Cp*RhIII‐Catalyzed Arylation of C(sp3)H Bonds

The first Cp*Rh^III‐catalyzed arylation of unactivated C(sp³)? H bonds is presented. The unactivated primary C(sp³)? H bond of 2‐alkylpyridines can be activated by Rh^III and further reacts with triarylboroxines to efficiently build new C(sp³)? aryl bonds. The methodology also provides a facile and efficient synthesis of unsymmetrical triarylmethanes by Rh^III‐catalyzed C(sp³)? H arylation of diarylmethanes.     

Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Intramolecular Redox‐Neutral Annulation of Tethered Alkynes: Formal Total Synthesis of (±)‐Goniomitine

A Rh^III‐catalyzed intramolecular redox‐neutral atom‐economic annulation of a tethered alkyne has been developed to efficiently construct 2‐amidealkyl indoles with completely reversed regioselectivity by a C?H activation pathway. Furthermore, using the Rh^III‐catalyzed C?H activation/annulation as a key step, a one‐pot synthesis of pyrido[1,2‐a]indoles has also been developed and applied to a highly efficient formal total synthesis of (±)‐goniomitine.     

Unprecedented Dearomatized Spirocyclopropane in a Sequential Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed C−H Activation and Rearrangement Reaction

An unprecedented dearomatized spirocyclopropane intermediate was discovered in a sequential Cp*Rh^III‐catalyzed C?H activation and Wagner–Meerwein‐type rearrangement reaction. How the oxidative O?N bond is cleaved and the role of HOAc were uncovered in this study. Furthermore, a Cp*Rh^III‐catalyzed dearomatization reaction of N‐(naphthalen‐1‐yloxy)acetamide with strained olefins was developed, affording a variety of spirocyclopropanes.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Cyclization of O,ω‐Unsaturated Alkoxyamines: Formation of Oxygen‐Containing Heterocycles

O,ω‐Unsaturated N‐tosyl alkoxyamines undergo unexpected Rh^III‐catalyzed intramolecular cyclization by oxyamination to produce oxygen‐containing heterocycles. Mechanistic studies show that an aziridine intermediate seems to be responsible for the formation of the heterocycles, possibly via a Rh^V species.     

Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Coupling of Indoles and 7‐Azabenzonorbornadienes by C−H Activation/Desymmetrization

Chiral rhodium(III) cyclopentadienyl catalysts (Cp^XRh^III) play significant roles in asymmetric arene C?H activation. Rh/Ir‐catalyzed couplings of arenes and strained rings have been well‐studied, but they have been limited to racemic systems. Reported in this work is the Cp^xRh^III/AgSbF₆‐catalyzed enantioselective desymmetrizative C?C coupling of N‐pyrimidylindoles and 7‐azabenzonorbornadienes with high efficiency and enantioselectivity. The role of AgSbF₆ has been established by mechanistic studies. AgSbF₆ enhances the catalytic activity by suppressing the C3?H activation of the indoles, activation which would otherwise lead to catalytically inactive species.     

Direct Regio‐ and Diastereoselective Synthesis of δ‐Lactams from Acrylamides and Unactivated Alkenes Initiated by RhIII‐Catalyzed C−H Activation

We report a Rh^III‐catalyzed regio‐ and diastereoselective synthesis of δ‐lactams from readily available acrylamide derivatives and unactivated alkenes. The reaction provides a rapid route to a diverse set of δ‐lactams in good yield and stereoselectivity, which serve as useful building blocks for substituted piperidines. The regioselectivity of the reaction with unactivated terminal alkene is significantly improved by using Cp^t ligand on the Rh^III catalyst. The synthetic utility of the reaction is demonstrated by the preparation of a potential drug candidate containing a trisubstituted piperidine moiety. Mechanistic studies show that the reversibility of the C?H activation depends on the choice of Cp ligand on the Rh^III catalyst. The irreversible C?H activation is observed and becomes turnover‐limiting with [Cp^tRhCl₂]₂ as catalyst.     

α‐MsO/TsO/Cl Ketones as Oxidized Alkyne Equivalents: Redox‐Neutral Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed CH Activation for the Synthesis of N‐Heterocycles

α‐Halo and pseudohalo ketones are used for the first time as C(sp³)‐based electrophiles in transition‐metal‐catalyzed C? H activation and as oxidized alkyne equivalents in Rh^III‐catalyzed redox‐neutral annulations to generate diverse N‐heterocycles. This transformation is efficient and scalable. Due to the mild reaction conditions, a variety of functional groups could be tolerated.     

RhIII‐Catalyzed Hydroacylation Reactions between N‐Sulfonyl 2‐Aminobenzaldehydes and Olefins

Metal‐catalyzed hydroacylation of olefins represents an important atom‐economic synthetic process in C?H activation. For the first time highly efficient Rh^IIICp*‐catalyzed hydroacylation was realized in the coupling of N‐sulfonyl 2‐aminobenzaldehydes with both conjugated and aliphatic olefins, leading to the synthesis of various aryl ketones. Occasionally, oxidative coupling occurred when a silver(I) oxidant was used.     

