Decarbonylative C-C bond forming reactions mediated by transition metals

New methods for carbon-carbon (C-C) forming reactions are constantly emerging in the field of organic synthesis. In this review, a brief history followed by recent developments of decarbonylative C-C forming reactions mediated by transition metals is described. Many different substrates are presented and the review is organized by the different carbonyl precursors, such as acyl chlorides, aldehydes, anhydrides, esters and ketones, used in the respective transformations. Furthermore, the broad scope of these reactions is exhibited by the application to several reaction types (e.g. Heck-type reactions, Suzuki cross-coupling type reactions, C-H activation, etc.) as well as a natural product synthesis (e.g. muscroride A). While several examples are provided, this review marks the beginning of a new field that is still in its infancy and for what might be a new approach to achieve highly efficient reactions that come closer to meeting the standards of chemical economies (e.g. atom, redox, step, etc.) and green chemistry.     

Recent advances in sulfenylation of C(sp3)-H bond under transition metal-free conditions

In recent years,the transition metal-free sulfenylation of C-H bond for C-S formation has been rapidly advanced and has become an eco-friendly synthetic tool for pharmacists and organic chemists.Various natural or bioactive molecules such as(hetero)arenes,olefins,carbonyl compounds,alkanes,have been employed for sulfenylating reactions.This review will focus on the recent five-year advances in C-S bond formation via direct sulfenylation of C(sp^3)-H bonds under metal-free conditions and elaborate their mechanisms from a new perspective.     

Recent advances in theoretical studies on ligand-controlled selectivity of nickel- and palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

Nickel-and palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions have attracted wide attentions,while ligandcontrolled selectivity in these reactions are still elusive,and calculations can help obtain possible catalytic cycles to generate different products and provide insights into key factors of selectivity,which facilitates the development of new catalyst systems to control reaction selectivity.This review covers our efforts and some significant achievements from other groups on ligand-controlled reaction selectivity of coupling reactions,including introduction,computational methods,selectivity control by ligands in Niand Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions,as well as summary and future perspectives.     

Silver-mediated aminophosphinoylation of propargyl alcohols with aromatic amines and H-phosphine oxides leading to α-aminophosphine oxides

A new silver mediated aminophosphinoylation of propargyl alcohols with aromatic amines and Hphosphine oxides for the construction of a-aminophosphine oxides has been developed.The C-N and C-P bond could be efficiently formed in one pot operation via sequential C-C and C-O bond cleavage of propargylic alcohols.This present methodology,which not only provides a simple and alternative strategy for the synthesis of α-aminophosphine oxides,but also opens a new window for the cleavage reactions of propargyl alcohols via dealkynalation coupling.     

Catalytic diastereoselective and enantioconvergent C(sp~3)–C(sp~3) cross-coupling of racemic partners

正Carbon-carbon bond formation is the core of organic synthesis.Transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between organohalides and organometallic reagents is one of the most important and straightforward methods for construction of C-C bonds.The catalytic cross coupling between two sp~2-carbon centers,e.g.,aryl-aryl cross-     

Competition between C-C and C-H Activation in Reactions of Neutral Nickel Atom with Cycloalkanes （n = 3-7）

A theoretical investigation of the reaction mechanisms for C-H and C-C bond activation processes in the reaction of Ni with cycloalkanes C,,H2. （n = 3-7） is carried out. For the Ni ＋ CnH2, （n = 3, 4） reactions, the major and minor reaction channels involve C-C and C-H bond activations, respectively, whereas Ni atom prefers the attacking of C-H bond over the C-C bond in CnH2n （n = 5=7）. The results are in good agreement with the experimental study. In all cases, intermediates and transition states along the reaction paths of interest are characterized, It is found that both the C-H and C-C bond activation processes are proposed to proceed in a one-step manner via one transition state. The overall C-H and C-C bond activation processes are exothermic and involve low energy barriers, thus transition metal atom Ni is a good mediator for the activity of cycloalkanes CnH2n （n = 3 -7）.     

Asymmetric allylation of aldehydes and alkylation using "carbon-centered" chiral organosilicon compounds

The effects of the chiral substituents attached to silicon on the stereoselectivity of the reactions of C-centered chiral silicon compounds was examined. The investigation was focused on the asymmetric C-C bond formation reaction of chiral allylsilanes and α-silylallyl anions with aldehydes. The functionalities of the substituents on silicon can be manipulated to improve the stereoselectivities of the reactions remote from silicon atom.     

