Electrochemical carboxylation with carbon dioxide

Studies carried out in the past two years on electrochemical fixation of carbon dioxide with carbon-carbon bond formation, so-called electrochemical carboxylation or electrocarboxylation, are reviewed. Among about twenty papers on electrochemical carboxylation published from 2014 to the present, recent advances in electrochemical carboxylation regarding asymmetric carboxylation, sacrificial anode-free carboxylation, and carboxylation following aryl radical cyclization are focused on and discussed.     

Electrochemical fluorination of N,N-dimethylperfluoroacylamides

The electrochemical fluorination (ECF) of N,N-dimethylperfluoroacylamides gives the corresponding perfluoro-N,N-dimethylacylamides in low yield. With increase of the number of carbon atoms in the perfluoroacyl radical the yield of the required perfluoro-N,N-dimethylacylamides is slightly increased.     

Electrochemical carboxylation of bicyclo[n.1.0]alkylidene derivatives

Electrochemical carboxylation of bicyclo[n.1.0]alkylidene derivatives (ring-fused alkylidenecyclopropanes) in a suitable aprotic solvent using a one-compartment electrochemical cell equipped with a platinum plate cathode and a zinc plate anode under an atmospheric pressure of carbon dioxide afforded either mono- or dicarboxylic acid in moderate to good yields.     

Electrochemical activation and carboxylation of fluorine-containing aromatic imines

On the basis of a study of the processes involved in the electrochemical activation of a series of fluorine-containing aromatic imines with and without the presence of carbon dioxide it was shown that the initial stage of such processes is the formation of imine radical-anions, which can both undergo spontaneous transformations and react with CO₂ with the formation of fluorine-containing amino acids. A correlation was established between the effects of the electronic structure of the imines on the electrochemical characteristics of their reduction and on the stability of the radical-anions. A relationship was established between the parameters of electrochemical activation of the imines in the presence of CO₂ and the yields of the amino acids. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 265–271, September–October, 2008.     

Catalytic photocarboxylation of 1,1-diphenylethylene with N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylbenzidine and carbon dioxide

Photocarboxylation of 1,1-diphenylethylene with N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in MeCN under bubbling of CO₂ proceeded with high catalytic efficiency, giving 3,3-diphenylacrylic acid (DPA) and 3-hydroxy-3,3-diphenylpropionic acid (20). The turnover number (TON=(DPA+20)/TMB) reached 17. Similarly, 1-phenyl-1-cyclohexene yielded cis-2-acetamido-2-phenylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid with TON 5.9. As compared with related N,N-dimethylaniline derivatives, TMB is more resistant to photodecomposition, has the much larger absorbance in the S₀→S₁ transition, and has the lower quenching efficiency by CO₂. Probably these factors are partly responsible for the high TON observed for TMB.     

Electrogenerated-bases promoted electrochemical synthesis of N-bromoamino acids from imines and carbon dioxide

In this paper, the one-step synthesis of N-bromoamino acids has been developed by electrolyzing imines and carbon dioxide (4 MPa). The electrosynthesis was performed in an undivided cell with Ni cathode and Al sacrificial anode containing n-Bu₄NBr–DMF as supporting electrolyte with a constant current at room temperature. The N-bromoamino acids were afforded in moderate to good yields rather than traditional α-amino acids. To explore the truth, some influenced factors (cathode materials, supporting electrolyte, and electricity etc.) were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the NH group of the α-amino acid could be deprotonated by alkyl anion R⁻ (carbanion, a strong base), followed by the oxidation of hypobromous acid resulted from the two-step oxidation of the bromide ion at the anode, and produced the N-bromoamino acid. Finally, the reaction mechanism was briefly discussed.     

Phosphine-mediated annulation of N-protected imines with DEAD

In the presence of triphenylphosphine, the reactions of N-protected imines or their precursors with DEAD proceeded smoothly to give the corresponding functionalized 1H-1,2,4-triazole-1,4(5H)-dicarboxylate derivatives in good to high yields under mild conditions. A plausible mechanism has been proposed on the basis of the control experiments.     

Efficient iodine catalyzed chemoselective synthesis of aminals—an access to N,N-acetals by the addition of lactams to N-acyl imines

A highly efficient protocol has been developed for the synthesis of aminals from γ-butyrolactam and benzaldehyde using iodine as Lewis acid catalyst. The attack of γ-butyrolactam nucleophile to intermediate N-acyliminium ion was more favorable, when aryl aldehyde bears the electron donating group (EDG). Iodine plays a key role in these reaction transformations. This current mild protocol is environmentally benign and cost-effective method for the synthesis of industrially and pharmaceutically useful scaffolds.     

An easy preparation of pyridinium N-heteroarylaminides

Differently substituted pyridinium N-heteroarylaminides have been prepared in one step with good yield from N-aminopyridinium iodide and the corresponding heteroaryl chloride.     

Synthesis of N,N-dialkylaminobenzonitriles and halo-(N,N-dialkyl)benzamidines by reaction of halobenzonitriles with lithium amides

3- and 4-N,N-Dialkylaminobenzonitriles and 4-chloro-(N,N-dialkyl)benzamidines were isolated by reacting 4-chlorobenzonitrile with hindered lithium amides under thermodynamic (0 °C) and kinetic control conditions (−78 °C), respectively. As previously reported, a benzyne mechanism seems to be confirmed since N,N-dialkylaminobenzonitriles are formed. Only benzamidines were isolated in fair to high yields at both 0 °C and −78 °C with non-hindered lithium amides. Exploitation and mechanistic rationale of the reaction of different halobenzonitriles are also reported.     

