A Highly Active Catalyst for the Room-Temperature Amination and Suzuki Coupling of Aryl Chlorides

A unique combination of steric and electronic properties appears to determine the effectiveness of phosphanyl-substituted biphenyls as ligands in palladium-catalyzed aminations and Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides at room temperature [Eq. (1)]. The oxidative addition step is greatly accelerated, and transmetalation (or Pd−N bond formation) and reductive elimination processes are facilitated. Use of these ligands allows for Suzuki coupling at very low catalyst loadings (as little as 10⁻⁶ mol % Pd). R″=cyclohexyl, tert-butyl.     

Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Allyl−Aryl Cross-Electrophile Coupling via Allylic C−F Bond Activation

Nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling of allylic difluorides with aryl iodides was achieved via allylic C−F bond activation. Based on this protocol, a series of γ-arylated monofluoroalkenes were synthesized in moderate to high yields with high Z-selectivities. Mechanistic studies suggest that the C−I bonds of the aryl iodides and the C−F bonds of the allylic difluorides were cleaved via oxidative addition and β-fluorine elimination, respectively, where the oxidative addition of less reactive C−F bonds was avoided to permit their transformation.     

A Key Intermediate in Copper‐Mediated Arene Trifluoromethylation, [nBu4N][Cu(Ar)(CF3)3]: Synthesis,Characterization, and C(sp2)−CF3 Reductive Elimination

The synthesis, characterization, and C(sp²)?CF₃ reductive elimination of stable aryl[tris(trifluoromethyl)]cuprate(III) complexes [nBu₄N][Cu(Ar)(CF₃)₃] are described. Mechanistic investigations, including kinetic studies, studies of the effect of temperature, solvent, and the para substituent of the aryl group, as well as DFT calculations, suggest that the C(sp²)?CF₃ reductive elimination proceeds through a concerted carbon–carbon bond‐forming pathway.     

A Key Intermediate in Copper‐Mediated Arene Trifluoromethylation, [nBu4N][Cu(Ar)(CF3)3]: Synthesis,Characterization, and C(sp2)−CF3 Reductive Elimination

The synthesis, characterization, and C(sp²)?CF₃ reductive elimination of stable aryl[tris(trifluoromethyl)]cuprate(III) complexes [nBu₄N][Cu(Ar)(CF₃)₃] are described. Mechanistic investigations, including kinetic studies, studies of the effect of temperature, solvent, and the para substituent of the aryl group, as well as DFT calculations, suggest that the C(sp²)?CF₃ reductive elimination proceeds through a concerted carbon–carbon bond‐forming pathway.     

Synthesis of Stable Diarylpalladium(II) Complexes: Detailed Study of the Aryl–Aryl Bond‐Forming Reductive Elimination

The synthesis of diarylpalladium(II) complexes by twofold aryl C?H bond activation was developed. These intermediates of oxidative cyclization reactions are stabilized by chelation with acetyl groups while still maintaining sufficient reactivity to study their reductive elimination. Four distinct triggers were found for the reductive elimination of these complexes to dibenzofurans and carbazoles. Thermal elimination occurs at very high temperatures, whereas ligand‐promoted and oxidatively induced reductive eliminations proceed readily at room temperature. Under these conditions, no isomerization occurs. In contrast, weak Brønsted acids, such as acetic acid, lead to a sequence of proto‐demetalation, isomerization to a κ³‐diarylpalladium(II) complex, and reductive elimination to non‐symmetrical cyclization products.     

