Importance of bases on the copper-catalyzed oxidative homocoupling of terminal alkynes to 1,4-disubstituted 1,3-diynes

Copper-catalyzed, solvent-free oxidative homocoupling of terminal alkynes can be performed to 1,3-diynes in good to excellent yields in the absence of any additives, using air as environmentally friendly oxidant and the occurrence of water as an exclusive byproduct in the whole process. It is shown that AcO⁻ of copper (II) acetate catalyst may take the role of base and found that the homocoupling cannot occur using weakly basic copper salt catalysts such as CuBr, CuCl, or CuI. Thus, the bases are absolutely necessary in the process of the homocoupling of terminal alkynes.     

One-pot synthesis of 1,4-diarylsubstituted 1,3-diynes from the sequential coupling reactions of aryl iodides and propiolic acid

1,4-Disubstituted 1,3-dialkynes were obtained from the one-pot palladium/copper-catalyzed coupling reactions of aryl iodide and propiolic acid. The optimized catalytic system consisted of 5.0 mol % Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂, 10 mol % dppb, 10 mol % CuI, 2.4 equiv of DBU, and 1.2 equiv of K₂CO₃. The coupling reaction was carried out at 30 °C for 6 h and subsequently at 80 °C for 3 h.     

Iron-catalyzed decarboxylative methylation of α,β-unsaturated acids under ligand-free conditions

It is the first time to find that iron-catalyzed decarboxylative methylation of α,β-unsaturated acids could be performed in the absence of any ligands. During the reaction, the configuration of the double bond could be retained. It is noteworthy that di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) was employed not only as the oxidant, but also as the methyl source.     

Synthesis of symmetrical 1,3-butadiynes by homocoupling reactions of alkynylboronates mediated by a copper salt

Alkynylboronates are employed as a practical and versatile precursor for a variety of π-conjugated organic compounds. In the presence of a Cu(I) or Cu(II) salt, transformation of alkynylboronates into the corresponding 1,3-diynes upon exposure to air takes place readily in aprotic polar solvents such as DMI.     

Silver-catalyzed decarboxylative homocoupling reaction for the construction of tetrafluoroethylene-bridging aromatic compounds

The Ag(I)-catalyzed decarboxylative homocoupling from the difluoroacetate has been developed to the synthesis of symmetric CF₂–CF₂ containing dimers. This radical dimerization overpasses the prefunctionalization of the substrate and provides a direct and efficient method for construction of tetrafluoroethylene bridge-linked homodimers.     

Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling of propiolic acids: one-pot synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,3-diynes via Sonogashira-homocoupling sequence

One-pot synthesis of symmetric 1,4-disubstituted 1,3-diynes from iodoarenes and propiolic acid via Sonogashira reaction followed by Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative homocoupling is developed in high yields. Also, this system allows the one-pot synthesis of unsymmetric 1,4-disubstituted 1,3-diynes by cross-coupling of two different 3-substituted propiolic acids.     

Synthesis of symmetrical diarylalkyne from palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative couplings of propiolic acid and aryl bromides under water

Symmetric diarylalkynes were obtained from the decarboxylative coupling reactions of aryl bromides and propiolic acid in water solvent condition. In the presence of phase transfer surfactant C₁₈H₃₇N(CH₃)₃Cl, the catalytic system of both Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂/dppb and Pd(TPPMS)₂Cl₂/TPPMS afforded the desired coupled products in good yields.     

Synthesis of symmetrical 1,3-diynes via homocoupling reaction of n-butyl alkynyltellurides

An ultrasound-assisted synthesis of symmetrical 1,3-diyne compounds with electron-withdrawing or -donating substituents is described and illustrated by the palladium-catalyzed homocoupling reaction of n-butyl alkynyltellurides. This procedure offers easy access to 1,3-diynes in very short reaction times, and the products are achieved in good to excellent yields.     

Copper-catalyzed decarboxylative hydroboration of phenylpropiolic acids under ligand-free or both ligand-and base-free conditions

An efficient copper-catalyzed decarboxylative hydroboration of phenylpropiolic acids with bis(pinacolato)diboron was developed, affording b-vinylboronates as the only products in high yields. Extra hydrogen sources such as methanol are not needed in this catalytic system. This reaction could be performed successfully under ligand- and base-free conditions. It demonstrated that phenylpropiolic acids can be employed as alkyne synthons in the hydroboration reaction and exhibited good reactivity and higher selectivity than terminal alkynes.     

Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative couplings of arenecarboxylic acids with aryl iodides

The combination of palladium chloride with BINAP shows high efficiency in the decarboxylative cross-coupling reactions of arenecarboxylic acids with aryl iodides. The reactions proceed smoothly to generate the corresponding biaryl compounds in good to excellent yields.     

Palladium acetate complexes bearing chelating N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands: Synthesis and catalytic oxidative homocoupling of terminal alkynes

The imidazolium salts 1,1′-dibenzyl-3,3′-propylenediimidazolium dichloride and 1,1′-bis(1-naphthalenemethyl)-3,3′-propylenediimidazolium dichloride have been synthesized and transformed into the corresponding bis(NHC) ligands 1,1′-dibenzyl-3,3′-propylenediimidazol-2-ylidene (L₁) and 1,1′-bis(1-naphthalenemethyl)-3,3′-propylenediimidazol-2-ylidene (L₂) that have been employed to stabilize the Pd^II complexes PdCl₂(κ²-C,C-L₁) (2a) and PdCl₂(κ²-C,C-L₂) (2b). Both latter complexes together with their known homologous counterparts PdCl₂(κ²-C,C-L₃) (1a) (L₃ = 1,1′-dibenzyl-3,3′-ethylenediimidazol-2-ylidene) and PdCl₂(κ²-C,C-L₄) (1b) (L₄ = 1,1′-bis(1-naphthalenemethyl)-3,3′-ethylenediimidazol-2-ylidene) have been straightforwardly converted into the corresponding palladium acetate compounds Pd(κ¹-O-OAc)₂(κ²-C,C-L₃) (3a) (OAc = acetate), Pd(κ¹-O-OAc)₂(κ²-C,C-L₄) (3b), Pd(κ¹-O-OAc)₂(κ²-C,C-L₁) (4a), and Pd(κ¹-O-OAc)₂(κ²-C,C-L₂) (4b). In addition, the phosphanyl-NHC-modified palladium acetate complex Pd(κ¹-O-OAc)₂ (κ²-P,C-L₅) (6) (L₅ = 1-((2-diphenylphosphanyl)methylphenyl)-3-methyl-imidazol-2-ylidene) has been synthesized from corresponding palladium iodide complex PdI₂(κ²-P,C-L₅) (5). The reaction of the former complex with p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) gave the corresponding bis-tosylate complex Pd(OTs)₂(κ²-P,C-L₅) (7). All new complexes have been characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. In addition the solid-state structures of 1b·DMF, 2b·2DMF, 3a, 3b·DMF, 4a, 4b, and 6·CHCl₃·2H₂O have been determined by single crystal X-ray structure analyses. The palladium acetate complexes 3a/b, 4a/b, and 6 have been employed to catalyze the oxidative homocoupling reaction of terminal alkynes in acetonitrile chemoselectively yielding the corresponding 1,4-di-substituted 1,3-diyne in the presence of p-benzoquinone (BQ). The highest catalytic activity in the presence of BQ has been obtained with 6, while within the series of palladium-bis(NHC) complexes, 4b, featured with a n-propylene-bridge and the bulky N-1-naphthalenemethyl substituents, revealed as the most active compound. Hence, this latter precursor has been employed for analogous coupling reaction carried out in the presence of air pressure instead of BQ, yielding lower substrate conversion when compared to reaction performed in the presence of BQ. The important role of the ancillary ligand acetate in the course of the catalytic coupling reaction has been proved by variable-temperature NMR studies carried out with 6 and 7′ under catalytic reaction conditions.     

CuI/iodine-mediated homocoupling reaction of terminal alkynes to 1,3-diynes

A facile and efficient pathway for CuI/iodine-mediated homocoupling reaction of terminal alkynes to symmetrical 1,4-disubstituted 1,3-diynes in good to excellent yields was reported.     

Fast, ligand- and solvent-free synthesis of 1,4-substituted buta-1,3-diynes by Cu-catalyzed homocoupling of terminal alkynes in a ball mill

A method for the Glaser coupling reaction of alkynes by using a vibration ball mill has been developed. The procedure avoids the use of ligands and solvents during the reaction. Aryl- and alkyl-substituted terminal alkynes undergo homocoupling if coground with KF-Al(2)O(3) and CuI as a milling auxiliary and catalyst. Furthermore, an alternative protocol has been developed incorporating 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) as an additional base allowing the use of KF-Al(2)O(3) with a lower KF loading. Besides Cu salts, the homocoupling of phenylacetylene is also catalyzed by Ni or Co salts, as well as by PdCl(2). TMS-protected phenylacetylene could be directly converted into the homocoupling product after in situ deprotection of the alkyne by fluoride-initiated removal of the trimethylsilyl group.     

