Tandem Difluoroalkylation‐Arylation of Enamides Catalyzed by Nickel

A nickel‐catalyzed three‐component reaction for the synthesis of difluoroalkylated compounds through tandem difluoroalkylation‐arylation of enamides has been developed. The reaction tolerates a variety of arylboronic acids and widely available difluoroalkyl bromides, and even the relatively inert substrate chlorodifluoroacetate. The significant advantages of this protocol are the low‐cost nickel catalyst, synthetic convenience, excellent functional‐group compatibility and high reaction efficiency.     

Metal‐Free Cross‐Coupling of Arylboronic Acids and Derivatives with DAST‐Type Reagents for Direct Access to Diverse Aromatic Sulfinamides and Sulfonamides

We have developed a simple and convenient method for the cross‐coupling of arylboronic acids and their derivatives with DAST‐type reagents under mild and metal‐free conditions to directly afford sulfinamides in moderate to good yields. Moreover, sulfonamides were obtained after a simple oxidation reaction. The reaction mechanism was investigated by ¹⁸O‐labeling experiments, and the synthetic utility was demonstrated by the sulfoxidation of natural products.     

Direct Access to α,α‐Difluoroacylated Arenes by Palladium‐Catalyzed Carbonylation of (Hetero)Aryl Boronic Acid Derivatives

A palladium‐catalyzed carbonylative coupling of (hetero)aryl boronates or boronic acid salts with carbon monoxide and α‐bromo‐α,α‐difluoroamides and bromo‐α,α‐difluoroesters is described herein. The method is useful for the synthesis of a diverse selection of (hetero)aryl α,α‐difluoro‐β‐ketoamides and α,α‐difluoro‐β‐ketoesters, which are useful building blocks for the generation of functionalized difluoroacylated and difluoroalkyl arenes. The method could be further extended to a one‐pot protocol for the formation of difluoroacetophenones.     

Synthesis of Aryldifluoroamides by Copper‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling

A copper‐catalyzed coupling of aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl iodides with α‐silyldifluoroamides is reported. The reaction forms α,α‐difluoro‐α‐aryl amides from electron‐rich, electron‐poor, and sterically hindered aryl iodides in high yield and tolerates a variety of functional groups. The aryldifluoroamide products can be transformed further to provide access to a diverse array of difluoroalkylarenes, including compounds of potential biological interest.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Alkynylboration of Alkenes with Diboron Reagents and Bromoalkynes

An efficient method for the synthesis of homopropargylboronates by copper‐catalyzed alkynylboration of alkenes with diboron reagents and bromoalkynes has been developed. The alkynylboration reaction features high selectivity and efficiency, mild reaction conditions, wide substrate scope, and functional‐group compatibility, and is a highly attractive complement to existing methods for the synthesis of homopropargylboronates. Both the boryl and alkynyl groups are good potential functional groups for the subsequent manipulations that provide access to a variety of important molecule structures.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed para‐Selective Alkylation of Electron‐Deficient Arenes

Intermolecular alkylations of electron‐deficient arenes proceed with good para selectivity. Palladium catalysts were used to generate nucleophilic alkyl radicals from alkyl halides, which then directly add onto the arenes. The arene scope and the site of alkylation are opposite to those of classical Friedel–Crafts alkylations, which prefer electron‐rich systems.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Difluoroalkylation of (Hetero)Arylborons with Unactivated 1‐Bromo‐1,1‐difluoroalkanes

A nickel‐catalyzed cross‐coupling between (hetero)arylborons and unactivated 1‐bromo‐1,1‐difluoroalkanes has been developed. The use of two ligands (a bidentate bipyridine‐based ligand, 4,4′‐ditBu‐bpy, and a monodentate pyridine‐based ligand, DMAP) offers a highly efficient nickel‐based catalytic system to prepare difluoroalkylated arenes which have important applications in medicinal chemistry.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed N‐Arylation of Iminodibenzyls and Iminostilbenes with Aryl‐ and Heteroaryl Halides

Compounds containing the iminodibenzyl and iminostilbene ring systems are prevalent in medicinal targets and functional materials. Herein, we report palladium‐catalyzed conditions for the N‐arylation of these ring systems. This protocol could be applied to a variety of (hetero)aryl chloride and bromide substrates, including ones, which are sterically hindered or those containing a variety of functional groups. Use of the fourth‐generation palladacycle precatalyst gave good to excellent yields by using low palladium‐catalyst loadings (0.1 to 1 mol %).     

Short and Efficient Syntheses of Protoberberine Alkaloids using Palladium‐Catalyzed Enolate Arylation

A concise synthesis of the biologically active alkaloid berberine is reported, and a versatile palladium‐catalyzed enolate arylation is used to form the isoquinoline core. The overall yield of 50 % is a large improvement over the single, previous synthesis. By design, this modular route allows the rapid synthesis of other members of the protoberberine family (e.g., pseudocoptisine and palmatine) by substitution of the readily available aryl bromide and ketone coupling partners. Moreover, by combining enolate arylation with in situ functionalization, substituents can be rapidly and regioselectively introduced at the alkaloid C13 position, as demonstrated by the total synthesis of dehydrocorydaline. The avoidance of electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions to make the isoquinoline allows direct access to analogues possessing more varied electronic properties, such as the fluorine‐containing derivative synthesized here.     

