Regioselective C−H Hydroarylation of Internal Alkynes with Arenecarboxylates: Carboxylates as Deciduous Directing Groups

In the presence of catalytic [Ru(p‐cym)I₂]₂ and the base guanidine carbonate, benzoic acids react with internal alkynes to give the corresponding 2‐vinylbenzoic acids. This alkyne hydroarylation is generally applicable to diversely substituted electron‐rich and electron‐poor benzoic and acrylic acids. Aryl(alkyl)acetylenes react regioselectively with formation of the alkyl‐branched hydroarylation products, and propargylic alcohols are converted into γ‐alkylidene‐δ‐lactones. The hydroarylation can also be conducted decarboxylatively with a different choice of catalyst and reaction conditions. This reaction variant, which does not proceed via intermediate formation of 2‐vinylbenzoic acids, opens up a regioselective, waste‐minimized synthetic entry to vinylarenes.     

Perfluoroacetylenephosphonates in Diels-Alder reactions: Synthesis of perfluoroalkylated heterocyclic and carbocyclic phosphonates

Diethyl 3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-ynylphosphonate and diethyl 3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobut-1-ynylphosphonate are obtained by the dehydration of the corresponding enols using P₂O₅-Et₃N system as a dehydrating agent, affording acetylenes in 50-60% yield. By the reaction of these perfluoroacetylenephosphonates with acyclic and cyclic 1,3-dienes or diene-like heteroaromatic and aromatic compounds corresponding Diels-Alder cyclo- and bicycloadducts were prepared in good yields (65-90%). The reactivity of the dienes and acetylenes which depends on their structure, as well as the regioselectivity of the reaction are established.     

Copper-mediated trifluoromethylation of potassium alkynyltrifluoroborates with Langlois' reagent

Synthesis of trifluoromethylated acetylenes by copper-mediated trifluoromethylation of potassium alkynyltrifluoroborates with CF₃ radicals generated from NaSO₂CF₃ and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) is communicated. The trifluoromethylated acetylenes were obtained in good to moderate yields. The presented method tolerates a wide range of aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic potassium alkynyltrifluoroborates.     

N−H Imine as a Powerful Directing Group for Cobalt‐Catalyzed Olefin Hydroarylation

N‐alkyl and N‐aryl imines have been frequently used as directing groups in rhodium‐ and cobalt‐catalyzed hydroarylation reactions of olefins and alkynes. However, the scope of such hydroarylation reactions has been limited by the difficulty of preparation of sterically hindered imines by condensation, and also by the steric bulkiness of the imine group itself. Reported herein is that an N?H imine serves as an alternative and highly effective directing group for cobalt‐catalyzed hydroarylation of olefins, and unlocks many of the limitations associated with the previously employed N‐aryl imine directing group. The power of this minimal nitrogen directing group is manifested in a fourfold ortho alkylation of benzophenone imine, and it occurs rapidly at ambient temperature.     

Phosphine-free rhodium-catalyzed hydroarylation of diaryl acetylenes with boronic acids

Rh(CO)₂(acac) was found to be an efficient and simple catalyst in hydroarylation of diaryl acetylenes with boronic acids in the absence of phosphine ligand. Thus, triaryl-substituted olefins were prepared in good to excellent yields. No 1,4-rhodium shift was observed in the catalytic cycle.     

Chemistry of metal hydrides : XXI. Insertion of acetylenes into palladium hydrides

trans-Pd(NO₃)H(PCy₃)₂ (I) when treated with Et₄NCl forms the hydride trans-PdClH(PCy₃)₂ which in turn reacts with AgPF₆ in acetonitrile to give trans-[PdH(CH₃CN)(PCy₃)₂]PF₆ (III). Both I and III react smoothly with acetylenes containing one electron-withdrawing group to give alkenyl products. The geometry of the resulting alkenyl ligand implies that cis addition has occurred and that the hydridic hydrogen adds to the acetylenic carbon containing the electron-withdrawing group.Acetylenes containing two electron-withdrawing groups give mixtures from which both alkenyl and zerovalent acetylene compounds can sometimes be isolated. In the presence of proton sponge, monosubstituted acetylenes still give alkenyl products while those substituted with two electron-withdrawing groups give the zerovalent products in good yield. The relevance of these results to an understanding of the nature of the migratory insertion reaction is discussed.     

Recent advancements in the synthesis of pentafluorosulfanyl (SF5)-containing heteroaromatic compounds

The unique features of the pentafluorosulfanyl (SF₅) group have made it renowned as a “super trifluoromethyl (CF₃)” group. Owing to the big success of CF₃-containing heteroaromatic compounds in medicinal chemistry, agro-chemistry and material sciences, SF₅-substituted heteroaromatic compounds have gained a lot of attention in very recent years as novel and potential candidates in these fields. However, the synthetic methodology for SF₅-substituted heteroaromatic compounds is still highly limited. This digest highlights the recent, rapid, and significant advances made in the synthesis of SF₅-heteroaromatics.     

