PdII-Catalyzed Enantioselective C(sp3)–H Arylation of Cyclobutyl Ketones Using a Chiral Transient Directing Group

The use of chiral transient directing groups (TDGs) is a promising approach for developing Pd^II-catalyzed enantioselective C(sp³)−H activation reactions. However, this strategy is challenging because the stereogenic center on the TDG is often far from the C−H bond, and both TDG covalently attached to the substrate and free TDG are capable of coordinating to Pd^II centers, which can result in a mixture of reactive complexes. We report a Pd^II-catalyzed enantioselective β-C(sp³)−H arylation reaction of aliphatic ketones using a chiral TDG. A chiral trisubstituted cyclobutane was efficiently synthesized from a mono-substituted cyclobutane through sequential C−H arylation reactions, thus demonstrating the utility of this method for accessing structurally complex products from simple starting materials. The use of an electron-deficient pyridone ligand is crucial for the observed enantioselectivity. Interestingly, employing different silver salts can reverse the enantioselectivity.     

Functionalization of Olefinic C−H Bonds by an Aryl-to-Vinyl 1,4-Nickel Migration/Reductive Coupling Sequence

An attractive approach to selective functionalization of remote C−H bonds is a metal/hydride shift/cross-coupling reaction sequence. Complimentary to the heavily exploited 1,2-nickel/hydride shift along an sp³ chain, a chain-walking process, the 1,4-nickel/hydride shift along an sp² chain is more complex. Here we report an unprecedented aryl-to-vinyl 1,4-nickel/hydride shift reaction, in which the migratory alkenylnickel species generated in situ is selectively trapped by one of various coupling partners, such as isocyanates, alkyl bromides, aryl chlorides or alkynyl bromides, allowing regio- and stereoselective access to trisubstituted alkenes. In contrast to the well-reported ipso-aryl coupling reactions, this strategy provides remote alkenyl C−H functionalized products with good yield and with excellent chemo-, regio- and E/Z-selectivity.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Cross‐Coupling of Racemic Alkyl Bromides with Azole C(sp2)−H Bonds

The development of enantioconvergent cross‐coupling of racemic alkyl halides directly with heteroarene C(sp²)?H bonds has been impeded by the use of a base at elevated temperature that leads to racemization. We herein report a copper(I)/cinchona‐alkaloid‐derived N,N,P‐ligand catalytic system that enables oxidative addition with racemic alkyl bromides under mild conditions. Thus, coupling with azole C(sp²)?H bonds has been achieved in high enantioselectivity, affording a number of potentially useful α‐chiral alkylated azoles, such as 1,3,4‐oxadiazoles, oxazoles, and benzo[d]oxazoles as well as 1,3,4‐triazoles, for drug discovery. Mechanistic experiments indicated facile deprotonation of an azole C(sp²)?H bond and the involvement of alkyl radical species under the reaction conditions.     

Fe-Catalyzed Intramolecular Cross-Dehydrogenative Arylation (CDA), Efficient Synthesis of 1-Arylnaphthalenes and 4-Arylcoumarins

Direct cross-dehydrogenative coupling of different inert C−H bonds is the most straightforward and environmentally benign method to construct C−C bonds. In this paper, we developed an iron-catalyzed intramolecular cross-dehydrogenative arylation (CDA) between benzylic C(sp³)H bond and aromatic C(sp²)H bond. From the readily available linear substrates, 1-arylnaphthalenes and 4-arylcoumarins can be quickly constructed with moderate to good yield (18 examples, up to 73 % yield) in one step. Both symmetrical and unsymmetrical substrates with different functional groups could tolerate this system well to form the anticipated products. A radical initiated dehydrogenative cyclization-dehydrogenation tandem process was proposed.     

