Design of Leaving Groups in Radical CC Fragmentations: Through‐Bond 2c–3e Interactions in Self‐Terminating Radical Cascades

Radical cascades terminated by β‐scission of exocyclic C?C bonds allow for the formation of aromatic products. Whereas β‐scission is common for weaker bonds, achieving this reactivity for carbon–carbon bonds requires careful design of radical leaving groups. It has now been found that the energetic penalty for breaking a strong σ‐bond can be compensated by the gain of aromaticity in the product and by the stabilizing two‐center, three‐electron “half‐bond” present in the radical fragment. Furthermore, through‐bond communication of a radical and a lone pair accelerates the fragmentation by selectively stabilizing the transition state. The stereoelectronic design of radical leaving groups leads to a new, convenient route to Sn‐functionalized aromatics.     

Dehydrogenative Carbon–Carbon Bond Formation Using Alkynyloxy Moieties as Hydrogen‐Accepting Directing Groups

In the presence of a catalyst system consisting of Pd(OAc)₂, PCy₃, and Zn(OAc)₂, the reaction of alkynyl aryl ethers with bicycloalkenes, α,ß‐unsaturated esters, or heteroarenes results in the site‐selective cleavage of two C? H bonds followed by the formation of C? C bonds. In all cases, the alkynyloxy group acts as a directing group for the activation of an ortho C? H bond and as a hydrogen acceptor, thus rendering the use of additives such as an oxidant or base unnecessary.     

Visible‐Light‐Photosensitized Aryl and Alkyl Decarboxylative Functionalization Reactions

Despite significant progress in aliphatic decarboxylation, an efficient and general protocol for radical aromatic decarboxylation has lagged far behind. Herein, we describe a general strategy for rapid access to both aryl and alkyl radicals by photosensitized decarboxylation of the corresponding carboxylic acids esters followed by their successive use in divergent carbon–heteroatom and carbon–carbon bond‐forming reactions. Identification of a suitable activator for carboxylic acids is the key to bypass a competing single‐electron‐transfer mechanism and “switch on” an energy‐transfer‐mediated homolysis of unsymmetrical σ‐bonds for a concerted fragmentation/decarboxylation process.     

A Systematic Study of Structure and E−H Bond Activation Chemistry by Sterically Encumbered Germylene Complexes

A series of new germylene compounds has been synthesized offering systematic variation in the σ‐ and π‐capabilities of the α‐substituent and differing levels of reactivity towards E?H bond activation (E=H, B, C, N, Si, Ge). Chloride metathesis utilizing [(terphenyl)GeCl] proves to be an effective synthetic route to complexes of the type [(terphenyl)Ge(ER_n)] ( 1 – 6 : ER_n=NHDipp, CH(SiMe₃)₂, P(SiMe₃)₂, Si(SiMe₃)₃ or B(NDippCH)₂; terphenyl=C₆H₃Mes₂‐2,6=Ar^Mes or C₆H₃Dipp₂‐2,6=Ar^Dipp; Dipp=C₆H₃iPr₂‐2,6, Mes=C₆H₂Me₃‐2,4,6), while the related complex [{(Me₃Si)₂N}Ge{B(NDippCH)₂}] ( 8 ) can be accessed by an amide/boryl exchange route. Metrical parameters have been probed by X‐ray crystallography, and are consistent with widening angles at the metal centre as more bulky and/or more electropositive substituents are employed. Thus, the widest germylene units (θ>110°) are found to be associated with strongly σ‐donating boryl or silyl ancillary donors. HOMO–LUMO gaps for the new germylene complexes have been appraised by DFT calculations. The aryl(boryl)‐germylene system [Ar^MesGe{B(NDippCH)₂}] ( 6 ‐Mes), which features a wide C‐Ge‐B angle (110.4(1)°) and (albeit relatively weak) ancillary π‐acceptor capabilities, has the smallest HOMO–LUMO gap (119 kJ mol^?1). These features result in 6 ‐Mes being remarkably reactive, undergoing facile intramolecular C?H activation involving one of the mesityl ortho‐methyl groups. The related aryl(silyl)‐germylene system, [Ar^MesGe{Si(SiMe₃)₃}] ( 5 ‐Mes) has a marginally wider HOMO–LUMO gap (134 kJ mol^?1), rendering it less labile towards decomposition, yet reactive enough to oxidatively cleave H₂ and NH₃ to give the corresponding dihydride and (amido)hydride. Mixed aryl/alkyl, aryl/amido and aryl/phosphido complexes are unreactive, but amido/boryl complex 8 is competent for the activation of E?H bonds (E=H, B, Si) to give hydrido, boryl and silyl products. The results of these reactivity studies imply that the use of the very strongly σ‐donating boryl or silyl substituents is an effective strategy for rendering metallylene complexes competent for E?H bond activation.     