Microwave‐Assisted,Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed N‐Annulation Reactions of Aryl and α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones with Alkynes

New Rh^III‐catalyzed, one‐pot N‐annulation reactions of aryl and α,β‐unsaturated ketones with alkynes in the presence of ammonium acetate have been developed. Under microwave irradiation conditions, the processes lead to rapid formation of the respective isoquinoline and pyridine derivatives with efficiencies that are strongly dependent on the steric nature of the aryl ring and enone substituents. By employing this protocol, a variety of isoquinoline and pyridine derivatives were prepared in high yields. In addition, a new one‐pot approach to the synthesis of pyridines, involving four‐component reactions of ketones, formaldehyde, NH₄OAc, and alkynes, has been uncovered. This process takes place through a route involving initial aldol condensation of the ketone with formaldehyde to generate a branched α,β‐unsaturated ketone that then undergoes Rh^III‐catalyzed N‐annulation with NH₄OAc and the alkyne.     

Cp*CoIII Catalyzed Site‐Selective CH Activation of Unsymmetrical O‐Acyl Oximes: Synthesis of Multisubstituted Isoquinolines from Terminal and Internal Alkynes

The synthesis of isoquinolines by site‐selective C? H activation of O‐acyl oximes with a Cp*Co^III catalyst is described. In the presence of this catalyst, the C? H activation of various unsymmetrically substituted O‐acyl oximes selectively occurred at the sterically less hindered site, and reactions with terminal as well as internal alkynes afforded the corresponding products in up to 98 % yield. Whereas the reactions catalyzed by the Cp*Co^III system proceeded with high site selectivity (15:1 to 20:1), use of the corresponding Cp*Rh^III catalysts led to low selectivities and/or yields when unsymmetrical O‐acyl oximes and terminal alkynes were used. Deuterium labeling studies indicate a clear difference in the site selectivity of the C? H activation step under Cp*Co^III and Cp*Rh^III catalysis.     

Transition States of Binap–Rhodium(I)‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation: Theoretical Studies on the Origin of the Enantioselectivity

By using the hybrid IMOMM(B3LYP:MM3) method, we examined the binap–Rh^I‐catalyzed oxidative‐addition and insertion steps of the asymmetric hydrogenation of the enamide 2‐acetylamino‐3‐phenylacrylic acid. We report a path that is energetically more favorable for the major enantiomer than for the minor enantiomer. This path follows the “lock‐and‐key” motif and leads to the major enantiomeric product via an energetically favorable binap–dihydride–Rh^III–enamide complex. Our theoretical results are consistent with the mechanism that takes place via Rh^III dihydride formation, that is, oxidative addition of H₂ followed by enamide insertion.     

RhV‐Nitrenoid as a Key Intermediate in RhIII‐Catalyzed Heterocyclization by CH Activation: A Computational Perspective on the Cycloaddition of Benzamide and Diazo Compounds

A mechanistic study of the substituent‐dependent ring formations in Rh^III‐catalyzed C?H activation/cycloaddition of benzamide and diazo compounds was carried out by using DFT calculations. The results indicated that the decomposition of the diazo is facilitated upon the formation of the five‐membered rhodacycle, in which the Rh^III center is more electrophilic. The insertion of carbenoid into Rh?C(phenyl) bond occurs readily and forms a 6‐membered rhodacycle, however, the following C?N bond formation is difficult both kinetically and thermodynamically by reductive elimination from the Rh^III species. Instead, the Rh^V‐nitrenoid intermediate could be formed by migration of the pivalate from N to Rh, which undergoes the heterocyclization much more easily and complementary ring‐formations could be modulated by the nature of the substituent at the α‐carbon. When a vinyl is attached, the stepwise 1,3‐allylic migration occurs prior to the pivalate migration and the 8‐membered ring product will be formed. On the other hand, the pivalate migration becomes more favorable for the phenyl‐contained intermediate because of the difficult 1,3‐allylic migration accompanied by dearomatization, thus the 5‐membered ring product was formed selectively.     

Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Cyclative Capture Approach to Diverse 1‐Aminoindoline Derivatives at Room Temperature

A Rh^III‐catalyzed C–H activation/cyclative capture approach, involving a nucleophilic addition of C(sp³)–Rh species to polarized double bonds is reported. This constitutes the first intermolecular catalytic method to directly access 1‐aminoindolines with a broad substituent scope under mild conditions.     

