A Conjugate Addition Approach to Diazo‐Containing Scaffolds with β Quaternary Centers

Structurally complex diazo‐containing scaffolds are formed by conjugate addition to vinyl diazonium salts. The electrophile, a little studied α‐diazonium‐α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compound, is formed at low temperature under mild conditions by treating β‐hydroxy‐α‐diazo carbonyls with Sc(OTf)₃. Conjugate addition occurs selectively at the 3‐position of indole to give α‐diazo‐β‐indole carbonyls, and enoxy silanes react to give 2‐diazo‐1,4‐dicarbonyl products. These reactions result in the formation of tertiary and quaternary centers, and give products that would be otherwise difficult to form. Importantly, the diazo functional group is retained within the molecule for future manipulation. Treating an α‐diazo ester indole addition product with Rh₂(OAc)₄ caused a rearrangement to occur to give a 2‐(1H‐indol‐3‐yl)‐2‐enoate. In the case of diazo ketone compounds, this shift occurred spontaneously on prolonged exposure to the Lewis acidic reaction conditions.     

Rhodium(II)‐Catalyzed Inter‐ and Intramolecular Cyclopropanations with Diazo Compounds and Phenyliodonium Ylides: Synthesis and Chiral Analysis

Different classes of cyclopropanes derived from Meldrum's acid (=2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxane‐4,6‐dione; 4 ), dimethyl malonate ( 5 ), 2‐diazo‐3‐(silyloxy)but‐3‐enoate 16 , 2‐diazo‐3,3,3‐trifluoropropanoate 18 , diazo(triethylsilyl)acetate 24a , and diazo(dimethylphenylsilyl)acetate 24b were prepared via dirhodium(II)‐catalyzed intermolecular cyclopropanation of a set of olefins 3 (Schemes 1 and 4–6). The reactions proceeded with either diazo‐free phenyliodonium ylides or diazo compounds affording the desired cyclopropane derivatives in either racemic or enantiomer‐enriched forms. The intramolecular cyclopropanation of allyl diazo(triethylsilyl)acetates 28, 30 , and 33 were carried out in the presence of the chiral dirhodium(II) catalyst [Rh₂{(S)‐nttl)₄}] ( 9 ) in toluene to afford the corresponding cyclopropane derivatives 29, 31 and 34 with up to 37% ee (Scheme 7). An efficient enantioselective chiral separation method based on enantioselective GC and HPLC was developed. The method provides information about the chemical yields of the cyclopropane derivatives, enantioselectivity, substrate specifity, and catalytic activity of the chiral catalysts used in the inter‐ and intramolecular cyclopropanation reactions and avoids time‐consuming workup procedures.     

Ruthenium(II)‐Catalyzed C−H Activation of Imidamides and Divergent Couplings with Diazo Compounds: Substrate‐Controlled Synthesis of Indoles and 3H‐Indoles

Indoles are an important structural motif that is commonly found in biologically active molecules. In this work, conditions for divergent couplings between imidamides and acceptor–acceptor diazo compounds were developed that afforded NH indoles and 3H‐indoles under ruthenium catalysis. The coupling of α‐diazoketoesters afforded NH indoles by cleavage of the C(N₂)?C(acyl) bond whereas α‐diazomalonates gave 3H‐indoles by C?N bond cleavage. This reaction constitutes the first intermolecular coupling of diazo substrates with arenes by ruthenium‐catalyzed C?H activation.     

Pd–Carbene Migratory Insertion: Application to the Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Alkenes and Dienes

Pd‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of halides with CF₃‐substituted diazo compounds or N‐tosylhydrazones has been explored for the synthesis of CF₃‐substituted alkenes and 1,3‐butadienes. Pd–carbene migratory insertion plays the key role in these transformations.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Alkynyl Aziridines: Both Enantiomers of cis‐Aziridines from One Enantiomer of the Catalyst

Alkynyl aziridines can be obtained from the catalytic asymmetric aziridination (AZ reaction) of alkynyl imines with diazo compounds in high yields and high asymmetric inductions mediated by a chiral boroxinate or BOROX catalyst. In contrast to the AZ reaction with aryl‐ and alkyl‐substituted imines, alkynyl imines react to give cis‐substituted aziridines with both diazo esters and diazo acetamides. Remarkably, however, the two diazo compounds give different enantiomers of the cis‐aziridine from the same enantiomer of the catalyst. Theoretical considerations of the possible transition states for the enantiogenic step reveal that the switch in enantiomers results from a switch from Si‐face to Re‐face addition to the imine, which in turn is related to a switch from reaction with an E‐imine in the former and a Z‐isomer of the imine in the latter.     

