Synthesis, structure and catalytic activity of a bimacrocylic NHC palladium allyl complex

The preparation of a bimacrocyclic NHC palladium allyl complex 4 is described. The complex was obtained by transmetalation with allyl palladium chloride dimer from the NHC silver complex 2 in 85% yield. Complex 4 was fully characterized by spectroscopic methods and by single-crystal X-ray analysis. In a preliminary catalytic study, complex 4 showed high activity in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of unactivated aryl chlorides and bromides with 1-naphthalene-boronic acid at low catalyst loading. Good results were also obtained in the Mizoroki-Heck reaction of aryl bromides with styrene, but a decrease in yield was observed when aryl chlorides were used.     

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of trimethoxysilylbenzene with aryl bromides and chlorides using phosphite ligands

Phosphites were employed as ligands in palladium-catalyzed Hiyama coupling reactions. The optimized reaction conditions were equimolar amounts (5 mol % each) of Pd(acac)₂ and phosphite 1 in p-xylene at 80 °C with TBAF as an additive. This catalyst system exhibited high activities in the reactions with trimethoxysilylbenzene and aryl bromides that have electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups. In the case of aryl chlorides, substrates possessing electron-withdrawing groups gave the coupled products in high yields.     

Palladium(II) complex with a potential N4-type Schiff-base ligand as highly efficient catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura reactions in aqueous media

Two new air-stable palladium(II) complexes containing a N₄-Schiff-base ligand have been synthesized and investigated as catalysts for the Suzuki-Miyaura reactions. The binuclear complex 2 has proven to be an excellent catalyst for additive-free Suzuki-Miyaura reactions of aryl bromides in neat water at room temperature and aryl chlorides in aqueous-glycerol at 80 °C. Satisfactory to excellent yields of biaryls are obtained with a wide range of substrates with relatively low loading of catalyst.     

1,2,3-Triazol-5-ylidene-palladium complex catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck and Sonogashira coupling reactions

The bis-1,4-dimesityl-1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene-palladium complex (1a) successfully catalyzes the Mizoroki-Heck and Sonogashira coupling reactions with aryl bromides to give the corresponding alkenes and alkynes, respectively, in good to excellent yields. In the Mizoroki-Heck reaction, electron-rich, electron-poor, and functionalized aryl bromides and alkenes are tolerated, while the substrates are limited to electron-poor aryl halides in the Sonogashira coupling reaction. The palladium complex also catalyzes cross-coupling reactions with aryl chlorides to give higher yields of products than does the bis-IMes-Pd complex analogue (2), under specific conditions.     

Efficient Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides catalyzed by tricyclohexylphosphine adducts of cyclopalladated ferrocenylimines

The air and moisture stable tricyclohexylphosphine (PCy₃) adducts of dimeric cyclopalladated ferrocenylimines 5 and 6 have been easily synthesized and successfully used in palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling of aryl chlorides. Using 0.1 mol% of 6 in the presence of 2 equivalent of Cs₂CO₃ as base in dioxane at 100 °C provided coupled products in excellent yields in the reaction of non-activated and deactivated aryl chlorides with phenylboronic acid. For activated chlorides such as 4-chloronitrobenzene and 4-chloroacetophenone, the catalyst loadings could be lowered to 0.01 mol% without loss of activity.     

Electron transfer activity of a cobalt crown carbene complex

The novel cobalt(II) crown carbene complex 12(II) has been prepared and characterised by X-ray crystallography. This complex is reduced in a one-electron process to a cobalt(I) complex that acts as a powerful single electron donor, reducing aryl halides, including aryl chlorides and demonstrating the strong electron-enriching effect on cobalt of the crown carbene ligand. The metal ion is tightly held in a tetrahedral conformation by its enveloping crown ligand—this prevents what would otherwise be expected to be an easy oxidation to cobalt(III) under standard electrochemical conditions. Complex 12 is shown to be an effective catalyst in mediated electrochemical reductions of aryl iodides at room temperature and aryl bromides at 90 °C. The electrochemically produced catalyst [from 10 mol % of added Co(II) complex] also triggers reduction of aryl chlorides, although this seems at the limit of its reactivity. However, when the cobalt(II) complex is reduced by sodium amalgam, this affords stoichiometric quantities of the active cobalt reducing agent, which affords reduction of aryl iodides and bromides as above, but also reduces aryl chlorides at elevated temperatures.     

Carbohydrate-based phosphines as supporting ligand for palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction

Carbohydrate-based mono-phosphines (1 and 2) derived from glucose have been explored as supporting ligand for palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura reaction. The combination of phosphine to palladium in a ratio of 2:1 resulted in a longer-living system than that in a ratio of 1:1. Using K₂CO₃ as base, aryl bromides as well as active aryl chlorides can be coupled nearly quantitatively by 0.1–0.2 mol % of 1/Pd(OAc)₂ with 95–99% of isolated yields. The amount of the catalyst could be lowered to 0.01 mol % under the optimized condition with 80% yield at room temperature. The carbohydrate hydroxyl group in 1 was found to contribute to catalytic activity.     

