Aza-oxindole synthesis by oxidative coupling of C(sp2)-H and C(sp3)-H centers

A Cu(II) mediated oxidative C(sp(2))-H and C(sp(3))-H coupling protocol gives access to aza-oxindoles in good to excellent yield in the presence of NaOtBu as base and toluene as solvent.     

Metal catalyzed C(sp(3))-H bond amination of 2-alkyl azaarenes with diethyl azodicarboxylate

Metal-catalyzed direct C(sp(3))-H bond amination of 2-alkyl azaarenes with N[double bond, length as m-dash]N double bonds has been developed, which expands the scope of C(sp(3))-H bond activation reactions and provides a new access to medicinally important azaarene derivatives.     

Palladium-catalyzed silyl C(sp3)-H bond activation

The first transition-metal-catalyzed activation of silyl C(sp(3))-H bond was realized and synthetically applied. A variety of organic skeletons substituted with SiMe(3) groups could undergo the Pd-catalyzed intramolecular coupling reaction, resulting in an unprecedented synthetic method for yielding six-membered silacycles. It was found that the adjacent Si atom played an essential role for the activation of the C(sp(3))-H bond of the SiMe(3) group; no activation reaction of the C(sp(3))-H bond of the CMe(3) group took place under the same reaction conditions.     

Original palladium pincer complexes deriving from 1,3-bis(thiophosphinoyl)indene proligands: C(sp3)-H versus C(sp2)-H bond activation

A series of original 2-indenylidene palladium pincer complexes {PdL[Ind(Ph(2)P==S)(2)]} (L = HNCy(2), PPh(3), Cl(-)) have been prepared by double C-H activation of a 1,3-bis(thiophosphinoyl)indene proligand. Crystallographic analyses and DFT calculations indicate that the bonding situation of the {Pd[Ind(Ph(2)P==S)(2)]} fragment is essentially governed by the conjugated and rigid nature of the dianionic pincer ligand, the nature of the coligand having little influence. The formation of the 2-indenylidene complexes involves either a 2-indenyl pincer or a four-membered cyclometalated complex as an intermediate, suggesting that C(sp(2))-H or C(sp(3))-H bond activation takes place. However, deuterium labelling experiences show that in all cases, C(sp(3))-H bond activation occurs followed eventually by a Pd/H exchange. Nevertheless, evidence for direct C(sp(2))-H bond activation under mild conditions is obtained when a methyl group is introduced at the indene proligand to prevent C(sp(3))-H bond activation. The ensuing dissymmetrical 2-indenyl palladium pincer complex has been fully characterized.     

Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade Process Consisting of Isocyanide Insertion and Benzylic C(sp(3))-H Activation: Concise Synthesis of Indole Derivatives

Synthesis of the indole skeleton was achieved using a Pd-catalyzed cascade process consisting of isocyanide insertion and benzylic C(sp(3))-H activation. It was found that slow addition of isocyanide is effective for reducing the amount of catalyst needed and Ad(2)P(n)Bu is a good ligand for C(sp(3))-H activation. The construction of the tetracyclic carbazole skeleton was also achieved by a Pd-catalyzed domino reaction incorporating alkyne insertion.     

Synthesis of polycyclic molecules by double C(sp2)-H/C(sp3)-H arylations with a single palladium catalyst

Polycyclic molecules were obtained in good yields by double C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(3))-H arylations mediated by a single palladium/phosphine catalyst. Both double intermolecular/intramolecular and intramolecular/intramolecular C-C couplings were performed successfully, which indicates that this concept has a broad applicability for the rapid construction of molecular complexity.     

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Oxidative C(sp(2))-H Bond Hydroxylation: Site-Selective C-O Bond Formation on Benzamides

Well-defined ruthenium carboxylate complexes enabled unprecedented ruthenium-catalyzed C(sp(2))-H hydroxylations on benzamides with PhI(OAc)(2) as the oxidant at a remarkably low catalyst loading of 1.0 mol %.     