Computational mechanistic studies of acceptorless dehydrogenation reactions catalyzed by transition metal complexes

Acceptorless dehydrogenation (AD) that uses non-toxic reagents and produces no waste is a type of catalytic reactions toward green chemistry. Acceptorless alcohol dehydrogenation (AAD) can serve as a key step in constructing new bonds such as C-C and C-N bonds in which alcohols need to be activated into more reactive ketones or aldehydes. AD reactions also can be utilized for hydrogen production from biomass or its fermentation products (mainly alcohols). Reversible hydrogenation/ dehy-drogenation with hydrogen uptake/release is crucial to realization of the potential organic hydride hydrogen storage. In this article, we review the recent computational mechanistic studies of the AD reactions catalyzed by various transition metal complexes as well as the experimental developments. These reactions include acceptorless alcohol dehydrogenations, reversible dehydrogenation/hydrogenation of nitrogen heterocycles, dehydrogenative coupling reactions of alcohols and amines to construct C-N bonds, and dehydrogenative coupling reactions of alcohols and unsaturated substrates to form C-C bonds. For the catalysts possessing metal-ligand bifunctional active sites (such as 28, 45, 86, 87, and 106 in the paper), the dehydrogenations prefer the "bifunctional double hydrogen transfer" mechanism rather than the generally accepted-H elimination mechanism. However, methanol dehydrogenation involved in the C-C coupling reaction of methanol and allene, catalyzed by the iridium complex 121, takes place via the-H elimination mechanism, because the Lewis basicity of either the-allyl moiety or the carboxyl group of the ligand is too weak to exert high Lewis basic reactivity. Unveiling the catalytic mechanisms of AD reactions could help to develop new catalysts.     

Theoretical Study on the Hetero-Diels-Alder Reactions between 3-Pyridinedithioesters and 1-Phenylsulfanylbutadiene

The mechanism, catalytic effect and solvent effect of the hetero-Diels-Alder reac- tions between 3-pyridinedithioesters and 1-phenylsulfanylbutadiene have been studied theoretically using density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level. The results show that all of these reactions proceed in a concerted but asynchronous way. In some reactions the formation of C-S bond is prior to that of C-C bond and the opposite results are found in other reactions. The BF3 catalyst may lower the activation barriers by changing the energies of LUMO for 3-pyridine- dithioester. THF solvent has trivial influence on the potential energy surface of these reactions. With the BF3-catalyzed reactions, regioselectivity and stereoselectivity observed experimentally were predicted correctly by calculations and these results originate probably from C-H···F interaction in two transition states.     

Organocopper(Ⅲ)Compounds with Well-defined Structures Undergo Reductive Elimination to Form C-C or C-Heteroatom Bonds

Reductive elimination around Cu(Ⅲ) atom arises an increasing attention,since this organometallic pathway has been often proposed in a range of Cu-based reactions.However,due to limited organocopper(Ⅲ)compounds with well-defined structures,this elementary reaction still remains an extremely challenging issue.In this review,structurally well-defined organocopper(Ⅲ)compounds are mainly divided into three classes based on their ligands:perfluoromethyl Cu(Ⅲ)compounds,macrocyclic ligand-based aryl-Cu(Ⅲ)compounds,and spiro organocopper(Ⅲ)compounds chelated by biden- tate Iigands.The majority of organocopper(Ⅲ)compounds display the typical square planar geometry.There also exist a few penta-coordinated organocopper(Ⅲ)complexes,which share a weak apical Cu-L bond.In order to form a cis Cu(Ⅲ)-C and Cu(Ⅲ)-Nu bonding geometry required for reductive elimination,the re-arrangement of coordination modes around tetra-coordinated Cu(Ⅲ)atoms is necessary.For the aryl-Cu(Ⅲ)cationic complexes with one Cu(Ⅲ)-C bond,the re-arrangement is triggered by the coordination of the fifth ligand (solvent or nucleophiles),while for the tetra-carbon-coordinated organocuprate(Ⅲ)compounds,the process might be realized via the cleavage of one Cu(Ⅲ)-C bond by attack of electrophiles.Stoichiometric and catalytic reactions involving well-defined organocopper(Ⅲ)compounds to form C-C or C-heteroatom bonds are discussed to support their intermediacy.     

Design and Synthesis of Bis-thioureas Ligands for Pd-Catalyzed Heck Reaction

The palladium-catalyzed arylation of olefins (the Heck reaction) is one of the most versatile tools for C-C bond formation in organic synthesis. Phosphine ligands are generally used to stabilize the reactive palladium intermediates, the air-sensitivity of phosphine ligands, however, places significant limits on their synthetic applications. Recently, Yang1 and we2 have reported Heck and Suzuki reactions of highly active arenediazonium salts and halides catalyzed by air-stable monothiourea-Pd…     

C（sp3）-H bond functionalization of oximes derivatives via 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer induced by iminyl radical

Oximes derivatives have been vastly used in organic synthesis. In this review, C（sp³）-H bond functionalization of oximes derivatives via iminyl radical induced 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer was discussed. According to the different type of products, this review was divided into three parts:（1） C（sp³）-H bond functionalization for C-C bond formation.（2） C（sp³）-H bond functionalization for C-N bond formation.（3） C（sp³）-H bond functionalization for C-S, C-F b...     