Reactions of Thioketones Possessing a Conjugated CC Bond with Diazo Compounds

The reactions of several thioketones containing a conjugated C?C bond with diazo compounds were investigated. All of the selected compounds reacted via a 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition with the C?S group and subsequent N₂ elimination to yield thiocarbonyl ylides as intermediates, which underwent a 1,3‐dipolar electrocyclization to give the corresponding thiirane 25 , or, by a subsequent desulfurization, to give the olefins 33a and 33b . None of the intermediate thiocarbonyl ylides reacted via 1,5‐dipolar electrocyclization. If the α,β‐unsaturated thiocarbonyl compound bears an amino group in the β‐position, the reactions with diazo compounds led to the 2,5‐dihydrothiophenes 40a – 40d . In these cases, the proposed mechanism of the reactions led once more to the thiocarbonyl ylides 36 and thiiranes 38 , respectively. The thiiranes reacted via an S_Ni′‐like mechanism to give the corresponding thiolate/ammonium zwitterion 39 , which underwent a ring closure to yield the 2,5‐dihydrothiophenes 40 . Also in these cases, no 1,5‐dipolar electrocyclization could be observed. The structures of several key products were established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Organoaluminum‐mediated polymerization of diazoketones

Polymerization of diazoketones mediated by organoaluminum compounds was investigated. Trialkylaluminum R₃Al (R = iBu, Et, Me) and diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL) polymerized (E)‐1‐diazo‐3‐nonen‐2‐one ( 1 ) to give polymers with M_n = 2000–3500, which contained nearly 33 mol % of azo group (? N?N? ) along with the dominant acylmethylene unit in the main chain. On the other hand, when (E)‐1‐diazo‐4‐phenyl‐3‐buten‐2‐one ( 2 ) was used as a monomer for the organoaluminum‐mediated polymerization, the resulting polymers had ethylidene (? CH[CH₃]? ) units in the main chain along with acylmethylene and azo group, as a result of reductive cleavage of the acyl group during the polymerization. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5209–5214, 2007     

Reactions of α,β‐Unsaturated Thioamides with Diazo Compounds

Several reactions of the α,β‐unsaturated thioamide 8 with diazo compounds 1a – 1d were investigated. The reactions with CH₂N₂ ( 1a ), diazocyclohexane ( 1b ), and phenyldiazomethane ( 1c ) proceeded via a 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of the diazo dipole at the C?C bond to give the corresponding 4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carbothioamides 12a – 12c , i.e., the regioisomer which arose from the bond formation between the N‐terminus of the diazo compound and the C(α)‐atom of 8 . In the reaction of 1a with 8 , the initially formed cycloadduct, the 4,5‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazole‐3‐carbothioamide 11a , was obtained after a short reaction time. In the case of 1c , two tautomers 12c and 12c ′ were formed, which, by derivatization with 2‐chlorobenzoyl chloride 14 , led to the crystalline products 15 and 15 ′. Their structures were established by X‐ray crystallography. From the reaction of 8 and ethyl diazoacetate ( 1d ), the opposite regioisomer 13 was formed. The monosubstituted thioamide 16 reacted with 1a to give the unstable 4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carbothioamide 17 .     

Rapid Access to Oxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane Skeleton through Cu(I)‐Catalyzed Generation and Trapping of Vinyl‐o‐quinodimethanes (Vinyl‐o‐QDMs)†

A Cu(I)‐catalyzed three‐component reaction of terminal enynals/enynones, diazo compounds, and alkenes has been developed. With this method, a series of oxabicyclo[2.2.2]octanes were effectively synthesized in high yields under mild reaction conditions. This transformation is proposed to proceed through trapping of the cyclic vinyl‐o‐quinodimethanes (vinyl‐o‐QDMs) species, which were generated from terminal enynals/enynones and diazo compounds by alkenes. The obvious advantages of wide substrate scopes, mild reaction conditions, and high seteroselectivity and atom efficiency make this reaction highly appealing for construction of highly rigid [2.2.2]octane skeleton.     

