Recent advances in the boration and cyanation functionalization of alkenes and alkynes

Alkenyl boron-esters and acrylonitrile groups are key structural functional groups found in dyes, pesticides, fluorescent compounds, functional materials, and biologically active drugs. Considerable efforts have been devoted for the introduction of boron-esters and acrylonitrile groups by using alkenes and alkynes conversion routes for boronation, hydroboronation, dehydrogenative boronation, cyanation, hydrocyanation, alkylcyanation, cyanomethylation. These reported methodologies are very valuable for the industrial production of acrylonitriles and alkenyl boron esters.     

Diphosphination of ortho-quinone methide precursors with diphosphines

A fluorine anion-mediated diphosphination of ortho-quinone methide precursors (2-(chloromethyl)silyloxybenzenes) with diphosphines has been developed. The reaction proceeds smoothly under mild conditions (CH₂Cl₂ solvent, 0 °C) to form the corresponding 2-(phosphinomethyl)oxyphosphinobenzenes, which are potential bidentate ligands in metal catalysis. Additionally, some mechanistic investigations are also performed.     

The role of ancillary ligands and of electron poor alkenes and alkynes in stabilizing Pd(0) derivatives: A comparative study

The peculiar characteristics of the ligand neocuproine (2,9-dimethylphenanthroline) allow a number of exchange equilibrium studies between the low valence complex [Pd(η²-nq)(Neocup)] (nq = naphthoquinone; Neocup = neocuproine) and several alkenes and alkynes. A new order of stability which compares differently unsaturated molecules was established. An overview of the factors governing the stability of palladium(0) alkene and alkyne derivatives as a function of the steric and electronic characteristics of both the unsaturated molecule and the ligand becomes accessible and a comparison with the previously determined order was therefore feasible. Such a comparison enlightens the importance of the substituent methyl groups in ortho position of the hetero-aromatic ring which represents the molecular fragment common to all the ligands considered. Taking advantage of the steric requirements of the alkene tmetc (tmetc = tetramethylethylenetetracarboxylate) a kinetic investigation of the reaction between the olefin itself and the complexes [Pd(η²-dmfu)(L-L′)] (dmfu = dimethylfumarate; L-L′ = 8-diphenylphosphanyl-2-methyl-quinoline, neocuproine, phenanthroline) was carried out. The structures of the complexes [Pd(η²-dmfu)(DPPQ)] and [Pd(η²-deta)(Neocup)] (deta = but-2-ynedioc acid diethyl ester) were also reported in the present paper. The structure of the latter represents the first example of a palladium(0) complex in which the N₂C₂ donor set around the metal centre is supported by a chelating η²-alkyne.     

Advances in chemoselective and/or stereoselective semihydrogenation of alkynes

The chemoselective semihydrogenation of alkynes is one of the most important reactions in synthetic organic chemistry. During the last decade or so, a multitude of innovative catalytic methods have been developed to address the selective hydrogenation of alkynes. This digest focuses on the recent developments in chemoselective semihydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes.     

FeBr_3-catalyzed dibromination of alkenes and alkynes

The dibromination of alkenes and alkynes with bromosuccinimide and sodium bromide catalyzed by FeBr₃ under mild conditions has been developed.The trans-dibromo compounds were exclusively obtained with excellent yields.     

m-Iodosylbenzoic acid, a tagged hypervalent iodine reagent for the iodo-functionalization of alkenes and alkynes

An efficient and facile method for the iodo-functionalization of alkenes 5 and alkynes 6 by using recyclable m-iodosylbenzoic acid (2) was developed. The final products can be easily isolated without any chromatographic purification by simple treatment of the crude mixture with an anionic exchange resin. Unreacted m-iodosylbenzoic acid and reduced m-iodobenzoic acid are effectively recovered from the resin by acidification with hydrochloric acid.     

One-pot conversion of 1,1-dibromoalkenes into internal alkynes by sequential Suzuki-Miyaura and dehydrobromination reactions

A protocol for the one-pot synthesis of internal alkynes from 1,1-dibromoalkenes is reported. The method is hinged upon the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of 2-aryl- or 2-heteroaryl-1,1-dibromoalkenes with aryl or heteroaryl boronic acids or borate esters followed by dehydrobromination of the intermediate coupled products. Yields up to 89% were obtained.     

Synthesis of internal alkynes via one-pot palladium-catalyzed and dehydrobromination reactions of 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes

Tandem palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl 2-substituted 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes with aryl or heteroaryl boronic acids or borate esters and dehydrobromination of the intermediate coupled products afforded internal alkynes in moderate to good yields (up to 89%). The synthesis has been carried out in a one-pot process and in a two-step sequence according to the nature of the starting 1,1-dibromoalkenes. The reported protocol is compatible with the presence in the 1,1-dibromo-1-alkene molecule of additional reactive halogen–carbon bonds, thus allowing to build up more complex alkyne derivatives.     

Recent advances in the synthetic and mechanistic aspects of the ruthenium-catalyzed carbon-heteroatom bond forming reactions of alkenes and alkynes

The group’s recent advances in catalytic carbon-to-heteroatom bond forming reactions of alkenes and alkynes are described. For the C-O bond formation reaction, a well-defined bifunctional ruthenium-amido catalyst has been successfully employed for the conjugate addition of alcohols to acrylic compounds. The ruthenium-hydride complex (PCy₃)₂(CO)RuHCl was found to be a highly effective catalyst for the regioselective alkyne-to-carboxylic acid coupling reaction in yielding synthetically useful enol ester products. Cationic ruthenium-hydride catalyst generated in-situ from (PCy₃)₂(CO)RuHCl/HBF₄·OEt₂ was successfully utilized for both the hydroamination and related C-N bond forming reactions of alkenes. For the C-Si bond formation reaction, regio- and stereoselective dehydrosilylation of alkenes and hydrosilylation of alkynes have been developed by using a well-defined ruthenium-hydride catalyst. Scope and mechanistic aspects of these carbon-to-heteroatom bond forming reactions are discussed.     

