Cationic iridium-BINAP complex-catalyzed addition of aryl ketones to alkynes and alkenes via directed C-H bond cleavage

Cationic Ir complex ([Ir(cod)₂]BF₄ + BINAP) catalyzed the addition of ortho-C-H bonds in aryl ketones to alkynes, which gave alkenylated products in good to high yield. Styrene derivatives were good substrates, and the enantioselective addition to norbornene was also described.     

Intramolecular C-N bond addition of amides to alkynes using platinum catalyst

The intramolecular aminoacylation of alkynes using ortho-alkynylacetanilides proceeds in very high yields in the presence of PtCl2 catalyst. This reaction provides not only a useful procedure for synthesizing 2,3-disubstituted indoles at once from ortho-alkynylaniline derivatives, but also an interesting mechanistic aspect; the intramolecular C-N bond addition of amides to alkynes takes place readily in the presence of Pt(II) catalyst.     

Radical-mediated vicinal addition of alkoxysulfonyl/fluorosulfonyl and trifluoromethyl groups to aryl alkyl alkynes

The addition of sulfonyl radicals to alkenes and alkynes is a valuable method for constructing useful highly functionalized sulfonyl compounds. The underexplored alkoxy- and fluorosulfonyl radicals are easily accessed by CF₃ radical addition to readily available allylsulfonic acid derivatives and then β-fragmentation. These substituted sulfonyl radicals add to aryl alkyl alkynes to give vinyl radicals that are trapped by trifluoromethyl transfer to provide tetra-substituted alkenes bearing the privileged alkoxy- or fluorosulfonyl group on one carbon and a trifluoromethyl group on the other. This process exhibits broad functional group compatibility and allows for the late-stage functionalization of drug molecules, demonstrating its potential in drug discovery and chemical biology.

An unprecedented method for vicinal addition of alkoxysulfonyl/fluorosulfonyl and trifluoromethyl groups to aryl alkyl alkynes has been developed to afford useful alkenylsulfonate esters and alkenylsulfonyl fluorides.     

Cobalt-catalyzed, room-temperature addition of aromatic imines to alkynes via directed C-H bond activation

A quaternary catalytic system consisting of a cobalt salt, a triarylphosphine ligand, a Grignard reagent, and pyridine has been developed for chelation-assisted C-H bond activation of an aromatic imine, followed by insertion of an unactivated internal alkyne that occurs at ambient temperature. The reaction not only tolerates potentially senstitive functional groups (e.g., Cl, Br, CN, and tertiary amide), but also displays a unique regioselectivity. Thus, the presence of substituents such as methoxy, halogen, and cyano groups at the meta-position of the imino group led to selective C-C bond formation at the more sterically hindered ortho positions. Under acidic conditions, the hydroarylation products of dialkyl- and alkylarylacetylenes underwent cyclization to afford benzofulvene derivatives, while those of diarylacetylenes afforded the corresponding ketones in moderate to good yields. A mechanistic investigation into the reaction with the aid of deuterium-labeling experiments and kinetic analysis has indicated that oxidative addition of the ortho C-H bond is the rate-limiting step of the reaction. The kinetic analysis has also shed light on the complexity of the quaternary catalytic system.     

Nickel-catalyzed addition of alkynylboranes to alkynes

Alkynylboration has been achieved in the reaction of alkynyl(pinacol)boranes with alkynes in the presence of nickel catalysts, giving cis-1-borylbut-1-en-3-yne derivatives. 1-Aryl-1-alkynes underwent the alkynylboration regioselectively with the selective introduction of the alkynyl groups at their 1-positions, where the aryl groups were attached. The boryl-substituted enynes were reacted with sp2 halides under the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling conditions, giving highly conjugated enynes in high yields.     

Palladium-catalyzed addition of alkynes to cyclopropenes

The palladium catalyzed coupling of alkynes and cyclopropenes provides a powerful method for the synthesis of alkynylcyclopropanes, proceeding under mild conditions in the presence of many functional groups (such as esters, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, and alcohols).     

Ruthenium-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective addition of carboxylic acids to aryl and trifluoromethyl group substituted unsymmetrical internal alkynes

The regio- and stereoselective addition of carboxylic acids to aryl and trifluoromethyl group substituted unsymmetrical internal alkynes has been accomplished: the Ru(3)(CO)(12)/3PPh(3) catalyst system has effectively catalyzed the reaction to afford the trifluoromethyl group substituted (E)-enol esters with high regio- and stereoselectivities.     

Ru-catalyzed stereoselective addition of imides to alkynes

A catalyst system formed in situ from bis(2-methylallyl)cycloocta-1,5-dieneruthenium(II) ((cod)Ru[met]2), a phosphine, and scandium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate (Sc(OTf)3) was found to efficiently catalyze the anti-Markovnikov addition of imides to terminal alkynes, allowing mild and atom-economic synthesis of enimides. Depending on the phosphine employed, both the (E)- and the (Z)-isomer can be accessed stereoselectively.     

