Electron-Transfer Chain Catalysis in Organotransition Metal Chemistry

Parallel to organic electrocatalysis, the field of organotransition metal electrocatalysis has developed explosively since 1980. The theoretical and experimental foundations established by Feldberg in 1971 (ECE mechanism) have been applied, using fast electrochemical techniques, to various organometallic reactions such as isomerization, ligand exchange, chelation, decomplexation, and CO insertion and extrusion. Most of the work performed to date concerns ligand exchange reactions of N-donors and P-donors in mononuclear compounds, initiated by oxidants (or anodes) and of carbonyls and P-donors in clusters, initiated by reducing agents (or cathodes). The preparative aspects of electrocatalysis have already been impressively developed in cluster chemistry and indicate that the technique is extremely useful. This review first delineates the principles and characteristics of electrocatalysis applied in organotransition metal chemistry, and then, after outlining the choice of efficient initiating reagents, goes on to describe the systems up to August 1986.     

Advances in 2H-azirine chemistry: A seven-year update

2H-Azirines are versatile building blocks for the preparation of various nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Seven years ago the comprehensive review on azirine chemistry was published in Tetrahedron. Since then, there had been an explosion of research activities in the field of these strained molecules. This renaissance is primarily associated with the discovery of new reactivity of azirines and in particular new catalytic and light-induced reactions, which made possible unusual transformations of this three-membered N-heterocycle into azole and azine derivatives as well as polyheterocyclic systems. The second reason for the progress of azirine chemistry is the development of methods for the preparation of new azirine derivatives. The third reason is the discovery of new synthetic equivalents of azirines, which permitted avoiding the use of unstable azirines in some modern catalytic procedures. In the present comprehensive review, we have placed particular emphasis on discussing the new developments in the synthesis and reactivity of azirines for the period from 2012 until the end of 2018.     

Nickel: An Element with Wide Application in Industrial Homogeneous Catalysis

The efficiency and future development of the chemical industry are closely linked to catalysis. It has been estimated, for example, that 60 to 70% of all industrial chemicals have involved the use of a catalyst at some point during their manufacture. In the past two decades the share of the market credited to homogeneous transition metal catalysis increasead to 10–15%. Besides cobalt, which is used mainly in hydroformylation reactions, nickel is the most frequently used metal. Many carbon–carbon bond formation reactions can be carried out with high selectivity if catalyzed by organonickel complexes. Such reactions include, inter alia, carbonylation reactions, cyclic and linear oligomerization and polymerization reactions of monoenes and dienes, and hydrocyanation reactions. It was Reppe and Wilke who pioneered and shaped the field of homogeneous nickel catalysis. Great impetus was also given to the development of organonickel chemistry by Wilke and his students. Research in this area has contributed immensely towards an understanding of the reactions involved in catalysis.—This review is primarily concerned with nickel-catalyzed reactions which are of interest both preparatively and industrially; some mechanistic aspects are also dealt with.     

Stereoselective C-Aryl Glycosylation by Catalytic Cross-Coupling of Heteroaryl Glycosyl Sulfones

Stereoselective C-glycosylation reactions are increasingly gaining attention in carbohydrate chemistry because they enable glycosyl precursors, readily accessible as anomeric mixtures, to converge to a single diastereomeric product. However, controlling the stereochemical outcome through transition-metal catalysis remains challenging, and methods that leverage bench-stable heteroaryl glycosyl sulfone donors to facilitate glycosylation are rare. Herein, we show two complementary nonprecious metal catalytic systems, based on iron or nickel, which are capable of promoting efficient C−C coupling between heteroaryl glycosyl sulfones and aromatic nucleophiles or electrophiles through distinct mechanisms and modes of activation. Diverse C-aryl glycosides were secured with excellent selectivity, scope, and functional-group compatibility, and reliable access to both α and β isomers was possible for key sugar residues.     

Locking the Conformation of a Paddlewheel Rhodium Complex: Design,Synthesis, and Applications in Catalytic Nitrene Transfers

The exponential proliferation of conformers makes it impossible to examine the entire population in most systems. Controlling conformational ensembles is thus pivotal in many areas of chemistry. Rh₂(esp)₂, a dicarboxylate-derived paddlewheel rhodium complex, is one of the most effective catalysts for nitrene chemistry. Its enormous success has led to preparing many analogous complexes. However, there has been little consideration for the conformational dynamics of the parent catalyst. Herein, we report a new ligand modification principle that prevents conformer interconversion. The resulting complex comprises two isolable conformers, whose structures have been determined by X-ray diffraction. Combined experimental and computational data has revealed similarities and dissimilarities between the conformationally confined and parent complexes. Three model cases have demonstrated the utility of conformational fixation in the development of stereoselective catalysts for nitrene transfer reactions. The design principle described in this study can be combined with other established modification strategies, serving as a springboard for further advancement of the chemistry of paddlewheel metal complexes.     