Visible Light Induced Rhodium(I)‐Catalyzed C−H Borylation

An efficient visible light induced rhodium(I)‐catalyzed regioselective borylation of aromatic C?H bonds is reported. The photocatalytic system is based on a single NHC?Rh^I complex capable of both harvesting visible light and enabling the bond breaking/forming at room temperature. The chelating nature of the NHC‐carboxylate ligand was critical to ensure the stability of the Rh^I complex and to provide excellent photocatalytic activities. Experimental mechanistic studies evidenced a photooxidative ortho C?H bond addition upon irradiation with blue LEDs, leading to a cyclometalated Rh^III‐hydride intermediate.     

2‐(2′‐Pyridyl)‐4,6‐diphenylphosphinine versus 2‐(2′‐Pyridyl)‐4,6‐diphenylpyridine: Synthesis,Characterization, and Reactivity of Cationic RhIII and IrIII Complexes Based on Aromatic Phosphorus Heterocycles

The bidentate P,N hybrid ligand 1 allows access for the first time to novel cationic phosphinine‐based Rh^III and Ir^III complexes, broadening significantly the scope of low‐coordinate aromatic phosphorus heterocycles for potential applications. The coordination chemistry of 1 towards Rh^III and Ir^III was investigated and compared with the analogous 2,2′‐bipyridine derivative, 2‐(2′‐pyridyl)‐4,6‐diphenylpyridine ( 2 ), which showed significant differences. The molecular structures of [RhCl(Cp*)( 1 )]Cl and [IrCl(Cp*)( 1 )]Cl (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) were determined by means of X‐ray diffraction and confirm the mononuclear nature of the λ³‐phosphinine–Rh^III and Ir^III complexes. In contrast, a different reactivity and coordination behavior was found for the nitrogen analogue 2 , especially towards Rh^III as a bimetallic ion pair [RhCl(Cp*)( 2 )]⁺[RhCl₃(Cp*)]^? is formed rather than a mononuclear coordination compound. [RhCl(Cp*)( 1 )]Cl and [IrCl(Cp*)( 1 )]Cl react with water regio‐ and diastereoselectively at the external P?C double bond, leading exclusively to the anti‐addition products [MCl(Cp*)( 1 H ? OH)]Cl as confirmed by X‐ray crystal‐structure determination.     

Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed CC and CO Coupling of Quinoline N‐Oxides with Alkynes: Combination of CH Activation with O‐Atom Transfer

[Cp*Rh^III]‐catalyzed C? H activation of arenes assisted by an oxidizing N? O or N? N directing group has allowed the construction of a number of hetercycles. In contrast, a polar N? O bond is well‐known to undergo O‐atom transfer (OAT) to alkynes. Despite the liability of N? O bonds in both C? H activation and OAT, these two important areas evolved separately. In this report, [Cp*Rh^III] catalysts integrate both areas in an efficient redox‐neutral coupling of quinoline N‐oxides with alkynes to afford α‐(8‐quinolyl)acetophenones. In this process the N? O bond acts as both a directing group for C? H activation and as an O‐atom donor.     

Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed ortho Alkenylation of N‐Phenoxyacetamides with N‐Tosylhydrazones or Diazoesters through CH Activation

A coupling reaction of N‐phenoxyacetamides with N‐tosylhydrazones or diazoesters through Rh^III‐catalyzed C? H activation is reported. In this reaction, ortho‐alkenyl phenols were obtained in good yields and with excellent regio‐ and stereoselectivity. Rh–carbene migratory insertion is proposed as the key step in the reaction mechanism.     

Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Access to Spirocycles through C−H Activation and Axial‐to‐Central Chirality Transfer

Axial‐to‐central chirality transfer is an important strategy to construct chiral centers, where the axially chiral reagents are mostly limited to atropomerically stable ones. Reported herein is a Rh^III‐catalyzed enantioselective spiroannulative synthesis of nitrones. The coupling proceeds via C?H arylation to give an atropomerically metastable biaryl, followed by intramolecular dearomative trapping under oxidative conditions with high degree of chirality transfer.     

Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Annulation of 2‐Alkenyl Anilides with Alkynes through C−H Activation: Direct Access to 2‐Substituted Indolines

A Rh^III complex featuring an electron‐deficient η⁵‐cyclopentadienyl ligand catalyzed an unusual annulation between alkynes and 2‐alkenyl anilides to form synthetically appealing 2‐substituted indolines. Formally, the process can be viewed as an allylic amination with concomitant hydrocarbonation of the alkyne. Mechanistic experiments indicate that this transformation involves an unusual rhodium migration with a concomitant 1,5‐H shift.     

Combination of Cp*RhIII‐Catalyzed C−H Activation and a Wagner–Meerwein‐Type Rearrangement

A combination of Cp*Rh^III‐catalyzed C−H activation and Wagner–Meerwein‐type rearrangement was successfully achieved for the first time. Thus, bridged polycyclic molecules that are not readily accessible by other means were accessed under mild conditions with high efficiency (as low as 0.5 mol % Rh catalyst) in the coupling of N ‐phenoxyacetamide with 7‐azabenzonorbornadiene.