A copper- and amine-free Sonogashira coupling reaction promoted by a ferrocene-based phosphinimine-phosphine ligand at low catalyst loading

A palladium(II) complex containing a ferrocene-based phosphinimine-phosphine ligand was applied to the amine- and copper-free Sonogashira coupling of aryl iodides and aryl bromides with terminal alkynes using 1 equiv of tetrabutylammonium acetate as an activator. The corresponding disubstituted alkynes were obtained in high yields and TONs using 0.1 mol % Pd-catalyst.     

Copper-free PdCl2/PPh3-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling reaction of aryl bromides with terminal alkynes in water

A simple, copper-free and efficient catalytic system for the Sonogashira coupling reaction of aryl bromides with terminal alkynes in pure water has been developed. The use of PdCl₂/PPh₃ in the presence of pyrrolidine allows the coupling reaction to proceed at 120 °C in moderate to excellent yields.     

Sonogashira coupling with aqueous ammonia directed to the synthesis of azotolane derivatives

Sonogashira coupling with aqueous ammonia is tolerable for the reaction of aryl iodides or terminal alkynes bearing an azobenzene group. The reaction of (4-heptyloxyphenyl)ethyne with (4-heptyloxyphenyl)-(4-iodophenyl)diazene in the presence of 1 mol% of PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂, 2 mol% of CuI, and 2 equiv of 0.5 M aqueous ammonia gives the corresponding azotolane in 87% isolated yield after stirring at room temperature for 15 h.     

Copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction catalyzed by polymer-supported N-heterocyclic carbene palladium complex

A core-shell type of polymer-supported N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) palladium catalyst was applied to Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions without copper cocatalyst under ambient atmosphere. This supported NHC-palladium complex efficiently catalyzed the copper-free Sonogashira reaction of various aryl iodides and bromides with terminal alkynes; the reaction exhibited high dependency on the temperature and the amount of base as well as its nature. In addition, this heterogeneous catalyst exhibited good reusability for the copper-free Sonogashira reaction.     

An efficient and mild iron-mediated synthesis of alkenyl halides via direct C-C bond formation of benzyl alcohols and aryl alkynes

This work demonstrated an efficient and mild method for preparing various substituted alkenyl halides via direct C-C bond formation of benzyl alcohols and aryl alkynes in CH₂Cl₂ at 50 °C by using 50 mol % of FeCl₃·6H₂O or FeBr₃. Compared with the systems using excessive boron trihalides and stoichiometric n-BuLi to prepare substituted alkenyl halides, the present procedure would provide an excellent alternative due to the environmentally benign system and atom efficiency.     

Cyclopalladated ferrocenylimines: efficient catalysts for homocoupling and Sonogashira reaction of terminal alkynes

A novel pathway for homocoupling of terminal alkynes has been described using cyclopalladated ferrocenylimine 1 or 2/CuI as catalyst in the air. This catalytic system could tolerate several functional groups. The palladacycle 2 in the presence of n-Bu₄NBr as an additive could be applied to Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction of aryl iodides, aryl bromides, and some activated aryl chlorides with terminal alkynes under amine- and copper-free conditions, mostly to give moderate to excellent yields.     

Cationic iridium-BINAP complex-catalyzed addition of aryl ketones to alkynes and alkenes via directed C-H bond cleavage

Cationic Ir complex ([Ir(cod)₂]BF₄ + BINAP) catalyzed the addition of ortho-C-H bonds in aryl ketones to alkynes, which gave alkenylated products in good to high yield. Styrene derivatives were good substrates, and the enantioselective addition to norbornene was also described.     

Highly stereoselective one-pot synthesis of tetrasubstituted alkenes via carbopalladation reaction of fluorine-containing acetylene derivatives

Treatment of fluoroalkylated alkynes with various aryl halides and arylboronic acids in the presence of Pd(0) in DMF/H₂O at 100 °C for 2 h led to the smooth three-component coupling reaction, the corresponding tetrasubstituted alkenes being obtained in high yields stereoselectively.     

First heterogeneously palladium-catalysed fully selective C3-arylation of free NH-indoles

A simple heterogeneously palladium-catalysed procedure for the selective C3-arylation of indoles is reported. Under relatively standard reaction conditions (Pd-catalyst, K₂CO₃, dioxane, reflux), using only 1 mol % [Pd(NH₃)₄]/NaY as the catalyst, indoles substituted or not at position 2 gave up to 92% conversion (i.e., 85% isolated yield) towards the expected C3-arylated indole.     

Nano TiO2/SO4 as a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of 5-substited-1H-tetrazoles

An efficient and economical protocol for the synthesis of 5-substituted-1H-tetrazoles from various nitriles and sodium azide is reported using nano TiO₂/SO₄²⁻ as an effective heterogeneous catalyst. A wide variety of aryl nitriles underwent [3 + 2] cycloaddition to afford tetrazoles in good to excellent yields.     