A practical synthesis of highly functionalized aryl nitriles through cyanation of aryl bromides employing heterogeneous Pd/C: in quest of an industrially viable process

Preparation of aryl nitrile 2a through classical Rosenmund-von Braun reaction of aryl bromide 1a resulted in a poor yield (61%) due to a high reaction temperature (165 °C) and a lack of efficient procedure for separating 2a from a large quantity of heavy metal waste (Cu salts). To address these issues, a practical synthesis of multifunctional aryl nitriles through cyanation of aryl bromides has been developed with heterogeneous Pd/C used as the catalyst. Treatment of aryl bromides 1 with Zn(CN)₂ in the presence of Pd/C, Zn, ZnBr₂ and PPh₃ in DMA provided aryl nitriles 2 involving those carrying sterically demanding electron-rich substituent in good yields and in highly reproducible manner. The activity of Pd/C is highly dependent on the properties of the Pd/C. Oxidic thickshell type catalyst Pd/C D5 was found to furnish the highest rate acceleration and yield. The use of heterogeneous Pd/C might anchor and disperse Pd over the solid support of the catalyst, at least in the initial stage of the reaction, to assure the formation of monomeric Pd complex without precipitating to inactive Pd black. The use of a slightly excess of Zn(CN)₂ (0.6 equiv) and air oxidation of phosphine ligand, after end of the reaction, converted Pd species to insoluble phosphine-free Pd cyanides, from which Pd was recovered in high yield through simple filtration followed by usual recovery process involving combustion.     

A flow chemistry route to 2-phenyl-3-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)propan-1-amines

The Knoevenagel condensation of pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde (1) with a range of substituted benzyl nitriles (2a-e) afforded rapid access to a family of α,β-unsaturated nitriles (3a-e) in good yields (67-78%). Flow hydrogenation (ThalesNano H-cube™) at 60 °C, 50 bar H₂ pressure, 1.0 mL/min through a 10% Pd-C catalyst selectively, and quantitatively, hydrogenated the olefin double bond (4a-e). Use of a Raney Nickel catalyst at 70 °C, 70 bar H₂ pressure and flow rates of 0.5-1.0 mL/min afforded quantitative conversion into the corresponding saturated amines with the reduction of both the olefin and nitrile bonds (5a-e). The versatility of this approach was further exemplified by reaction of 5a and 5c with norcantharidin to afford acid amide norcantharidin analogues 7 and 8 as novel protein phosphatase 1 and 2A inhibitors.     

Pd-EDTA as an efficient catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura reactions in water

PdCl₂-EDTA complex 1 is an efficient catalyst for the Suzuki-Miyaura reactions of aryl and heteroaryl halides with aryl(heteroaryl)boronic acids in water at 20-100 °C. Aryl iodides and bromides undergo the cross-coupling with turnover numbers (TON) up to 97,000 and turnover frequencies (TOF) up to 582,000 h⁻¹.     

Preparation of 2,2-difluoro-1-trialkylsilylethenylstannanes and their cross-coupling reactions

Reaction of 2 with bis(tributyltin) in the presence of 3 mol % Pd₂(dba)₃, 6 mol % XPhos, and 30 equiv of LiBr in wet and air bubbled THF at reflux for 8 h afforded the desired products 3 in 73–74% yields. The cross-coupling reaction of 3a with aryl iodides in the presence of 10 mol % Pd(PPh₃)₄ and 10 mol % CuI afforded the coupled products 4a–p in 47–90% yields. The coupling reaction of 3b with various alkynyl bromides having aryl-, alkyl, or trialkylsilyl group also afforded the corresponding 1,3-enynes 5a–g in 61–77% yields.     

Polyaniline supported vanadium catalyzed aerobic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones

Polyaniline supported vanadium complex 1 catalyzes efficiently the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones in high yields under molecular oxygen in toluene at ca. 100 °C. The catalyst 1 can be recycled without loss of activity.     

