Decarboxylative C(sp3)−O Cross‐Coupling

Alkyl aryl ethers are an important class of compounds in medicinal and agricultural chemistry. Catalytic C(sp³)?O cross‐coupling of alkyl electrophiles with phenols is an unexplored disconnection strategy to the synthesis of alkyl aryl ethers, with the potential to overcome some of the major limitations of existing methods such as C(sp²)?O cross‐coupling and S_N2 reactions. Reported here is a tandem photoredox and copper catalysis to achieve decarboxylative C(sp³)?O coupling of alkyl N‐hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) esters with phenols under mild reaction conditions. This method was used to synthesize a diverse set of alkyl aryl ethers using readily available alkyl carboxylic acids, including many natural products and drug molecules. Complementarity in scope and functional‐group tolerance to existing methods was demonstrated.     

Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Reductive Arylation of N‐(2‐Pyridinyl)amides with Isopropanol and Arylboronate Esters

A new three‐component reductive arylation of amides with stable reactants (iPrOH and arylboronate esters), making use of a 2‐pyridinyl (Py) directing group, is described. The N‐Py‐amide substrates are readily prepared from carboxylic acids and PyNH₂, and the resulting N‐Py‐1‐arylalkanamine reaction products are easily transformed into the corresponding chlorides by substitution of the HN‐Py group with HCl. The 1‐aryl‐1‐chloroalkane products allow substitution and cross‐coupling reactions. Therefore, a general protocol for the transformation of carboxylic acids into a variety of functionalities is obtained. The Py‐NH₂ by‐product can be recycled.     

An efficient FeCl3‐promoted O‐alkyl cleavage of esters to carboxylic acids

A reliable and practical procedure for FeCl₃‐promoted ester cleavage has been developed. Lewis acids including TiCl₄, ZnO and FeCl₃ etc. were investigated as promoters for O‐alkyl cleavage of carboxylic acid ester. Under optimal reaction conditions, FeCl₃ (1.5 equiv.) was found to possess the highest activity and efficiently enhanced dealkylation of aryl esters, alkyl esters and aromatic heterocyclic esters to give their corresponding carboxylic acids in 54–98% yield, the method provides a complementary access to dealkylation of ester under neutral condition. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ketones from Nickel‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative,Non‐Symmetric Cross‐Electrophile Coupling of Carboxylic Acid Esters

Synthesis of the C?C bonds of ketones relies upon one high‐availability reagent (carboxylic acids) and one low‐availability reagent (organometallic reagents or alkyl iodides). We demonstrate here a ketone synthesis that couples two different carboxylic acid esters, N‐hydroxyphthalimide esters and S‐2‐pyridyl thioesters, to form aryl alkyl and dialkyl ketones in high yields. The keys to this approach are the use of a nickel catalyst with an electron‐poor bipyridine or terpyridine ligand, a THF/DMA mixed solvent system, and ZnCl₂ to enhance the reactivity of the NHP ester. The resulting reaction can be used to form ketones that have previously been difficult to access, such as hindered tertiary/tertiary ketones with strained rings and ketones with α‐heteroatoms. The conditions can be employed in the coupling of complex fragments, including a 20‐mer peptide fragment analog of Exendin(9–39) on solid support.     

Ketones from Nickel‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative,Non‐Symmetric Cross‐Electrophile Coupling of Carboxylic Acid Esters

Synthesis of the C?C bonds of ketones relies upon one high‐availability reagent (carboxylic acids) and one low‐availability reagent (organometallic reagents or alkyl iodides). We demonstrate here a ketone synthesis that couples two different carboxylic acid esters, N‐hydroxyphthalimide esters and S‐2‐pyridyl thioesters, to form aryl alkyl and dialkyl ketones in high yields. The keys to this approach are the use of a nickel catalyst with an electron‐poor bipyridine or terpyridine ligand, a THF/DMA mixed solvent system, and ZnCl₂ to enhance the reactivity of the NHP ester. The resulting reaction can be used to form ketones that have previously been difficult to access, such as hindered tertiary/tertiary ketones with strained rings and ketones with α‐heteroatoms. The conditions can be employed in the coupling of complex fragments, including a 20‐mer peptide fragment analog of Exendin(9–39) on solid support.     