Bond dissociations in hypervalent ammonium radicals prepared by collisional neutralization of protonated six-membered nitrogen heterocycles

Hypervalent organic ammonium radicals were generated by collisional neutralization with dimethyl disulfide of protonated 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (1H⁺), N,N′-dimethylpiperazine (2H⁺) and N-methylpiperazine (3H⁺). The radicals dissociated completely on the 5.1 μs time-scale. Radical 1H^• underwent competitive N−H and N−C bond dissociations producing 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane and small ring fragments. Dissociations of radical 2H^• proceeded by N−H bond dissociation and ring cleavage, whereas N−CH₃ bond cleavage was less frequent. Radical 3H^• underwent N−H, N−CH₃ and N−C_ring bond cleavages followed by post-reionization dissociations of the formed cations. The pattern of bond dissociations in the hypervalent ammonium radicals derived from six-membered nitrogen heterocycles is similar to those of aliphatic ammonium radicals. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Iodine(I) and Silver(I) Complexes of Benzoimidazole and Pyridylcarbazole Derivatives

The synthesis of iodine(I) complexes with either benzoimidazole or carbazole-derived sp² N-containing Lewis bases is described, as well as their corresponding silver(I) complexes. The addition of elemental iodine to the linear two-coordinate Ag(I) complexes produces iodine(I) complexes with a three-center four-electron (3c–4e) [N−I−N]⁺ bond. The ¹H and ¹H-¹⁵N HMBC NMR studies unambiguously confirm the formation of the complexes in all cases via the [N−Ag−N]⁺→[N−I−N]⁺ cation exchange, with the ¹⁵N NMR chemical shift change between 94 to 111 ppm when compared to the free ligand. The single crystal X-ray crystallographic studies on eight I⁺ complexes revealed highly symmetrical [N−I−N]⁺ bonds with I−N bond distances of 2.21–2.26 Å and N−I−N angles of 177–180°, whilst some of the corresponding Ag⁺ complexes showed a clear deviation from linearity with N−Ag−N angles of ca. 150° and Ag−N bond distances of 2.09–2.18 Å.     

The Emergence of Palladium-Catalyzed C(sp3)−H Functionalization of Free Carboxylic Acids

Palladium-catalyzed directing group assisted C−H bond activation has emerged as a powerful tool in synthetic organic chemistry. However, only recently, among various directing groups, widely available carboxylate moiety is recognized as a versatile candidate for the regioselective transformations. Notably, palladium-catalyzed carboxylate directed C(sp³)−H bond activation and diverse functionalization is highly challenging and has gained huge attention for its versatile applications. Mono- and bidentate ligands have proven to be useful for accelerating the C(sp³)−H bond activation step, which helps to control reactivity and selectivity (including enantioselectivity). In this Minireview, we discuss the recent progress made in palladium-catalyzed C(sp³)−H bond functionalization reactions for the construction of C−C and C−Heteroatom bonds with the direction of free carboxylic acid.     

One-Pot Synthesis of Primary and Secondary Aliphatic Amines via Mild and Selective sp3 C−H Imination

The direct replacement of sp³ C−H bonds with simple amine units (−NH₂) remains synthetically challenging, although primary aliphatic amines are ubiquitous in medicinal chemistry and natural product synthesis. We report a mild and selective protocol for preparing primary and secondary aliphatic amines in a single pot, based on intermolecular sp³ C−H imination. The first C−H imination of diverse alkanes, this method shows useful site-selectivity within substrates bearing multiple sp³ C−H bonds. Furthermore, this reaction tolerates polar functional groups relevant for complex molecule synthesis, highlighted in the synthesis of amine pharmaceuticals and amination of natural products. We characterize a unique C−H imination mechanism based on radical rebound to an iminyl radical, supported by kinetic isotope effects, stereoablation, resubmission, and computational modeling. This work constitutes a selective method for complex amine synthesis and a new mechanistic platform for C−H amination.     

