Copper catalyzed/mediated synthetic methodology for ebselen and related isoselenazolones

Scope of the copper catalyzed/mediated selenium-nitrogen coupling reaction has been studied for the synthesis of isoselenazolones. It is noticed that the 2-chloro, 2-bromo-, and 2-iodo-aryl amides substrates can be exploited in the selenium-nitrogen coupling reaction by employing 25-100 mol % of CuI/1,10-phenanthroline (L) and potassium carbonate as a base in DMF. Furthermore, electron rich 2-chloro-arylamides also underwent selenium-nitrogen coupling reaction to give biologically important selenium-nitrogen heterocycles. Also, copper-catalyzed selenium-nitrogen coupling reaction has been meticulously applied for the synthesis of diaryl diselenides having methoxy, amine, and amide functionality from respective aryl iodides in the presence of stoichiometric amount of succinimide as an external Se-N coupling partner.     

Aminoarenethiolato-copper(I) as (pre-)catalyst for the synthesis of diaryl ethers from aryl bromides and sequential C-O/C-S and C-N/C-S cross coupling reactions

A small library of 2-aminoarenethiolato-copper(I) (CuSAr) complexes was tested as (pre-)catalysts in the arylation reaction of phenols with aryl bromides. These copper(I) (pre-)catalysts are thermally stable, soluble in common organic solvents, and allow reactions of 6 h at 160 °C with low catalyst loadings of 2.5 mol %. Among the (pre-)catalysts screened, 2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]benzenethiolato-copper(I) (1c) led to the best results and provided good to excellent yields of various substituted diaryl ethers. Mechanistic studies showed that at early stages of the C-O coupling reaction the CuSAr complex is converted into CuBr(PhSAr) via selective coupling of the monoanionic arenethiolato ligand with phenyl bromide with formation of CuBr. In addition, the first results are shown involving a multi-component reaction (MCR) protocol for the in situ synthesis of propargylamines and their subsequent conversion involving a C-O cross coupling reaction. Furthermore, two examples of sequential C-O/C-S and C-N/C-S cross coupling reactions have been carried out on the same dihalo-pyridine substrate in a one-pot process with the same (CuSAr) (pre-)catalyst (overall yields 40-80%).     

Copper-free PdCl2/PPh3-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling reaction of aryl bromides with terminal alkynes in water

A simple, copper-free and efficient catalytic system for the Sonogashira coupling reaction of aryl bromides with terminal alkynes in pure water has been developed. The use of PdCl₂/PPh₃ in the presence of pyrrolidine allows the coupling reaction to proceed at 120 °C in moderate to excellent yields.     

General and highly efficient fluorinated-N-heterocyclic carbene–based catalysts for the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura reaction

A general and highly efficient trifluoromethylated-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-based catalyst for the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura reaction was reported. In the presence of the catalyst, reactions of non-activated aryl chlorides and triflates with aryl boronic acids occurred at room temperature with good to excellent yields (63–98%). In addition, catalysts generated from a combination of Pd(OAc)₂/imidazolium salt 6a is not only effective for the coupling of heteroaryl boronic acid with aryl halides and heteroaryl halides, but also efficient for coupling of other heteroaryl halides and heteroaryl boronic acids. Finally, the catalyst is highly effective for Suzuki–Miyaura reaction of aryl bromides and chlorides with 0.01–0.1 mol % loading if the temperature was raised at refluxed THF/H₂O.     

Ligand‐free Pd/Cu‐catalyzed decarboxylative coupling of aryl iodides with α‐oxocarboxylates

This paper describes a palladium/copper‐catalyzed decarboxylative coupling of aryl iodides with α‐oxocarboxylates. The cross‐coupling reaction gives high chemical yields of aryl ketones and has wide functional group tolerance, making the transformation an attractive alternative to the traditional cross‐coupling approaches for aryl ketones. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Indolylbenzimidazole‐based ligands catalyze the coupling of arylboronic acids with aryl halides

A novel class of compounds bearing indole and benzimidazole rings was designed and easily synthesized from 2‐indolecarboxylic acid and o‐phenylenediamine. The catalytic system derived from a 2‐indolylbenzimidazole‐based ligand and Pd(OAc)₂ in situ could lead to complete conversion of aryl bromides at 0.5 mol% Pd loading under mild reaction conditions. In the presence of a catalyst, sterically hindered biaryls were selectively generated in excellent yields by adjusting reaction parameters through the coupling of arylboronic acids with aryl halides. The efficiency of this reaction was demonstrated by its compatibility with various functional groups.     