2‐(1H‐Benzotriazole‐1‐yl)‐1,1,3,3‐Tetramethyluronium Tetrafluoro Borate (TBTU) as an Efficient Coupling Reagent for the Esterification of Carboxylic acids with Alcohols and Phenols at Room Temperature

Esterification of carboxylic acids with alcohols and phenols by using 2‐(1H‐benzotriazole‐1‐yl)‐1,1,3,3‐tetramethyluronium tetrafluoroborate (TBTU) in the presence of triethylamine as a base proceeded smoothly under mild conditions to afford the corresponding esters in good to high yields in acetonitrile at room temperature.     

A TFAA-H3PO4-mediated direct, metal-free and high-speed synthesis of aryl carboxylate esters from phenols

An operationally simple, mild and single-step method for the direct and metal-free synthesis of aryl carboxylate esters is described under a solvent free condition. The reaction of phenols including 2-naphthol (or 1-naphthol) with a variety of carboxylic acids in the presence of TFAA and 85% H₃PO₄ provided a range of aryl carboxylate esters in good yields within few minutes.     

Decarboxylative Conjunctive Cross‐coupling of Vinyl Boronic Esters using Metallaphotoredox Catalysis

The synthesis of complex alkyl boronic esters through conjunctive cross‐coupling of vinyl boronic esters with carboxylic acids and aryl iodides is described. The reaction proceeds under mild metallaphotoredox conditions and involves an unprecedented decarboxylative radical addition/cross‐coupling cascade of vinyl boronic esters. Excellent functional‐group tolerance is displayed, and application of a range of carboxylic acids, including secondary α‐amino acids, and aryl iodides provides efficient access to highly functionalized alkyl boronic esters. The decarboxylative conjunctive cross‐coupling was also applied to the synthesis of sedum alkaloids.     

Asymmetric Wacker‐Type Oxyallenylation and Azaallenylation of Cyclic Alkenes

Palladium‐catalyzed three‐component carboetherification of cyclic alkenes proceeded to give trans adducts exclusively with excellent enantioselectivity through a Wacker‐type pathway. The reaction is also applicable to other oxygen nucleophiles, such as water, phenols, and carboxylic acids, as well as some electron‐poor aryl amines.     

Microwave‐assisted Synthesis of 6‐{(5‐Aryl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl)methyl}‐6H‐indolo[2,3‐b]quinoxalines

An efficient and convenient synthesis of a new series of 2‐{(6H‐indolo[2,3‐b]quinoxalin‐6‐yl)methyl}‐5‐aryl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazoles from readily available 1,2‐diaminobenzene and isatins under microwave irradiation conditions was disclosed. The 6‐{(5‐aryl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl)methyl}‐6H‐indolo[2,3‐b]quinoxalines were also prepared by the thermal cyclo‐condensation reaction of 2‐(6H‐indolo[2,3‐b]quinoxalin‐6‐yl)acetohydrazides with carboxylic acids in refluxing POCl₃. The microwave‐assisted synthesis was rapid and resulted in higher yield of the products at lower operating temperature with reduced waste generation in comparison with the thermal reaction protocol.     

Quantum Dot‐Catalyzed Photoreductive Removal of Sulfonyl‐Based Protecting Groups

This Communication describes the use of CuInS₂/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as photocatalysts for the reductive deprotection of aryl sulfonyl‐protected phenols. For a series of aryl sulfonates with electron‐withdrawing substituents, the rate of deprotection for the corresponding phenyl aryl sulfonates increases with decreasing electrochemical potential for the two electron transfers within the catalytic cycle. The rate of deprotection for a substrate that contains a carboxylic acid, a known QD‐binding group, is accelerated by more than a factor of ten from that expected from the electrochemical potential for the transformation, a result that suggests that formation of metastable electron donor–acceptor complexes provides a significant kinetic advantage. This deprotection method does not perturb the common NHBoc or toluenesulfonyl protecting groups and, as demonstrated with an estrone substrate, does not perturb proximate ketones, which are generally vulnerable to many chemical reduction methods used for this class of reactions.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of 1,3‐Diaminotruxillic Acid Derivatives: An Advantageous Combination of CH‐ortho‐Palladation and On‐Flow [2+2]‐Photocycloaddition in Microreactors

