Rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H activation of arenes using a versatile and removable triazene directing group

Diverse opportunities: A Rhodium(III)-catalyzed ortho-selective olefination of arenes using a novel triazene as a directing group is reported. This method exhibits substantial post-functionalization synthetic versatility, overcoming a vital limitation in C?sp?2-H activation/functionalization products: restricted structural diversity.     

Rhodium‐catalyzed ortho‐C‐H olefination of aromatic aldehydes employing transient directing strategy

A Rhodium(III)‐catalyzed ortho‐C‐H olefination of aromatic aldehydes in the presence of catalytic amount of TsNH₂ has been developed. The in situ generated imine intermediate from aldehyde and TsNH₂ worked as a transient directing group. Both electron‐rich and electron‐deficient aromatic aldehydes were tolerated, affording the corresponding products in moderate to good yields. Importantly, the present protocol provides a straightforward access to olefinated aromatic aldehydes with aldehydes as the simple starting materials.     

Ruthenium(II)-catalyzed synthesis of hydroxylated arenes with ester as an effective directing group

An unprecedented Ru(II) catalyzed ortho-hydroxylation has been developed for the facile synthesis of a variety of multifunctionalized arenes from easily accessible ethyl benzoates with ester as an efficient directing group. Both the TFA/TFAA cosolvent system and oxidants serve as the critical success factors in this transformation. The reaction demonstrates excellent reactivity, good functional group tolerance, and high yields.     

Synthesis of isoquinolone via rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H activation with 1,4,2-dioxazol-5-ones as oxidizing directing group

An efficient rhodium-catalyzed direct C-H activation for the synthesis of isoquinolone with 1,4,2-dioxazol-5-ones as oxidizing directing groups have been developed, which featured mild reaction conditions, short reaction time and satisfactory yield.     

Cine substitution of arenes using the aryl carbamate as a removable directing group

An efficient and controlled means to achieve a rare cine substitution of arenes is reported. The methodology relies on the strategic use of aryl O-carbamates as readily removable directing groups for arene functionalization. The removal of aryl carbamates is achieved by employing an air-stable Ni(II) precatalyst, along with an inexpensive reducing agent, to give synthetically useful yields across a range of substrates. The net cine substitution process offers a new strategy for analogue synthesis, which complements the well-established logic for achieving arene functionalization by ipso substitution.     

Palladium(II)-catalyzed direct alkenylation and arylation of arenes: removable 2-pyridylsulfinyl group assisted C-H bond activation

Palladium-catalyzed C-H activation reactions directed by a removable 2-pyridylsulfinyl group were developed. Aromatic olefination products were formed in good yields on treatment of 2-(phenylsulfinyl)pyridines with alkenes in the presence of a Pd catalyst. The reaction tolerates a wide range of substituted alkenes, including various acrylates and styrenes. The controlled experiments indicated that the 2-pyridyl moiety, rather than the sulfinyl, played the role of ligand. The final reductive desulfonylation affords the stilbenes, sulfides, and disulfides with different reductive conditions, respectively. More importantly, this transformation could also be applied in arylation through dual C-H activation.     

Pd(II)-catalyzed ortho trifluoromethylation of arenes and insights into the coordination mode of acidic amide directing groups

A Pd(II)-catalyzed trifluoromethylation of ortho C-H bonds with an array of N-arylbenzamides derived from benzoic acids is reported. N-Methylformamide has been identified as a crucial promoter of C-CF(3) bond formation from the Pd center. X-ray characterization of the C-H insertion intermediate has revealed a rare coordination mode of acidic amides as directing groups and the origin of their capacity in directing C-H activation.     

Pd(II)-catalyzed para-selective C-H arylation of monosubstituted arenes

Pd-catalyzed highly para-selective C-H arylation of monosubstituted arenes (including toluene) is developed for the first time using an F(+) reagent as a bystanding oxidant. This finding provides a new retrosynthetic disconnection for para-substituted biaryl synthesis via C-H/C-H cross-coupling.     

Pyridine ligands as promoters in Pd(II/0)-catalyzed C-H olefination reactions

Commercially available pyridine ligands can significantly enhance the rate, yield, substrate scope, and site selectivity of arene C-H olefination (Fujiwara-Moritani) reactions. The use of a 1:1 ratio of Pd/pyridine proved critical to maximize reaction rates and yields.     

