Direct asymmetric organocatalytic Michael reactions of alpha,alpha-disubstituted aldehydes with beta-nitrostyrenes for the synthesis of quaternary carbon-containing products

[reaction: see text] Direct asymmetric catalytic Michael reactions have been performed using chiral-amine/acid bifunctional catalysts. Performed with 0.3 equiv of (S)-(+)-1-(2-pyrrolidinylmethyl)pyrrolidine and 0.3 equiv of trifluoroacetic acid as the catalyst, the reaction of alpha,alpha-dialkylaldehydes with (E)-beta-nitrostyrene provided the alpha,alpha-dialkyl Michael products in up to 96% yield with up to 91% ee. With respect to enantioselectivity, l-proline was a poor catalyst of this class of Michael reactions.     

The nature of the catalytically active species in olefin dioxygenation with PhI(OAc)2: metal or proton?

Evidence for the protiocatalytic nature of the diacetoxylation of alkenes using PhI(OAc)(2) as oxidant is presented. Systematic studies into the catalytic activity in the presence of proton-trapping and metal-complexing agents indicate that protons act as catalysts in the reaction. Using triflic acid as catalyst, the selectivity and reaction rate of the conversion is similar or superior to most efficient metal-based catalysts. Metal cations, such as Pd(II) and Cu(II), may interact with the oxidant in the initiation phase of the catalytic transformation; however, 1 equiv of strong acid is produced in the first cycle which then functions as the active catalyst. Based on a kinetic study as well as in situ mass spectrometry, a mechanistic cycle for the proton-catalyzed reaction, which is consistent with all experimental data presented in this work, is proposed.     

Molybdenum-catalyzed reduction of molecular dinitrogen into ammonia under ambient reaction conditions

Synthesis of transition metal–dinitrogen complexes and stoichiometric transformations of their coordinated dinitrogen into ammonia and hydrazine have so far been well investigated in order to achieve a novel nitrogen fixation under ambient conditions. As an extension of our study, the dimolybdenum–dinitrogen complex bearing PNP pincer ligands has been found to work as an effective catalyst for the formation of ammonia from dinitrogen, where 52 equiv of ammonia are produced based on the catalyst (26 equiv of ammonia are produced based on the molybdenum atom of the catalyst). This is the most effective catalytic reaction system for the formation of ammonia from molecular dinitrogen catalyzed by transition metal–dinitrogen complexes as catalysts under ambient reaction conditions. Herein, we describe recent results concerning the catalytic reaction, including the proposed reaction pathway.     

Reversible inhibition/activation of olefin metathesis: a kinetic investigation of ROMP and RCM reactions with Grubbs' catalyst

The metathesis activity of Grubbs' catalyst 1 was investigated in the presence of N-donor ligands (1-methylimidazole [MIM], 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine [DMAP], pyridine, and 1-octylimidazole [OIM]). Ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) reactions of cyclooctene (COE), bulk-ROMP reactions of COE and norbornadiene (NBD), and ring closing metathesis (RCM) reactions of diethyl diallylmalonate (DEDAM) were conducted containing various equivalents of N-donor with respect to catalyst. ROMP reactions could be stopped using MIM (1-5 equiv) and DMAP (2-5 equiv), and slowed with pyridine (1-5 equiv) by factors >100, in benzene solution for 24 h. The stopped reactions could be initiated with excess phosphoric acid (H3PO4), and the reactions proceeded faster than with uninhibited Grubbs' catalyst in the first 4 min after reactivation. Thereafter, the reaction proceeded at the same rate as the reaction with the uninhibited catalyst. ROMP reactions in neat COE and NBD could be inhibited for 72 h using 2 equiv of MIM, DMAP, or OIM and activated with H3PO4 to give polymer gels within minutes or less. RCM reactions could be completely inhibited with MIM (1-5 equiv), but upon treatment with H3PO4, the reaction would proceed at a fraction of the initial rate accomplished by uninhibited Grubbs' catalyst 1. A structural investigation of the inhibited species showed that MIM and DMAP completely or partially transform catalyst 1 into the hexacoordinate species 5a or 5b producing free PCy3, which additionally acts as an inhibitor for the ROMP reaction. Upon reactivation, the PCy3 is protonated along the N-donor ligand; however, over the period of 5 min, the phosphine has been found to coordinate back to the ruthenium catalyst. Therefore, the reaction slows to the same polymerization rate as the reaction using the uninhibited catalyst at this point. Complexes 5a and 5b were isolated, characterized, and employed in ROMP and RCM experiments where they exhibited very low catalytic activity.     

Enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc reagents to N-(diphenylphosphinoyl)imines catalyzed by β-aminoalcohols with the prolinol skeleton

Several β-aminoalcohols with the prolinol framework are shown to be very efficient catalysts for the enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc reagents to N-(diphenylphosphinoyl)imines. The use of 0.5 equiv of the catalyst leads to the expected addition products in good yields and with ee up to 94% in a reaction time of only 4 h at room temperature. This ee is the highest value reported so far using 0.5 equiv of an aminoalcohol as a promoter. High enantioselectivities are obtained in the addition of dialkylzincs to both aromatic and aliphatic imines. The amount of the catalyst can be reduced to 0.25 equiv with a slight decrease in the ee. A very interesting effect of the addition rate and temperature on the enantioselectivity was also observed.     

Assembly state of catalytic modules as chiral switches in asymmetric Strecker amino acid synthesis

Self-assembled chiral polymetallic complexes often demonstrate novel properties as asymmetric catalysts. We report the three-dimensional structures of two such asymmetric catalysts (crystals A and B) for Strecker alpha,alpha-disubstituted amino acid synthesis. These complexes are constructed via assembly of the same chiral modules derived from d-glucose, but their assembly modes differ. The enantioselectivity in the Strecker reaction was dramatically switched, depending on which assembly mode was used: the catalyst generated in situ whose structure is represented by crystal B, or by crystal A. These findings provide insight into the functional importance of higher-order structures of an artificial catalyst.     

Effective, selective coupling of propylene oxide and carbon dioxide to poly(propylene carbonate) using (salen)CrN3 catalysts

The copolymerization of propylene oxide and CO2 has been investigated employing Cr(salen)N3 complexes as catalysts. Unfortunately the reaction could not be studied in real time via in situ IR spectroscopy, thereby obtaining detailed kinetic data, because of the copolymer limited solubility in most solvents. Investigations employing batch reactor runs concentrating on varying the cocatalyst, the equivalents of cocatalyst, and the steric and electronic structure of the catalyst through modification of the salen ligand were undertaken. It was discovered that the optimal catalyst for copolymer selectivity vs the monomeric propylene carbonate was one that contained a salen ligand with an electron-withdrawing phenylene backbone and electron-donating tert-butyl groups in the phenolate rings. This catalyst was used to investigate the effect of altering the nature of the cocatalyst and its concentration, the three cocatalysts being tricyclohexylphosphine (PCy3), PPN+ N3(-), and PPN+ Cl-, where PPN+ is the large very weakly interacting bis(triphenylphosphoramylidene)ammonium cation. By utilization of more or less than 1 equiv of PCy3 as cocatalyst, the yield of polymer was reduced. On the other hand, the PPN+ salts showed the best activity when 0.5 equiv was employed, and produced only cyclic when using over 1 equiv.     

不对称Strecker反应催化剂的研究进展

综述了不对称Strecker反应催化剂的研究进展,重点介绍了金属配合物催化剂、固体酸催化剂、有机小分子手性催化剂、路易斯酸和Brnsted酸催化剂在不对称Strecker反应中的应用。并对其未来发展进行了展望。参考文献44篇。     

Co-MCM-41催化H2O2氧化4-甲基吡啶生成4-吡啶甲酸的反应条件及机理

研究了乙酸溶剂中无引发剂条件下,Co掺杂MCM-41催化过氧化氢（30%）氧化4-甲基吡啶的反应,催化剂表现出高底物转化率和产物吡啶甲酸选择性以及良好的再生性。 探讨了不同溶剂、反应时间、反应温度、催化剂用量等对H2O2氧化4-甲基吡啶反应的影响,确定较优反应条件为m（4-甲基吡啶)∶m（催化剂)=10∶1,V（4-甲基吡啶)∶V（冰醋酸)=1∶10,温度363 K,时间6 h。 该条件下4-甲基吡啶的转化率为96.5%,4-吡啶甲酸的选择性为91.4%。 探讨了可能的反应机理。     

A mild and efficient AgSbF6-catalyzed synthesis of fully substituted pyrroles through a sequential propargylation/amination/cycloisomerization reaction

Development of an efficient synthesis of fully substituted pyrroles via a sequential propargylation/amination/cycloisomerization was accomplished using AgSbF₆ as a catalyst. The one-pot three-component reaction of propargylic alcohols, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, and primary amines proceeds at a mild temperature, which prevents the formation of furan by-product. The reaction was also successfully applied to the more basic aliphatic amines with the addition of 1.1 equiv of acetic acid.     