Cross-Coupling Reactions Enabled by Well-Defined Ag(III) Compounds: Main Focus on Aromatic Fluorination and Trifluoromethylation

Ag^III compounds are considered strong oxidizers of difficult handling. Accordingly, the involvement of Ag catalysts in cross-coupling via 2e⁻ redox sequences is frequently discarded. Nevertheless, organosilver(III) compounds have been authenticated using tetradentate macrocycles or perfluorinated groups as supporting ligands, and since 2014, first examples of cross-coupling enabled by Ag^I/Ag^III redox cycles saw light. This review collects the most relevant contributions to this field, with main focus on aromatic fluorination/perfluoroalkylation and the identification of Ag^III key intermediates. Pertinent comparison between the activity of Ag^IIIR_F compounds in aryl-F and aryl-CF₃ couplings vs. the one shown by its Cu^IIIR_F and Au^IIIR_F congeners is herein disclosed, thus providing a more profound picture on the scope of these transformations and the pathways commonly associated to C−R_F bond formations enabled by coinage metals.     

New Syntheses of Diazo Compounds

Diazo compounds (R¹R²C?N₂) are known as versatile and useful substrates for an array of chemical transformations and, therefore, diazo chemistry is still far from losing anything of its long‐standing fascination. In addition to many studies on the subsequent chemistry of the diazo group, the inventory of methods for the preparation of diazo compounds is continuously supplemented by new methods and novel variations of established procedures. Several of these synthetic approaches take into account the lability and remarkable chemical reactivity of certain classes of diazo compounds, and environmentally more benign procedures also continue to be developed.     

1,5‐Dipolar Electrocyclizations of Thiocarbonyl Ylides Bearing CN Groups: Reactions of N‐[(Dimethylamino)methylene]thiobenzamide and 2‐(Dimethylhydrazono)‐1‐phenylethane‐1‐thione with Diazo Compounds

The reactions of thiobenzamide 8 with diazo compounds proceeded via reactive thiocarbonyl ylides as intermediates, which underwent either a 1,5‐dipolar electrocyclization to give the corresponding five membered heterocycles, i.e., 4‐amino‐4,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐thiazole derivatives (i.e., 10a, 10b, 10c , cis‐ 10d , and trans‐ 10d ) or a 1,3‐dipolar electrocyclization to give the corresponding thiiranes as intermediates, which underwent a S_Ni′‐like ring opening and subsequent 5‐exo‐trig cyclization to yield the isomeric 2‐amino‐2,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐thiazole derivatives (i.e., 11a, 11b, 11c , cis‐ 11d , and trans‐ 11d ). In general, isomer 10 was formed in higher yield than isomer 11 . In the case of the reaction of 8 with diazo(phenyl)methane ( 3d ), a mixture of two pairs of diastereoisomers was formed, of which two, namely cis‐ 10d and trans‐ 10d , could be isolated as pure compounds. The isomers cis‐ 11d and trans‐ 11d remained as a mixture. In the reactions of the thioxohydrazone 9 with diazo compounds 3b and 3d , the main products were the alkenes 18 and 23 , respectively. Their formation was rationalized by a 1,3‐dipolar electrocyclization of the corresponding thiocarbonyl ylide and subsequent desulfurization of the intermediate thiiran. As minor products, 2,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐thiazol‐5‐amines 21 and 24 were obtained, which have been formed by 1,5‐dipolar electrocyclization of the thiocarbonyl ylide, followed by a 1,3‐shift of the dimethylamino group.     

