Facile Cu-free Sonogashira cross-coupling of nucleoside C-6 arylsulfonates with terminal alkynes

The combination of PdCl₂[CH₃CN]₂ with XPhos is an efficient catalytic system for the Sonogashira-type cross-coupling of 2′-deoxyguanosine O⁶-arylsulfonates with terminal alkynes. The reactions generally proceed under mild conditions requiring no Cu co-catalyst to give the corresponding C-6-alkynylated deoxynucleosides in moderate to good yields.     

Microwave-assisted C-C bond forming cross-coupling reactions: an overview

Among the fundamental transformations in the field of synthetic organic chemistry, transition-metal-catalyzed reactions provide some of the most attractive methodologies for the formation of C-C and C-heteroatom bonds. As a result, the application of these reactions has increased tremendously during the past decades and cross-coupling reactions became a standard tool for synthetic organic chemists. Furthermore, a tremendous upsurge in the development of new catalysts and ligands, as well as an increased understanding of the mechanisms, has contributed substantially to recent advances in the field. Traditionally, organic reactions are carried out by conductive heating with an external heat source (for example, an oil bath). However, the application of microwave irradiation is a steadily gaining field as an alternative heating mode since its dawn at the end of the last century. This tutorial review focuses on some of the recent developments in the field of cross-coupling reactions assisted by microwave irradiation.     

Decarbonylative C-C bond forming reactions mediated by transition metals

New methods for carbon-carbon (C-C) forming reactions are constantly emerging in the field of organic synthesis. In this review, a brief history followed by recent developments of decarbonylative C-C forming reactions mediated by transition metals is described. Many different substrates are presented and the review is organized by the different carbonyl precursors, such as acyl chlorides, aldehydes, anhydrides, esters and ketones, used in the respective transformations. Furthermore, the broad scope of these reactions is exhibited by the application to several reaction types (e.g. Heck-type reactions, Suzuki cross-coupling type reactions, C-H activation, etc.) as well as a natural product synthesis (e.g. muscroride A). While several examples are provided, this review marks the beginning of a new field that is still in its infancy and for what might be a new approach to achieve highly efficient reactions that come closer to meeting the standards of chemical economies (e.g. atom, redox, step, etc.) and green chemistry.     

New C-N and C-C bond forming reactions catalyzed by titanium complexes

Titanium(IV) complexes with two basic dimethylamido ligands can be efficient catalysts for alkyne hydroamination by primary amines. Readily prepared pyrrolyl ligands have proven to be especially useful in generating active catalysts for hydroamination and hydrohydrazination. From these reactions, new methodologies for the synthesis of imines, hydrazones, alpha,beta-unsaturated imines, pyridines, indoles, and pyrroles have developed. In addition, a new reaction that is mechanistically related to hydroamination, alkyne iminoamination, has been discovered. Iminoamination, which is a multicomponent coupling between an amine, alkyne, and isonitrile, provides unsymmetrical alpha, beta-unsaturated beta-iminoamines in a single, titanium-catalyzed step.     

Iridium solutes effect C-H bond activation and C-C bond forming reactions of C6H6-MeOCH2CH2OMe solvent mixtures

The in situ generated [Tp(Me2)Ir(C(6)H(5))(2)] fragment induces both aromatic and aliphatic C-H bond activation reactions, along with C-C bond formation, when heated with benzene and 1,2-dimethoxyethane.     

Oxidative C-H activation/C-C bond forming reactions: synthetic scope and mechanistic insights

This paper describes a new palladium-catalyzed method for C-H activation/carbon-carbon bond formation with hypervalent iodine arylating agents. This transformation has been applied to a variety of arene and benzylic substrates containing different directing groups (pyridines, quinolines, oxazolidinones, and amides) and proceeds with high levels of regiocontrol. Mechanistic experiments provide preliminary evidence in support of an unusual mechanism for this transformation involving a Pd(II)/Pd(IV) catalytic cycle.     