Acid Chloride Synthesis by the Palladium‐Catalyzed Chlorocarbonylation of Aryl Bromides

We report a palladium‐catalyzed method to synthesize acid chlorides by the chlorocarbonylation of aryl bromides. Mechanistic studies suggest the combination of sterically encumbered PtBu₃ and CO coordination to palladium can rapidly equilibrate the oxidative addition/reductive elimination of carbon–halogen bonds. This provides a useful method to assemble highly reactive acid chlorides from stable and available reagents, and can be coupled with subsequent nucleophilic reactions to generate new classes of carbonylated products.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Reductive Heck Cyclization of Aryl Halides to Afford Indolines

A nickel‐catalyzed asymmetric reductive Heck reaction of aryl chlorides has been developed that affords substituted indolines with high enantioselectivity. Manganese powder is used as the terminal reductant with water as a proton source. Mechanistically, it is distinct from the palladium‐catalyzed process in that the nickel–carbon bond is converted into a C−H bond to release the product through protonation instead of hydride donation followed by C−H reductive elimination on Pd.     

Sulfonamidation of Aryl and Heteroaryl Halides through Photosensitized Nickel Catalysis

Herein we report a highly efficient method for nickel‐catalyzed C?N bond formation between sulfonamides and aryl electrophiles. This technology provides generic access to a broad range of N‐aryl and N‐heteroaryl sulfonamide motifs, which are widely represented in drug discovery. Initial mechanistic studies suggest an energy‐transfer mechanism wherein C?N bond reductive elimination occurs from a triplet excited Ni^II complex. Late‐stage sulfonamidation in the synthesis of a pharmacologically relevant structure is also demonstrated.     

σ‐Noninnocence: Masked Phenyl‐Cation Transfer at Formal NiIV

Reductive elimination is an elementary organometallic reaction step involving a formal oxidation state change of ?2 at a transition‐metal center. For a series of formal high‐valent Ni^IV complexes, aryl–CF₃ bond‐forming reductive elimination was reported to occur readily (Bour et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015 , 137, 8034–8037). We report a computational analysis of this reaction and find that, unexpectedly, the formal Ni^IV centers are better described as approaching a +II oxidation state, originating from highly covalent metal–ligand bonds, a phenomenon attributable to σ‐noninnocence. A direct consequence is that the elimination of aryl–CF₃ products occurs in an essentially redox‐neutral fashion, as opposed to a reductive elimination. This is supported by an electron flow analysis which shows that an anionic CF₃ group is transferred to an electrophilic aryl group. The uncovered role of σ‐noninnocence in metal–ligand bonding, and of an essentially redox‐neutral elimination as an elementary organometallic reaction step, may constitute concepts of broad relevance to organometallic chemistry.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Reductive Insertion of Alcohols into Aryl Ether Bonds

Palladium on carbon catalyzes C?O bond cleavage of aryl ethers (diphenyl ether and cyclohexyl phenyl ether) by alcohols (R?OH) in H₂. The aromatic C?O bond is cleaved by reductive solvolysis, which is initiated by Pd‐catalyzed partial hydrogenation of one phenyl ring to form an enol ether. The enol ether reacts rapidly with alcohols to form a ketal, which generates 1‐cyclohexenyl?O?R by eliminating phenol or an alkanol. Subsequent hydrogenation leads to cyclohexyl?O?R.     

Insights into Ruthenium(II/IV)-Catalyzed Distal C−H Oxygenation by Weak Coordination

C−H hydroxylation of aryl acetamides and alkyl phenylacetyl esters was accomplished via challenging distal weak O-coordination by versatile ruthenium(II/IV) catalysis. The ruthenium(II)-catalyzed C−H oxygenation of aryl acetamides proceeded through C−H activation, ruthenium(II/IV) oxidation and reductive elimination, thus providing step-economical access to valuable phenols. The p-cymene-ruthenium(II/IV) manifold was established by detailed experimental and DFT-computational studies.     

Reductive Buchwald-Hartwig Amination of Nitroarenes with Aryl (pseudo)Halides

De novo catalytic syntheses of diarylamines from a palladium-catalyzed reductive Buchwald-Hartwig amination of nitroarenes with aryl (pseudo)halides is described. The exquisite use of upstream nitroarenes as arylamine surrogates, the judicious selection of bis(pinacolato)diboron (B₂pin₂) as a stoichiometric reducing agent, and wide substrate scope including (hetero)aryl halides (Cl, Br and I) and aryl triflates, constitute the striking features of the current protocol. Moreover, application of this technique to the syntheses of advanced intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients also proved successful, thus providing an alternative step-economical approach to the syntheses of diarylamine-incorporated molecules. Preliminary mechanistic investigation demonstrates that an amine and a nitrosoarene intermediates might be involved in this reductive event.     