Stereoselective Palladium‐Catalyzed Carboaminoxylations of Indoles with Arylboronic Acids and TEMPO

Indoles are not indolent : Various indoles react with arylboronic acids chemodivergently. C? H arylation of free indole and N‐methylindole gives the corresponding C(2)‐arylated indoles A whereas N‐acylated, N‐benzoylated, and N‐Boc‐protected indoles provide the corresponding arylcarboaminoxylated products B with excellent diastereoselectivity in good to excellent yields.

     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Carbonylations of Aryl Bromides using Paraformaldehyde: Synthesis of Aldehydes and Esters

Carbonylation reactions represent useful tools for organic synthesis. However, the necessity to use gaseous carbon monoxide is a disadvantage for most organic chemists. To solve this problem, novel protocols have been developed for conducting palladium‐catalyzed reductive carbonylations of aryl bromides and alkoxycarbonylations using paraformaldehyde as an external CO source (CO gas free). Hence, aromatic aldehydes and esters were synthesized in moderate to good yields.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Defluorinative Coupling of 1‐Aryl‐2,2‐Difluoroalkenes and Boronic Acids: Stereoselective Synthesis of Monofluorostilbenes

The palladium‐catalyzed defluorinative coupling of 1‐aryl‐2,2‐difluoroalkenes with boronic acids is described. Broad functional‐group tolerance arises from a redox‐neutral process by a palladium(II) active species which is proposed to undergo a β‐fluoride elimination to afford the products. The monofluorostilbene products were formed with excellent diastereoselectivity (≥50:1) in all cases, and it is critical, as traditional chromatographic techniques often fail to separate monofluoroalkene isomers. As a demonstration of this method's unique combination of reactivity and functional‐group tolerance, a Gleevec® analogue, using a monofluorostilbene as an amide isostere, was synthesized.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Ammonium Sulfinates from Aryl Halides and a Sulfur Dioxide Surrogate: A Gas‐ and Reductant‐Free Process

Sulfonyl‐derived functional groups populate a broad range of useful molecules and materials, and despite a variety of preparative methods being available, processes which introduce the most basic sulfonyl building block, sulfur dioxide, using catalytic methods, are rare. Described herein is a simple reaction system consisting of the sulfur dioxide surrogate DABSO, triethylamine, and a palladium(0) catalyst for effective convertion of a broad range of aryl and heteroaryl halides into the corresponding ammonium sulfinates. Key features of this gas‐ and reductant‐free reaction include the low loadings of palladium (1 mol %) and ligand (1.5 mol %) which can be employed, and the use of isopropyl alcohol as both a solvent and formal reductant. The ammonium sulfinate products are converted in situ into a variety of sulfonyl‐containing functional groups, including sulfones, sulfonyl chlorides, and sulfonamides.     

Oxidative Coupling of Aryl Boron Reagents with sp3‐Carbon Nucleophiles: The Enolate Chan–Evans–Lam Reaction

Reported is a versatile new oxidative method for the arylation of activated methylene species. Under mild reaction conditions (RT to 40 °C), Cu(OTf)₂ mediates the selective coupling of functionalized aryl boron species with a variety of stabilized sp³‐nucleophiles. Tertiary malonates and amido esters can be employed as substrates to generate quaternary centers. Complementing either traditional cross‐coupling or S_NAr protocols, the transformation is chemoselective in the presence of halogen electrophiles, including aryl bromides and iodides. Substrates bearing amide, sulfonyl, and phosphonyl groups, which are not amenable to coupling under mild Hurtley‐type conditions, are suitable reaction partners.     

Bench‐Stable Stock Solutions of Silicon Grignard Reagents: Application to Iron‐ and Cobalt‐Catalyzed Radical C(sp3)–Si Cross‐Coupling Reactions

A robust method for the preparation of silicon‐based magnesium reagents is reported. The MgBr₂ used in the lithium‐to‐magnesium transmetalation step is generated in situ from 1,2‐dibromoethane and elemental magnesium in hot THF. No precipitation of MgBr₂ occurs in the heat, and transmetalation at elevated temperature leads to homogeneous stock solutions of the silicon Grignard reagents that are stable and storable in the fridge. This method avoids the preparation of silicon pronucleophiles such as Si?Si and Si?B reagents. The new Grignard reagents were applied to unprecedented iron‐ and cobalt‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions of unactivated alkyl bromides. The functional‐group tolerance of these magnesium reagents is excellent.     

New Design of a Disulfurating Reagent: Facile and Straightforward Pathway to Unsymmetrical Disulfanes by Copper‐Catalyzed Oxidative Cross‐Coupling

A novel reagent, which introduces two sulfur atoms in one step, was designed and used for the construction of diverse disulfanes by copper‐catalyzed oxidative cross‐coupling under mild reaction conditions. By applying this stable and readily prepared reagent, late‐stage modification of pharmaceuticals and natural products can be achieved straightforward. The scaled‐up experiments further indicated the practicality of this protocol. The pH value of the system plays a key role in achieving highly selective cleavage of the C?S bond instead of a S?S bond in the transformation.