction, 1 and 3 loose either Cl⁻ or undergo a reductive OH deprotonation forming a phenolate unit. The phenolate could bind to the metal centre blocking the sixth coordination site for CO₂ activation. In DMF, O−H bond breaking and Cl⁻ ion loss have similar rate constants [ 1 : k^Cl(DMF)≈2 s⁻¹, k^OH≈1.5 s⁻¹], in water/DMF Cl⁻ loss is much faster. Thus, the effect on the catalytic rate is more pronounced in DMF. However, the acidic protons lower the overpotential of the catalysis by about 150 mV.     

Topotactic Conversion of Alkali-Treated Intergrown Germanosilicate CIT-13 into Single-Crystalline ECNU-21 Zeolite as Shape-Selective Catalyst for Ethylene Oxide Hydration

The conversion of the alkali-treated intergrowth germanosilicate CIT-13 into the single-crystalline high-silica ECNU-21 (named after East China Normal University) zeolite, with a novel topology and a highly crystalline zeolite framework, has been realized through a creative top-down strategy involving a mild alkaline-induced multistep process consisting of structural degradation and reconstruction. Instead of acid treatment, hydrolysis in aqueous ammonia solution not only readily cleaved the chemically weak Ge(Si)−O−Ge bonds located within the interlayer double four ring (D4R) units of CIT-13, but also cleaved the metastable Si−O−Si bonds therein. This led to extensive removal of the D4R units, and also generated silanol groups on adjacent silica-rich layers, which then condensed to form a novel daughter structure upon calcination. Individual oxygen bridges in the reassembled ECNU-21 replaced the germanium-rich D4R units in CIT-13, thereby eliminating the original intergrowth phenomenon along the b axis. With an ordered crystalline structure of 10-ring (R) channels as well as suitable germanium-related Lewis acid sites, ECNU-21 serves as a stable solid Lewis acid catalyst for the shape-selective hydration of ethylene oxide (EO) to ethylene glycol (EG) at greatly reduced H₂O/EO ratios and reaction temperature in comparison with the noncatalytic industrial process.     

A New Insight into the Stereoelectronic Control of the Pd0-Catalyzed Allylic Substitution: Application for the Synthesis of Multisubstituted Pyran-2-ones via an Unusual 1,3-Transposition

Pyran-2-ones 3 undergo a novel Pd⁰-catalyzed 1,3-rearrangement to afford isomers 6 . The reaction proceeds via an η²-Pd complex, the pyramidalization of which (confirmed by quantum chemistry calculations) offers a favorable antiperiplanar alignment of the Pd−C and allylic C−O bonds ( C ), thus allowing the formation of an η³-Pd intermediate. Subsequent rotation and rate-limiting recombination with the carboxylate arm then gives isomeric pyran-2-ones 6 . The calculated free energies reproduce the observed kinetics semi-quantitatively.     

A Bait-and-Switch Method for the Construction of Artificial Esterases for Substrate-Selective Hydrolysis

Outcomes of chemical reactions are generally dominated by the intrinsic reactivities of reaction partners, but enzymes frequently override such constraints to transform less reactive molecules in the presence of more reactive ones. Despite the attractiveness of such catalysis, it is difficult to build synthetic catalysts with these features. Micellar imprinting is a powerful method to create template-complementary binding sites inside protein-sized water-soluble nanoparticles. When a photocleavable functional monomer was used to bind two phosphonate/phosphate templates as transition-state analogues, active sites with predetermined size and shape were formed inside doubly cross-linked micelles through molecular imprinting. Postmodification replaced the binding group with a catalytic pyridyl group, forming highly selective artificial esterases. The catalysts displayed enzyme-like kinetics and turnover numbers that were in the hundreds. The selectivity of the catalysts, derived from the substrate-complementary imprinted active sites, enabled transformation of less reactive esters in the presence of more reactive ones.     

All Non-Carbon B3NO2 Exotic Heterocycles: Synthesis,Dynamics, and Catalysis

The B₃NO₂ six-membered heterocycle (1,3-dioxa-5-aza-2,4,6-triborinane=DATB), comprising three different non-carbon period 2 elements, has been recently demonstrated to be a powerful catalyst for dehydrative condensation of carboxylic acids and amines. The tedious synthesis of DATB, however, has significantly diminished its utility as a catalyst, and thus the inherent chemical properties of the ring system have remained virtually unexplored. Here, a general and facile synthetic strategy that harnesses a pyrimidine-containing scaffold for the reliable installation of boron atoms is disclosed, giving rise to a series of Pym-DATBs from inexpensive materials in a modular fashion. The identification of a soluble Pym-DATB derivative allowed for the investigation of the dynamic nature of the B₃NO₂ ring system, revealing differential ring-closing and -opening behaviors depending on the medium. Readily accessible Pym-DATBs proved their utility as efficient catalysts for dehydrative amidation with broad substrate scope and functional-group tolerance, offering a general and practical catalytic alternative to reagent-driven amidation.