Cu‐Catalyzed Cross‐Dehydrogenative ortho‐Aminomethylation of Phenols

A highly selective Cu^II‐catalyzed cross‐dehydrogenative ortho‐aminomethylation of phenols with aniline derivatives is described. The corresponding C(sp²)?C(sp³) coupling products were obtained in moderate to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions and with a broad substrate scope. A radical mechanism is proposed.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Cyclization of ortho‐Iodoketoximes and ortho‐Iodoketimines with Alkynes: Synthesis of Highly Substituted Isoquinolines and Isoquinolinium Salts

A convenient method for the synthesis of highly substituted isoquinolines and isoquinolinium salts by the nickel‐catalyzed cyclization of ortho‐haloketoximes and ‐ketimines, respectively, with alkynes is described. The reaction of ortho‐haloketoximes and various alkynes in the presence of [Ni(PPh₃)₂Br₂] and zinc powder in a mixture of acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran at 80 °C for 15 hours gave 1,3,4‐trisubstituted isoquinoline products in moderate to excellent yields and high regioselectivity. The corresponding isoquinoline N‐oxide was found to be the intermediate in the cyclization reaction pathway. In contrast, the reaction of ortho‐haloketimines and alkynes under similar catalytic conditions in tetrahydrofuran at 70 °C for two hours gave 1,2,3,4‐tetrasubstituted isoquinolinium salts in good to excellent yields.     

Three bis‐ortho‐diynyl­arenes (BODA)

The molecule of 3,3′,4,4′‐tetrakis­(phenyl­ethynyl)­bi­phenyl, C₄₄H₂₆, is approximately planar and is located on a crystallographic inversion center. Bis­[3,4‐bis­(phenyl­ethynyl)­phenyl] ether, C₄₄H₂₆O, has mol­ecules located on twofold symmetry axes, whereas the molecule of 2,2‐bis­[3,4‐bis­(phenyl­ethynyl)­phenyl]­propane, C₄₇H₃₂, does not exhibit any molecular symmetry.     

Copper‐Mediated ortho‐Nitration of (Hetero)Arenecarboxylates

Various (hetero)arenecarboxylic acids were converted to the corresponding Daugulis amides and nitrated selectively in the ortho‐position in the presence of [CuNO₃(PPh₃)₂] and AgNO₂ at 50 °C. A microwave‐assisted saponification allows regenerating the carboxylate group within minutes, which may then be removed tracelessly by protodecarboxylation, or substituted by aryl‐ or alkoxy‐groups via decarboxylative cross‐coupling.     

Palladium N‐heterocyclic‐carbene‐catalyzed ortho‐arylation of benzaldehyde derivatives

New, sterically demanding 1,3‐dialkylbenzimidazolium salts ( 2a–c ) as N‐heterocyclic‐carbene precursors have been synthesized and characterized. The ortho position of aromatic aldehydes was directly and selectively arylated with aryl chlorides in the presence of a catalytic system prepared in situ from Pd(OAc)₂, 1,3‐dialkylbenzimidazolium chlorides ( 2a–c ), and Cs₂CO₃. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:569–574, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20479     

Reactions of 3‐substituted chromones with ortho‐phenylenediamine

Chromones 1 react with diamine 2 to give various products depending on the nature of the position 3 substituent in the heterocycle.     

Sulfoxide‐Directed Metal‐Free ortho‐Propargylation of Aromatics and Heteroaromatics

A sulfoxide‐directed, metal‐free ortho‐propargylation of aromatics and heteroaromatics exploits intermolecular delivery of a propargyl nucleophile to sulfur followed by an intramolecular relay to carbon. The operationally simple cross‐coupling procedure is general, regiospecific with regard to the propargyl nucleophile, and shows complete selectivity for products of ortho‐propargylation over allenylation. The use of secondary propargyl silanes allows metal‐free ortho‐coupling to form carbon–carbon bonds between aromatic and heteroaromatic rings and secondary propargylic centres. The ‘safety‐catch’ nature of the sulfoxide directing group is illustrated in a selective, iterative double cross‐coupling process. The products of propargylation are versatile intermediates and they have been readily converted into substituted benzothiophenes.     