Silver Ion Promoted,PdII‐Catalyzed Arylation of Arenes with a Free Amine as Directing Group in Aqueous Medium

Palladium(II)‐catalyzed arylation of arenes with aryl boronic acids and a free amine as directing group in aqueous medium has been developed. High reactivity and chemoselectivity for the formation of carbon–carbon bonds were achieved by the use of soluble silver salts. The addition of water is crucial to improve the arylation yield.     

Cross‐Coupling of Organolithium with Ethers or Aryl Ammonium Salts by C−O or C−N Bond Cleavage

Various aryl‐, alkenyl‐, and/or alkyllithium species reacted smoothly with aryl and/or benzyl ethers with cleavage of the inert C?O bond to afford cross‐coupled products, catalyzed by commercially available [Ni(cod)₂] (cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene) catalysts with N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands. Furthermore, the coupling reaction between the aryllithium compounds and aryl ammonium salts proceeded under mild conditions with C?N bond cleavage in the presence of a [Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂] catalyst. These methods enable selective sequential functionalizations of arenes having both C?N and C?O bonds in one pot.     

Recent Advances in Radical‐Mediated C—C Bond Fragmentation of Non‐Strained Molecules

The carbon‐carbon (C—C) σ‐bonds construct the fundamental frameworks of organic molecules. The direct functionalization of C—C bonds represents one of the most efficient and step‐economical transformations in synthetic chemistry. The past few decades have witnessed the fast development of transition‐metal mediated C—C bond activation. In contrast, the radical‐promoted C—C bond cleavage has received relatively less attention. As the occurrence of ring strain significantly facilitates the fission of cyclic C—C bonds via radical approaches, the strain relief‐driven C—C bond activation mostly relies on the three‐ and four‐membered rings. The C—C activation of non‐strained molecules such as medium‐ or large‐sized rings and linear alkanes remains challenging. In this review, we will focus on the recent advances in radical‐mediated C—C bond activation of non‐strained molecules. Herein, the alkoxy‐ and iminyl‐radical triggered scission of non‐strained C—C bonds and C—C cleavage via the strategy of remote functional group migration is summarized.     

Highly Selective Phosphinylphosphination of Alkenes with Tetraphenyldiphosphine Monoxide

In sharp contrast to tetraphenyldiphosphine, which does not add to carbon–carbon double bonds efficiently, its monoxide, [Ph₂P(O)PPh₂] can engage in a radical addition to various alkenes, thus affording the corresponding 1‐phosphinyl‐2‐phosphinoalkanes regioselectively, and they can be converted into their sulfides by treatment with elemental sulfur. The phosphinylphosphination proceeds by the homolytic cleavage of the P^V(O)?P^III single bond of Ph₂P(O)PPh₂, followed by selective attack of the phosphinyl radical at the terminal position of the alkenes, and selective trapping of the resulting carbon radical by the phosphino group. Furthermore, the phosphinylphosphination product could be converted directly into its platinum complex with a hemilabile P,O chelation.     

