PhI(OAc)2-mediated iminobromination for synthesis of bromomethyl cyclic imines starting from alkenyl carbonitriles and Grignard reagents

PhI(OAc)₂-mediated iminobromination was developed starting from alkenyl carbonitriles and Grignard reagents. The present transformation is carried out by a sequence of nucleophilic addition of Grignard reagents to alkenyl carbonitriles to form N-H imines and their iminohalogenation by subsequent treatment with PhI(OAc)₂.     

Pd(OAc)2-catalyzed domino reactions of 1,2-dihaloarenes and 2-haloaryl arenesulfonates with Grignard reagents: efficient synthesis of substituted fluorenes

Pd(OAc)₂-catalyzed domino reactions of 1,2-dihalobenzenes and 2-haloaryl arenesulfonates with hindered Grignard reagents to form substituted fluorenes, which are believed to occur through palladium associated aryne intermediates, are described. Such palladium associated aryne reaction pathway was found to be favored by omitting the use of phosphine and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands for palladium catalysts and with better leaving groups. Our study suggested that Pd(leaving group)X associated arynes should be formed first and the sp³ C-H activation preferentially occurred at benzylic C-(1°)H bonds. The work described here provides a high yield, one-step access to substituted fluorenes from readily available 1,2-dihalobenzenes and 2-haloaryl arenesulfonates and hindered Grignard reagents, and this substituted fluorene-making method may find applications in the preparation of substituted fluorene-containing molecules including polymers.     

Sequential One‐Pot Addition of Excess Aryl‐Grignard Reagents and Electrophiles to O‐Alkyl Thioformates

The sequential addition of aromatic Grignard reagents to O‐alkyl thioformates proceeded to completion within 30 s to give aryl benzylic sulfanes in good yields. This reaction may begin with the nucleophilic attack of the Grignard reagent onto the carbon atom of the O‐alkyl thioformates, followed by the elimination of ROMgBr to generate aromatic thioaldehydes, which then react with a second molecule of the Grignard reagent at the sulfur atom to form arylsulfanyl benzylic Grignard reagents. To confirm the generation of aromatic thioaldehydes, the reaction between O‐alkyl thioformates and phenyl Grignard reagent was carried out in the presence of cyclopentadiene. As a result, hetero‐Diels–Alder adducts of the thioaldehyde and the diene were formed. The treatment of a mixture of the thioformate and phenyl Grignard reagent with iodine gave 1,2‐bis(phenylsulfanyl)‐1,2‐diphenyl ethane as a product, which indicated the formation of arylsulfanyl benzylic Grignard reagents in the reaction mixture. When electrophiles were added to the Grignard reagents that were generated in situ, four‐component coupling products, that is, O‐alkyl thioformates, two molecules of Grignard reagents, and electrophiles, were obtained in moderate‐to‐good yields. The use of silyl chloride or allylic bromides gave the adducts within 5 min, whereas the reaction with benzylic halides required more than 30 min. The addition to carbonyl compounds was complete within 1 min and the use of lithium bromide as an additive enhanced the yields of the four‐component coupling products. Finally, oxiranes and imines also participated in the coupling reaction.     

Heterocycle synthesis via direct C-H/N-H coupling

A method for five- and six-membered heterocycle formation by palladium-catalyzed C-H/N-H coupling is presented. The method employs a picolinamide directing group, PhI(OAc)(2) oxidant, and toluene solvent at 80-120 °C. Cyclization is effective for sp(2) as well as aliphatic and benzylic sp(3) C-H bonds.     

Opening of aryl-substituted epoxides to form quaternary stereogenic centers: synthesis of (-)-mesembrine

[reaction: see text] Cycloalkanones are easily converted into aryl-substituted cyclic alkenes by the addition of an aryl Grignard reagent followed by dehydration. These alkenes are good substrates for asymmetric epoxidation. We have found that the addition of allylic and benzylic Grignard reagents can occur preferentially at the benzylic position of the derived epoxides to give the quaternary stereogenic center. This approach led to a short synthesis of the nanomolar serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (-)-mesembrine.     

