Pd(II)-catalyzed regioselective direct arylation of uracil via oxidative Heck reaction using arylboronic acids

A palladium catalyzed regioselective synthesis of 6-aryl uracils via oxidative Heck reaction (C–H bond functionalization) of uracils and arylboronic acids is reported. The method is simple, atom-economical, and high yielding.     

Palladium-catalyzed benzylic direct arylation of benzyl sulfones with aryl halides

An effective palladium catalyst system for the direct arylation of benzyl sulfones with aryl halides has been developed. The catalytic reaction provides a facile route to diarylmethyl sulfones. The products can be transformed further via desulfonylative functionalization mediated by aluminum compounds.     

A novel three-step synthesis of Celecoxib via palladium-catalyzed direct arylation

A novel three linear step synthesis of Celecoxib was achieved in 33% overall yield via a key regioselective direct C-H arylation reaction between a 1,3-disubstituted pyrazole and an aryl bromide.     

One-pot,solvent-free Pd(II)-catalyzed direct β-C-H arylation of carboxamides involving anhydrides as substrates via in situ installation of directing group

A one-pot, multicomponent-type, solvent-free Pd(II)-catalyzed direct β-C-H activation/arylation of carboxamides involving anhydrides as substrates via in situ installation of directing group (DG) is reported. Typically, the DG-assisted β-C-H activation/arylation of carboxamides is a two-step process comprising the installation of DG and Pd(II)-catalyzed CH arylation. We attempted a multicomponent-type reaction comprising an anhydride, a DG (e.g. 8-aminoquinoline), an aryl iodide in the presence of the Pd(II) catalyst and an appropriate additive. Different anhydrides, DGs, aryl iodides, catalysts and additives were screened to reveal the scope of this multicomponent-type CH arylation reaction process and various β-C-H arylated carboxamides were obtained in satisfactory to good yields.     

Palladium‐catalyzed direct arylation of polyfluoroarene and facile synthesis of liquid crystal compounds

A convenient approach has been developed to prepare polyfluorobiphenyl by Pd(OAc)₂/PCy₃‐catalyzed direct arylation of polyfluoroarenes with aromatic halides in the presence of Cs₂CO₃ as base and toluene as solvent. In most cases, the desired arylated products of aromatic bromides were obtained in good to excellent yield at 80°C, and aryl chlorides also gave modest to good yields of arylated products at 110°C. According to this efficient C―C bondforming method, polyfluorobiphenyl liquid crystal compounds were prepared by Pd‐catalyzed direct arylation reactions of polyfluoroarenes with long alkyl chain substituted aryl bromides in 62–96% yield. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient and highly regioselective direct C-2 arylation of azoles, including free (NH)-imidazole, -benzimidazole and -indole, with aryl halides

The Pd- and Cu-mediated reaction of a large variety of π-electron sufficient heteroarenes, which include free (NH)-imidazoles, -benzimidazole and -indole, with aryl iodides under ligandless and base-free conditions provides regioselectively the required 2-arylheterocycle derivatives in high yields. 2-Aryl-1-phenyl-1H-imidazoles can also be prepared by a one-pot domino HALEX and Pd- and Cu-mediated arylation reactions of 1-phenyl-1H-imidazole with activated and unactivated aryl bromides under base-free and ligandless conditions. The protocol for the synthesis of 2-arylazoles involving the use of aryl iodides has been found to be suitable for the efficient preparation of three bioactive compounds and a key intermediate in the synthesis of a heparanase inhibitor.     

Palladium-catalyzed direct arylation of 4-hydroxycoumarins with arylboronic acids via C-OH bond activation

Operationally simple PdCl₂-catalyzed direct arylation of 4-hydroxycoumarins with arylboronic acids via C-OH bond activation under mild conditions is described, which gave rise to the corresponding 4-arylcouamrins in good to excellent yields.     

Facile synthesis of 4,5,6a,7-tetrahydrodibenzo[de,g]chromene heterocycles and their transformation to phenanthrene alkaloids

Oxa-Pictet–Spengler cyclization and microwave-assisted C–H arylation have been implemented as key steps in the synthesis of new isochroman heterocycles containing a 4,5,6a,7-tetrahydrodibenzo[de,g]chromene motif. These isochromans may be easily transformed to phenanthrene alkaloids via acidic cleavage of the isochroman ring and standard synthetic manipulations thereafter. The route described is attractive in that it provides access to two biologically interesting scaffolds in simple and high yielding synthetic steps.     