Palladium-Catalyzed C(sp(3))-H Arylation of Diarylmethanes at Room Temperature: Synthesis of Triarylmethanes via Deprotonative-Cross-Coupling Processes

Although metal-catalyzed direct arylation reactions of non- or weakly acidic C-H bonds have recently received much attention, chemists have relied heavily on substrates with appropriately placed directing groups to steer reactivity. To date, examples of intermolecular arylation of unactivated C(sp(3))-H bonds in the absence of a directing group remain scarce. We report herein the first general, high-yielding, and scalable method for palladium-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H arylation of simple diarylmethane derivatives with aryl bromides at room temperature. This method facilitates access to a variety of sterically and electronically diverse hetero- and nonheteroaryl-containing triarylmethanes, a class of compounds with various applications and interesting biological activity. Key to the success of this approach is an in situ metalation of the substrate via C-H deprotonation under catalytic cross-coupling conditions, which is referred to as a deprotonative-cross-coupling process (DCCP). Base and catalyst identification were performed by high-throughput experimentation (HTE) and led to a unique base/catalyst combination [KN(SiMe(3))(2)/Pd-NiXantphos] that proved to efficiently promote the room-temperature DCCP of diarylmethanes. Additionally, the DCCP exhibits remarkable chemoselectivity in the presence of substrates that are known to undergo O-, N-, enolate-, and C(sp(2))-H arylation.     

Catalytic Radical Cation Salt Induced C(sp(3))-H Functionalization of Glycine Derivatives: Synthesis of Substituted Quinolines

A domino C(sp(3))-H functionalization of glycine derivatives was achieved under catalytic radical cation salt induced conditions, producing a series of quinolines. The proposed mechanism shows that a peroxyl radical cation, which is generated by the coupling between O(2) and TBPA(+?), might be involved to initiate the catalytic oxidation.     

Sequential protocol for C(sp3)-H carboxylation with CO2: transition-metal-catalyzed benzylic C-H silylation and fluoride-mediated carboxylation

One of the most challenging transformations in current organic chemistry is the catalytic carboxylation of a C(sp(3))-H bond using CO(2) gas, an inexpensive and ubiquitous C1 source. A sequential protocol for C(sp(3))-H carboxylation by employing a nitrogen-directed, metal-assisted, C-H activation/catalytic silylation reaction in conjunction with fluoride-mediated carboxylation with CO(2) was established. The carboxylation proceeded only at the benzylic C(sp(3))-Si bond, not at the aromatic C(sp(2))-Si, which is advantageous for further manipulations of the products.     

Photochemically induced radical transformation of C(sp3)-H bonds to C(sp3)-CN bonds

A general protocol for direct transformation of unreactive C(sp(3))-H bonds to C(sp(3))-CN bonds has been developed. The C-H activation was effected by photoexcited benzophenone, and the generated carbon radical was subsequently trapped with tosyl cyanide to afford the corresponding nitrile in a highly efficient manner. The present methodology is widely applicable to versatile starting materials and, thus, serves as a powerful tool for selective one-carbon elongation for construction of architecturally complex molecules.     

Palladium-catalyzed amidation by chemoselective C(sp3)-H activation: concise route to oxindoles using a carbamoyl chloride precursor

Quite select: a new strategy was developed for the synthesis of various oxindoles from carbamoyl chlorides. Under the optimum reaction conditions, with Ad(2)PBu as a ligand, tBuCONHOH as an additive, and a CO atmosphere, selective C(sp(3))-H activation proceeded in the presence of a C(sp(2))-H bond. Ad=adamantyl.     

Synthesis of tricyclic nitrogen heterocycles by a sequence of palladium-catalyzed N-H and C(sp3)-H arylations

A range of tricyclic nitrogen heterocycles were synthesized in a straightforward and efficient manner via a sequence involving palladium-catalyzed N-arylation and C(sp(3))-H arylation as the key steps. Whereas the C(sp(3))-H arylation furnished fused 6,5,6-membered ring systems efficiently, the formation of the more strained 6,5,5-membered systems proved to be more challenging and required a subtle adjustment of the reaction conditions.     

