Substituted Tetraaza‐ and Hexaazahexacenes and their N,N′‐Dihydro Derivatives: Syntheses,Properties, and Structures

The palladium‐catalyzed coupling of a substituted o‐diaminoanthracene and a substituted o‐diaminophenazine to substituted 2,3‐dichloroquinoxalines furnishes 10 differently substituted N,N′‐dihydrotetraaza‐ or ‐hexaazahexacenes with the quinoxaline group of the azaacenes carrying fluorine, chlorine, or nitro groups. The N,N′‐dihydrotetraazahexacenes with hydrogen, chlorine, and fluorine subtituents are oxidized to azaacenes, whereas only the parent N,N′‐dihydrohexaazahexacenes, with hydrogen substituents, are oxidized by MnO₂. The resultant azaacenes are characterized by their optical and spectroscopic data. In addition, single‐crystal X‐ray structures have been obtained for the parent tetraazahexacenes and their difluoro‐substituted derivatives. The di‐ and tetrachloro derivatives of the N,N′‐dihydrohexaazahexacene have also been structurally characterized.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of 2,3‐Dihydropyrroles by Ring‐Opening/Cyclization of Cyclopropyl Ketones Using Primary Amines

The asymmetric ring‐opening/cyclization of cyclopropyl ketones with primary amine nucleophiles was catalyzed by a chiral N,N′‐dioxide/scandium(III) complex through a kinetic resolution process. A broad range of cyclopropyl ketones and primary amines are suitable substrates of this reaction. The corresponding products were afforded in excellent enantioselectivities and yields (up to 97 % ee and 98 % yield) under mild reaction conditions. This method provides a promising access to chiral 2,3‐dihydropyrroles as well as an effective procedure for the kinetic resolution of 2‐substituted cyclopropyl ketones.     

Room‐temperature Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction with α‐diimine Pd(II) catalysts

An α‐diimine Pd(II) complex containing chiral sec‐phenethyl groups, {bis[N,N′‐(4‐methyl‐2‐sec‐phenethylphenyl)imino]‐2,3‐butadiene}dichloropalladium (rac‐ C1 ), was synthesized and characterized. rac‐ C1 was applied as an efficient catalyst for the Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction between various aniline halides and arylboronic acid in PEG‐400–H₂O at room temperature. Among a series of aniline halides, rac‐ C1 did not catalyze the cross‐coupling of aniline chlorides and fluorides but efficiently catalyzed the cross‐coupling of aniline bromides and iodides with phenylboronic acid. The catalytic activity reduced slightly with increasing steric hindrance of the aniline bromides. The complexes {bis[N,N′‐(4‐fluoro‐2,6‐diphenylphenyl)imino]‐2,3‐butadiene}dichloropalladium and {bis[N,N′‐(4‐fluoro‐2,6‐diphenylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene}dichloropalladium were also found to be efficient catalysts for the reaction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large yet Flexible N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands for Palladium Catalysis

A straightforward and scalable eight‐step synthesis of new N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) has been developed from inexpensive and readily available 2‐nitro‐m‐xylene. This process allows for the preparation of a novel class of NHCs coined ITent (“Tent” for “tentacular”) of which the well‐known IMes (N,N′‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene), IPr (N,N′‐bis(2,6‐di(2‐propyl)phenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) and IPent (N,N′‐bis(2,6‐di(3‐pentyl)phenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) NHCs are the simplest and already known congeners. The synthetic route was successfully used for the preparation of three members of the ITent family: IPent (N,N′‐bis(2,6‐di(3‐pentyl)phenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene), IHept (N,N′‐bis(2,6‐di(4‐heptyl)phenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) and INon (N,N′‐bis(2,6‐di(5‐nonyl)phenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene). The electronic and steric properties of each NHC were studied through the preparation of both nickel and palladium complexes. Finally the effect of these new ITent ligands in Pd‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura and Buchwald–Hartwig cross‐couplings was investigated.     