Diphenyliodonium‐Catalyzed Fluorination of Arynes: Synthesis of ortho‐Fluoroiodoarenes

Described is a one‐pot vicinal fluorination‐iodination of arynes at room temperature. The diphenyliodonium salt proved to be a privileged catalyst for this nucleophilic fluorination process using CsF as a fluorine source, and a subsequent facile electrophilic iodination with C₄F₉I was also found to be crucial to ensure the efficient fluorination. This new synthetic protocol has a broad substrate scope under mild reaction conditions.     

1,2‐Azaborine: The Boron‐Nitrogen Derivative of ortho‐Benzyne

The BN analogue of ortho‐benzyne, 1,2‐azaborine, is generated by flash vacuum pyrolysis, trapped under cryogenic conditions, and studied by direct spectroscopic techniques. The parent BN aryne spontaneously binds N₂ and CO₂, thus demonstrating its highly reactive nature. The interaction with N₂ is photochemically reversible. The CO₂ adduct of 1,2‐azaborine is a cyclic carbamate which undergoes photocleavage, thus resulting in overall CO₂ splitting.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Acylation of Aryl Diazoesters with ortho‐Bromobenzaldehydes

In this work, we describe a palladium‐catalyzed intermolecular O acylation of α‐diazoesters with ortho‐bromobenzaldehydes. The C(sp²)?H bond activation of the aldehyde is enabled by migratory insertion of a palladium carbene intermediate. The diazoesters act as modular three‐atom units to build up key seven‐membered palladacycles, which are transformed into a variety of isocoumarin derivatives upon reductive elimination. Mechanistic experiments and DFT calculations provide insight into the reaction pathway.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Suzuki Coupling of ortho‐Substituted Hindered Aryl Substrates

A method that allows hindered ortho ‐substituted aryl iodides to be efficiently coupled to phenylboronic acid using a gold‐catalyzed C−C bond formation is presented. The use of a molecularly‐defined dinuclear gold chloride catalytic precursor that is stabilized by a new tetradentate (N ,N′ )‐diamino‐(P,P′ )‐diphosphino ferrocene hybrid ligand in a Suzuki‐type reaction is described for the first time. Electron‐rich isopropyl groups on phosphorus were found essential for a superior activity, while the performances of a set of analogous gold dinuclear complexes that were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and XRD analysis, were investigated. Therefore, arylation of para and ortho ‐substituted iodoarenes bearing electron‐rich, electron‐poor functional groups, and even hindered polycyclic aromatic compounds is described.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed ortho‐Arylation of Benzoic Acids with Arenediazonium Salts

In the presence of catalytic [{IrCp*Cl₂}₂] and Ag₂CO₃, Li₂CO₃ as the base, and acetone as the solvent, benzoic acids react with arenediazonium salts to give the corresponding diaryl‐2‐carboxylates under mild conditions. This C? H arylation process is generally applicable to diversely substituted substrates, ranging from extremely electron‐rich to electron‐poor derivatives. The carboxylate directing group is widely available and can be removed tracelessly or employed for further derivatization. Orthogonality to halide‐based cross‐couplings is achieved by the use of diazonium salts, which can be coupled even in the presence of iodo substituents.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Heteroarylation and Concomitant ortho‐Alkylation of Aryl Iodides

Three‐component couplings were achieved from common aryl halides, alkyl halides, and heteroarenes under palladium and norbornene co‐catalysis. The reaction forges hindered aryl–heteroaryl bonds and introduces ortho‐alkyl groups to aryl rings. Various heterocycles such as oxazoles, thiazoles and thiophenes underwent efficient coupling. The heteroarenes were deprotonated in situ by bases without the assistance of palladium catalysts.     

ortho‐Quinone Methides in Natural Product Synthesis

ortho‐Quinone methides (o‐QMs) are emerging as highly useful intermediates, the inherent reactivity of which can be used in linchpin reactions for the construction of complex natural products. This review encompasses the major contributions in this field, exemplifying the major strategies and reactivity modes which can be applied.