A high hydroarylation activity of K2PtCl4/AgOTf catalyst in the reaction of propiolic acid with unactivated and activated arenes

A mixed catalyst K₂PtCl₄/AgOTf showed the highest activity for hydroarylation of propiolic acid, among palladium and platinum catalysts. This catalyst was effective for hydroarylation with less reactive benzene to give cis-cinnamic acid in good yield. The hydroarylation with toluene gave a higher yield of hydroarylation products than that with benzene and resulted in ortho/para orientation with an almost statistical ratio, suggesting that the result is very close to that of the Friedel-Crafts alkylation with methyl bromide or p-nitrobenzyl chloride. Hydroarylation of propiolic acid with other electron-rich arenes proceeded efficiently in the presence of the K₂PtCl₄/AgOTf catalyst in trifluoroacetic acid forming cis-cinnamic acids in good to high yields. This method was also applied to hydroarylation of ethyl propiolate.     

Efficient and selective hydroarylation of propiolic acids and their esters with arenes catalyzed by a PtCl2/AgOTf system

PtCl₂/AgOTf-catalyzed hydroarylation of ethyl propiolate proceeded effectively to give ethyl (2Z)-cinnamate derivatives in good to high yields, without the formation of diethyl (1E,3Z)-4-arylbuta-1,3-diene-1,3-dicarboxylates that was observed in Pd(OAc)₂-catalyzed reaction. Especially, PtCl₂/AgOTf-catalyzed hydroarylation of propiolic acids proceeded effectively to give (2Z)-cinnamic acids exclusively.     

Pt(II)-catalyzed hydroarylation reaction of alkynes with pyrroles and furans

A Pt(II) catalyst showed a drastic effect on hydroarylation of alkynes with pyrroles and furans compared with Pd(OAc)₂ catalyst. The hydroarylation reactions proceeded smoothly under mild conditions to give double-hydroarylation products in good yields. Mono-adducts were formed only when the second hydroarylation was inhibited by steric hindrance of substrates or low reactivity of the mono-adducts.     

Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Hydroarylation of Methylenecyclopropanes through C?H Bond Cleavage: Scope and Mechanism

Intermolecular hydroarylation reactions of highly strained methylenecyclopropanes 2‐phenylmethylenecyclopropane ( 1 ), 2,2‐diphenylmethylenecyclopropane ( 2 ), methylenespiropentane ( 3 ), bicyclopropylidene ( 4 ), (dicyclopropylmethylene)cyclopropane ( 5 ), and benzhydrylidenecyclopropane ( 6 ) through C? H bond functionalization of 2‐phenylpyridine ( 7 a ) and other arenes with directing groups were studied. The reaction was very sensitive to the substitution on the methylenecyclopropanes. Although these transformations involved (cyclopropylcarbinyl)–metal intermediates, substrates 1 and 4 furnished anti‐Markovnikov hydroarylation products with complete conservation of all cyclopropane rings in 11–93 % yield, whereas starting materials 3 and 5 were inert toward hydroarylation. Methylenecyclopropane 6 formed the products of formal hydroarylation reactions of the longest distal C? C bond in the methylenecyclopropane moiety in high yield, and hydrocarbon 2 afforded mixtures of hydroarylated products in low yields with a predominance of compounds that retained the cyclopropane unit. As byproducts, Diels–Alder cycloadducts and self‐reorganization products were obtained in several cases from substrates 1 – 3 and 5 . The structures of the most important new products have been unambiguously determined by X‐ray diffraction analyses. On the basis of the results of hydroarylation experiments with isotopically labeled 7 a ‐[D₅], a plausible mechanistic rationale and a catalytic cycle for these unusual ruthenium‐catalyzed hydroarylation reactions have been proposed. Arene‐tethered ruthenium–phosphane complex 53 , either isolated from the reaction mixture or independently prepared, did not show any catalytic activity.     

Highly selective hydroarylation of propiolic acid derivatives using a PtCl2/AgOTf catalytic system

Hydroarylation of propiolic acid derivatives with arenes in trifluoroacetic acid efficiently proceeded in the presence of PtCl₂/AgOTf catalyst to give cis-cinnamic acid derivatives in good to high yields. This PtCl₂/AgOTf-catalyzed reaction did not afford any 4-arylbuta-1,3-diene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid derivatives formed by Pd(OAc)₂-catalyzed hydroarylation. The specific optimization of the catalytic hydroarylation and application to electron-rich arenes are reported.     

