A general and regioselective synthesis of cyclopentenone derivatives through nickel(0)-mediated [3 + 2] cyclization of alkenyl Fischer carbene complexes and internal alkynes

A broad range of substituted 2-cyclopentenone derivatives 3-6 are synthesized by the nickel(0)-mediated [3 + 2] cyclization reaction of chromium alkenyl(methoxy)carbene complexes 1 and internal alkynes 2. The reaction takes place with complete regioselectivity with both unactivated alkynes and activated alkynes (electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituted alkynes). Representative cycloadducts containing boron and tin substituents are further demonstrated to be active partners in classical Pd-catalyzed C-C coupling processes to allow the production of 2-aryl- and 2-alkynyl-substituted cyclopentenones 9-13.     

Zirconium-promoted epoxide rearrangement-alkynylation sequence

Additions of terminal alkynes to electrophiles are important transformations in organic chemistry. Generally, activated terminal alkynes react with epoxides in an S(N)2 fashion to form homopropargylic alcohols. We have developed a new synthetic method to form propargylic alcohols from epoxides and terminal alkynes via 1,2-shifts. This method involves cationic zirconium acetylides as both the activator of epoxides and nucleophiles. Due to the mild conditions to pre-activate alkynes with silver nitrate, this synthetic method is useful for both electron-rich and electron-deficient alkynes with other acid- and base-sensitive functional groups.     

The application of polymer-bound carbonylcobalt(0) species in linker chemistry and catalysis

Carbonylcobalt(0) species have been used as linkers between alkynes and a polymer support for the first time. The alkynes may be loaded indirectly onto a phosphine functionalised polymer via their hexacarbonyldicobalt(0) complex, or directly onto a cobalt coated polymer. The alkynes have been released either as alkynes, thus providing a traceless method of immobilising alkynes, or by reaction with an alkene to generate a cyclopentenone via the Pauson-Khand reaction. The cobalt coated polymers produced during this study were shown to catalyse the Pauson-Khand reaction.     

Au(Ⅰ)配合物催化剂室温高效催化炔烃水合反应

合成了一系列(1,1'-联苯)-2-二(1-金刚烷基)磷配体, 并制备出8种相应的Au(Ⅰ)配合物. 以甲醇为溶剂, 在6-十二炔水合反应中考察了8种Au(Ⅰ)配合物的催化性能, 结果表明, 以含有3'-(吡咯-1-羰基)官能团的Au(Ⅰ)配合物为催化剂时, 其用量仅需炔烃用量的0.1%~0.3%(摩尔分数), 室温下即可高效地催化炔烃进行水合反应.     

Anti-Markovnikov stereoselective hydroamination and hydrothiolation of (hetero)aromatic alkynes using a metal-free cyclic trimeric phosphazene base

Hydroamination and hydrothiolation are the most efficient and completely atom-economical process to construct important enamine and vinyl sulfide intermediates in pharmaceutical and organic chemistry. The cyclic trimeric phosphazene base (CTPB) showed great catalytic activity for the anti-Markovnikov stereoselective hydroamination and hydrothiolation of alkynes in good to excellent yields. A broad substrate scope of alkynes and nucleophiles was demonstrated, including aryl and heteroaryl alkynes, terminal and internal alkynes, different N-heterocycles, thiols and thiophenols. This versatile and cost-efficient approach with good stereoselectivity and excellent functional group tolerance provided new opportunity for the organocatalyzed hydrofunctionalization of alkynes.     

