A Hydroperoxide-Mediated Decarboxylation of α-Ketoacids Enables the Chemoselective Acylation of Amines

Strategies for the formation of amide bonds, that is, one of the most basic and important transformations in organic synthesis, have so far focused predominantly on dehydration reactions. Herein, we report and demonstrate the practical utility of a novel decarboxylative amidation of α-ketoacids by using inexpensive tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), which is characterized by high yields, a broad substrate scope, mild reaction conditions, and a unique chemoselectivity. These features enable the synthesis of peptides from amino acid derived α-ketoacids under preservation of the stereochemical information.     

A novel and efficient synthesis of porphine

meso-Tetra(n-hexyloxycarbonyl)porphyrin was found to be converted into porphine, the mother compound of porphyrins, in a 77% yield when heated in aqueous sulfuric acid at 180 °C over 30 min under an inert atmosphere. The observation demonstrates that the substituted porphyrin serves as a novel and useful precursor for porphine.     

Synthesis of (trichloromethyl)organosilanes by catalytic decarboxylation of (trichloroacetoxy)organosilanes

A method for preparing (trichloromethyl)organosilanes by the catalytic decarboxylation of the corresponding trichloroacetoxysilanes RMe₂SiOC(O)CCl₃ (R = Me, ClCH₂, Ph, Me₃Si, and H) has been developed. The method involves heating the starting compounds without a solvent in the presence of a catalyst (quaternary ammonium salts or potassium salts with the addition of crown ethers). Tertiary amines (Et₃N, Bu₃N) catalyze this reaction only when heating is carried out in donor aprotic solvents (THF, acetonitrile) in the presence of oxygen. Thermal decomposition of (trichloroacetoxy)organosilanes, in contrast to catalytic decarboxylation, begins at a higher temperature and yields a mixture of products.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 150–153, January, 1995.     

Convenient route to enantiopure aryl cyclopentanes via Diels-Alder reaction of asymmetric dienes. Total synthesis of (+)-herbertene and (+)-cuparene

A general route for the synthesis of highly substituted aryl cyclopentanes has been developed involving Diels-Alder reaction of asymmetric dienes prepared from (+)-camphoric acid followed by aromatization of the resulting cyclohexene derivatives. Employing this protocol enantiospecific synthesis of (+)-herbertene and (+)-cuparene has been accomplished.     

A study of the thermal decarboxylation of three perfluoropolyether salts

The thermal decarboxylation of three dicarboxylic perfluoropolyether potassium salts of relatively short chain length has been investigated and the products and kinetics of the main reactions have been defined. From the rate constants and Arrhenius parameters data, the second decarboxylation appears to be quantitatively rather close to the first.     

4-hydroxy-2-quinolones. 96. Synthesis and properties of 4-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid

Alkaline hydrolysis of the ethyl ester of 4-(cyanoethoxycarbonylmethyl)-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid is accompanied by decarboxylation with loss of two molecules of CO₂ and leads to 4-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 887–893, June, 2006.     

Gas‐phase functionalized carbon‐carbon coupling reactions catalyzed by Ni (II) complexes

Gas‐phase C―C coupling reactions mediated by Ni (II) complexes were studied using a linear quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. Ternary nickel cationic carboxylate complexes, [(phen)Ni (OOCR¹)]⁺ (where phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline), were formed by electrospray ionization. Upon collision‐induced dissociation (CID), they extrude CO₂ forming the organometallic cation [(phen)Ni(R¹)]⁺, which undergoes gas‐phase ion‐molecule reactions (IMR) with acetate esters CH₃COOR² to yield the acetate complex [(phen)Ni (OOCCH₃)]⁺ and a C―C coupling product R¹‐R². These Ni(II)/phenanthroline‐mediated coupling reactions can be performed with a variety of carbon substituents R¹ and R² (sp³, sp², or aromatic), some of them functionalized. Reaction rates do not seem to be strongly dependent on the nature of the substituents, as sp³‐sp³ or sp²‐sp² coupling reactions proceed rapidly. Experimental results are supported by density functional theory calculations, which provide insights into the energetics associated with the C―C bond coupling step.     

Advances in Electrochemical Decarboxylative Transformation Reactions

Owing to their non-toxic, stable, inexpensive properties, carboxylic acids are considered as environmentally benign alternatives as coupling partners in various organic transformations. Electrochemical mediated decarboxylation of carboxylic acid has emerged as a new and efficient methodology for the construction of carbon-carbon or carbon-heteroatom bonds. Compared with transition-metal catalysis and photoredox catalysis, electro-organic decarboxylative transformations are considered as a green and sustainable protocol due to the absence of chemical oxidants and strong bases. Further, it exhibits good tolerance with various functional groups. In this Minireview, we summarize the recent advances and discoveries on the electrochemical decarboxylative transformations on C−C and C−heteroatoms bond formations.     

Synthesis of 4‐Arylthio‐3‐hydroxyphthalate by the Diels–Alder Reactionof 4‐Arylthio‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐pyrone

Treatment of 4‐arylthio‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐pyrones with acetylenedicarboxylates gave 4‐arylthio‐3‐hydroxyphthalates by the base‐catalyzed Diels–Alder reaction via a decarboxylation in good yields.     

Direct Cyclopropanation of α-Cyano β-Aryl Alkanes by Light-Mediated Single Electron Transfer Between Donor–Acceptor Pairs

Cyclopropanes are traditionally prepared by the formal [2+1] addition of carbene or radical based C1 units to alkenes. In contrast, the one-pot intermolecular cyclopropanation of alkanes by redox active C1 units has remained unrealised. Herein, we achieved this process simply by exposing β-aryl propionitriles and C1 radical precursors (N-oxy esters) to base and blue light. The overall process is redox-neutral and a photocatalyst, whether metal- or organic-based, is not required. Our findings support that single electron transfer (SET) from the α-cyano carbanion of the propionitrile to the N-oxy ester is facilitated by blue-light via their electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complex. The α-cyano carbon radical thus formed can then lose a β-proton to form a π-resonance stabilised radical anion that preferentially couples at the benzylic β-position with a decarboxylated C1 radical unit. This new transition metal-free chemistry tolerates both electron rich and electron deficient (hetero)aryl systems, even sulfide or alkene functionality, to afford a range of cis-aryl/cyano cyclopropanes bearing congested tetrasubstituted quaternary carbons.