Les organocadmiens benzyliques : obtention exclusive d'alcools: Secondaires d'addition avec l'acetaldehyde et le benzaldehyde

In contrast to the Grignard reaction, the reaction of various substituted benzylic cadmium reagents with aldehydes gives specifically secondary benzylic alcohols with good yields.     

α,α‐Dibromotoluene as a monomer for poly (substituted methylene) synthesis: Magnesium‐mediated polycondensation of α,α‐dibromotoluene and magnesium/copper‐mediated copolycondensation of α,α‐dibromotoluene with 1,6‐dibromohexane

α,α‐Dibromotoluene 1 was found to be polymerized by the reaction with excess Mg to give poly(phenylmethylene)s 2 , whose main chains were partially dehydrogenated to carbon–carbon double bonds (C?C). The C?Cs in 2 can be brominated by treatment with Br₂. The polymerization mechanism was presumed to include the formation of Grignard reagents of various species with benzylic C? Br bonds and the nucleophilic attacks of the Grignard reagents to various compounds with benzylic C? Br bonds. Copolymerization of 1 with dichlorodimethylsilane successfully proceeded. Mg/Cu‐mediated copolycondensation of 1 with 1,6‐dibromohexane proceeded to give polymers that have similar compositions to those of random copolymers of ethylene and styrene. © 2006Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5661–5671, 2006     

One-pot synthesis of 2-alkyltetrahydropyran-3-ones from 3-nitro-5,6-dihydro-4H-pyran and grignard reagents

3-Nitro-5,6-dihydro-4H-pyran reacts with primary aliphatic and benzylic Grignard reagents and, in suitable hydrolysis conditions, gives the corresponding 2-alkyltetrahydropyran-3-ones in satisfactory yields.     

General and efficient copper-catalyzed amidation of saturated C-H bonds using N-halosuccinimides as the oxidants

We have developed a general and efficient method for copper-catalyzed amidation of saturated C-H bonds under mild conditions, and the used substrates include benzylic reagents, the N, N-dimethylaniline derivatives, the free carboxamides, and sulfonamides. The protocol uses inexpensive and readily available CuBr/ N-halosuccinimide (NBS or NCS) as the catalyst/oxidant, so it provides practical applications for synthesis of various amides via C-H activation.     

Silver‐Catalyzed Benzylation and Allylation of Tertiary Alkyl Bromides with Organozinc Reagents

Silver salts catalyze the benzylation and allylation of tertiary alkyl bromides with organozinc reagents. The reactions create quaternary carbon centers efficiently. Treatment of gem‐dibromoalkanes with benzylic or allylic zinc reagents under silver catalysis leads to dibenzylation or diallylation. The functional‐group compatibility of the present reactions is wider than that of the previous reactions with Grignard reagents.     

Enantioselective construction of carbobicyclic scaffolds

Allylic and benzylic Grignard reagents smoothly open phenylalkynyl-activated cyclic trisubstituted epoxides at the more substituted carbon atom to give secondary alcohols with a chiral quaternary center. These alcohols are good substrates for the construction of enantiomerically pure carbobicyclic scaffolds through intramolecular alkylation.     

Regioselective palladium-catalyzed alkylation of allylic halides with benzylic grignard reagents. Two-step synthesis of abietane terpenes and tetracyclic polyprenoid compounds

A highly regioselective palladium-catalyzed alpha-alkylation of allylic bromides 1a,c-e and chloride 1b with substituted and unsubstituted benzylic Grignard reagents is reported. The resulting all-trans polyenehomobenzene derivatives were obtained in excellent yields and regioselectivity. These products were easily converted to abietane-type diterpenes (10-12) and tetracyclic polyprenoid compounds (13, 14) through a Lewis acid-promoted cascade polyene cyclization reaction.     

Addition of grignard reagents to aryl acid chlorides: an efficient synthesis of aryl ketones

[chemical reaction: see text]. Direct addition of Grignard reagents to acid chlorides in the presence of bis[2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl] ether proceeds selectively to provide aryl ketones in high yields. A possible tridentate interaction between Grignard reagents and bis[2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl] ether moderates the reactivity of Grignard reagents, preventing the newly formed ketones from nucleophilic addition by Grignard reagents.     