Gold and silver assisted synthesis of five-membered oxygen and nitrogen containing heterocycles

The investigation of methods for the chemical synthesis is a growing area of interest due to increasing environmental issues. The use of catalysts in organic reactions has gained extensive interest. Metal and nonmetal catalysts provided a new improved alternative to traditional methods in modern synthetic chemistry. The aim of the present review is to focus on the applications of gold- and silver-catalytic systems for the synthesis of five-membered oxygen- and nitrogen-heterocycles.     

Harnessing Radicals in Confined Supramolecular Environments Made Possible by MOFs

Researching and utilizing radical intermediates in organic synthetic chemistry have innovated discoveries in methodology and theory. Reactions concerning free radical species opened new pathways beyond the frame of the two-electron mechanism while commonly characterized as rampant processes lacking selectivity. As a result, research in this field has always focused on the controllable generation of radical species and determining factors of selectivity. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as compelling candidates as catalysts in radical chemistry. From a catalytic point of view, the porous nature of MOFs entails an inner phase for the reaction that could offer possibilities for the regulation of reactivity and selectivity. From a material science perspecti ve, MOFs are organic-inorganic hybrid materials that integrate functional units in organic compounds and complex forms in the tunable long-ranged periodic structure. In this account, we summarized our progress in the application of MOFs in radical chemistry in three parts: (1) The generation of radical species; (2) The weak interactions and site selectivity; (3) Regio- and stereo-selectivity. The unique role of MOFs play in these paradigms is demonstrated in a supramolecular narrative through the analyses of the multi-constituent collaboration within the MOF and the interactions between MOFs and the intermediates during the reactions.     

Transformations based on ring-opening of gem-difluorocyclopropanes

gem-Difluorocyclopropanes are an important fluorinated class of compounds with applications in medicinal chemistry, material sciences and organic synthesis. The transformations based on their ring-opening reactions have been recognized to be useful methods for rapidly synthesizing various fluorinated organic molecules. In this digest paper, we describe these efforts and highlight their powerfully potential and applications as fluorine-containing synthons in organic chemistry.     

Traffic Lights for Catalysis: Stimuli-Responsive Molecular and Extended Catalytic Systems

The advances made in the field of stimuli-responsive catalysis during the last five years with a focus on the novel recently-emerged directions and applications have been surveyed. Metal-free catalysts and organometallic complexes, as well as biomimetic systems and extended structures, which display switchable catalytic activity for a variety of organic transformations, are discussed. Light-activated systems comprised of photochromic molecules capable of modulating reaction rate, yield, or enantioselectivity based on geometric and electronic changes associated with photoisomerization are the focus of the detailed discussion. Alternative stimuli, including pH and temperature, which could be applied either alone or in combination with light, are also addressed. Recent advances clearly demonstrate that the capability to finely tune catalyst behavior via an external stimulus is a powerful tool that could alter the landscape of sustainable chemistry.     

Application of Catalyzed Reactions in Analytical Chemistry

Catalyzed reactions are becoming increasingly improtant in analytical chemistry, and especially in trace analysis. The acceleration of a particular reaction (indicator reaction) promoted by the catalyst provides information about the catalyst concentration. Substances which lower or raise the activity of a catalyst (inhibitors or activators, respectively) can likewise be determined in this way. The course of a reaction is usually monitored by physical measuring techniques. Various methods of conducting these kinetic-catalytic studies are discussed in this article.—Use of catalyzed reactions for end point detection in volumetric analysis is also feasible.     

Organometallic Syntheses with Diazoalkanes

In recent years, aliphatic diazo compounds have proved to be more and more versatile as reagents in the preparative chemistry of organometallic complexes. As readily accessible compounds, they are not only suitable for the synthesis of known kinds of metal complexes but also open fresh routes to novel complex systems. The comparatively new field of diazoalkane complex chemistry exhibits numerous unexpected and novel reactions, and introduces interesting and promising aspects into the chemistry of carbonylmetal compounds.     

Application of silver-promoted reactions in the synthesis of five-membered O-heterocycles

The investigation of facial protocols for chemical synthesis is a growing area of interest due to increasing environmental issues. The use of catalysts in organic reactions has gained extensive interest. Metal and nonmetal catalysts provided a new improved alternative to traditional methods in modern synthetic chemistry. The aim of the present review is to focus on the applications of silver-promoted reactions for the synthesis of oxygen containing five-membered heterocycles which have significance in organic synthesis, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and among others.     

Microbial and Enzymatic Processes for the Production of Biologically and Chemically Useful Compounds [New Synthetic Methods (69)]

In recent years, the most significant development in the field of synthetic organic chemistry has been the application of biological systems to chemical reactions. Reactions catalyzed by enzymes and enzyme systems display far greater specificities than more conventional organic reactions. Biological and/or enzymatic syntheses and transformations, that is, “microbial transformations,” have great potential. Some of these reactions have already been shown to have useful applications in the fields of synthetic organic chemistry and biotechnology. This article reviews the current status of the rapidly developing field of microbial transformation, the methodology, available technological procedures, and fields of application being described especially in relation to conventional organic synthesis methods.     