Mechanical activation of catalysts for C-C bond forming and anionic polymerization reactions from a single macromolecular reagent

Coupling of pyridine-capped poly(methyl acrylate)s, PyP(M) (where M corresponds to the number average molecular weight in kDa), to the SCS-cyclometalated dipalladium complex [(1)(CH(3)CN)(2)] afforded organometallic polymers [(1)(PyP(M))(2)] with a concomitant doubling in molecular weight. Ultrasonication of solutions containing [(1)(PyP(M))(2)] effected the mechanical scission of a palladium-pyridine bond, where the liberated PyP(M) was trapped with excess HBF(4) as the corresponding pyridinium salt, harnessed to effect the stoichiometric deprotonation of a colorimetric indicator, or used to catalyze the anionic polymerization of α-trifluoromethyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl acrylate. The mechanically induced chain scission also unmasked a catalytically active palladium species which was used to facilitate carbon-carbon bond formation between benzyl cyanide and N-tosyl imines. Spectroscopic and macromolecular analyses as well as a series of control experiments demonstrated that the aforementioned structural changes were derived from mechanical forces that originated from ultrasound-induced dissociation of the polymer chains connected to the aforementioned Pd complexes.     

Palladium catalysis for the synthesis of hydrophobic C-6 and C-2 aryl 2'-deoxynucleosides. Comparison of C-C versus C-N bond formation as well as C-6 versus C-2 reactivity

Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of haloaromatic compounds with arylboronic acids provides a simple entry to biaryl systems. Despite its ease, to date, there are no detailed investigations of this procedure for deoxynucleoside modification. As shown in this study, a wide variety of C-6 arylpurine 2'-deoxyriboside (C-6 aryl 2'-deoxynebularine analogues) and C-2 aryl 2'-deoxyinosine analogues can be conveniently prepared via the Pd-mediated cross-coupling of arylboronic acids with the C-6 halonucleosides, 6-bromo- or 6-chloro-9[2-deoxy-3,5-bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl]purine (1 and 2), and the C-2 halonucleoside, 2-bromo-O(6)-benzyl-3',5'-bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-2'-deoxyinosine (3). Although bromonucleoside 1 proved to be a good substrate for the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings, we have noted that for several C-6 arylations, the chloronucleoside 2 provides superior coupling yields. Also described in this study is a detailed evaluation of catalytic systems that led to optimal product recoveries. Finally, a comparison of the C-C and C-N bond-forming reactions of deoxynucleosides is also reported. On the basis of this comparison, we provide evidence that C-N bond formation at the C-6 position, leading to N-aryl 2'-deoxyadenosine analogues, is more sensitive to the ligand used, whereas C-C bond-forming reactions at the same position are not. In contrast to the ligand dependency exhibited in C-N bond formation at the C-6 position, comparable reactions at the C-2 position of purine deoxynucleosides proceed with less sensitivity to the ligand used.     

Catalytic enantioselective C-C bond forming conjugate additions with vinyl sulfones

In this communication, we describe the development of the first highly enantioselective catalytic conjugate addition to vinyl sulfones. Promoted by readily accessible organocatalysts derived from C6'-OH cinchona alkaloid derivatives and under mild, air- and moisture-tolerant conditions, conjugate additions of a wide range of alpha-cyanoacetates bearing either an alpha-aryl or an alpha-alkyl substituent to vinyl sulfones proceeded in excellent enantioselectivity and high yield. Consequently, this efficient and operationally simple enantioselective C-C bond forming conjugate addition provides a new and useful approach for the enantioselective construction of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters.     

Ultrasound promoted C-C bond formation: Heck reaction at ambient conditions in room temperature ionic liquids

Heck reaction proceeds at ambient temperature (30 degrees C) with considerably enhanced reaction rate (1.5-3 h) through the formation of Pd-biscarbene complexes and stabilized clusters of zero-valent Pd nanoparticles in ionic liquids under ultrasonic irradiation.     

Palladium-catalyzed desulfinylative Negishi C-C bond forming cross-couplings of sulfonyl and organozinc chlorides

Arene-, phenylmethane- and alkenesulfonyl chlorides are suitable electrophilic reagents in desulfinylative carbon-carbon bond formation cross-coupling reactions with organozinc reagents.     