Visible‐Light‐Promoted Dearomative Fluoroalkylation of β‐Naphthols through Intermolecular Charge Transfer

The first visible‐light‐promoted dearomative fluoroalkylation of β‐naphthols was realized without the assistance of any transition‐metal catalysts or external photosensitizers. Inexpensive fluoroalkyl iodides were directly used as efficient fluoroalkylation reagents under very mild reaction conditions. The scope of this process was found to be general and broad, and both trifluoromethyl and perfluoroalkyl groups (‐C₄F₉, ‐C₆F₁₃, and ‐C₈F₁₇) were installed in excellent yields. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that visible‐light‐promoted intermolecular charge transfer within the naphtholate–fluoroalkyl iodide electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complex induces a single electron transfer in the absence of photocatalysts.     

Reactions of (1E)‐Buta‐1,3‐dien‐1‐yl Acetate with Diazocarbonyl Compounds

Carbene transfer to appropriate substrates is a highly versatile tool for the construction of carbon frameworks with increased functional and structural complexity. In this study, some novel cyclopropane derivatives were synthesized via carbenoid reactions and their further reactivities were investigated. (1E)‐Buta‐1,3‐dien‐1‐yl acetate was reacted with four different diazocarbonyl compounds, ethyl diazoacetate, dimethyl diazomalonate, 1‐diazo‐1‐phenylpropan‐2‐one, and methyl (3E)‐2‐diazo‐4‐phenylbut‐3‐enoate, in the presence of two catalysts. All synthesized substituted cyclopropanes were obtained chemoselectively with respect to less‐hindered C?C bonds. Under the applied conditions, while cyclopropanes 7a and 7d underwent further reactions, cyclopropanes 7b and 7c were stable enough. Cyclopropanes 7a and an additional equivalent of ethyl diazoacetate yielded polyfunctionalized cyclohexenes. Cyclopropanes from methyl (3E)‐2‐diazo‐4‐phenylbut‐3‐enoate yielded polyfunctionalyzed cycloheptadiene isomers by Cope rearrangement.     

Fluorogenic Strain‐Promoted Alkyne–Diazo Cycloadditions

Fluorogenic reactions, in which non‐ or weakly fluorescent reagents produce highly fluorescent products, are attractive for detecting a broad range of compounds in the fields of bioconjugation and material sciences. Herein, we report that a dibenzocyclooctyne derivative modified with a cyclopropenone moiety (Fl‐DIBO) can undergo fast strain‐promoted cycloaddition reactions under catalyst‐free conditions with azides, nitrones, nitrile oxides, as well as mono‐ and disubstituted diazo‐derivatives. Although the reaction with nitrile oxides, nitrones, and disubstituted diazo compounds gave cycloadducts with low quantum yield, monosubstituted diazo reagents produced 1H‐pyrazole derivatives that exhibited an approximately 160‐fold fluorescence enhancement over Fl‐DIBO combined with a greater than 10 000‐fold increase in brightness. Concluding from quantum chemical calculations, fluorescence quenching of 3H‐pyrazoles, which are formed by reaction with disubstituted diazo‐derivatives, is likely due to the presence of energetically low‐lying (n,π*) states. The fluorogenic probe Fl‐DIBO was successfully employed for the labeling of diazo‐tagged proteins without detectable background signal. Diazo‐derivatives are emerging as attractive reporters for the labeling of biomolecules, and the studies presented herein demonstrate that Fl‐DIBO can be employed for visualizing such biomolecules without the need for probe washout.     

Cyclopentanes from N‐Aminoglyconolactams: Reaction Mechanism and Improved Access to Diazocyclopentanones