Synergistic Activation of Amides and Hydrocarbons for Direct C(sp3)–H Acylation Enabled by Metallaphotoredox Catalysis

The utilizations of omnipresent, thermodynamically stable amides and aliphatic C(sp³)−H bonds for various functionalizations are ongoing challenges in catalysis. In particular, the direct coupling between the two functional groups has not been realized. Here, we report the synergistic activation of the two challenging bonds, the amide C−N and unactivated aliphatic C(sp³)−H, via metallaphotoredox catalysis to directly acylate aliphatic C−H bonds utilizing amides as stable and readily accessible acyl surrogates. N-acylsuccinimides served as efficient acyl reagents for the streamlined synthesis of synthetically useful ketones from simple C(sp³)−H substrates. Detailed mechanistic investigations using both computational and experimental mechanistic studies were performed to construct a detailed and complete catalytic cycle. The origin of the superior reactivity of the N-acylsuccinimides over other more reactive acyl sources such as acyl chlorides was found to be an uncommon reaction pathway which commences with C−H activation prior to oxidative addition of the acyl substrate.     

PdII‐Catalyzed Enantioselective C(sp3)–H Arylation of Cyclobutyl Ketones Using a Chiral Transient Directing Group

The use of chiral transient directing groups (TDGs) is a promising approach for developing Pd^II‐catalyzed enantioselective C(sp³)?H activation reactions. However, this strategy is challenging because the stereogenic center on the TDG is often far from the C?H bond, and both TDG covalently attached to the substrate and free TDG are capable of coordinating to Pd^II centers, which can result in a mixture of reactive complexes. We report a Pd^II‐catalyzed enantioselective β‐C(sp³)?H arylation reaction of aliphatic ketones using a chiral TDG. A chiral trisubstituted cyclobutane was efficiently synthesized from a mono‐substituted cyclobutane through sequential C?H arylation reactions, thus demonstrating the utility of this method for accessing structurally complex products from simple starting materials. The use of an electron‐deficient pyridone ligand is crucial for the observed enantioselectivity. Interestingly, employing different silver salts can reverse the enantioselectivity.     

New coordination modes in potassium edta salts: K2[H2edta]·2H2O,K3[Hedta]·2H2O and K4[edta]·3.92H2O

Three potassium edta (edta is ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, H₄Y) salts which have different degrees of ionization of the edta anion, namely dipotassium 2‐({2‐[bis(carboxylatomethyl)azaniumyl]ethyl}(carboxylatomethyl)azaniumyl)acetate dihydrate, 2K⁺·C₁₀H₁₄N₂O₈²⁻·2H₂O, (I), tripotassium 2,2′‐({2‐[bis(carboxylatomethyl)amino]ethyl}ammonio)diacetate dihydrate, 3K⁺·C₁₀H₁₃N₂O₈³⁻·2H₂O, (II), and tetrapotassium 2,2′,2′′,2′′′‐(ethane‐1,2‐diyldinitrilo)tetraacetate 3.92‐hydrate, 4K⁺·C₁₀H₁₂N₂O₈⁴⁻·3.92H₂O, (III), were obtained in crystalline form from water solutions after mixing edta with potassium hydroxide in different molar ratios. In (II), a new mode of coordination of the edta anion to the metal is observed. The HY³⁻ anion contains one deprotonated N atom coordinated to K⁺ and the second N atom is involved in intramolecular bifurcated N—H...O and N—H...N hydrogen bonds. The overall conformation of the HY³⁻ anions is very similar to that of the Y⁴⁻ anions in (III), although a slightly different spatial arrangement of the –CH₂COO⁻ groups in relation to (III) is observed, whereas the H₂Y²⁻ anions in (I) adopt a distinctly different geometry. The preferred synclinal conformation of the –NCH₂CH₂N– moiety was found for all edta anions. In all three crystals, the anions and water molecules are arranged in three‐dimensional networks linked via O—H...O and C—H...O [and N—H...O in (I) and (II)] hydrogen bonds. K...O interactions also contribute to the three‐dimensional polymeric architecture of the salts.     