Rotamers of palladium complexes bearing IR active N-heterocyclic carbene ligands: Synthesis, structural characterization and catalytic activities

The preparation and properties of mono- versus bis(carbene) Pd(II) complexes bearing unsymmetrical cyano- and ester-functionalized NHC ligands as potential IR probes were studied in detail. Direct reaction of Pd(OAc)₂ with functionalized imidazolium salts afforded either bis(carbene) (3a, c) or monocarbene complexes (5, 6) with a N-coordinated imidazole co-ligand. The latter were exclusively obtained with N-ethylene substituted salts, which were found to undergo N-C cleavage reaction. The milder Ag-carbene transfer reaction on the other hand was tolerable to the length of the substituents and the nature of the functional groups. All bis(carbene) complexes (3a-c, 4a-c) were obtained as a inseparable mixture of square-planar trans-anti and trans-syn rotamers. The identity, ratio and dynamic equilibrium of these rotamers have been investigated and the relatively high rotational barrier for rotamers of 3a was estimated to be about 74 kJ mol⁻¹ at 380 K. All eight complexes were fully characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopies, ESI mass spectrometry and X-ray single crystal and powder diffraction. A preliminary catalytic study showed that ester-functionalized complexes 4a and 4b gave rise to highly active catalyst in the double Mizoroki-Heck coupling of aryl dibromides, while the in situ ester-hydrolyzed complexes were also active in the coupling of activated aryl chlorides.     

Palladium-catalyzed C–S bond formation by using N-amido imidazolium salts as ligands

N-Amido imidazolium salt was employed as a ligand in the palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of aryl halides and thiols, and showed good activity in the formation of thioether. The best combination for the coupling with aryl bromides was N-amido imidazolium salt 2 and NaHMDS, and that for the coupling with aryl iodides was N-amido imidazolium salt 1 and KO^tBu. The coupling reactions were conducted in the presence of Pd(OAc)₂ (1 mol %) in DMSO at 80 °C for 12 h.     

Novel synthesis of 1-aryl-1-trifluoromethylallenes

3,3-Bis(phenylthio)-1,1,1,2,2-pentafluorobutane 1 was reacted with aryllithium reagents (6 equiv) in ether at low to room temperature for 1-6 h to provide 2-aryl-1,1,1-trifluoro-3-phenylthio-2-butene 2 in 80-96% yields. Bromination of 2 with NBS in acetonitrile at reflux for 1-7 h afforded the corresponding allylic bromides 3 in 61-96% yields. Treatment of 3 with MCPBA (1.5 equiv) in methylene chloride at reflux temperature for 1-12 h resulted in the formation of 1-aryl-1-trifluoromethylallenes 4 in 74-96% yields.     

Di-t-butyl(ferrocenylmethyl)phosphine: air-stability, structural characterization, coordination chemistry, and application to palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

Di-t-butyl(ferrocenylmethyl)phosphine (1) has been isolated and structurally characterized. This ligand was found to be reasonably air stable as a solid and it has been shown to possess electron donating ability similar to that of tri-i-propylphosphine. A palladium catalyst bearing this ligand performed room temperature Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions with aryl bromides. Modest Heck coupling reactivity with aryl bromides was also observed at 100 °C. Complexation of 1 with Pd₂(dba)₃ led to formation of (1)₂Pd⁰. Addition of 4-bromoanisole to solutions containing both 1 and Pd₂(dba)₃ led to formation of an oxidative addition product when 1:Pd ratios were ?1. With a 2:1 ratio of 1:Pd, monophosphine complex formation and oxidative addition were significantly inhibited.     

A new strategy for the synthesis of aryl- and heteroaryl-substituted exocyclic olefins from allyl alcohols using PBr3

Treatment of aryl and heteroaryl substituted allyl alcohols 7-14 with phosphorus tribromide at 0 °C furnished a new series of substituted exocyclic olefins 15-22 in good yields. The +I inductive effect of substituents on the aryl group is described.     

A novel P,S-heterodonor ligand and palladium(0) complex catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction

Axially dissymmetric P,S-heterodonor ligand L3 synthesized from BINOL is an effective promoter in the palladium(0)-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of phenylboronic acid with aryl bromides and iodide at 60-80 °C. On the basis of ¹³C and ³¹P NMR spectroscopic investigation and X-ray diffraction, it was revealed that N,N-dimethylthiocarbamate-phosphine ligand L3 might be a P,S-heterodonor bidentate ligand to palladium(0) center.     

Highly efficient cyclopalladated ferrocenylimine catalyst for Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of 3-pyridylboronic pinacol ester with aryl halides

The Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of 3-pyridylboronic pinacol ester with aryl iodides, bromides and chlorides was carried out in DMF/H₂O (3/1, v/v) at 110 °C in the presence of cyclopalladated ferrocenylimine I and K₂CO₃ or CsCO₃ (1.0 equiv.) without the protection of inert gas. By using this method the synthesis of 3-pyridyl biaryl compounds could be readily achieved.     

N-Heterocyclic carbene-Pd(II) complex derived from proline for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction in water

N-Heterocyclic carbene-Pd(II) complex 1 derived from proline was found to be an efficient catalyst in the Mizoroki-Heck reaction of aryl bromides and iodides performed in water. The reactions can tolerate various functional groups in the substrates and all gave the corresponding coupling products in good to high yields.