Enantioselective Cross‐Exchange between C−I and C−C σ Bonds

A palladium‐catalyzed enantioselective intramolecular σ‐bond cross‐exchange between C?I and C?C bonds is realized, providing chiral indanones bearing an alkyl iodide group and an all‐carbon quaternary stereocenter. Pd/TADDOL‐derived phosphoramidite is found to be an efficient catalytic system for both C?C bond cleavage and alkyl iodide reductive elimination. In addition to aryl iodides, aryl bromides can also be used for this transformation in the presence of KI. Density‐functional theory (DFT) calculation studies support the ring‐opening of cyclobutanones occuring through an oxidative addition/reductive elimination process involving Pd^IV species.     

Four‐Component Borocarbonylation of Vinylarenes Enabled by Cooperative Cu/Pd Catalysis: Access to β‐Boryl Ketones and β‐Boryl Vinyl Esters

We report here a general four‐component synthetic procedure for the preparation of β‐boryl ketones and β‐boryl vinyl esters. Joint catalyzed by palladium and copper catalysts, borocarbonylative reaction between vinylarenes, aryl halides/triflates, B₂Pin₂, and carbon monoxide proceed successfully. A variety of synthetically useful β‐boryl ketones were synthesized in good to high yields by using aryl iodides as the substrates. It is noteworthy that when aryl triflates were applied as the starting materials, β‐boryl vinyl esters were synthesized in a similar manner and with broad functional group tolerance. A rational mechanism for this reaction was also proposed.     

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.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Directed Sulfenylation of Arene CH Bonds

The rhodium‐catalyzed intermolecular direct C?H thiolation of arenes with aryl and alkyl disulfides was developed for the first time to provide a convenient route to aryl thioethers. This strategy is compatible with many different directing groups and exhibits excellent functional group tolerance. More significantly, mono‐ or dithiolation can be selectively achieved, thus providing a straightforward way for selective preparation of aryl thioethers and dithioethers.     

Lewis Acid–Base Interaction‐Controlled ortho‐Selective C−H Borylation of Aryl Sulfides

An iridium/bipyridine‐catalyzed ortho ‐selective C−H borylation of aryl sulfides was developed. High ortho ‐selectivity was achieved by a Lewis acid–base interaction between a boryl group of the ligand and a sulfur atom of the substrate. This is the first example of a catalytic and regioselective C−H transformation controlled by a Lewis acid–base interaction between a ligand and a substrate. The C−H borylation reaction could be conducted on a gram scale, and with a bioactive molecule as a substrate, demonstrating its applicability to late‐stage regioselective C−H borylation. A bioactive molecule was synthesized from an ortho ‐borylated product by converting the boryl and methylthio groups of the product.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Dimerization and Alkylarylation of 1,3‐Dienes with Alkyl Fluorides and Aryl Grignard Reagents

In the presence of a nickel catalyst, 1,3‐butadiene undergoes selective dimerization and alkylarylation with alkyl fluorides and aryl Grignard reagents to give 1,6‐octadienes with alkyl and aryl groups at the 3‐ and 8‐positions, respectively, by the consecutive formation of three carbon–carbon bonds. The formation of an anionic nickel complex plays an important role in forming C?C bonds with alkyl fluorides.     

Iron‐Catalyzed Radical Cleavage/C−C Bond Formation of Acetal‐Derived Alkylsilyl Peroxides

A novel radical‐based approach for the iron‐catalyzed selective cleavage of acetal‐derived alkylsilyl peroxides, followed by the formation of a carbon–carbon bond is reported. The reaction proceeds under mild reaction conditions and exhibits a broad substrate scope with respect to the acetal moiety and the carbon electrophile. Mechanistic studies suggest that the present reaction proceeds through a free‐radical process involving carbon radicals generated by the homolytic cleavage of a carbon–carbon bond within the acetal moiety. A synthetic application of this method to sugar‐derived alkylsilyl peroxides is also described.     