Chiral Lithiated Phosphoric Triamides: Structure,Reactivity, and Salt Effects

The theoretical structure of a cyclic phosphoric triamide 3 and of its monolithiated isomers 4 – 6 was calculated by ab initio methods (Fig. 1, Tables 1 and 2). The global minimum in 4 consists of a five-membered Li−C−N−P−O chelate. The intermediates 5 and 6 are, relative to 4 , energetically unfavorable by 15 and 18 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively, due to distortion in order to accommodate the N-complexation of the Li⁺ ions. NMR Investigations (¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P, and ⁷Li) of the lithiated bicyclic phosphoric triamide 1 were performed (Tables 3 – 5). The lithium aminomethanide 2 is characterized by a sp³-hybridized anion supporting Li−C contacts. The anions exist in a monomer-dimer equilibrium in solution (Scheme 2). Trapping reactions of rac- 2 with carbonyl compounds generated the corresponding amino-alcohol derivatives with high diastereoselectivities (Scheme 3, Table 6). A rational for the stereochemical outcome is given (Fig. 4). In the presence of LiBr, a P−N bond cleavage occurred on reaction of rac- 2 with aldehydes, which allowed the synthesis of (1-hydroxylalkyl)phosphonic diamides (Scheme 5, Table 7).     

Bis(diisopropylammonium) thiosulfate and bis(tert‐butylammonium) thiosulfate

Two new dialkylammonium thiosulfates, namely bis(diisopropylammonium) thiosulfate, 2C₆H₁₆N⁺·S₂O₃²⁻, (I), and bis(tert‐butylammonium) thiosulfate, 2C₄H₁₂N⁺·S₂O₃²⁻, (II), have been characterized. The secondary ammonium salt (I) crystallizes with Z = 4, while the primary ammonium salt (II), with more hydrogen‐bond donors, crystallizes with Z = 8 and a noncrystallographic centre of inversion. In both salts, the organic cations and thiosulfate anions are linked within extensive N—H...O and N—H...S hydrogen‐bond networks, forming extended two‐dimensional layers. Layers are parallel to (10) in (I) and to (002) in (II), and have a polar interior and a nonpolar hydrocarbon exterior. The layered structure and hydrogen‐bond motifs observed in (I) and (II) are similar to those in related ammonium sulfates.     

Synthesis of Axially Chiral Styrenes through Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric C−H Olefination Enabled by an Amino Amide Transient Directing Group

The atroposelective synthesis of axially chiral styrenes remains a formidable challenge due to their relatively lower rotational barriers compared to the biaryl atropoisomers. Herein, we describe the construction of axially chiral styrenes through Pd^II-catalyzed atroposelective C−H olefination, using a bulky amino amide as a transient chiral auxiliary. Various axially chiral styrenes were produced with good yields and high enantioselectivity (up to 95 % yield and 99 % ee). Carboxylic acid derivatives of the resulting axially chiral styrenes showed superior enantiocontrol over the biaryl counterparts in Co^III-catalyzed enantioselective C(sp³)−H amidation of thioamide. Mechanistic studies suggest that C−H cleavage is the enantioselectivity-determining step.     

Organopotassium-Catalyzed Silylation of Benzylic C(sp3)−H Bonds

Benzylsilanes have found increasing applications in organic synthesis as bench-stable synthetic intermediates, yet are mostly produced by stoichiometric procedures. Catalytic alternatives based on the atom-economical silylation of benzylic C(sp³)−H bonds remain scarcely available as specialized directing groups and catalytic systems are needed to outcompete the kinetically-favored silylation of C(sp²)−H bonds. Herein, we describe the first general and catalytic-in-metal undirected silylation of benzylic C(sp³)−H bonds under ambient, transition metal-free conditions using stable tert-butyl-substituted silyldiazenes (tBu−N=N−SiR₃) as silicon source. The high activity and selectivity of the catalytic system, exemplified by the preparation of various mono- or gem-bis benzyl(di)silanes, originates from the facile generation of organopotassium reagents, including tert-butylpotassium.     

Synthesis of Substituted 2‐Amino‐1,3‐oxazoles via Copper‐Catalyzed Oxidative Cyclization of Enamines and N,N‐Dialkyl Formamides

A facile synthesis of 2‐amino‐1,3‐oxazoles via Cu^I‐catalyzed oxidative cyclization of enamines and N ,N ‐dialkyl formamides has been developed. The reaction proceeds through an oxidative C−N bond formation, followed by an intramolecular C(sp²)−H bond functionalization/C−O cyclization in one pot. This protocol provides direct access to useful 2‐amino‐1,3‐oxazoles and features protecting‐group‐free nitrogen sources, readily available starting materials, a broad substrate scope and mild reaction conditions.     