Herrmann-Beller phosphapalladacycle-catalyzed addition of alkynes to norbornadienes

Herrmann-Beller (H-B) phosphapalladacycle selectively catalyzed the addition of terminal alkynes across one double bond of norbornadiene to afford exo-5-alkynyl-bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-enes. The reaction shows general applicability to various functionalized alkynes and bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-dienes. Insights into the mechanism of this reaction are discussed.     

Microwave-assisted direct addition of cycloethers to alkynes

Under microwave conditions, tetrahydrofuran (THF), tetrahydropyran and 1,4-dioxane are added directly onto alkynes and generated various vinyl cycloethers.     

Nickel-catalyzed decarbonylative addition of phthalimides to alkynes

An intermolecular nickel-catalyzed addition reaction has been developed where N-arylphthalimides react with alkynes to afford substituted isoquinolones. A mechanistic rationale is proposed, implying nucleophilic attack of Ni(0) to an amide as the primary step of the catalytic cycle.     

Photoinduced addition of phthalimide to unactivated alkynes

Photoexcited phthalimide in equilibrium with its conjugated base produces the regioselective hydrophthalimidation of conjugated alkynes. The vinylphthalimide thus obtained is hydrolyzed to the corresponding carbonyl compound. With unconjugated alkynes, the outcome is a double addition of phthalimide to the triple bond. The reaction is assumed to take place via single electron transfer from either the alkyne or the phthalimide anion to the excited phthalimide as the primary photoprocess.     

The comparison of addition of molecules possessing P(V)-H bond to alkynes catalyzed with Pd and Ni complexes

Main factors have been analyzed necessary for creation of an efficient catalytic system for alkynes hydrophosphorylation based on nickel complexes, and a valid model system was suggested for the comparison with palladium complexes. It has been discovered for the first time that the insertion of an alkyne into the metal-hydrogen bond occurs with a considerably lower activation barrier than into the metal-phosphorus bond, whereas the variation in the reaction energy corresponds in both cases to an exothermic reaction. Under the optimized conditions the transformation catalyzed by nickel complexes does not require acid addition and may proceed even in the absence of a phosphine ligand.     

Stereochemistry of addition of mercury salts to alkynes

Reactions of Hg(OOCR)₂ (R=Et, Prⁿ, Prⁱ, and Buⁿ) with methylphenylacetylene (with the corresponding acids as solvents) give mixtures ofcis- andtrans-adducts. The quantity of thecis-adduct increases with increase in the length of the acyl substituent.syn-Addition also occurs in the acetoxymercuration ofm-chlorophenyl(methyl)acetylene and 1-methoxybut-2-yne; in the latter case, this route predominates. The stereochemistry of the reaction can also depend on the ratio of the reactants. It is proposed that the reaction occurs by several schemes in which these factors manifest themselves in different degrees. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No.8, pp. 1617–1624, August, 1998.     

Rhenium-catalyzed regiodivergent addition of indoles to terminal alkynes

An efficient rhenium-catalyzed site-switchable addition of indoles to terminal alkynes is described. A variety of bisindolylalkane derivatives are expeditiously synthesized in high yields with excellent regioselectivity. Preliminary mechanistic study sheds light on the observed regiodivergent addition.     

Palladium-catalyzed conjugate addition of terminal alkynes to enones

A practical protocol for the hydroalkynylation of enones using Pd catalysis is reported. The reaction proceeds efficiently with a variety of alkynes as well as with several cyclic and acyclic enones, providing synthetically relevant β-alkynyl ketones in good to excellent yields.     

Ni-catalyzed addition reaction of allylic selenides to alkynes

Nickel complex catalysts, Ni(cod)₂-2PPh₃ and Ni(cod)₂-dppb systems in particular, catalyze the addition reactions of phenyl allyl selenide to terminal alkynes to regioselectively afford 2-phenylseleno-1-allyl-1-alkenes in good to excellent yields. A mechanism that involves a η³-allyl-nickel complex is proposed on the basis of isolation, crystal structure determination and reactivity study of the complex.     

AuPPh3Cl/AgOTf-catalyzed reaction of terminal alkynes: nucleophilic addition to activated CO bond

Terminal alkynes, under Au-catalyzed conditions, react with aromatic aldehyde diethyl acetals, affording propargylation products through CO bond addition. Furthermore, AuPPh₃Cl/AgOTf-catalyzed three-component reaction of aldehydes, alkynes, and triethyl orthoformate is developed. Gold alkynilides are supposed to be reactive intermediates in these reactions.