Hydrodehalogenation of Aryl Halides through Direct Electrolysis

A catalyst- and metal-free electrochemical hydrodehalogenation of aryl halides is disclosed. Our reaction by a flexible protocol is operated in an undivided cell equipped with an inexpensive graphite rod anode and cathode. Trialkylamines nBu₃N/Et₃N behave as effective reductants and hydrogen atom donors for this electrochemical reductive reaction. Various aryl and heteroaryl bromides worked effectively. The typically less reactive aryl chlorides and fluorides can also be smoothly converted. The utility of our method is demonstrated by detoxification of harmful pesticides and hydrodebromination of a dibrominated biphenyl (analogues of flame-retardants) in gram scale.     

Preparation of Polyfunctionalized Aromatic Nitriles from Aryl Oxazolines

A selective ortho,ortho’-functionalization of readily available aryl oxazolines by two successive magnesiations with sBu₂Mg in toluene followed by trapping reactions with electrophiles, such as (hetero)aryl iodides or bromides, iodine, tosyl cyanide, ethyl cyanoformate or allylic bromides (39 examples, 62–99 % yield) is reported. Treatment of these aryl oxazolines with excess oxalyl chloride and catalytic amounts of DMF (50 °C, 4 h) provided the corresponding nitriles (36 examples, 73–99 % yield). Conversions of these nitriles to valuable heterocycles are reported, and a tentative mechanism is proposed.     

Reductive elimination from organometals. Thermal and induced decomposition of arylmethylnickel(II) complexes

The thermal decomposition of arylmethylbis(triethylphosphine)nickel(II), ArNiMeL₂, is studied in hydrocarbon solutions, both in the presence and absence of aryl halide. The direct thermolysis affords methylarenes without aryl scrambling, by first-order kinetics. The inverse phosphine dependence of the rate is related to a dissociative mechanism proceeding via reductive elimination directly from the coordinatively unsaturated ArNiMeL intermediate. In contrast, the reductive elimination of methylarene induced by aryl halide is a radical chain process in which there is extensive scrambling of aryl groups, consistent with paramagnetic nickel(I) and nickel(III) species, and not aryl radicals, as reactive intermediates. The induced reductive elimination is a significantly more facile process than direct thermolysis. However, the relative contributions from these pathways in the reductive elimination of ArNiMeL₂ can be deliberately manipulated by additives (inhibitors and promoters) which control the induction period relating the generation of nickel(I, III) intermediates required for chain initiation. The radical chain mechanism for the formation of carboncarbon bonds by reductive elimination in this system is essentially the same as that previously deduced for aryl coupling to biaryls from arylhalonickel(II) and aryl halides.     

BrettPhos Ligand Supported Palladium‐Catalyzed CO Bond Formation through an Electronic Pathway of Reductive Elimination: Fluoroalkoxylation of Activated Aryl Halides

We report an unprecedented BrettPhos ligand supported Pd‐catalyzed C?O bond‐forming reaction of activated aryl halides with primary fluoroalkyl alcohols. We demonstrate that the Phosphine ligand (BrettPhos) possesses the property of altering the mechanistic pathway of reductive elimination from nucleophile to nucleophile. The Pd/BrettPhos catalyst system facilitates the reductive elimination of the oxygen nucleophile through an electronic pathway.     