Fluorogenic derivatization of aryl halides based on the formation of biphenyl by Suzuki coupling reaction with phenylboronic acid

The fluorogenic derivatization method for aryl halide was developed for the first time. This method was based on the formation of fluorescent biphenyl structure by Suzuki coupling reaction between aryl halides and non-fluorescent phenylboronic acid (PBA). We measured the fluorescence spectra of the products obtained by the reaction of p-substituted aryl bromides (i.e., 4-bromobenzonitrile, 4-bromoanisole, 4-bromobenzoic acid ethyl ester and 4-bromotoluene) with PBA in the presence of palladium (II) acetate as a catalyst. The significant fluorescence at excitation maximum wavelength of 275–290 nm and emission maximum wavelength of 315–350 nm was detected in all the tested aryl bromides. This result demonstrated that non-fluorescent aryl bromides could be converted to the fluorescent biphenyl derivatives by the coupling reaction with non-fluorescent PBA. We tried to determine these aryl bromides by HPLC-fluorescence detection with pre-column derivatization. The aryl bromide derivatives were detected on the chromatogram within 30 min without any interfering peak derived from the reagent blank. The detection limits (S/N = 3) for aryl bromides were 13–157 fmol/injection.     

CuI/8‐Hydroxyquinalidine Promoted N‐Arylation of Indole and Azoles

An efficient catalytic system of CuI/8‐hydroxyquinalidine was developed for the coupling of aryl iodides and indole as well as some azoles. The reaction could be carried out at 90°C under the condition of relatively low catalyst loading, affording various N‐arylindoles and N‐aryl azoles in good yields. The functionalized and hindered aryl iodides were suitable substrates for this transformation.     

Iron‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reaction: Heterogeneous palladium and copper‐free Heck and Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions catalyzed by a reusable Fe(III) complex

An interesting silica‐supported iron catalyst was successfully prepared and demonstrated as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for cross‐coupling reactions of aryl halides. The as‐prepared nanocatalyst was well characterized and found to be highly efficient in Heck reaction under mild and sustainable conditions (water as solvent at 80 °C in short reaction time). Furthermore, the obtained catalyst was used as an efficient, inexpensive and green heterogeneous catalyst for Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions of various aryl iodides and provided the corresponding products with moderate to good yields. This phosphine, copper and palladium‐free catalyst was simply recovered from the reaction mixture and recycled five times without substantial decrease in its catalytic activity.     

[PdCl2{8-(di-tert-butylphosphinooxy)quinoline)}]: a highly efficient catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura reaction

The complex [PdCl₂(P-N)] containing the basic and sterically demanding 8-(di-tert-butylphosphinooxy)quinoline ligand (P-N) is a highly efficient catalyst for the coupling of phenylboronic acid with aryl bromides or aryl chlorides. The influence of solvent and base has been investigated, the highest rates being observed at 110 °C in toluene with K₂CO₃ as the base. With aryl bromides the reaction rates are almost independent on the electronic properties of the para aryl substituents, on the contrary, reduced reaction rates are observed when bulky substituents are present on the substrate. Nevertheless the coupling of 2-bromo-1,3,5-trimethylbenzene with phenylboronic acid can be carried out to completion in 2 h using a catalyst loading of 0.02 mol %. Under optimized reaction conditions, turnover frequencies as high as 1900 h⁻¹ can be obtained in the coupling of 4-chloroacetophenone with phenylboronic acid; lower reaction rates are obtained with substrates bearing EDG substituents on the aryl group.     

An efficient heterogeneous cross‐coupling of aryl iodides with diphenylphosphine catalyzed by copper (I) immobilized in MCM‐41

The heterogeneous cross‐coupling reaction of aryl iodides with diphenylphosphine was achieved in toluene at 115 °C in the presence of 10 mol% of phenanthroline‐functionalized MCM‐41‐supported copper (I) complex (Phen‐MCM‐41‐CuI) with Cs₂CO₃ as base, yielding various unsymmetric triarylphosphines in good to excellent yields. This protocol can tolerate a wide range of functional groups and does not need the use of expensive additives or harsh reaction conditions. This heterogeneous Cu (I) catalyst exhibited the same catalytic activity as homogeneous CuI/Phen system, and could easily be recovered by a simple filtration of the reaction solution and recycled up to seven times without significant loss of activity.     

Biopolymer-metal complex wool-Pd as a highly active heterogeneous catalyst for Heck reaction in aqueous media

Heterogeneous palladium catalysts, a biopolymer complex wool-Pd, have been applied in water-mediated coupling reactions of aryl bromides without assistance of any phosphine ligands. The catalyst was characterized by XPS, ICP. The results showed that aryl bromides could carry out the coupling reaction with a variety of alkenes at 80 °C, in aqueous media under atmospheric condition. More importantly, the cheap catalyst is stable, which shows negligible metal leaching, and retain good activity for at least ten successive runs without any additional activation treatment. This approach would be very useful from a practical viewpoint.     