Electrochemical carboxylation of cinnamate esters in MeCN

Electrochemical carboxylation of cinnamate esters has been carried out by cathodic reduction of CC bond in an undivided cell equipped with Mg sacrificial anode and using MeCN saturated with CO₂ as solvent. The yields and the ratio of mono- and dicarboxylic acids are strongly affected by various factors: cathodic material, current, charge, and temperature. The highest yield (78.9%) was obtained starting from ethyl cinnamate. Cyclic voltammograms have been measured and reaction pathways have been proposed.     

A simple and efficient biphasic method for the preparation of 4-nitrophenyl N-methyl- and N-alkylcarbamates

Treatment of 4-nitrophenyl chloroformate with alkylammonium hydrochloride salts and solid anhydrous Na₂CO₃ in either CH₂Cl₂ or CH₃CN gave 4-nitrophenyl N-methylcarbamate and other N-alkylcarbamate analogues in excellent yields. Of particular interest is the observation that 4-nitrophenyl N-methylcarbamate, a safer alternative to the highly toxic methyl isocyanate, is obtained in quantitative yield (?95% pure as determined by ¹H NMR) after simple filtration and solvent evaporation.     

Synthesis of fluorinated imines and carbodiimides from azides via aza-Wittig reaction

The Staudinger reaction of fluoroalkylazides were studied. A series of N-fluoroalkylimines were synthesized via aza-Wittig reaction of N-fluoroalkyliminophosphoranes. The N,N′-difluoroalkylated carbodiimide was also synthesized via the reaction of N-fluoroalkyliminophosphoranes with carbon dioxide or carbon disulfide.     

Synthesis of meso-tetraphenyl porphyrins via condensation of dipyrromethanes with N-tosyl imines

A new synthetic route for the synthesis of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl porphyrins has been developed based on the reaction of 5-substituted dipyrromethanes with N-tosyl imines in the presence of a metal triflate catalyst. meso-Substituted tetraphenyl porphyrins were synthesized in a two-step process. The first step of the method is the metal triflate-catalyzed condensation of 5-substituted dipyrromethanes with N-tosyl imines to form a porphyrinogen intermediate and the second step is the oxidation of the porphyrinogen to porphyrin. The method was applied to the synthesis of trans-A₂B₂-tetraarylporphyrins and the products were obtained with only a trace amount of one scrambling product. The synthesis of two important building blocks for porphyrin synthesis, mono and di-sulfonamide alkylated 5-substituted dipyrromethanes, was achieved by the addition of 5-substituted dipyrromethane to N-tosyl imine. The application of mono and di-sulfonamide alkylated 5-substituted dipyrromethanes in ‘2+2’ porphyrin formation reactions is presented.     

Intermolecular reductive coupling of hindered N-aryl imines towards the modular synthesis of chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes

We describe a simple method for the synthesis of hindered N-aryl diamines. The diastereoselectivity for these processes are relatively low but the diamines can be separated using either chromatography or selective crystallization. Separation of enantiomers can be accomplished using HPLC equipped with a chiral stationary phase.     

Synthesis of polysubstituted pyrroles from sulfinimines (N-sulfinyl imines)

Polysubstituted 2-carboxylate and 2-phosphonate pyrroles are prepared by aromatization of the corresponding 3-oxo 2-carboxylate and 2-phosphonate NH-pyrrolidines using air. Reaction of electrophiles with 3-oxo pyrrolidine dianions readily introduces substituents, regioselectively at C-4 in these pyrrolidines.     

Vinylogous N,N-dimethylaminomethylenation of 3-[(1-substituted)ethylidene]-oxindoles with N,N-dimethylformamide dimethylacetal

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of various 3-(3-dimethylaminoprop-2-enylidene)oxindoles has been disclosed. The compounds were synthesized via a vinylogous N,N-dimethylaminomethylenation at the γ-position of 3-[(1-substituted)ethylidene]oxindoles with DMF-DMA.     

Highly efficient trialkylsilylcyanation of aldehydes, ketones and imines catalyzed by a nucleophilic N-heterocyclic carbene

The synthetic utility of N-heterocyclic carbenes was demonstrated by the trialkylsilylcyanation of aldehydes, ketones and imines. In the presence of a catalytic amount of 3a, the reactions with Me₃SiCN proceeded smoothly to give the corresponding cyanohydrin trimethylsilyl ethers or amino nitrile derivatives in good to excellent yields.     

N,N′-Diisopropyl- and N,N′-dicyclohexylthiourea cadmium(II) complexes as precursors for the synthesis of CdS nanoparticles

Crystals of the cadmium(II) complexes of N,N-diisopropylthiourea and N,N-dicyclohexylthiourea were obtained and their X-ray single crystal structures determined. These complexes are air-stable, easy to prepare and inexpensive and decompose cleanly to give good quality crystalline CdS. The nanoparticles of CdS thus obtained showed quantum confinement effects in their optical spectra, with close to band-edge emission in luminescence experiments. The broad diffraction patterns observed are typical of nanodimensional particles. The variation of concentration of precursor-to-HDA ratio change the isolated materials from spheres to rod-shaped. TEM images showed agglomerates of needle-like plate of particles.     

Trifluoromethyl-containing N-acylmethylenequinone imines as novel highly electrophilic agents

The strategy of searching for highly electrophilic agents in a class of chemically inert compounds - methylenequinone imines - was developed and successfully performed. The first representative of such electrophiles - N-acyl-α-methoxycarbonyl-α-trifluoromethyl-p-methylenequinone imine 6 - was synthesized. Its reactions with N-, O- and C-nucleophiles were investigated that gave various derivatives of α-trifluoromethyl-α-amino(oxy) acids as well as ß,ß,ß-trifluoropropionic acids. 3-Chloro-3-trifluoro-1,3-dihydroindol-2-ones were first obtained and their reactions with nucleophiles were studied with 1-aza-3-trifluoroindene-2-ones being formed as intermediates.