Synthesis and characterization of N-heterocyclic carbene palladium complex and its application on direct arylation of benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles with aryl bromides

A mixed-halogen bis(1-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)-3-(2, 4, 6-trimethylbenzyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-ylidene) palladium(II) complex, trans-[Pd(Cl_0.7Br_0.3)₂(C₂₈H₃₂N₂)₂], has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and IR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The palladium in the mononuclear complex is four-coordinate in a square-planar configuration with two carbenes of two benzo[d]imidazole rings and two halides. The two halides are disordered between Br and Cl, with the Cl: Br ratio approximately 0.7 : 0.3. The angles C1–Pd1–Br1, 88.63(11)° and C1ⁱ–Pd1–Br1ⁱ, 91.37(11)° (i: 1?x, 1?y, 1?z) in the coordination sphere are very close to the ideal value of 90°. The Pd–X distance is slightly longer than other carbene derivative Pd–Cl single bond distances and slightly shorter than Pd–Br single bond distances. These results agree with the Cl/Br disorder at the halogen position. The palladium–carbene complex was tested as a catalyst in the direct arylation reaction of benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles with aryl bromides.     

One pot Pd(OAc)2-catalysed 2,5-diarylation of imidazoles derivatives

The regioselective 2- or 5-arylation of imidazole derivatives with aryl halides using palladium catalysts has been described in recent years; whereas the arylation at both C2 and C5 carbons of imidazoles in high yields has not been performed. We found conditions allowing the access to these 2,5-diarylimidazoles via a one pot reaction. The choice of the base was found to be crucial to obtain these products in high yields. Using CsOAc as the base, DMA as the solvent and only 2 mol % of the phosphine-free Pd(OAc)₂ the catalyst, the target 2,5-diarylated imidazoles were obtained in moderate to good yields with a wide variety of aryl bromides. Substituents such as fluoro, trifluoromethyl, formyl, acetyl, propionyl, ester, nitro or nitrile on the aryl bromide were tolerated. Sterically congested aryl bromides or heteroaryl bromides can also be employed. Surprisingly the nature of the substituent at position 1 on the imidazole derivative exhibits a huge influence on the reaction.     

Site-selective direct arylation of unprotected adenine nucleosides mediated by palladium and copper: insights into the reaction mechanism

Reaction conditions facilitating the site-selective direct aryl functionalisation at the C-8 position of adenine nucleosides have been identified. Many different aromatic components may be effectively cross-coupled to provide a diverse array of arylated adenine nucleoside products without the need for ribose or adenine protecting groups. The optimal palladium catalyst loading lies between 0.5 and 5 mol %. Addition of excess mercury to the reaction had a negligible affect on catalysis, suggesting the involvement of a homogeneous catalytic species. A study by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that metal containing nanoparticles, ca. 3 nm with good uniformity, are formed during the latter stages of the reaction. Stabilised PVP palladium colloids (PVP=N-polyvinylpyrrolidone) are catalytically active in the direct arylation process, releasing homogenous palladium into solution. The effect of various substituted 2-pyridine ligand additives has been investigated. A mechanism for the site-selective arylation of adenosine is proposed.     

Palladium-catalyzed intramolecular arylation of pyrimidines: a novel and expedient avenue to benzannulated pyridopyrimidines

A new efficient protocol for the synthesis of benzannulated pyrido[2,3-d]- and pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidines has been successfully accomplished via the palladium-catalyzed intramolecular arylation of C-H bond of pyrimidine moiety. The methodology has also been extended to the synthesis of pyrimido[5,4,-c]isoquinoline-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione derivatives in excellent yields.     

Palladium-catalysed arylation of acetoacetate esters to yield 2-arylacetic acid esters

The coupling reaction between ethyl acetoacetate and a number of aryl halides in the presence of palladium acetate, a bulky and electron rich phosphine and K₃PO₄ is described. The arylated acetoacetate ester is de-acylated under the reaction conditions resulting in the generation of 2-arylacetic acid esters, constituting a mild alternative to direct arylation of carboxylate esters.     

Synthesis by MW-assisted direct arylation,side-arms driven self-assembly and functional properties of 9,10-dithienylanthracene orthogonal materials

We report a new class of multifunctional 9,10-dithienylanthracene-based materials having an anthracene π-core functionalized at the 9,10 positions with thienyl side-arms of different size and type of substitution. MW-assisted double direct arylation reaction is employed for the first time to synthesize the target molecules in one-step, organometallic free conditions, in only 5 min and yields up to 80% rather than by a multi-step Stille coupling taken as conventional reference approach. DFT calculations reveal a molecular conformation characterized by the thienyl rings orthogonal to the anthracene core. Nevertheless, despite the non-coplanar structure, all compounds exhibited highly crystalline cast films emitting blue light, with an extraordinary variability in morphology and hole mobility up to 8×10⁻³ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.     