First palladium-catalyzed denitrated coupling of nitroarenes with sulfinates

The first example of palladium-catalyzed protocol for the denitrated coupling of nitroarenes with sulfinates was developed, achieving aryl and heterocyclic sulfones in moderate to excellent yields. The cyclopalladated ferrocenylimine (I) exhibited highly catalytic activity for this transformation with low catalyst loading (0.75 mol %). The efficiency of this reaction was demonstrated by compatibility with a wide range of groups. Thus, the method represents a simple and facile procedure to access aryl and heterocyclic sulfones.     

Highly effective activation of aryl chlorides for Suzuki coupling in aqueous media using a ferrocene-based Pd(II)–diimine catalyst

The Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides with boronic acids using a ferrocene-containing Pd(II)–diimine complex as catalyst, in aqueous media, under microwave heating is reported. A small amount of the catalyst (0.1%) was found to be highly effective for coupling unactivated aryl chlorides with boronic acids to form sterically hindered ortho-substituted biaryls. The same catalyst also enabled the coupling of aryl bromides and iodides with various boronic acids in very high yields. The catalyst is air stable and the catalytic reaction can be completed in 15 min.     

N‐Heterocyclic carbene/phosphite synergistically assisted Pd/C‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides

An N‐heterocyclic carbene and phosphite synergistically enhanced Pd/C catalyst system has been developed for Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides and aryl boronic acids from commercially available Pd/C with sterically demanding N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolylidene and trimethylphosphite. A remarkable increase in catalytic activity of Pd/C was observed when used along with 1 equiv. N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium chloride and 2 equiv. phosphite with respect to palladium in appropriate solvents that were found to play a crucial role in Pd/C‐NHC‐P(OR)₃‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling. A dramatic ortho‐substitution effect of carbonyl and nitrile groups in aryl chlorides was observed and explained by a modified quasi‐heterogeneous catalysis mechanism. The Pd/C catalyst could be easily recovered from reaction mixtures by simple filtration and only low palladium contamination was detected in the biparyl products. A practical process for the synthesis of 4‐biphenylcarbonitrile has therefore been developed using the N‐heterocyclic carbene/phosphite‐assisted Pd/C‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Copper-catalyzed direct thiolation of benzoxazole with diaryl disulfides and aryl thiols

The cross-coupling reaction of benzoxazole with aryl thiols using the CuI/2,2′-bipyridine complex as a catalyst in DMF at 80 °C under oxygen produced the corresponding aryl thioethers in moderate to good yields. The coupling reaction with diaryl disulfide also occurred under similar oxidative conditions.     

Efficient C-S cross coupling catalyzed by Cu2O

A protocol for the copper-catalyzed C-S bond formation between aryl, alkyl, or heteroaryl thiols and aryl or heteroaryl halides is reported. The reaction is catalyzed by Cu₂O which shows the highest catalytic activity with ethyl 2-oxocyclohexanecarboxylate ligand in DMSO at 80 °C. The corresponding coupling products are obtained with good to excellent yields under relatively mild reaction conditions with good chemoselectivity and functional group tolerance.     

A recyclable Cu-catalyzed C–N coupling reaction in water and its application to synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxaline

Polystyrene-supported pyrrole-2-carbohydrazide (PSP) was synthesized and combined with CuI to make up a recyclable heterogeneous catalytic system for Ullmann-type C–N coupling reaction in water. In which, a variety of functionalized aryl halides animated efficiently with anilines, benzylamine, aliphatic amines, and imidazole. its preliminary application resulted in a more practical synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxaline.     

A nickel precatalyst for efficient cross-coupling reactions of aryl tosylates with arylboronic acids: vital role of dppf

An air-stable and easy-to-handle nickel precatalyst, (9-phenanthrenyl)Ni(II)(PPh₃)₂Cl, was examined for the cross-coupling reactions of aryl tosylates with arylboronic acids. Under the optimized reaction conditions, the catalytic system tolerates a wide range of activated, neutral and deactivated substrates. The selectivity of this cross-coupling reaction towards aryl tosylates and arylboronic acids has been investigated. It is proposed that ligand 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf) plays a key role in the coupling by enforcing a cis geometry in key intermediates and the active Ni(0) species.     

Methionine: a green and efficient promoter for copper‐catalyzed Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions

In the presence of amino acids as environmentally friendly ligands, CuI‐catalyzed Sonogashira cross‐coupling of various aryl halides with phenylacetylene was conducted to afford the corresponding internal alkynes. l ‐Methionine was found to be useful for this palladium‐free and amine‐free coupling reaction. It was also found that the solvent system plays an important role in this reaction, and significantly affects the product formation and reaction rate. Sonogashira coupling of aryl iodides and aryl bromides in dimethylsulfoxide or dimethylformamide gave the coupled products in good to excellent yields. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.