Iron(III)-catalyzed hydroarylation of propiolic acid with activated arenes

FeCl₃/AgOTf-catalyzed hydroarylation of propiolic acid with electron-rich arenes such as mesitylene, tetramethylbenzene, and pentamethylbenzene in trifluoroacetic acid proceeded to give 3-arylpropenoic acids in moderate to high yields. The same reactions with anisole and 1,4-dimethoxybenzene afforded double hydroarylation products, 3,3-diarylpropionic acids.     

Chiral Cp‐Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydroarylations of 1,1‐Disubstituted Alkenes

Metal‐catalyzed functionalizations at the ortho position of a directing group have become an efficient bond‐forming strategy. A wide range of transformations that employ Cp*Rh^III catalysts have been described, but despite their synthetic potential, enantioselective variants that use chiral versions of the Cp* ligand remain scarce (Cp*=pentamethyl cyclopentadienyl). Cyclopentadienyl compounds with an atropchiral biaryl backbone are shown to be suitable ligands for the efficient intramolecular enantioselective hydroarylation of aryl hydroxamates. Dihydrofurans that bear methyl‐substituted quaternary stereocenters are thus obtained by C? H functionalization under mild conditions.     

Dehydrogenation of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline and its related compounds: comparison of Pd/C-ethylene system and activated carbon-O2 system

Dehydrogenation of substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole proceeded using Pd/C-ethylene system (method A) or activated carbon-O₂ system (method B) to give the corresponding heteroaromatic compounds.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Annelation of Benzoic Acids with α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones with Cleavage of C−H,CO−OH,and C−C Bonds

In the presence of a [Cp*RhCl₂]₂ catalyst, the Lewis acid In(OTf)₃, and the mild base Na₂CO₃, aromatic carboxylates and α,β‐unsaturated ketones undergo a unique hydroarylation/Claisen/retro‐Claisen process to give the corresponding indanones. In this carboxylate‐directed ortho‐C?H annelation, the C?COR bond of the ketone and the CO?OH group of the aromatic carboxylate are cleaved, and the hydroxy group is transferred from the aromatic to the aliphatic acyl residue. This reactivity is synthetically useful, particularly when starting from cyclic ketones, which are converted into indanones bearing aliphatic carboxylate side chains, thus greatly increasing the molecular complexity of aromatic carboxylates in a single step.     

Oxidation of aromatic compounds: XVI. Radical cations derived from acetylenic compounds with electron-withdrawing groups: Reactions and ESR parameters

One-electron oxidation of aryl-substituted acetylenes ArC≡CX where X is an electron-withdrawing group gives different products, depending on the X substituent. Acetylenic substrates with medium-strength electron-withdrawing substituents, X = CO₂R, COAr, COR, PO(OEt)₂, give rise to tetrasubstituted ethenes X(ArCO)C=C(COAr)X. Compounds with strong electron-withdrawing groups (X = COCF₃, COCO₂R, CN) are converted into furan derivatives. Probable mechanisms of transformations of ArC≡CX radical cations into the final products are discussed. Radical cations derived from disubstituted acetylenes were characterized by ESR spectroscopy.     

Gold-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation of olefins. Scope evaluation and preliminary mechanistic studies

We report a gold-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation of unactivated olefins using a combination of AuCl₃/AgOTf as the catalytic system affording dihydrobenzopyrans, tetralins and tetrahydroquinolines in good yields. For our preliminary mechanistic studies, we have investigated the kinetic isotope effects with deuterated arene compounds and found that this catalytic hydroarylation is consistent with an electrophilic aromatic substitution process.     

Organic synthesis with reagents derived from 3R3SiMgMe and MnCl2

Synthetically useful reactions mediated by reagents derived from 3 equiv. of R₃SiMgMe and MnCl₂ are disclosed. (1) The manganese species reacted with terminal acetylenes to give 1,2-disilylated 1-alkenes. Mono- and bis(trimethylsilyl) acetylenes gave tri- and tetrasilylated ethenes, respectively, in good yields. Highly strained tetrakis(trimethylsilyl) ethene has now become easily accessible by this technique. (2) The reaction of alkenyl halides, alkenyl sulfides, and enol phosphates with the title reagents provides vinylsilanes in good yields. The method is also applicable to the synthesis of allylsilanes from allylic sulfides and ethers. (3) Treatment of 1,3-dienes with the manganese reagents provides silylated allylmanganese compounds which add to the carbonyl moiety with high regio-selectivity.     

Rhodium(III)-catalysed,redox-neutral C(sp2)-H alkenylation using pivalimide as a directing group with internal alkynes

In the presence of [RhCp¹Cl₂]₂, N-pivaloyl anilines react with internal alkynes to give the corresponding 2-alkenylpivalimides under redox neutral conditions through C-H activation. This redox neutral hydroarylation, which does not require an external organic acid, unlocks a regioselective synthetic route to 2-alkenyl anilines and is generally applicable to diversely substituted electron rich and electron poor pivalimides.