Structures of Highly Twisted Amides Relevant to Amide N−C Cross‐Coupling: Evidence for Ground‐State Amide Destabilization

Herein, we show that acyclic amides that have recently enabled a series of elusive transition‐metal‐catalyzed N?C activation/cross‐coupling reactions are highly twisted around the N?C(O) axis by a new destabilization mechanism of the amide bond. A unique effect of the N‐glutarimide substituent, leading to uniformly high twist (ca. 90°) irrespective of the steric effect at the carbon side of the amide bond has been found. This represents the first example of a twisted amide that does not bear significant steric hindrance at the α‐carbon atom. The ¹⁵N NMR data show linear correlations between electron density at nitrogen and amide bond twist. This study strongly supports the concept of amide bond ground‐state twist as a blueprint for activation of amides toward N?C bond cleavage. The new mechanism offers considerable opportunities for organic synthesis and biological processes involving non‐planar amide bonds.     

A Convenient Synthesis of N‐Aryl Benzamides by Rhodium‐Catalyzed ortho‐Amidation and Decarboxylation of Benzoic Acids

The rhodium‐catalyzed amidation of substituted benzoic acids with isocyanates by directed C?H functionalization followed by decarboxylation to afford the corresponding N‐aryl benzamides is demonstrated, in which the carboxylate serves as a unique, removable directing group. Notably, less common meta‐substituted N‐aryl benzamides are generated readily from more accessible para‐ or ortho‐substituted groups by employing this strategy.     

C−H Acetoxylation‐Based Chemical Synthesis of 17 β‐Hydroxymethyl‐17 α‐methyl‐18‐norandrost‐13‐ene Steroids

Palladium‐catalyzed C?H acetoxylation has been proposed as a key transformation in the first chemical synthesis of steroids bearing a unique 17β‐hydroxymethyl‐17α‐methyl‐18‐nor‐13‐ene D ‐fragment. This C?H functionalization step was crucial for inverting the configuration at the quaternary stereocenter of a readily available synthetic intermediate. The developed approach was applied to prepare the metandienone metabolite needed as a reference substance in anti‐doping analysis to control the abuse of this androgenic anabolic steroid.     

A Selective RhI‐Catalyzed Substrate‐Controlled C−C Bond Activation of Benzyl Sulfonamide/Alcohol‐Tethered Alkylidenecyclopropanes

Benzyl sulfonamide/alcohol‐tethered alkylidenecyclopropanes undergo a rhodium‐catalyzed and substrate‐controlled selective C?C bond activation, producing three types of common organic structural units: benzo[c]azepine/oxepines, dihydronaphthalen‐1‐amines, and conjugated dienes. Epoxidation and aromatization of these products to construct two useful compounds have also been achieved.     

Non‐coordinating‐Anion‐Directed Reversal of Activation Site: Selective C−H Bond Activation of N‐Aryl Rings

An Rh‐catalyzed selective C?H bond activation of diaryl‐substituted anilides is described. In an attempt to achieve C?H activation of C‐aryl rings, we unexpectedly obtained an N‐aryl ring product under non‐coordinating anion conditions, whereas the C‐aryl ring product was obtained in the absence of a non‐coordinating anion. This methodology has proved to be an excellent means of tuning and adjusting selective C?H bond activation of C‐aryl and N‐aryl rings. The approach has been rationalized by mechanistic studies and theoretical calculations. In addition, it has been found and verified that the catalytic activity of the rhodium catalyst is obviously improved by non‐coordinating anions, which provides an efficient strategy for obtaining a highly chemoselective catalyst. Mechanistic experiments also unequivocally ruled out the possibility of a so‐called “silver effect” in this transformation involving silver.     

非晶态固体的结构可以决定性能吗?

晶态固体的力学性能与塑性变形主要由结构缺陷, 比如位错的运动决定. 而在非晶态固体中结构如何决定性能, 仍然是固体力学、材料学和凝聚态物理学共同关心但尚未解决的核心问题之一.传统材料学研究的经典范式为"结构决定性能". 遵循这一信条, 已经有大量的实验表征与理论、模拟研究, 尝试将非晶态固体的某种结构特征与性能建立一一对应关系. 但是, 科学界对于非晶固体结构-性能关系成立与否, 以及背后隐藏的规律知之甚少. 本文针对非晶态固体的变形机制以及其微结构特征, 基于分子动力学模拟, 定量评估短程简单结构与中长程复杂结构在决定非晶态固体动力学性能方面的效用. 通过海量抽样每种具体玻璃结构的激活能(标识激发难易程度), 尝试将结构参数与激活能建立定量关系, 从而揭示出非晶态固体结构-性能关系的隐藏主控因素为结构的空间关联, 受限比几何结构本身更关键. 只有某种结构在空间上呈现亚纳米级的空间关联长度, 这种完备结构才有可能有效地决定非晶态固体的力学性能, 而短程简单结构则无效. 进一步, 给出了评价非晶态固体结构预测性能有效性的普适定量方法, 为建立广义无序物质的结构-性能关系提供了筛选准则.      

Selective Benzylic CH-Borylations by Tandem Cobalt Catalysis

Metal-catalyzed C?H activations are environmentally and economically attractive synthetic strategies for the construction of functional molecules as they obviate the need for pre-functionalized substrates and minimize waste generation. Great challenges reside in the control of selectivities, the utilization of unbiased hydrocarbons, and the operation of atom-economical dehydrocoupling mechanisms. An especially mild borylation of benzylic CH bonds was developed with the ligand-free pre-catalyst Co[N(SiMe₃)₂]₂ and the bench-stable and inexpensive borylation reagent B₂pin₂ that produces H₂ as the only by-product. A full set of kinetic, spectroscopic, and preparative mechanistic studies are indicative of a tandem catalysis mechanism of CH-borylation and dehydrocoupling via molecular Co^I catalysts.     

An Isolable Gallium-Substituted Nitrilimine and its Reactivity with B−H,Si−H and B−B Bonds

Reaction of the Ga(I) compound NacNacGa ( 9 ) with the diazo compound N₂CHSiMe₃ affords the nitrilimine compound NacNacGa(N-NCSiMe₃)(CH₂SiMe₃) ( 10 ). Carrying out this reaction in the presence of pyridine does not lead to C−H activation on the transient alkylidene NacNacGa=CHSiMe₃ but generates a metallated diazo species NacNacGa(NHN=CHSiMe₃)(CN₂SiMe₃) ( 13 ) that further rearranges into the isonitrile compound NacNacGa(NHN=CHSiMe₃)(N(NC)SiMe₃) ( 15 ). Reactions of 10 with the silane H₃SiPh and the borane HBcat furnished products of 1,3 addition to the nitrilimine moiety NacNacGa{N(ER_n)NCSiMe₃}(CH₂SiMe₃), whereas reaction with the diborane B₂cat₂ gave the product of formal nitrene insertion into the B−B bond. DFT calculations suggest that the interaction of 9 with N₂CHSiMe₃ proceeds through intermediate formation of an alkylidene compound that undergoes CH activation with a second molecule of N₂CHSiMe₃. Insertion into the B−B bond likely proceeds through an initial 1,3-addition of the diborane, followed by boryl migration to the former nitrene center.