Nickel-Catalysed Cross-Electrophile Coupling of Benzyl Bromides and Sulfonium Salts towards the Synthesis of Dihydrostilbenes

A nickel-catalysed reductive cross-coupling reaction between benzyl sulfonium salts and benzyl bromides is reported. Simple, stable and readily available sulfonium salts have shown their ability as leaving groups in cross-electrophile coupling, allowing the formation of challenging sp³–sp³ carbon-carbon bonds, towards the synthesis of interesting dihydrostilbene derivatives. In addition, benzyl tosyl derivatives have been demonstrated to be suitable substrates for reductive cross-coupling by in-situ formation of the corresponding sulfonium salt.     

Transition‐metal‐free Chemoselective Oxidative C−C Coupling of the sp3 C−H Bond of Oxindoles with Arenes and Addition to Alkene: Synthesis of 3‐Aryl Oxindoles,and Benzofuro‐ and Indoloindoles

A transition‐metal (TM)‐free and halogen‐free NaOt Bu‐mediated oxidative cross‐coupling between the sp³ C−H bond of oxindoles and sp² C−H bond of nitroarenes has been developed to access 3‐aryl substituted and 3,3‐aryldisubstituted oxindoles in DMSO at room temperature in a short time. Interestingly, the sp³ C−H bond of oxindoles could also react with styrene under TM‐free conditions for the practical synthesis of quaternary 3,3‐disubstituted oxindoles. The synthesized 3‐oxindoles have also been further transformed into advanced heterocycles, that is, benzofuroindoles, indoloindoles, and substituted indoles. Mechanistic experiments of the reaction suggests the formation of an anion intermediate from the sp³ C−H bond of oxindole by tert ‐butoxide base in DMSO. The addition of nitrobenzene to the in‐situ generated carbanion leads to the 3‐(nitrophenyl)oxindolyl carbanion in DMSO which is subsequently oxidized to 3‐(nitro‐aryl) oxindole by DMSO.     

Nickel-Catalyzed C−I-Selective C(sp2)−C(sp3) Cross-Electrophile Coupling of Bromo(iodo)arenes with Alkyl Bromides

Despite several methodologies established for C(sp²)−I selective C(sp²)−C(sp³) bond formations, achieving arene-flanked quaternary carbons by cross-coupling of tertiary alkyl precursors with bromo(iodo)arenes in a C(sp²)−I selective manner is rare. Here we report a general Ni-catalyzed C(sp²)−I selective cross-electrophile coupling (XEC) reaction, in which, beyond 3° alkyl bromides (for constructing arene-flanked quaternary carbons), 2° and 1° alkyl bromides are also demonstrated to be viable coupling partners. Moreover, this mild XEC displays excellent C(sp²)−I selectivity and functional group compatibility. The practicality of this XEC is demonstrated in simplifying the routes to several medicinally relevant and synthetically challenging compounds. Extensive experiments show that the terpyridine-ligated Ni^I halide can exclusively activate alkyl bromides, forming a Ni^I−alkyl complex through a Zn reduction. Attendant density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal two different pathways for the oxidative addition of the Ni^I−alkyl complex to the C(sp²)−I bond of bromo(iodo)arenes, explaining both the high C(sp²)−I selectivity and generality of our XEC.     

Ligand‐Promoted C(sp3)−H Olefination en Route to Multi‐functionalized Pyrazoles

A Pd‐catalyzed/N‐heterocycle‐directed C(sp³)?H olefination has been developed. The monoprotected amino acid ligand (MPAA) is found to significantly promote Pd‐catalyzed C(sp³)?H olefination for the first time. Cu(OAc)₂ instead of Ag⁺ salts are used as the terminal oxidant. This reaction provides a useful method for the synthesis of alkylated pyrazoles.