The versatile role of norbornene in C-H functionalization processes: concise synthesis of tetracyclic fused pyrroles via a threefold domino reaction

The synthesis of novel tetracyclic fused pyrroles from 1-(2-iodophenyl)-1H-pyrrole and various bromoalkyl-aryl alkynes via a palladium(0)-catalyzed and norbornene-mediated threefold domino reaction is reported. PdCl₂ and tri-2-furylphosphine (TFP) in the presence of norbornene and Cs₂CO₃ in CH₃CN at 90 °C gave a variety of tetracyclic fused pyrroles in usually high yields. In the described reaction sequence two of the three carbon-carbon bonds are formed by functionalization of an unactivated aryl C-H bond.     

Co-Catalysis for Hydroamidocarbonylation of Alkynes with Amides over a Bifunctional Ligand-Based Pd Catalyst

The hydroamidocarbonylation of alkynes with amides allows for the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated imides with the advantage of 100% atomic economy. Herein, the bifunctional ligand ( L1 ) containing a sulfonic acid group (-SO₃H) and phosphino-fragment enable the Pd catalyst to accomplish the hydroamidocarbonylation of alkynes with amides. It was found that, due to an intramolecular synergetic effect, the L1 -based Pd-catalyst exhibited much higher activity than the individual mechanical mixtures of Xantphos-based Pd-complex and MeSO₃H. The formation and stability of Pd-H species were promoted by the presence of L1 , which was verified by in situ high-pressure FT-IR analysis. Under the optimized conditions, the target products of the branched imides were obtained with yields in the range of 46–87% over the L1 -based Pd-catalyst. Advantageously, as an ionic ligand, the L1 -based Pd-catalyst could be recycled for 4 runs in the ionic liquid of [Bmim]NTf₂ without any obvious activity loss and detectable metal leaching.     

Copper- and base-free Sonogashira-type cross-coupling reaction of triarylantimony dicarboxylates with terminal alkynes under an aerobic condition

A simple copper- and base-free palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira-type cross-coupling by the use of triarylantimony dicarboxylates is described. Reaction of triarylantimony diacetates with terminal alkynes in the presence of 1 mol % of PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂ catalyst led to the formation of cross-coupling products in good to excellent yields. The reaction proceeded effectively under an aerobic condition, in that two of the three aryl groups on antimony could be transferred to the coupling products, whereas only one of them was involved in the reaction in an argon atmosphere. The reaction is sensitive to the electronic nature of the diacetates, and those bearing an electron-withdrawing group on the aromatic ring showed higher reactivity than those having an electron-donating group.     

Direct synthesis of 3-arylindoles via annulation of aryl hydroxylamines with alkynes

3-Arylindoles are produced in moderate to excellent yields from the reaction between aryl hydroxylamines and alkynes catalyzed by 10 mol % iron(II) phthalocyanine [Fe(Pc)]. Terminal and internal alkynes afford 3-aryl substituted indoles exclusively. Electron-donating and -withdrawing groups are tolerated on the aryl hydroxylamine. A few bioactive indoles are synthesized as well as several new indoles using this one-step intermolecular annulation procedure.     

Efficient synthesis of trisubstituted alkenes in an aqueous-organic system using a versatile and recyclable Rh/m-TPPTC catalyst

We have found that the use of [Rh(cod)OH]₂ associated with the water-soluble ligand m-TPPTC was highly efficient for the Rh-catalyzed arylation of alkynes. Aryl and alkyl alkynes were transformed to alkenes using 3 mol % rhodium catalyst and 2.5 equiv of boronic acid at 100 °C in a biphasic water/toluene system in 80-99% yield. The reaction was found to be totally regioselective for alkyl arylalkynes and alkyl silylated alkynes. The Rh/m-TPPTC system was for the first time recycled with no loss of the activity and with excellent purity of the desired alkene.     

An efficient protocol for copper-free palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira cross-coupling in aqueous media at low temperatures

A thorough study on copper-free Sonogashira cross-couplings in water was carried out using the palladacycle, [{Pd(μ-Cl){κ²-P,C-P(ⁱPr)₂(OC₆H₃-2-Ph)}}₂] as pre-catalyst with different bases and palladium concentrations. The highly active pre-catalyst imparts good to near quantitative yields using a concentration of 0.25 mol % at 40 °C. This broadly applicable protocol exhibits high tolerance of functional groups and substitution patterns.     

Novel scorpionate-type triscarbene ligands and their silver and gold complexes

New silver(I) carbene complexes were obtained starting from the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand precursors {[HB(RImH)₃]Br₂} (R = Bn, Mes and t-Bu) and {[HC(MeBImH)₃](BF₄)₃}, by treatment of the imidazolium salt with Ag₂O. Use of the tris-imidazolylborate precursors resulted in stable, well-characterized trimetallic complexes of general formula {Ag₃[HB(RIm)₃]₂}Br, which were successfully employed as carbene transfer reagents in the synthesis of related gold(I) complexes by transmetallation. The silver complexes also proved to be active catalysts of the coupling of aryl iodides with terminal alkynes (the Sonogashira reaction), although related bimetallic silver complexes were found to exhibit enhanced reactivity.     

Copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl iodides and aryl acetylenes using microwave heating

An efficient copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl iodides with aryl acetylenes under microwave irradiation is described. The reaction proceeds under microwave heating with 10 mol % CuI and 2 equiv Cs₂CO₃ in 43-87% yields.