Recent Advances in Iron-Catalyzed C-H Bond Amination via Iron Imido Intermediate

Transition-metal-catalyzed C-H bond amination reaction is an attractive method for the synthesis of amines.Fueled by the growing interests in the development of economical and eco-friendly catalysts for organic transformations,there are great recent efforts on developing iron-catalyzed C-H bond amination reactions using organic azides,sulfonyl azides,and iminoiodanes as nitrene source.This review summarizes the progress achieved in the field since 2011.The reaction scope,the synthetic utility of the catalytic reaction,and the current mechanistic understandings of the C-H bond amination reactions catalyzed by hemoproteins,iron porphyrins and phthalocyanines,non-heme-type iron complexes,as well as metal-organic-framework-supported iron complexes are introduced and discussed.     

Carbon–sulfur bond formation via photochemical strategies: An efficient method for the synthesis of sulfur-containing compounds

The development of green and convenient methods for C–S bond formation has received significant attention because C–S bond widely occurs in many important pharmaceutical and biological compounds.Recently, visible-light photoredox catalysis has been established as an efficient and general tool for the construction of C–C and C-heteroatom bonds. In this review, we have focused on the research on recent advances in C–S bond formation via visible-light photoredox catalysis, and the growing opportuni...     

Density Functional Study on the Reaction Mechanism for the Reaction of Ni^＋ with Ethane

The mechanism of the reaction of Ni^ (^2D) with ethane in the gas-phase was studied by using density functional theory.Both the B3LYP and BLYP functionals with standard all-electron basis sets are used to give the detailed information of the potential energy surface (PES) of [Ni,C2,H6]^ . The mechanisms forming the products CH4 and H2 in the reaction of Ni^ with ethane are proposed.The reductive eliminations of CH4 and H2 are typical addition-elimination reactions.Each of the two reactions consists of two elementary steps:C-C or C-H bond activations to form inserted species followed by isomerizations to from product-like intermediate.The rate determining steps for the elimination reactions of forming CH4 and H2 are the isomerization of the inserted species rather than C-C or C-H bond activations .The elimination reaction of forming H2 was found to be thermodynamically favored compared to that of CH4.     

Facile syntheses of 3-trifluoromethylthio substituted thioflavones and benzothiophenes via the radical cyclization

3-CF3 S substituted thioflavones and benzothiophenes were achieved via the reactions of AgSCF3 with methylthiolated alkynones and alkynylthioanisoles,respectively,promoted by persulfate.This protocol possesses good functional group tolerance and high yields.Mechanistic studies suggested that a classic two-step radical process was involved,which includes addition of CF3 S radical to triple bond and cyclization with SMe moiety.     

Addition Reaction of Fe（CO）_n （n = 3～5） on Fullerene C_（50）, C_（60）, and C_（70）： A Density Functional Theory Study

The electronic structure and reactivities of Fe(CO)n (n = 3~5) addition to different fullerenes have been investigated through the first-principles calculations, and the results indicate that Fe(CO)3 and Fe(CO)4 can be adsorbed to the outside network of fullerene via hollow and bridge sites, respectively. Both of them have larger binding energy, but when Fe(CO)5 is adsorbed via the top site, the binding energy is relatively smaller. According to the directional curvature theory, the reactivities of Fe(CO)3 addition to the fullerenes are determined by KM of the ring center, and those of Fe(CO)4 addition by KD of the C-C bond curvature; while for Fe(CO)5, it presents weak reactivities in the addition reaction because of the larger volume effect. No matter whether the addition reaction takes place on the hollow or bridge site, the binding energies show a linear relationship with KD. This work further enriched the directional curvature theory and applied the isolobel analogy theory in the fullerene addition reactions.     

Rh(Ⅰ)-catalyzed borylation of primary alkyl chlorides

Rhodium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of unactivated primary alkyl chlorides with diboron reagents have been developed as practical methods for the synthesis of alkylboronic esters. These reactions expand the concept and utility of Rh(I)-catalyzed cross-coupling of aliphatic electrophiles.     

Synthesis of Dendrimer-supported Chiral Bis(oxazoline) Ligands and Their Applications in Aldol Reaction via Aqueous Media

Chiral bis(oxazoline) ligands have been applied in many enatioselective reactions. Recently, studies of the immobilization of bis(oxazoline) on both soluble and insoluble supports have been of great interest. Among the different methods to anchor the homogeneous catalysts, a soluble, polymer-supported catalyst usually achieves higher stereoselectivity and activity because the catalysis can be separated and recycled via simple methods such as solvent precipitation. Dendrimers are highly branche…     

Tailoring the photophysical and photovoltaic properties of boron-difluorodipyrromethene dimers

Five boron-difluorodipyrromethene(BODIPY) dimers have been designed and synthesized successfully via acid-catalysed condensation and Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions.The structural modification,including verifying the structures of the π-bridges,altering the positions the bridges link(meso-or β-positions),and regulating the molecular planarity,can modulate the photophysical properties and the aggregation behaviors of the five dimers efficiently.Solution-processed organic solar cells were fabricated to evaluate the photovoltaic properties of these molecules further either as acceptors or donors.When using as nonfullerene acceptor and blended with the polymer donor of PTB7,an opencircuit voltaic(V_(oc)) of 1.12 and 1.08 V was achieved from the thiophene and benzodithiophene bridged BODIPY dimers,respectively.This V_(oc) is among the top values achieved from the non-fullerene organic solar cells so far.