Dipyridylketone binding and subsequent C-C bond insertion reactions at cyclopentadienylrhodium

UV irradiation of a solution of (eta5-C5H5)bis(ethene)rhodium in the presence of 2,2'-dipyridylketone yields (eta5-C5H5)Rh(kappa2-N,O-2,2'-dipyridylketone) which inserts ethene to yield a bicyclic oxametallacyclopentane.     

Metallo-organic domino reactions: C-H versus C-C bond breaking

HL and MeL are prepared by condensing benzil dihydrazone with 2-formylpyridine and 2-acetylpyridine, respectively, in 1:2 molar proportions. While in a reaction with [Ru(C(6)H(6))Cl(2)]2, HL yields the cation [Ru(C(6)H(6)){5,6-diphenyl-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazine}Cl]+, MeL gives the cation [Ru(C(6)H(6))(MeL)Cl]+. Both the cations are isolated as their hexafluorophosphate salts and characterised by X-ray crystallography. In the case of HL, double domino electrocyclic/elimination reactions are found to occur. The electrocyclic reaction occurs in a C=N-N=C-C=N fragment of HL and the elimination reaction involves breaking of a C-H bond of HL. Density functional calculations on model complexes indicate that the identified electrocyclic reaction is thermochemically as well as kinetically feasible for both HL and MeL in the gas phase. For a double domino reaction, similar to that operative in HL, to occur for MeL, breaking of a C-C bond would be required in the elimination step. Our model calculations show the energy barrier for this elimination step to be much higher (329.1 kJ mol(-1)) for MeL than that for HL (96.3 kJ mol(-1)). Thus, the domino reaction takes place for HL and not for MeL. This accounts for the observed stability of [Ru(C(6)H(6))(MeL)Cl]+ under the reaction conditions employed.     

C-C and C-H bond activation reactions in N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of ruthenium

Thermolysis of Ru(PPh3)3(CO)H2 with the N-heterocyclic carbene bis(1,3-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) (IMes) results in C-C activation of an Ar-CH3 bond in one of the mesityl rings of the carbene ligand. Upon addition of IMes to Ru(PPh3)3(CO)H2 at room temperature in the presence of an alkene, C-H bond activation is observed instead. The thermodynamics of these C-C and C-H cleavage reactions have been probed using density functional theory.     

Kinetics of the C-C bond beta scission reactions in alkyl radicals

High pressure limits of thermal rate constants of four C-C bond beta scission reactions of propyl, 1-butyl, 2-butyl and isobutyl radicals were calculated using the canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with a multi-dimensional small-curvature tunneling (SCT) correction over the temperature range of 300-3000 K. The CCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ//BH&HLYP/cc-pVDZ method was used to provide necessary potential energy surface information. Rate constants for these reactions were used to extrapolate rate constants for reactions in larger alkyls where experimental data are available using the Reaction Class Transition State Theory (RC-TST). Excellent agreement with experimental data confirms the validity of the RC-TST methodology and the accuracy of the calculated kinetic data in this study.     

Diastereoselective construction of azetidin-2-ones by electrochemical intramolecular C-C bond forming reaction

A convenient method for synthesis of optically active azetidin-2-ones using electrochemical oxidation has been exploited. The method consists of a diastereoselective intramolecular C-C bond forming reaction between active methylene and methyne groups through an electrochemical system in which positive iodine species acted as mediators under mild conditions.     

Titanacarborane mediated C-N bond forming/breaking reactions

Constrained-geometry titanacarboranes [σ:η¹:η⁵-(OCH₂)(R₂NCH₂)C₂B₉H₉]Ti(NR₂) (R = Me, Et) are synthesized via an unexpected reaction of [Me₃NH][μ-7,8-CH₂OCH₂-7,8-C₂B₉H₁₀] with Ti(NR₂)₄ (R = Me, Et), involving a C-O bond cleavage and C-N bond formation. These complexes can be readily converted to new amide species or alkoxide by reacting with amines or esters, respectively. Insertion of a series of unsaturated molecules into the Ti-N bond of the aforementioned complexes results in the formation of various half-sandwich titanacarboranes. [σ:η¹:η⁵-(OCH₂)(Me₂NCH₂)C₂B₉H₉]Ti(NMe₂) is also able to efficiently catalyze the hydroamination of carbodiimides and the transamination of guanidines. These results are summarized in this brief account.