The stereoselective synthesis of ε‐isomers of dimethyl esters of 1,3‐diaminotruxillic acid in three steps is reported. The first step is the ortho‐palladation of (Z)‐2‐aryl‐4‐aryliden‐5(4H)‐oxazolones 1 to give dinuclear complexes 2 with bridging carboxylates. The reaction occurs through regioselective activation of the ortho‐C?H bond of the 4‐arylidene ring in carboxylic acids. The second step is the [2+2]‐photocycloaddition of the C?C exocyclic bonds of the oxazolone skeleton in 2 to afford the corresponding dinuclear ortho‐palladated cyclobutanes 3 . This key step was performed very efficiently by using LED light sources with different wavelengths (465, 525 or 625 nm) in flow microreactors. The final step involved the depalladation of 3 by hydrogenation in methanol to afford the ε‐1,3‐diaminotruxillic acid derivatives as single isomers.     

Kinetic Resolution of Racemic Secondary Benzylic Alcohols by the Enantioselective Esterification Using Pyridine‐3‐carboxylic Anhydride (3‐PCA) with Chiral Acyl‐Transfer Catalysts

Pyridine‐3‐carboxylic anhydride (3‐PCA) was found to function as an efficient coupling reagent for the preparation of carboxylic esters from various carboxylic acids with alcohols under mild conditions by a simple experimental procedure. This novel condensation reagent 3‐PCA was applicable not only for the synthesis of achiral carboxylic esters catalyzed by 4‐(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) but also for the production of chiral carboxylic esters by the combination of chiral nucleophilic catalyst, such as tetramisole (=2,3,5,6‐tetrahydro‐6‐phenylimidazo[2,1‐b][1,3]thiazole) derivatives. An efficient kinetic resolution of racemic benzylic alcohols with achiral carboxylic acids was achieved by using 3‐PCA in the presence of (R)‐benzotetramisole ((R)‐BTM), and a variety of optically active carboxylic esters were produced with high enantiomeric excesses by this new chiral induction system without using a tertiary amine.     

Carboxylation Reactions with Carbon Dioxide Using N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Copper Catalysts

The development of versatile catalyst systems and new transformations for the utilization of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is of great interest and significance. This Personal Account reviews our studies on the exploration of the reactions of CO₂ with various substrates by the use of N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐copper catalysts. The carboxylation of organoboron compounds gave access to a wide range of carboxylic acids with excellent functional group tolerance. The C?H bond carboxylation with CO₂ emerged as a straightforward protocol for the preparation of a series of aromatic carboxylic esters and butenoates from simple substrates. The hydrosilylation of CO₂ with hydrosilanes provided an efficient method for the synthesis of silyl formate on gram scale. The hydrogenative or alkylative carboxylation of alkynes, ynamides and allenamides yielded useful α,β‐unsaturated carboxylic acids and α,β‐dehydro amino acid esters. The boracarboxylation of alkynes or aldehydes afforded the novel lithium cyclic boralactone or boracarbonate products, respectively. The NHC‐copper catalysts generally featured excellent functional group compatibility, broad substrate scope, high efficiency, and high regio‐ and stereoselectivity. The unique electronic and steric properties of the NHC‐copper units also enabled the isolation and structural characterization of some key intermediates for better understanding of the catalytic reaction mechanisms.     

Room temperature suzuki cross‐coupling polymerizations of aryl dihalides and aryldiboronic acid/acid esters with t‐Bu3P‐coordinated 2‐phenylaniline‐based palladacycle complex as the precatalyst

Room temperature Suzuki cross‐coupling polymerization of aryl dibromides/diiodides with aryldiboronic acids/acid esters with t‐Bu₃P‐coordinated 2‐phenylaniline‐based palladacycle complex, [2′‐(amino‐kN)[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐2‐yl‐kC]chloro(tri‐t‐butylphosphine)palladium, as a general precatalyst is described. Such room temperature Suzuki cross‐coupling polymerization is achieved by employing six equivalents or more of the base and affords polymers within an hour, with the yields and the molecular weights in general comparable to or higher than reported results that required higher reaction temperature and/or longer polymerization time. Our study provides a general catalyst system for the room temperature Suzuki cross‐coupling polymerization of aryl dibromides/diiodides with aryldiboronic acids/acid esters and paves the road for the investigation of employing other monodentate ligand‐coordinated palladacycle complexes including other electron‐rich monophosphine‐coordinated ones for room temperature cross‐coupling polymerizations. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1606–1611     