Cationic Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Decarbonylative Aryl Addition of Aromatic Aldehydes to Bicyclic Alkenes

We report an unprecedented catalytic protocol for the enantioselective decarbonylative transformation of aryl aldehydes. In this process, the decarbonylation of aldehydes catalyzed by chiral iridium complexes enabled the formation of asymmetric C−C bonds through the formation of an aryl−iridium intermediate. The decarbonylative aryl addition to bicyclic alkenes was fluidly performed without a stoichiometric aryl−metal reagent, such as aryl boronic acid, with a cationic iridium complex generated in situ from Ir(cod)₂(BAr^F₄) and the sulfur-linked bis(phosphoramidite) ligand ((R,R)-S−Me−BIPAM). This reaction has broad functional group compatibility, and no waste is generated, except carbon monoxide.     

Distinct electronic effects on reductive eliminations of symmetrical and unsymmetrical bis-aryl platinum complexes

Symmetrical bis-aryl platinum complexes (DPPF)Pt(C(6)H(4)-4-R)(2) (R = NMe(2), OMe, CH(3), H, Cl, CF(3)) and electronically unsymmetrical bis-aryl platinum complexes (DPPF)Pt(C(6)H(4)-4-R)(C(6)H(4)-4-X) (R = CH(3), X = NMe(2), OMe, H, Cl, F, CF(3); R = OMe, X = NMe(2), H, Cl, F, CF(3); R = CF(3), X = H, Cl, NMe(2); and R = NMe(2), X = H, Cl) were prepared, and the rates of reductive elimination of these complexes in the presence of excess PPh(3) are reported. The platinum complexes reductively eliminated biaryl compounds in quantitative yields with first-order rate constants that were independent of the concentration of PPh(3). Plots of Log(k(obs)/k(obs(H))) vs Hammett substituent constants (sigma) of the para substituents R and X showed that the rates of reductive elimination reactions depended on two different electronic properties. The reductive elimination from symmetrical bis-aryl platinum complexes occurred faster from complexes with more electron-donating para substituents R. However, reductive elimination from a series of electronically unsymmetrical bis-aryl complexes was not faster from complexes with the more electron-donating substituents. Instead, reductive elimination was faster from complexes with a larger difference in the electronic properties of the substituents on the two platinum-bound aryl groups. The two electronic effects can complement or cancel each other. Thus, this combination of electronic effects gives rise to complex, but now more interpretable, free energy relationships for reductive elimination.     

Palladium-Catalyzed Aminocarbonylation of Aryl Halides with N,N-Dialkylformamide Acetals

We developed a protocol for the palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation of aryl halides using less-toxic formamide acetals as bench-stable aminocarbonyl sources under neutral conditions. Various aryl (including heteroaryl) halides reacted with N,N-dialkylformamide acetals in the presence of a catalytic amount of tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0)-chloroform adduct and xantphos to give the corresponding aromatic carboxamides at 90–140 °C without any activating agents or bases in up to quantitative chemical yield. This protocol was applied to aryl bromides, aryl iodides, and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, as well as to relatively less-reactive aryl chlorides. A wide range of functionalities on the aromatic ring of the substrates were tolerated under the aminocarbonylation conditions. The catalytic aminocarbonylation was used to prepare the insect repellent N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide as well as a synthetic intermediate of the dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor triazinate.     

Scalable Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Aryl C−H Phosphorylation Enabled by Anodic Oxidation Induced Reductive Elimination

Transition metal catalyzed C?H phosphorylation remains an unsolved challenge. Reported methods are generally limited in scope and require stoichiometric silver salts as oxidants. Reported here is an electrochemically driven Rh^III‐catalyzed aryl C?H phosphorylation reaction that proceeds through H₂ evolution, obviating the need for stoichiometric metal oxidants. The method is compatible with a variety of aryl C?H and P?H coupling partners and particularly useful for synthesizing triarylphosphine oxides from diarylphosphine oxides, which are often difficult coupling partners for transition metal catalyzed C?H phosphorylation reactions. Experimental results suggest that the mechanism responsible for the C?P bond formation involves an oxidation‐induced reductive elimination process.