N2,N2′‐disubstituted oxalic acid bishydrazides: novel ligands for copper‐catalyzed C?N coupling reactions in water

A series of N²,N²′‐disubstituted oxalic acid bishydrazides were synthesized. Some, for example, N²,N²′‐di‐1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐ethanyloxylic‐(bishydrazide), are novel and effective ligands for copper‐catalyzed Ullmann‐type C N coupling reaction in water. A variety of amines could be effectively N‐arylated with aryl halides under both microwave irradiation and conventional heating (even at 30 °C) with good to excellent yields. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of Triptycene‐Substituted Azapentacene and Azahexacene Derivatives

We describe the synthesis and characterization of novel iptycene‐substituted azaacenes by using either a classic condensation route (diamine plus ortho‐quinone) and/or a Pd‐catalyzed coupling of an aromatic diamine with an aromatic dihalide. The attachment of an iptycene unit leads to a significant blueshift (15 nm) in the UV/Vis spectra of these azaacenes. The iptycene unit stabilizes a hexaazahexacene with a λ_{max abs} of 833 nm. By employing 5,6‐diamino(benzothiadiazole) as a synthon for tetraaminobenzene, we could prepare the symmetrical bis‐triptycene‐substituted tetraazapentacene in high yields.     

N‐Heterocyclic carbene/phosphite synergistically assisted Pd/C‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides

An N‐heterocyclic carbene and phosphite synergistically enhanced Pd/C catalyst system has been developed for Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides and aryl boronic acids from commercially available Pd/C with sterically demanding N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolylidene and trimethylphosphite. A remarkable increase in catalytic activity of Pd/C was observed when used along with 1 equiv. N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium chloride and 2 equiv. phosphite with respect to palladium in appropriate solvents that were found to play a crucial role in Pd/C‐NHC‐P(OR)₃‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling. A dramatic ortho‐substitution effect of carbonyl and nitrile groups in aryl chlorides was observed and explained by a modified quasi‐heterogeneous catalysis mechanism. The Pd/C catalyst could be easily recovered from reaction mixtures by simple filtration and only low palladium contamination was detected in the biparyl products. A practical process for the synthesis of 4‐biphenylcarbonitrile has therefore been developed using the N‐heterocyclic carbene/phosphite‐assisted Pd/C‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Direct C2 Arylation of N‐Substituted Indoles with 1‐Aryltriazenes

A novel and efficient palladium‐catalyzed C2 arylation of N‐substituted indoles with 1‐aryltriazenes for the synthesis of 2‐arylindoles was developed. In the presence of BF₃ ? OEt₂ and palladium(II) acetate (Pd(OAc)₂), N‐substituted indoles reacted with 1‐aryltriazenes in N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAC) to afford the corresponding aryl–indole‐type products in good to excellent yields.     

Ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of amino acid‐functionalized norbornene derivatives

Amino acid‐derived novel norbornene derivatives, N,N′‐(endo‐bicyclo[2.2.1] hept‐5‐en‐2,3‐diyldicarbonyl) bis‐L ‐alanine methyl ester (NBA), N,N′‐(endo‐bicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐en‐2,3‐diyldicarbonyl) bis‐L ‐leucine methyl ester (NBL), N,N′‐(endo‐bicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐en‐2,3‐diyldicarbonyl) bis‐L ‐phenylalanine methyl ester (NBF) were synthesized and polymerized using the Grubbs 2nd generation ruthenium (Ru) catalyst. Although NBA, NBL, and NBF did not undergo homopolymerization, they underwent copolymerization with norbornene (NB) to give the copolymers with M_n ranging from 5200 to 38,100. The maximum incorporation ratio of the amino acid‐based unit was 9%, and the cis contents of the main chain were 54–66%. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5337–5343, 2006     

Molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 3-alkyloxindoles: reaction development and applications

We report a full account of our work towards the development of Mo‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions with 3‐alkyloxindoles as nucleophiles. The reaction is complementary to the Pd‐catalyzed reaction with regard to the scope of oxindole nucleophiles. A number of 3‐alkyloxindoles were alkylated successfully under mild conditions to give products with excellent yields and good‐to‐excellent enantioselectivities. Applications of this method to the preparation of indoline alkaloids such as (?)‐physostigmine, ent‐(?)‐debromoflustramine B, and the indolinoquinoline rings of communesin B are reported.     