IBX/I2-mediated oxidation of alkenes and alkynes in water: a facile synthesis of α-iodoketones

The conversion of alkenes into α-iodoketones has been achieved in good yields and with high regioselectivity by means of iodohydrin formation and subsequent oxidation with 2-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) under mild conditions. Aromatic alkynes are also converted into their corresponding α-iodoketones under similar conditions.     

Recent advances in electrooxidative radical transformations of alkynes

During the past few years, electrochemical oxidative reactions through radical intermediates have emerged as an environmentally-benign, powerful platform for the facile formation of C–E(E = C, N, S, Se, O and Hal) bonds through singleelectron-transfer(SET) processes at the electrodes. Functionalized unsaturated molecules and unusual structural motifs can, for instance, be directly constructed under exceedingly mild reaction conditions through initial radical attack onto alkynes. This minireview ...     

Additions to non-activated alkenes: Recent advances

Non-activated olefins represent one of the most explored platform in organic synthesis affording new and useful compounds with several biological applications, among others. The typical reactivity of these compounds is the addition-type reactions. A plethora of transformations and studies were reported in the literature by many research groups. The focus of this review is to organize and describe the most recent synthetic transformations of non-activated alkenes in organic synthesis. Therefore, it is divided into five sections corresponding to each type of the products obtained: synthesis of fluoro-, chloro- and bromo-compounds; synthesis of alkyl/vinyl/aryl/heteroaryl compounds; synthesis of phospho/sulfur/silyl/cyano-compounds; synthesis of amine/amide/oxygenated compounds and synthesis of other functionalized compounds.     

Gas phase surface-catalyzed HCl addition to vinylacetylene: motion along a catalytic surface. Experiment and theory

Gaseous mixtures of HCl and vinylacetylene were permitted to react in Pyrex IR cells (NaCl windows). Gaseous 4-chloro-1,2-butadiene and 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene (chloroprene) were the major products. Kinetic data (FTIR) generated a rate expression in concert with surface catalysis. Computational studies involving surface associated water provide a view that accounts for the experimentally determined orders and a bifurcated pathway producing both products. The results are in accord with wall-adsorbed reactant(s) as well as previously reported computational studies on the reactants.     

Ir2S3/ZnIn2S4催化下可见光诱导发生的烯烃/炔烃的高效硫氢化反应:Ir2S3的作用

C–S键的构建在化学中具有非常重要的意义.利用硫醇和烯烃/炔烃的硫氢化反应来构建C?S键是一种绿色、可持续和低成本的方法.本文以ZnCl2,InCl3,硫代乙酰胺为前驱体,在微量IrCl3存在条件下,通过一步溶剂热法制备得到了含有不同Ir摩尔比(0.5 mol％,1 mol％和2 mol％)的Ir2S3/ZnIn2S4...     

Regioselective cyclotrimerization of phenylacetylenes to 1,2,4-triarylbenzenes catalyzed by iridium-diphosphine complexes

The organoiridium derivatives HIr(cod)(P-P) (cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene; P-P=dppm (bis(diphenylphosphino)methane), dppe (1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane), dppp (1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane), dppb (1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane)) catalyze the regioselective cyclotrimerization of phenylacetylene as well as of its derivatives p-CH₃OC₆H₄CCH and p-CF₃C₆H₄CCH. The catalytic activity of the precursors as well as the selectivity towards formation of the 1,2,4-triarylbenzenes (up to 100%) are influenced by the diphosphine, and both increase by decreasing the size of the phosphine-iridium chelate ring.     

Recent advances of achiral and chiral diene ligands in transition-metal catalyses

A series of achiral and chiral diene and the related ligands in transition-metal complexes is evaluated by percent buried volume (%V_bur) based on their molecular structures by X-ray analysis. Steric bulk of cyclic diene ligands in [Ru(acac)₂L] and [RhClL]₂ are sorted in the order of %V_bur. Recent developments on transition-metal catalyses using these ligands such as (i) conjugate arylations, alkenylation, and alkynylation, (ii) imine-arylations and alkenylations, (iii) kinetic resolutions, (iv) allylation, (v) cyclizations, (vi) defluorinations, (vii) CH bond activations, and (viii) cross-dimerizations are reviewed.     

Palladium-catalyzed hydrophosphinylation of alkenes and alkynes

Various palladium catalysts promote the addition of hypophosphorous derivatives ROP(O)H(2) to alkenes and alkynes in good yields and under mild conditions. Particularly, Cl(2)Pd(PPh(3))(2)/2 MeLi, and Pd(2)dba(3)/xantphos allow for phosphorus-carbon bond formation instead of transfer hydrogenation. Commercial aqueous solutions of hypophosphorous acid can be employed successfully at ambient temperature. With styrene and terminal alkynes, the regioselectivity (linear versus branched products) can be controlled to some extent with the catalytic system employed. The methodology considerably extends upon previous routes for the preparation of H-phosphinic acids and other organophosphorus compounds.