Highly selective synthesis of 4(5)-aryl-, 2,4(5)-diaryl-, and 4,5-diaryl-1H-imidazoles via Pd-catalyzed direct C-5 arylation of 1-benzyl-1H-imidazole

Highly selective, practical, and efficient protocols for the preparation of 4(5)-aryl-1H-imidazoles 2, 2,4(5)-diaryl-1H-imidazoles 3, and 4,5-diaryl-1H-imidazoles 1 are described. A key step of these protocols is the regioselective synthesis of 5-aryl-1-benzyl-1H-imidazoles 9 by Pd-catalyzed direct C-5 arylation of commercially available 1-benzyl-1H-imidazole (8) with aryl halides. The three-step synthesis of compounds 3 from 8 also involves the Pd-catalyzed and Cu-mediated direct C-2 arylation of imidazoles 9 with aryl halides under base-free and ligandless conditions. On the other hand, the four-step synthesis of imidazoles 1 from 8 also involves the regioselective bromination of compounds 9 and a Suzuki reaction of the resulting 5-aryl-1-benzyl-4-bromo-1H-imidazoles 11 with arylboronic acids 5 under phase-transfer conditions, followed by N-debenzylation.     

Silver mediated direct C–H arylation of 3-bromoisothiazole-5-carbonitrile

Palladium catalyzed direct C–H arylation of 3-bromoisothiazole-5-carbonitrile with aryl/hetaryl iodides in the presence of AgF gave 13 4-aryl/hetaryl-3-bromoisothiazole-5-carbonitriles. The scope of this arylation was investigated and explanations for the limitations proposed. 3-Bromoisothiazole-5-carboxamide was isolated as a side-product, and its formation was attributed to Ag⁺-catalyzed hydration of the C-5 nitrile. The analogous phenylation of 3-chloroisothiazole-5-carbonitrile and 3-bromoisothiazole-4-carboxamide gave 3-chloro-4-phenylisothiazole-5-carbonitrile and 3-bromo-5-phenylisothiazole-4-carboxamide in 83 and 64% yields, respectively.     

Rapid access to diverse α-carbolines through sequential transition metal catalyzed amination and direct C–H arylation

An efficient sequence of Pd catalyzed amination and direct C–H arylation for a synthesis of pharmacologically important α-carbolines is described. The outstanding feature in the synthetic sequence is that a combination of DBU and 2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)biphenyl (DCHPB) plays a critical role to not only enhance the reactivity but also suppress hydrodehalogenation in the direct C–H arylation step. The reaction protocol provides α-carbolines with various substituents including base-sensitive ester and ketone moieties in moderate to excellent yields. Moreover, combination with Cu catalyzed amination further enhanced the versatility of the α-carboline synthesis.     

Transition metal-catalyzed olefin arylation via C–H bond activation of arenes

In this article, two kinds of our transition metal-catalyzed olefin arylations are summarized and discussed. The first one is Ir-catalyzed novel anti-Markovnikov hydroarylation of olefins with benzene. Using this reaction catalyzed by [Ir(μ-acac-O,O′,C₃)(acac-O,O′)(acac-C₃)]₂ (acac = acetylacetonato), 1, straight-chain alkylarenes, which were not obtainable by the conventional Friedel-Crafts aromatic alkylation with olefins, were able to be successfully synthesized directly from arenes and olefins with the higher selectivity than that of branched alkylarenes. This is the first efficient catalyst which shows the desirable high regioselectivity. The reaction of benzene with propylene gave n-propylbenzene and cumene in 61% and 39% selectivities, respectively, and the reaction of benzene and styrene afforded 1,2-diphenylethane in 98% selectivity. The reaction of alkylarene and olefin showed meta and para orientations. A wide range of olefins and arenes can be employed for the synthesis of alkylarenes. The mechanism of the reaction involves C–H bond activation of benzene by Ir center to form Ir–phenyl species. The second reaction is Rh-catalyzed oxidative arylation of ethylene with benzene to directly produce styrene, namely one-step synthesis of styrene. The reaction of benzene with ethylene catalyzed by Rh(ppy)₂(OAc) (ppyH = 2-phenylpyridine, OAc = acetate), 3 with Cu oxidizing agent gave styrene and vinyl acetate in 77% and 23% selectivities, respectively, in contrast to those by Pd(OAc)₂, 47% of styrene and 53% of vinyl acetate. The mechanism of the reaction involves Rh-mediated C–H bond activation of benzene, which appears to be a rate-determining step. Furthermore, Rh complexes in a Rh(I) oxidation state at the beginning of the reaction work as catalysts for the reaction by addition of acacH and O₂ without any oxidizing agent, like Cu salt.     

The synthesis of 1,2-diarylindenes via DDQ-mediated dehydrogenative intramolecular cyclization

A direct DDQ-mediated dehydrogenative intramolecular cyclization of (Z)-1,2,3-triaryl substituted propylenes promoted by Cu(OAc)₂ was developed, providing 1,2-diarylindene derivatives in moderate to good yields (up to 92%) under mild conditions. This protocol provides a straightforward access to 1,2-diarylindenes via DDQ-mediated benzylic/allylic sp³ C–H bond activation.