Syntheses of Branched Non‐1‐ynitols by Chemoselective Addition of (Trimethylsilyl)‐propargylmagnesium Bromide at the Anomeric Center of Side Chain Halogeno Functionalized Carbohydrates

A convenient method for the syntheses of non‐1‐ynitols 8a–8d, by chemoselective addition of (trimethylsilyl)‐propargylmagnesium bromide at the anomeric center of a 1‐unprotected sugar, in the presence of 3‐C′‐halide and 3‐C′‐silyl functions in the side chain is described. In addition, an efficient method for the synthesis of 3‐C′‐hydroxymethyl sugar 3 via the addition of C₁ silyl Grignard reagents to ulose 1 and subsequent oxidation by the Fleming‐Tamao method in excellent yields is reported. Also, a suitable acid‐catalyzed isomerization of the 1,2‐O‐isopropylidene group to the 2,3‐O‐isopropylidene group (5a–5f), to get access to the anomeric center, in good to excellent yields has been depicted.     

Facile Synthesis of Nitrogen Tetradentate Ligands and Their Applications in CuI‐Catalyzed N‐Arylation and Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition

Five new tetradentate ligands [NNNN] with benzimidazolyl‐imine or amine nitrogen donors have been synthesized in good yields under mild conditions from easily available substrates. trans‐N,N′‐bis(1‐Ethyl‐2‐benzimidazolylmethylene)cyclohexane‐1,2‐diimine is the best accelerating ligand in this series that supports the Cu^I‐catalyzed Ullmann N‐arylation and the direct three‐component azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction to give the corresponding substituted imidazole, pyrazole, and triazole in high yields. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis of its complex with CuI reveals a novel one‐dimensional coordination polymer of the metal chain bridged alternately by the [NNNN] ligand and diiodides.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Cacchi Reaction: Asymmetric Synthesis of Axially Chiral 2,3‐Disubstituted Indoles

We report herein the first examples of a palladium‐catalyzed enantioselective Cacchi reaction for the synthesis of indoles bearing a chiral C2‐aryl axis. In the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)₂ and (R,R)‐QuinoxP* ligand, reaction of N‐aryl(alkyl)sulfonyl‐2‐alkynylanilides with arylboronic acids under oxygen atmosphere afforded enantioenriched 2,3‐disubstituted indoles in high yields and enantioselectivity. The indole ring is constructed de novo in this process and a complexation‐induced chirality transfer is proposed to account for the observed enantioselectivity.     

Asymmetric Catalytic [2,3] Stevens and Sommelet–Hauser Rearrangements of α‐Diazo Pyrazoleamides with Sulfides

Catalytic enantioselective [2,3] Stevens and Sommelet–Hauser rearrangements of α‐diazo pyrazoleamides with sulfides were achieved by utilizing chiral N,N′‐dioxide/nickel(^II) complex catalysts. These rearrangements proceeded well under mild reaction conditions, providing rapid and facile access to a series of functionalized 1,6‐dicarbonyls or sulfane‐substituted phenylacetates with high to excellent enantioselectivities. The catalytic system shows excellent stereocontrol, discriminating between the heterotopic lone pairs of sulfur and controlling both the 1,3‐proton transfer and the [2,3]‐σ rearrangement.     