Sulfoxide‐Directed Metal‐Free ortho‐Propargylation of Aromatics and Heteroaromatics

A sulfoxide‐directed, metal‐free ortho‐propargylation of aromatics and heteroaromatics exploits intermolecular delivery of a propargyl nucleophile to sulfur followed by an intramolecular relay to carbon. The operationally simple cross‐coupling procedure is general, regiospecific with regard to the propargyl nucleophile, and shows complete selectivity for products of ortho‐propargylation over allenylation. The use of secondary propargyl silanes allows metal‐free ortho‐coupling to form carbon–carbon bonds between aromatic and heteroaromatic rings and secondary propargylic centres. The ‘safety‐catch’ nature of the sulfoxide directing group is illustrated in a selective, iterative double cross‐coupling process. The products of propargylation are versatile intermediates and they have been readily converted into substituted benzothiophenes.     

An Olefinic 1,2‐Boryl‐Migration Enabled by Radical Addition: Construction of gem‐Bis(boryl)alkanes

A series of in situ formed alkenyl diboronate complexes from alkenyl Grignard reagents (commercially available or prepared from alkenyl bromides and Mg) with B₂Pin₂ (bis(pinacolato)diboron) react with diverse alkyl halides by a Ru photocatalyst to give various gem‐bis(boryl)alkanes. Alkyl radicals add efficiently to the alkenyl diboronate complexes, and the adduct radical anions undergo radical‐polar crossover, specifically, a 1,2‐boryl‐anion shift from boron to the α‐carbon sp² center. This transformation shows good functional‐group compatibility and can serve as a powerful synthetic tool for late‐stage functionalization in complex compounds. Measurements of the quantum yield reveal that a radical‐chain mechanism is operative in which the alkenyl diboronates acts as reductive quencher for the excited state of the photocatalyst.     

Homolytic Decomposition of Sulfonyl Chlorides

The products, kinetic parameters, and activation entropy of thermal decomposition of sulfonyl chloride groups in chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) have been studied for the first time, and it has been demonstrated that the decomposition mechanism involves simultaneous cleavage of two bonds (carbon–sulfur and sulfur–chlorine) to give an SO₂ molecule and two free radicals, which can be useful in the process of polymer structuring. The radical mechanism has been confirmed by the formation of 2,3-diphenyl-2,3- dimethylbutane on heating CSPE in isopropylbenzene. The simultaneous cleavage of two bonds is supported by the low activation energy and pre-exponential factor in the Arrhenius equation, as well as by negative activation entropy values.     

Electroreductive Radical Borylation of Unactivated (Hetero)Aryl Chlorides Without Light by Using Cumulene-Based Redox Mediators**

Single-electron transfer (SET) plays a critical role in many chemical processes, from organic synthesis to environmental remediation. However, the selective reduction of inert substrates (E_p/2<−2 V vs Fc/Fc⁺), such as ubiquitous electron-neutral and electron-rich (hetero)aryl chlorides, remains a major challenge. Current approaches largely rely on catalyst photoexcitation to reach the necessary deeply reducing potentials or suffer from limited substrate scopes. Herein, we demonstrate that cumulenes–organic molecules with multiple consecutive double bonds–can function as catalytic redox mediators for the electroreductive radical borylation of (hetero)aryl chlorides at relatively mild cathodic potentials (approximately −1.9 V vs. Ag/AgCl) without the need for photoirradiation. Electrochemical, spectroscopic, and computational studies support that step-wise electron transfer from reduced cumulenes to electron-neutral chloroarenes is followed by thermodynamically favorable mesolytic cleavage of the aryl radical anion to generate the desired aryl radical intermediate. Our findings will guide the development of other sustainable, purely electroreductive radical transformations of inert molecules using organic redox mediators.     

Insertion of Isolated Alkynes into Carbon–Carbon σ‐Bonds of Unstrained Cyclic β‐Ketoesters via Transition‐Metal‐Free Tandem Reactions: Synthesis of Medium‐Sized Ring Compounds

The transition‐metal‐free insertion of isolated alkynes into carbon–carbon σ‐bonds of unstrained cyclic β‐dicarbonyl compounds has been reported. These tandem reactions offer an efficient synthesis of medium‐sized ring or fused‐ring compounds through ring expansion. The methodology has the potential to be widely used throughout organic synthesis due to the easily accessible starting materials and mild reaction conditions.