Hyperbaric laser chemical vapor deposition of carbon fibers from the 1-alkenes, 1-alkynes, and benzene

The growth of long carbon fibers was investigated using hyperbaric-pressure laser chemical vapor deposition (HP-LCVD). Precursors included the unbranched alkenes with linear structure 1-C(x)H(2x) (where x = 2,4,5,6,7,8), the unbranched alkynes, i.e., 1-C(x)H(2)(x-2) (where x = 3,4,5,6,8), and benzene. Rate constants, reaction orders, and apparent activation energies were derived for each precursor over a range of experimental conditions. Axial growth rates from the alkenes were 1-2 orders of magnitude greater than for the alkynes, while growth rates for benzene exceeded 10 mm s(-1). Generalized expressions for the growth rate vs molecular weight were determined. For the alkenes, the growth rate was directly proportional to the square root of the precursor molecular weight, while the alkynes exhibited an inverse relationship. Two regions of differing reaction order were identified for the alkynes; at pressures less than 2.0-2.5 bar, the average reaction order was 3.07, while above 2.0-2.5 bar, reaction orders diverged. Expressions were derived for the fraction of carbon atoms deposited per alkyne molecule transported; the deposition efficiency decreased with molecular weight for the alkynes, due in part to the Soret effect. In contrast, the reaction order for the alkenes was 1.65, and for benzene was 2.25. A phase change in the deposit was observed for both the alkenes and alkynes, with the exceptions of pentene and pentyne. Complete axial rate equations for the alkenes and alkynes were derived, as well as volumetric growth equations for the alkynes. It was shown that the volumetric rate increases nonlinearly with laser power at sufficiently high pressures.     

A highly selective cobalt-catalyzed carbonylative cyclization of internal alkynes with carbon monoxide and organic thiols

Despite the fact that many transition-metal-catalyzed reactions of organosulfur compounds with internal alkynes are ineffective, cobalt carbonyl (Co₂(CO)₈) is an excellent catalyst for carbonylative cyclization of internal alkynes with carbon monoxide. When Co₂(CO)₈-catalyzed reactions of internal alkynes with organic thiols are conducted in acetonitrile under 4 MPa pressure of carbon monoxide, thiolative lactonization of internal alkynes successfully takes place with incorporation of two molecules of CO. This carbonylation provides a useful tool to prepare the corresponding α,β-unsaturated γ-thio-γ-lactones (butenolide derivatives) in good yields. In the cases of unsymmetrical alkynes, such as 2-octyne and 6-methyl-2-heptyne, the thiolative lactonization proceeds with moderate regioselectivity to give the butenolide derivatives on which the carbonyl group preferentially bonds to the less hindered acetylenic carbon. Mechanistic pathways about the present thiolative lactonization are also discussed.     

Syntheses of β-amidovinyltellurides and oxazoles by addition reactions of alkynes with benzenetellurinyl trifluoromethanesulfonate in acetonitrile

Benzenetellurinyl trifluoromethanesulfonate in conjunction with acetonitrile readily effected amidotellurinylation reactions with alkynes. Most of the addition reactions proceeded in a trans fashion to form the (E)-β-acetamidovinyl phenyl telluroxides. Subsequently, it was found that the prevailing Markovnikov adducts from terminal alkynes immediately isomerized to (Z)-isomers which were isolated as the corresponding vinyltellurides. On the other hand, the adducts derived from internal alkynes thermally underwent a spontaneous intramolecular cyclization to be transformed eventually into oxazoles.     

Directing group-controlled hydrosilylation: regioselective functionalization of alkyne

Pt(0)-catalyzed hydrosilylation of unsymmetric alkynes proceeds in a highly regioselective manner with a dimethylvinylsilyl (DMVS) group as the directing group. This hydrosilylation affords a single regioisomer of silylalkenes from propargylic and homopropargylic alcohol derivatives. DMVS also has an accelerating effect that allows group-selective hydrosilylation of the DMVS-attached alkyne prior to that of other alkynes. Combined hydrosilylation and transformation reactions of the resulting silylalkenes afford various tri-substituted alkenes and multi-oxy-functionalized compounds with high regioselectivity from unsymmetric alkynes.     

