One-pot assembling of selenazolines from elemental selenium,alkenes and acetonitrile

A new method for assembling 1,3-selenazolines by the iodine- mediated reaction of the simplest building blocks such as elemental selenium, alkenes and acetonitrile has been discovered. A proposed mechanism includes the addition of the intermediate selenium iodides to alkene with subsequent solvent interception by the formed seleniranium ion.     

Photoinduced C(sp3)−N Bond Cleavage Leading to the Stereoselective Syntheses of Alkenes

Herein we report a versatile Mizoroki–Heck-type photoinduced C(sp³)−N bond cleavage reaction. Under visible-light irradiation (455 nm, blue LEDs) at room temperature, alkyl Katritzky salts react smoothly with alkenes in a 1:1 molar ratio in the presence of 1.0 mol % of commercially available photoredox catalyst without the need for any base, affording the corresponding alkyl-substituted alkenes in good yields with broad functional-group compatibility. Notably, the E/Z-selectivity of the alkene products can be controlled by an appropriate choice of photoredox catalyst.     

AuI-Catalyzed Haloalkynylation of Alkenes

The formal insertion of alkenes into aromatic chloro- and bromoalkynes takes place under cationic gold catalysis. This haloalkynylation reaction can be performed with cyclic, gem-disubstituted and monosubstituted alkenes, using BINAP, triazolo[4,3-b]isoquinolin-3-ylidene ligands or SPhos, respectively. The products were isolated in moderate to excellent yields and with complete diastereo- and regioselectivity; the halogen atom bonding the more substituted carbon of the alkene. Preliminary experiments showed that the enantioselective haloalkynylation of cyclopentene can be performed with (S)-BINAP to afford the insertion products with moderate to good enantioselectivities.     

Hydroboration of Alkenes Catalysed by a Nickel N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complex: Reaction and Mechanistic Aspects

The pentamethylcyclopentadienyl N-heterocyclic carbene nickel complex [Ni(η⁵-C₅Me₅)Cl(IMes)] (IMes=1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene) efficiently catalyses the anti-Markovnikov hydroboration of alkenes with catecholborane in the presence of a catalytic amount of potassium tert-butoxide, and joins the very exclusive club of nickel catalysts for this important transformation. Interestingly, the regioselectivity can be reversed in some cases by using pinacolborane instead of catecholborane. Mechanistic investigations involving control experiments, ¹H and ¹¹B NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, piezometric measurements and DFT calculations suggest an initial reduction of the Ni^II precursor to a Ni^I active species with the concomitant release of H₂. The crucial role of the alkoxo-catecholato-borohydride species resulting from the reaction of potassium tert-butoxide with catecholborane in the formation of an intermediate nickel-hydride species that would then be reduced to the Ni^I active species, is highlighted.     

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.     

Hydrosilylation Reactions Catalyzed by Rhenium

Hydrosilylation is an important process, not only in the silicon industry to produce silicon polymers, but also in fine chemistry. In this review, the development of rhenium-based catalysts for the hydrosilylation of unsaturated bonds in carbonyl-, cyano-, nitro-, carboxylic acid derivatives and alkenes is summarized. Mechanisms of rhenium-catalyzed hydrosilylation are discussed.     

Chemoselective Alkene Hydrosilylation Catalyzed by Nickel Pincer Complexes

Chemoselective hydrosilylation of functionalized alkenes is difficult to achieve using base‐metal catalysts. Reported herein is that well‐defined bis(amino)amide nickel pincer complexes are efficient catalysts for anti‐Markovnikov hydrosilylation of terminal alkenes with turnover frequencies of up to 83 000 per hour and turnover numbers of up to 10 000. Alkenes containing amino, ester, amido, ketone, and formyl groups are selectively hydrosilylated. A slight modification of reaction conditions allows tandem isomerization/hydrosilylation reactions of internal alkenes using these nickel catalysts.     

Synthesis of 1,3-Dioxan-2-ones by Photo-Aerobic Selenium-π-Acid Multicatalysis

An expedient method for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from homoallylic carbonic acid esters by means of photo-aerobic selenium-π-acid multicatalysis is reported. Until now, conceptually related methods commonly relied either on the stoichiometric addition of electrophiles onto the substrate's alkene moiety or the presence of pre-installed leaving groups in allylic position of said alkene to – in part, catalytically – initiate an intramolecular attack by an adjacent carbonic acid ester group. In sharp contrast, the current study shows that the C−C double bond of homoallylic carbonic acid esters can be directly activated by the catalytic interplay of a pyrylium dye and a diselane using ambient air as the sole oxidant and visible light as an energy source.