Enantioselective Reactions of 2‐Sulfonylalkyl Phenols with Allenic Esters: Dynamic Kinetic Resolution and [4+2] Cycloaddition Involving ortho‐Quinone Methide Intermediates

We report herein a dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) involving ortho ‐quinone methide (o ‐QM) intermediates. In the presence of Et₃N and the cinchonine‐derived nucleophilic catalyst D , the DKR of 2‐sulfonylalkyl phenols with allenic esters afforded chiral benzylic sulfones in 57–79 % yield with good to excellent enantioselectivity (85–95 % ee ). Furthermore, with 2‐(tosylmethyl)sesamols or 2‐(tosylmethyl)naphthols, from which stable o ‐QM substrates can be generated, a formal [4+2] cycloaddition delivered 4‐aryl‐ or alkyl‐substituted chromans with excellent enantioselectivity (88–97 % ee ).     

Cationic palladium complex‐catalyzed carbonylation of 2,3‐dien‐1‐ols to 1,3‐diene‐2‐carboxylic acids and esters under mild conditions

A cationic palladium complex, [Pd(PPh₃)₂(MeCN)₂](BF₄)₂, catalyzed the carbonylation of 2,3‐dien‐1‐ols under mild conditions. The dienols bearing two or more alkyl substituents on the diene part afforded 1,3‐diene‐2‐carboxylic acids successfully in tetrahydrofuran (THF), while those possessing one or no alkyl substituent gave polymers of the products exclusively. The former afforded the corresponding methyl esters in good yields when the reactions were carried out in methanol, while the latter afforded mainly the Diels–Alder reaction products of the resulting esters. An alkylidene group‐substituted π‐allylpalladium species has been presumed to be an intermediate. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Reaction of (N‐Isocyanimino)triphenylphosphorane with Biacetyl in the Presence of Aromatic Carboxylic Acids: Efficient One‐Pot Three‐Component Reaction for the Synthesis of 3‐(5‐Aryl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl)‐3‐hydroxybutan‐2‐one Derivatives

Reactions of biacetyl (=butane‐2,3‐dione) with (N‐isocyanimino)triphenylphosphorane in the presence of aromatic carboxylic acids proceed smoothly at room temperature and under neutral conditions to afford 3‐(5‐aryl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl)‐3‐hydroxybutan‐2‐one derivatives in high yields.     

Synthesis of six new 2‐Aryl‐N‐biphenyl benzimidazoles and crystal structure of methyl 4′ [(2‐p‐Chlorophenyl‐1H‐benzimidazole‐1‐yl)‐methyl]biphenyl‐2‐carboxylate

Six new 2‐aryl‐N‐biphenyl benzimidazoles were designed and synthesized, starting with O‐phenylenediamine and carboxylic acids via cyclization, followed by N‐alkylation. All new compounds were identified by H NMR, IR, MS spectra and elemental analysis. The crystal structure of methyl 4′‐[(2‐p‐chlorophenyl‐1H benzimidazole‐1‐yl)methyl]biphenyl‐2‐carboxylate ( 4f ) was determined by single crystal X‐raydiffraction.     

Solvent-modulated chemoselective deprotections of trialkylsilyl esters and chemoselective esterifications

A series of trialkylsilyl esters were deprotected or transesterificated into their corresponding carboxylic acids or methyl esters under a catalytic amount of CBr₄ in alcohol reaction system. This method enables to desilylate secondary sp³-carbon, sp²-carbon, sp-carbon and aryl tethered trialkylsilyl esters to carboxylic acids, whereas primary sp³-carbon tethered trialkylsilyl esters were further converted into their methyl esters under CBr₄/MeOH reaction conditions. The highly chemoselective deprotections can be modulated and achieved by the introduced protecting trialkylsilyl groups and the used alcohols such as MeOH and EtOH under this photochemically-induced reaction conditions.