Mechanism of Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Conia‐ene Reaction of β‐Ketoesters with Alkynes: A DFT Study

Density functional calculations have been performed to comparatively investigate two possible pathways of Au(I)‐catalyzed Conia‐ene reaction of β‐ketoesters with alkynes. Our studies find that, under the assistance of trifluoromethanesulfonate (TfO), the β‐ketoester is the most likely to undergo Model II to isomerize into its enol form, in which TfO plays a proton transfer role through a 6‐membered ring transition state. The coordination of the Au(I) catalyst to the alkynes triple bond can enhance the eletrophilic capability and reaction activity of the alkynes moiety, which triggers the nucleophilic addition of the enol moiety on the alkynes moiety to give a vinyl‐Au intermediate. This cycloisomerizaion step is exothermal by 21.3 kJ/mol with an energy barrier of 56.0 kJ/mol. In the whole catalytic process, the protonation of vinyl‐Au is almost spontaneous, and the formation of enol is a rate‐limiting step. The generation of enol and the activation of Au(I) catalyst on the alkynes are the key reasons why the Conia‐ene reaction can occur in mild condition. These calculations support that Au(I)‐catalyzed Conia‐ene reactions of β‐ketoesters with alkynes go through the pathway 2 proposed by Toste.     

Cobalt-catalyzed reductive coupling of activated alkenes with alkynes

Cobalt complex/Zn systems effectively catalyze the reductive coupling of activated alkenes with alkynes in the presence of water to give substituted alkenes with very high regio- and stereoselectivity in excellent yields. While the intermolecular reaction of acrylates, acrylonitriles, and vinyl sulfones with alkynes takes place in the presence of CoI2(PPh3)2/Zn, the reaction of enones and enals with alkynes requires the use of the CoI2(dppe)/Zn/ZnI2 system. The intramolecular reductive coupling of activated alkenes (enones, enals, acrylates, and acrylonitriles) with alkynes also works efficiently. Further a variety of cyclic lactones and lactams were prepared using this methodology. Possible mechanistic pathways are proposed based on a deuterium-labeling experiment carried out in the presence of D2O.     

Transition-metal-promoted or -catalyzed exocyclic alkyne insertion via zirconacyclopentene with carborane auxiliary: formation of symmetric or unsymmetric benzocarboranes

Reactions of Cp(2)Zr(μ-Cl)(μ-C(2)B(10)H(10))Li(OEt(2))(2) with alkynes R(1)C≡CR(2) gave as insertion products zirconacyclopentenes incorporating a carboranyl unit, 1,2-[Cp(2)ZrC(R(1))═C(R(2))]-1,2-C(2)B(10)H(10) (1). Treatment of 1 with another type of alkyne R(3)C≡CR(4) in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of NiCl(2) and FeCl(3) or a catalytic amount of NiCl(2) afforded symmetric or unsymmetric benzocarboranes. The regioselectivity was dominated by the polarity of the corresponding alkynes. These reactions could also be carried out in one pot, leading to the equivalent of a three-component [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of carboryne and two different alkynes promoted by transition metals. A reaction mechanism was proposed after the isolation and structural characterization of the key intermediate nickelacycle. These results show that nickel complexes are more reactive than the iron ones toward the insertion of alkynes but that the latter do not initiate the trimerization of alkynes, making the insertion of activated alkynes possible. This work also demonstrates that a catalytic amount of nickel works as well as a stoichiometric amount of nickel in the presence of excess FeCl(3) for the reactions. Such a catalytic reaction may shed some light on the development of zirconocene-based catalytic reactions.     

Thermal and photochemical reactions of Fischer carbene complexes with trialkylsilyl-substituted alkynes

Thermal reaction of Fischer carbene complexes with triisopropylsilyl (TIPS) substituted alkynes in benzene afforded TIPS-substituted vinylketenes or 2-TIPS-substituted cyclobutenones as major products while photochemical reaction of Fischer carbene complexes with trimethylsilyl (TMS) substituted alkynes in acetonitrile afforded 3-TMS-substituted cyclobutenones.     

Non-Sonogashira-type palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions of terminal alkynes assisted by silver(I) oxide or tetrabutylammonium fluoride

Palladium-catalyzed reaction of aryl and alkenyl halides with terminal alkynes in the presence of silver(I) oxide as an activator furnishes various arylated or alkenylated alkynes in good to excellent yields. The similar coupling reaction is also found to proceed using tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) or tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH) as an activator.     