Efficient alkyl ether synthesis via palladium-catalyzed, picolinamide-directed alkoxylation of unactivated C(sp3)-H and C(sp2)-H bonds at remote positions

We report the efficient synthesis of alkyl ethers by the functionalization of unactivated sp(3)- and sp(2)-hybridized C-H bonds. In the Pd(OAc)(2)-catalyzed, PhI(OAc)(2)-mediated reaction system, picolinamide-protected amine substrates undergo facile alkoxylation at the γ or δ positions with a range of alcohols, including t-BuOH, to give alkoxylated products. This method features a relatively broad substrate scope for amines and alcohols, inexpensive reagents, and convenient operating conditions. This method highlights the emerging value of unactivated C-H bonds, particularly the C(sp(3))-H bond of methyl groups, as functional groups in organic synthesis.     

Cu-catalyzed oxidative C(sp2)-H cycloetherification of o-arylphenols for the preparation of dibenzofurans

A new process involving copper-catalyzed aerobic C(sp(2))-H activation, followed by cycloetherification, has been developed. This reaction serves as a direct method for the preparation of multisubstituted dibenzofurans starting with o-arylphenols. The presence of a strong para-electron-withdrawing group (e.g., NO(2)) on the phenol is essential for the success of the reaction.     

Ligand-accelerated cross-coupling of C(sp2)-H bonds with arylboron reagents

A ligand-accelerated Pd(II)-catalyzed C(sp(2))-H/arylboron cross-coupling reaction of phenylacetic acid substrates is reported. Using Ac-Ile-OH as the ligand and Ag(2)CO(3) as the oxidant, a fast, high-yielding, operationally simple, and functional group-tolerant protocol has been developed for the cross-coupling of phenylacetic acid substrates with aryltrifluoroborates. This ligand scaffold has also been shown to improve catalysis using 1 atm O(2) as the sole reoxidant, which sheds light on the path forward in developing optimized ligands for aerobic C-H/arylboron cross-coupling.     

Palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation of benzylic C-H bonds via nondirected C(sp3)-H activation

A new strategy for generating benzylpalladium reactive species from toluenes via nondirected C(sp(3))-H activation has been developed. This led to construction of an efficient Pd-catalyzed reaction protocol for the oxidative carboxylation of benzylic C-H bonds to form substituted 2-phenylacetic acid esters and derivatives from inexpensive, commercially available starting materials.     

Regioselective ring expansion of 2,4-diiminoazetidines via cleavage of C-N and C(sp3)-H bonds: efficient construction of 2,3-dihydropyrimidinesulfonamides

A highly regioselective base-mediated ring expansion of 2,4-diiminoazetidines via cleavage of C-N and C(sp(3))-H bonds is achieved for the first time to afford efficiently 2,3-dihydropyrimidinesulfonamides. The mechanism of the ring expansion via tandem 4π electrocyclic ring-opening/1,5-H shift/6π electrocyclic ring-closing is well confirmed by the trapping experiments of two key intermediates and deuterium labeling studies.     

Palladium-catalyzed direct ethynylation of C(sp3)-H bonds in aliphatic carboxylic acid derivatives

The first catalytic alkynylation of unactivated C(sp(3))-H bonds has been accomplished. The method allows for the straightforward introduction of an ethynyl group into aliphatic acid derivatives under palladium catalysis. This new reaction can be applied to the rapid elaboration of complex aliphatic acids, for example, via azide/alkyne cycloaddition.     

Diastereo- and enantioselective intramolecular C(sp3)-H arylation for the synthesis of fused cyclopentanes

All C-H bonds are not equal: The intramolecular arylation of unactivated C(sp(3))-H bonds in the presence of a chiral Pd/binepine catalyst allows the synthesis of fused cyclopentanes efficiently and in an diastereo- and enantioselective manner (see scheme).