Directed Pd(0)-catalyzed hydrostannations of internal alkynes

Hydrostannations of primary propargylic alcohols with Bu₃SnH catalyzed by Pd(PPh₃)₂ yield (E) allylic alcohols in which the Bu₃Sn group is affixed to the carbon proximal to the CH₂OH substituent, suggestive of an OH directing effect. Hydrostannations of the related propargylic acetates show no such effect.     

One-pot,solvent-free Pd(II)-catalyzed direct β-C-H arylation of carboxamides involving anhydrides as substrates via in situ installation of directing group

A one-pot, multicomponent-type, solvent-free Pd(II)-catalyzed direct β-C-H activation/arylation of carboxamides involving anhydrides as substrates via in situ installation of directing group (DG) is reported. Typically, the DG-assisted β-C-H activation/arylation of carboxamides is a two-step process comprising the installation of DG and Pd(II)-catalyzed CH arylation. We attempted a multicomponent-type reaction comprising an anhydride, a DG (e.g. 8-aminoquinoline), an aryl iodide in the presence of the Pd(II) catalyst and an appropriate additive. Different anhydrides, DGs, aryl iodides, catalysts and additives were screened to reveal the scope of this multicomponent-type CH arylation reaction process and various β-C-H arylated carboxamides were obtained in satisfactory to good yields.     

Pd(II)-catalyzed monoarylation of 2-phenylpyridine N-oxide with iodobenzene in water

A Pd(II)-catalyzed activation and arylation of C(sp²)–H bond directed by pyridine N-oxide in water is achieved with high regioselectivity to form monoarylated products in yields up to 91%. The wide substrate scope highlights the flexibility of the catalyst. The reaction mechanism was proposed and the application of this method was taken as an example by the synthesis of COX-2 inhibitor analog.     

Weakly coordinating group directed rhodium-catalyzed unconventional site-selective C-H olefination of indolizines at the 8-position

A rhodium-catalyzed directing group promoted selective C-H olefination reaction of indolizines at the 8-position is re ported.Di-olefination at 2,8-positions also achieved with silver hexafluoroantimonate as an additive under similar reaction conditions.Weakly coordinating groups,such as ketone,alde hyde,amide and ester,were used as directing groups.The ester group can be removed under acid conditions and therefore is used as a traceless directing group.     

Palladium(II)-catalyzed direct alkoxylation of arenes: evidence for solvent-assisted concerted metalation deprotonation

Density functional theory investigations on the mechanism of palladium acetate catalyzed direct alkoxylation of N-methoxybenzamide in methanol reveal that the key steps involve solvent-assisted N-H as well as C-H bond activations. The transition state for the critical palladium-carbon bond formation through a concerted metalation deprotonation (CMD) process leading to a palladacycle intermediate has been found to be more stable in the methanol-assisted pathway as compared to an unassisted route.     

Cationic Pd(II)-catalyzed arylative cyclization of 1,6-enynes with arylboronic acids

A cationic Pd(II)-catalyzed redox neutral arylative cyclization of enynes by using β-acetoxy elimination as the quenching step has been developed. The reaction offers an efficient method to access a variety of carbocycles and N-heterocycles bearing an exocyclic double bond.     

Ruthenium(II)-salen complexes-catalyzed olefination of aldehydes with ethyl diazoacetate

Several salen-ruthenium(II) complexes, which are derived from commercial ligands or simply ethylenediamine, can be successfully applied as catalysts for the olefination of a broad variety of aldehydes. Depending on the electron richness of the applied aldehydes, good to very good olefin yields and high E:Z selectivities are reached at 60 or 80 °C reaction temperature with ethyl diazo acetate being the reaction partner. The reaction rate depends on the electron donor capabilities of the aldehydes. Electron poor aldehydes undergo faster reactions than electron rich aldehydes, but both electron rich and bulky aldehydes can be transformed to corresponding olefins in very good yields and high E-selectivity.     

Facile synthesis of (E)-alkenyl aldehydes from allyl arenes or alkenes via Pd(II)-catalyzed direct oxygenation of allylic C-H bond

Palladium-catalyzed oxygenation of allyl arenes or alkenes has been developed to produce (E)-alkenyl aldehydes with high yields. Allylic C-H bond cleavages occur under the mild conditions during this process. Mechanistic studies show that oxygen source is water.