Seven and higher-membered oxygen heterocycles: Metal and non-metal

The investigation of methods for the chemical synthesis is a growing area of interest due to increasing environmental issues. The use of catalysts in organic reactions has gained extensive interest. Metal and nonmetal catalysts provided a new improved alternative to traditional methods in modern synthetic chemistry. The aim of present review is to focus on the applications of metals and nonmetals for the synthesis of seven and higher-membered O-heterocycles.     

Seven-membered N-heterocycles: metal and nonmetal assisted synthesis

The investigation of facial synthetic methods for chemical synthesis is a growing area of interest due to increasing environmental issues. The use of catalysts in organic reactions has gained extensive interest. Metal and nonmetal catalysts provided a new improved alternative to traditional methods in modern synthetic chemistry. The aim of the present review is to focus on the applications of metals and nonmetals for the synthesis of seven-membered N-heterocycles.     

Molecular Organometallic Chemistry on Surfaces: Reactivity of Metal Carbonyls on Metal Oxides

Metal carbonyls react on metal oxide surfaces to give a wide range of structures analogous to those of known compounds. The reactions leading to formation of surface-bound metal carbonyls are explained by known molecular organometallic chemistry and the functional group chemistry of the surfaces. The reaction classes include formation of acid-base adducts as the oxygen of a carbonyl group donates an electron pair to a Lewis acidic center; nucleophilic attack at CO ligands by basic surface hydroxyl groups or O^2? ions; ion-pair formation by deprotonation of hydrido carbonyls to give carbonylate ions; interaction of bifunctional complexes with surface acid-base pair sites such as [Mg^2⊕O^2?]; and oxidative addition of surface hydroxyl groups to metal clusters. The reactions of surface-bound organometallic species include redox condensation and cluster formation on basic surfaces (paralleling the reactions in basic solution) as well as oxidation of mononuclear metal complexes and oxidative fragmentation of metal clusters by reaction with surface hydroxyl groups. Most supported metal carbonyls are unstable at high temperatures, but some, including osmium carbonyl cluster anions on the basic MgO surface, are strongly stabilized in the presence of CO and are precursors of catalysts for CO hydrogenation at 550 K.     

环钯化合物合成及其在催化中的应用

环钯化合物由于丰富的结构、高度的稳定性和卓越的催化性能,已成为钯化学研究的热点之一。迄今已开发出了C-H键活化、氧化加成、转金属化、亲核加成和配体交换等多种方法,可制备出从三元环到十一元环的CY型环钯化合物和多种YCY型环钯化合物。环钯化合物目前已应用于偶联、烯烃氢化和不对称催化等反应中。本文简单介绍了环钯化合物的种类,重点介绍了环钯化合物的合成方法和催化应用情况,最后提出了环钯化合物在今后合成研究和催化应用中的发展建议。     

Artificial Molecular Ratchets: Tools Enabling Endergonic Processes

Non-equilibrium chemical systems underpin multiple domains of contemporary interest, including supramolecular chemistry, molecular machines, systems chemistry, prebiotic chemistry, and energy transduction. Experimental chemists are now pioneering the realization of artificial systems that can harvest energy away from equilibrium. In this tutorial Review, we provide an overview of artificial molecular ratchets: the chemical mechanisms enabling energy absorption from the environment. By focusing on the mechanism type—rather than the application domain or energy source—we offer a unifying picture of seemingly disparate phenomena, which we hope will foster progress in this fascinating domain of science.     

Preorganization—From Solvents to Spherands

This article assesses the importance of molecular preorganization to the rapidly developing field of complexation involving designed synthetic organic compounds. Since its birth as a science, organic chemistry has drawn heavily on biological chemistry as a vast storehouse of evolutionary structures, reactions, and control mechanisms that serve as inspiration for designed organic-compounds mimics. Biological systems, through highly structured complexation, accomplish complicated tasks. The receptor sites of enzymes, the genes, the antibodies, and ionophores possess high degree of preorganization. In other words, their functional groups act cooperatively as binding or catalytic sites which are largely collected and oriented prior to complexation.—The strength of the organic chemist derives from his ability to design organic compounds, organic reactions, synthetic sequences, and test systems to evaluate hypotheses. The design of highly structured complexs and the discovery of the rules that govern their behavior are described here. Research in this field is particularly rewarding because scientific and aesthetic content merge and become visible in the structures of many of the complexes.     

The role of quantum chemistry in the elucidation of the elementary mechanisms of catalytic processes: from atoms, to surfaces, to enzymes

The recent activity of the laboratory of quantum and computational chemistry of the University of Calabria in the field of catalysis is shortly reviewed. Theoretical determinations of the potential energy profiles for the cyclotrimerization of acetylene catalyzed by bare and supported niobium atom and the reduction mechanism of nitrate to nitrite by nitrate reductase enzyme are presented as examples of studies in which a certain number of investigation methods mostly used in this field, are applied.