New Highlights in the Synthesis of 4‐Aryl‐1,4‐dihydropyrazines

The 4‐aryl‐1,4‐dihydropyrazines were prepared via the cyclization of N,N‐bisalkylated anilines with ammonium acetate. These reactions were aided by improvements in the synthesis of N,N‐bisalkylated anilines which were alkylated with anilines using ethyl 2‐diazo acetoacetate in a reaction catalyzed by rhodium acetate in the absence of oxygen. A possible mechanistic route is postulated on the basis of the isolation of the N‐alkylation intermediates, which were determined to be N‐aryloxamates by ¹H NMR data and X‐ray diffraction.     

Synthesis of S‐Aryl Arenethiosulfonates from N,N‐Di(arenesulfonyl)hydrazines: Reduction of Sulfonyl Chlorides with an Organic Reagent

N,N‐Di(arenesulfonyl)‐N′,N′‐dimethyl‐hydrazines, readily prepared from arenesulfonyl chlorides and N,N‐dimethylhydrazine, were heated at 120°C in chlorobenzene to give S‐aryl arenethiosulfonates, ArSSO₂Ar, in good yields.     

1,1,3,3‐N,N,N′,N′‐Tetramethylguanidinium Trifluoroacetate Ionic Liquid–Promoted Efficient One‐Pot Synthesis of Trisubstituted Imidazoles

Trisubstituted imidazoles have been synthesized in very short reaction times with excellent yields in the presence of 1,1,3,3‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylguanidinium trifluoroacetate as an ionic liquid at 100°C. The ionic liquid can be recycled for subsequent reactions without any appreciable loss of efficiency.     

Dicationic ionic liquids as recyclable catalysts for one‐pot solvent‐free synthesis of α‐aminophosphonates

Some task‐specific ionic liquids N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethyl‐N,N′‐dipropanesulfonic acid ethylene‐diammonium hydrogen sulfate, N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethyl‐N,N′‐dipropanesulfonic acid‐1,3‐propanediammonium hydrogen sulfate, N,N,N′,N′‐ tetramethyl‐N,N′‐ dipropanesulfonic acid‐1,6‐hexanediammonium hydrogen sulfate were prepared. These ionic liquids could be used as efficient and recyclable catalysts for the synthesis of α‐aminophosphonates at room temperature via an one‐pot three‐component reaction under organic solvent‐free conditions with good yields of 83–96%. The postprocessing was simple, and the catalysts could be reused at least six times without noticeably decreasing the catalytic activity. The novel clean procedure offers the advantages including short reaction time, good yields, operational simplicity, and environmentally benign. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 22:1–5, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com . DOI 10.1002/hc.20647     

Iodine‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Spiro[1,3,4‐benzotriazepine‐2,3′‐indole]‐2′,5(1H,1′H)‐diones under Mild Conditions

The I₂‐catalyzed preparation of spiro[1,3,4‐benzotriazepine‐2,3′‐indole]‐2′,5(1H,1′H)‐diones from 2‐aminobenzohydrazide and isatins in MeCN at room temperature in good‐to‐excellent yields is described. The structure of 3 was corroborated spectroscopically (IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and EI‐MS data). A plausible mechanism for this type of reaction is proposed (Scheme 2).     

Tetraphosphine/palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of heteroaryl halides with 3‐pyridine‐ and 3‐thiopheneboronic acid: an efficient catalyst for the formation of biheteroaryls

An easily prepared tetraphosphine N,N,N′,N′‐tetra(diphenylphosphinomethyl)‐1,2‐ethylenediamine (L1) associated with [Pd(η³‐C₃H₅)Cl]₂ affords an efficient catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of 3‐pyridineboronic acid with heteroaryl bromides. Reaction could be performed with as little as 0.02 mol% catalyst and a high turnover number of 2500 is obtained. A wide range of substrates is investigated with satisfactory yields, and good compatibility with aminogroup‐substituted pyridines and unprotected indole is exhibited. This protocol can also be applied successfully to the reaction of heteroaryl bromides with 3‐thiopheneboronic acid. This Pd‐tetraphosphine catalyst efficiently restrains the poisoning effect from heteroaryls, and shows good stability and longevity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.