Insight into copper-catalyzed decarboxylative thiolation of carboxylic acids in the gas phase

Organocopper complexes bearing bidentate nitrogen ligands were synthesized in the gas phase by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Gas-phase decarboylative thiolation reaction was carried out in the ion-trap analyzer by collision-induced dissociation and ion-molecule reaction. The carboxylic acids were finally converted to thioethers as a neutral loss via collision-induced dissociation. During this process, copper acetate acted as a catalyst, and the valence state change of copper was observed. Meanwhile, the mechanism of decarboxylative thiolation was examined. This reaction was also suitable for different carboxylic acids and bidentate nitrogen ligands in the gas phase.     

Domino synthesis of 1,3-diynes from 1,1-dibromoalkenes: a Pd-catalyzed copper-free coupling method

Pd-catalyzed domino synthesis of 1,3-diynes was accomplished using 1,1-dibomoalkenes under copper-free coupling conditions. This domino procedure involves base mediated in situ generation of 1-bromoalkyne and its subsequent coupling to give 1,3-diyne. The optimized copper-free coupling method afforded good to high yields of symmetrical 1,3-diynes in a one-pot operation.     

An alternative CuCl–piperidine‐catalyzed oxidative homocoupling of terminal alkynes affording 1,3‐diynes in air

CuCl with the use of a catalytic amount of piperidine as additive shows high catalytic activity for the oxidative homocoupling reactions of terminal alkynes in toluene at 60 °C in air to afford 1,3‐diynes in high yields. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Green synthesis of 1,3-diynes from terminal acetylenes under solvent-free conditions

Herein, we report the microwave-assisted synthesis of 1,3-diynes from terminal acetylenes, catalyzed by CuI and tetramethylethylenediamine, in the presence of air as the oxidant, at 100 °C for only 10 min under solvent-free conditions. This efficient methodology allowed the homocoupling of several terminal alkynes in moderate to excellent yields. Moreover, the same protocol was also applicable for the synthesis of some unsymmetrical 1,3-diynes through the cross-coupling reaction.     

Development of a palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative cross-coupling of (2-azaaryl)carboxylates with aryl halides

A catalytic method for the decarboxylative coupling of 2-(azaaryl)carboxylates with aryl halides is described. The decarboxylative cross-coupling presented is mediated by a system catalytic in both palladium and copper without requiring stoichiometric amounts of organometallic reagents or organoboronic acids. This method circumvents additional synthetic steps required to prepare 2-azaaryl organometallics and organoborates as nucleophilic coupling partners, which are prone to protodemetallation and protodeborylation and produce potentially toxic byproducts.     

Palladium-catalyzed highly regioselective and stereoselective decarboxylative arylation of unactivated olefins with aryl carboxylic acids

Palladium(II)-catalyzed highly regioselective and stereoselective decarboxylative arylation of unactivated olefins with aryl carboxylic acids has been developed. This method is applicable to a variety of unactivated olefins, including allylamides, long chain functionalized olefins and purely aliphatic olefins, leads to the formation of linear E-configured products in high yields. Both electron-rich and electron-deficient aryl carboxylic acids are suitable arylation reagents. It was found that the choice of solvent, catalyst precursor and oxidant had an important influence on reaction efficiency. As a co-solvent and ligand, DMSO is critical to catalysis. This chemistry expands the scope of decarboxylative arylation of olefins with aryl carboxylic acids, and provides a rapid access to useful linear arylation products of unactivated olefins.     

Ligand-Free Synthesis of 1,4-Disubstituted-1,3-diynes by Iron/Copper Cocatalyzed Homocoupling of Terminal Alkynes

A simple and efficient protocol for Fe/Cu cocatalyzed oxidative homocoupling reaction of terminal alkynes to symmetrical 1,4‐disubstituted‐1,3‐diynes was presented. The results showed that both CuBr and FeCl₃ played crucial roles in the reaction. It is noteworthy that this protocol employs mild, efficient, aerobic and ligand free conditions. The alkynes, including aromatic, heteroaromatic and aliphatic alkynes, were transformed into the corresponding 1,3‐diynes in good to excellent yields.