Catalytic boracarboxylation of alkynes with diborane and carbon dioxide by an N-heterocyclic carbene copper catalyst

By the use of an N-heterocyclic carbene copper(I) complex as a catalyst, the boracarboxylation of various alkynes (e.g., diaryl alkynes, aryl/alkyl alkynes, and phenylacetylene) with a diborane compound and carbon dioxide has been achieved for the first time, affording the α,β-unsaturated β-boralactone derivatives regio- and stereoselectively via a borylcupration/carboxylation cascade. Some important reaction intermediates were isolated and structurally characterized to clarify the reaction mechanism.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed oxidative synthesis of 2-pyridones through C-H/N-H bond functionalizations

An inexpensive ruthenium catalyst enabled oxidative annulations of alkynes by acrylamides with ample scope, which allowed for the preparation of 2-pyridones employing various electron-rich and electron-deficient acrylamides as well as (di)aryl- and (di)alkyl-substituted alkynes.     

Rh(I)-catalyzed reaction of 2-(chloromethyl)phenylboronic acids and alkynes leading to indenes

The reaction of 2-(chloromethyl)phenylboronic acid (1) with alkynes in the presence of a Rh(I) complex gave indene derivatives in high yields. The regioselectivity depends on the steric nature of the substituent on the alkynes. A bulky group favors the alpha-position of indenes.     

Highly selective hydrogenation of multiple carbon-carbon bonds promoted by nickel(0) nanoparticles

A new method for the highly stereoselective cis semihydrogenation of internal alkynes, semihydrogenation of terminal alkynes, reduction of dienes to alkenes, and reduction of alkynes and alkenes to alkanes is described based on in situ generated both Ni(0) nanoparticles and molecular hydrogen.     

Rh(I)-catalyzed carbonylative cyclization reactions of alkynes with 2-bromophenylboronic acids leading to indenones

The Rh-catalyzed reaction of alkynes with 2-bromophenylboronic acids involves carbonylative cyclization to give indenones. The key steps in the reaction involve the addition of an arylrhodium(I) species to an alkyne and the oxidative addition of C-Br bonds on the adjacent phenyl ring to give vinylrhodium(I) species II. The regioselectivity depends on both the electronic and the steric nature of the substituents on the alkynes. A bulky group and an electron-withdrawing group favor the -position of indenones. In the case of silyl- or ester-substituted alkynes, the regioselectivity is extremely high. The selectivity increases in the order SiMe3 > COOR > aryl > alkyl. The reaction of norbornene with 2-bromophenylboronic acids under 1 atm of CO gives the corresponding indanone derivative. The reaction of alkynes with 2-bromophenylboronic acids under nitrogen gives naphthalene derivatives, in which two molecules of alkynes are incorporated. A vinylrhodium complex similar to II can also be generated by a different route by employing 2-bromophenyl(trimethylsilyl)acetylene and arylboronic acids in the presence of Rh(I) complex as the catalyst, resulting in the formation of indenones. The reaction of 1-(2-bromophenyl)-hept-2-yn-1-one with PhB(OH)2 in the presence of Rh(I) complex also resulted in carbonylative cyclization to give an indan-1,3-dione derivative.     

Regioselectivity in the diels-alder reactions of α-pyrones with alkynes

4-Ethyl-5-methyl-6-methylthio-2(H)-pyranone (4) undergoes Diels-Alder reactions with ethyl hexynoate (5), 3-heptyn-2-one (6), ethyl propiolate (7), and 3-butyn-2-one (8) to afford substituted benzenes with high regioselectivity upon extrusion of CO₂. 4-Ethyl-5,6-dimethyl-(1), 4-ethyl-3,6-dimethyl-(2) and 4-ethyl-5-methyl-(2H)-pyranone (3) gave excellant to good regioselectivity with internal alkynes 5 and 6 and poor regioselectivity with terminal alkynes 7 and 8. MNDO calculations have been carried out on the pyrones and alkynes and qualitative FMO analysis correctly predicts the major products.