One of the two mechanisms to rationalize the Pb(OAc)₄ oxidation of 1 to 2 and 3 postulates the intermediate generation of a carbene 25 via the acetoxy‐diazepinone 22 and the oxadiazoline 23 (Scheme 2). This mechanism was excluded on the basis of the oxidation of the diazepinone 32 that was synthesized in six steps from the ribonolactone 26 . Oxidation of 32 with Pb(OAc)₄ provided the unstable acetoxy‐diazepinone intermediate 22 , its C(5) epimer, and the stable 5‐O‐acetyl‐1,5‐ribonolactone 33 ; the ¹H‐NMR spectra of the products of the oxidation of 32 and the decomposition of 22 showed no evidence for the formation of the acetoxy epoxide 2 and the diazo ketone 3 , excluding 22 as intermediate in the oxidation of 1 . To increase the yield of the diazo‐cyclopentanones, we oxidized the acetohydrazide 34 , the 4‐toluenesulfonohydrazide 44 , and the N,O‐diacetate 46 with Pb(OAc)₄. Oxidation of the acetohydrazide 34 with Pb(OAc)₄ led to a higher yield of the diazo ketone 3 (40%) than oxidation of the N‐amino‐ribonolactam 1 without affecting the yield of 2 . Oxidation of the 4‐toluenesulfonohydrazide 44 gave mostly the product 45 of C‐acetoxylation, while the analogous oxidation of 46 gave the acetoxy lactone 33 ; neither 2 nor 3 could be detected among the products, excluding 46 as intermediate of the oxidation of 34 . Oxidation of the N‐acetamido‐lyxonolactam 47 with Pb(OAc)₄ provided the diazo ketone 8 (77 vs. 37% from 5 ); higher yields of diazo ketones resulted also from the oxidation of the acetohydrazides 48 and 49 .     

Recent Advances in Trifluoromethylation Reactions with Electrophilic Trifluoromethylating Reagents

Electrophilic trifluoromethylation reactions have been the latest approach to achieve the fluoroalkylation of compounds with newly‐discovered reagents, such as the Togni’s (1‐trifluoromethyl‐1,2‐benziodoxol‐3‐(1 H)‐one), Umemoto’s (S‐(trifluoromethyl)dibenzothiophenium tetrafluoroborate), Yagupolskii’s (S‐(trifluoromethyldiarylsulfonium salts), Shreeve’s (S‐(trifluoromethyl)dibenzothiophenium triflate), and Shibata’s (trifluoromethylsulfoximine salts) reagents. All these reagents produce an electrophilic trifluoromethylating (CF₃⁺) species that undergoes reaction with nucleophiles. In addition, these latter reactive species (i.e. CF₃⁺) can undergo electron‐transfer (ET) processes affording CF₃ ^? radicals that expand the scope to substrates other than conventional nucleophiles that can undergo reaction. In this Review, we shall discuss the trifluoromethylation reactions of diverse families of organic substrates of biological interest as a means to comparing the reagents scope and best reaction conditions. Some, though not all, of these reactions require the assistance of metal or organometallic catalysts. Some require additives and catalysts to promote the fluoroalkylation reaction, but invariably all are initiated and carried out by electrophilic trifluoromethylating species.     

Rhodium(III)‐ and Iridium(III)‐Catalyzed C7 Alkylation of Indolines with Diazo Compounds

A Rh^III‐catalyzed procedure for the C7‐selective C?H alkylation of various indolines with α‐diazo compounds at room temperature is reported. The advantages of this process are: 1) simple, mild, and pH‐neutral reaction conditions, 2) broad substrate scope, 3) complete regioselectivity, 4) no need for an external oxidant, and 5) N₂ as the sole byproduct. Furthermore, alkylation and bis‐alkylation of carbazoles at the C1 and C8 positions have also been developed. More significantly, for the first time, a successful Ir^III‐catalyzed intermolecular insertion of arene C?H bonds into α‐diazo compounds is reported.     

Studies toward the Synthesis of (R)‐(+)‐Harmicine

The study toward the total synthesis of (R)‐(+)‐harmicine is reported in this paper. The enantioselective synthesis of pyrrolidinone, the main backbone of of (R)‐(+)‐harmicine, has been completed by the methodology based on photo‐induced Wolff rearrangement of α‐diazo‐β‐carbonyl compounds.     

Propynal Equivalents and Diazopropyne: Synthesis of All Mono‐13C Isotopomers

Mechanistic and spectroscopic investigations of reactive C₃H₂ hydrocarbons necessitated the preparation of diazopropyne isotopomers bearing mono‐¹³C substitution at each of the three unique positions. The diazo compounds and their tosylhydrazone precursors were prepared from the mono‐¹³C isotopomers of propynal (in the form of either the aldehyde or the diethyl acetal). The introduction of ¹³C‐labeling at either alkyne position in propynal utilized the Corey–Fuchs procedure for chain homologation.