On the synthesis of vinyl and phenyl C-furanosides by stereospecific debenzylative cycloetherification

Open-chain benzyl-ether-protected polyols in which one of the alcohols is either allylic or benzylic are synthesised by addition of organometallic vinyl or phenyl reagents to benzyl-ether-protected carbohydrate hemiacetals. The diastereoselectivity of addition is dependent on whether a Grignard reagent or a trialkylzincate reagent is used. The open-chain compounds undergo a stereospecific cyclisation reaction on treatment with catalytic strong Brønsted acid with heating to form tetrahydrofurans with inversion of configuration at the allylic or benzylic carbon (C-1) and loss of hydroxyl from this position. A short synthesis of the starting material, 1,2,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-d-galactose, from lactose is described.     

Zirconocene‐Mediated Carbonylative Coupling of Grignard Reagents

Organozirconocenes are versatile synthetic intermediates that can undergo carbonylation to yield acyl anion equivalents. Zirconocene hydrochloride ([Cp₂ZrHCl]) is often the reagent of choice for accessing these intermediates but generates organozirconocenes only from alkenes and alkynes. This requirement eliminates a broad range of substrates. For example, organozirconocenes in which the zirconium center is bonded to an aromatic ring, a benzylic group, or an alkyl group that possesses a tertiary or quaternary carbon atom α to the carbon–zirconium bond can not be formed in this way. To provide more generalized access to acyl zirconium reagents, we explored the transmetalation of Grignard reagents with zirconocene dichloride under a CO atmosphere. This protocol generates acyl zirconium(IV) complexes that are inaccessible with the Schwartz reagent, including those derived from secondary and tertiary alkyl and aryl Grignard reagents.     

Stereospecific nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of alkyl ethers: enantioselective synthesis of diarylethanes

Secondary benzylic ethers undergo stereospecific substitution reactions with Grignard reagents in the presence of nickel catalysts. Reactions proceed with inversion of configuration and high stereochemical fidelity. This reaction allows for facile enantioselective synthesis of biologically active diarylethanes from readily available optically enriched carbinols.     

Complexation promoted additions to N-benzoyliminopyridinium ylides. A novel and highly regioselective approach to polysubstituted piperidines

Unprecedented regioselectivities were observed for the addition of different organometallic nucleophiles to N-benzoyliminopyridinium ylides. Even benzylic and branched aliphatic Grignard reagents, which usually give substantial amounts of 1,4-adducts, showed excellent 1,2-regioselectivities. The electronic nature of the pyridinium ylide is taken into account to explain these results.     

The first nucleophilic aromatic substitution of suitably activated 2-methoxyfurans with Grignard reagents

The reaction of 2-methoxyfuroates 1 with Grignard reagents 2 leads to tertiary alcohols or S_NAr products depending on the position of the alkoxycarbonyl group. OMe-Displacement occurs only for 3-substituted derivatives. It takes place even for 3-acetyl-2-methoxyfuran while the presence of a further ester function at 4 position induces the formation of the sole 4-tertiary alcohol. The OMe-substitution has been verified for a wide range of furans and Grignard reagents and low yields have been found only in the reactions with the benzylic and allylic reagents which are delocalized anions. A mechanistic interpretation is given.     

An enantioselective access to 1-alkyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines. Application to a new synthesis of (-)-argemonine

Potassium ferricyanide oxidation of salt 1 gave isoquinolinone 7 whose treatment with Grignard reagents resulted in a high-yield formation of substituted isoquinolinium salts 5. The selectivity of the reduction of these salts to give derivatives 6 has been studied. Particularly good selectivities (82-84%) were observed when R is a benzylic group. On the basis of these results, a practical and enantioselective synthesis of the natural alkaloid (-)-argemonine is presented.     

Uncatalysed coupling of an activated aryl chloride with aryllithium and aryl Grignard reagents

Substitution of the chloro group in 2-(2-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline to afford biaryls occurs upon reaction with either aryllithium reagents or aryl Grignard reagents. The reactions with Grignard reagents occur under similar conditions to a previously reported manganese-catalysed procedure. The reactions with lithium reagents, whilst not always affording greater yields of product than the Grignard reagents, involve much shorter reaction times and afford yields, which are comparable with those obtained from the corresponding fluoro derivative.