Rapid Conventional and Microwave-Assisted Decarboxylation of L-Histidine and Other Amino Acids via Organocatalysis with R-Carvone Under Superheated Conditions

This article reports a new methodology taking advantage of superheated chemistry via either microwave or conventional heating for the facile decarboxylation of alpha amino acids using the recoverable organocatalyst, R-carvone. The decarboxylation of amino acids is an important synthetic route to biologically active amines, and traditional methods of amino acid decarboxylation are time consuming (taking up to several days in the case of L-histidine), are narrow in scope, and make use of toxic catalysts. Decarboxylations of amino acids including L-histidine occur in just minutes while replacing toxic catalysts with green catalyst, spearmint oil. Yields are comparable to or exceed previous methods and purification of product ammonium chloride salts is aided by an isomerization reaction of residual catalyst to phenolic carvacrol. The method has been shown to be effective for the decarboxylations of a range of natural, synthetic, and protected amino acids.     

二氧化硅负载杂多酸对异丁烷与丁烯烷基化的催化作用Ⅱ.反应机理和催化剂失活的量子化学研究

 以杂多酸为催化剂,应用量子化学计算方法,从分子结构和微观角度研究了异丁烷与丁烯的多相催化反应过程及催化剂失活的原因,比较了液体酸和固体酸催化烷基化反应的差别. 结果表明,固体酸催化剂的失活问题不可避免,因而不可能长时期运转,必须配合催化剂的再生工艺才有可能实现工业化应用. 液体酸的酸中心强度较均匀,有利于催化烷基化反应,开发无毒无污染的新型液体酸烷基化催化剂也是一个良好的努力方向.     

In situ preparation of a highly active N-heterocyclic carbene-coordinated olefin metathesis catalyst

Highly active N-heterocyclic carbene-coordinated catalysts may be synthesized and used in situ, without requiring prior isolation of the catalyst. Activation of this in situ catalyst with ethereal HCl dramatically reduces the reaction times required for high conversions. A variety of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl-containing substrates participate readily in cross and ring-closing metathesis reactions using this preparation.     

Significant supplier-dependent disparity in catalyst activity of commercial Pd/C toward the cleavage of triethylsilyl ether

Pd/C catalysts exhibit remarkable supplier-dependent difference in catalyst activity and property. Some commercial Pd/C catalysts are quite acidic. Although a TES ether cleavage reaction using 10% Pd/C in the absence of hydrogen was quite recently published, we could conclude it was only an acid, released from the catalyst, catalyzed solvolysis, and hydrogen is essential for the actual 10% Pd/C-catalyzed cleavage of a TES ether.     

Imidazolium ionic liquid-supported sulfonic acids: efficient and recyclable catalysts for esterification of benzoic acid

Several imidazolium ionic liquid（IL）-supported sulfonic acids with different anions,[C₃SO₃Hmim]HSO₄,[C₃SO₃Hmim]BF₄, [C₃SO₃ Hmim]PF₆,and[C₃SO₃Hmim]CF₃SO₃,were synthesized and applied as catalysts for esterification reaction of benzoic acid. The experimental results indicate that imidazolium IL-supported sulfonic acid containing anion of HSO₄^- shows the best catalytic activity.Only when less[C₃SO₃Hmim]HSO₄（0.3 equiv.） applied,was the product obtained with high yield of 97%.Furthermore, the produced esters could be separated by decantation,and the catalyst could be reused after the removal of water.     

Evolution of iridium-based molecular catalysts during water oxidation with ceric ammonium nitrate

Organometallic iridium complexes have been reported as water oxidation catalysts (WOCs) in the presence of ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN). One challenge for all WOCs regardless of the metal used is stability. Here we provide evidence for extensive modification of many Ir-based WOCs even after exposure to only 5 or 15 equiv of Ce(IV) (whereas typically 100-10000 equiv are employed during WOC testing). We also show formation of Ir-rich nanoparticles (likely IrO(x)) even in the first 20 min of reaction, associated with a Ce matrix. A combination of UV-vis and NMR spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction is used. Even simple IrCl(3) is an excellent catalyst. Our results point to the pitfalls of studying Ir WOCs using CAN.     

Design of chiral N-triflyl phosphoramide as a strong chiral Brønsted acid and its application to asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction

A highly reactive and acidic chiral Br?nsted acid catalyst, chiral N-triflyl phosphoramide, was developed. Highly enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone with silyloxydiene was demonstrated using this chiral Br?nsted acid catalyst.     

Hydrolysis of cellulose by amorphous carbon bearing SO3H, COOH, and OH groups

The hydrolysis of cellulose into saccharides using a range of solid catalysts is investigated for potential application in the environmentally benign saccharification of cellulose. Crystalline pure cellulose is not hydrolyzed by conventional strong solid Br?nsted acid catalysts such as niobic acid, H-mordenite, Nafion and Amberlyst-15, whereas amorphous carbon bearing SO 3H, COOH, and OH function as an efficient catalyst for the reaction. The apparent activation energy for the hydrolysis of cellulose into glucose using the carbon catalyst is estimated to be 110 kJ mol (-1), smaller than that for sulfuric acid under optimal conditions (170 kJ mol (-1)). The carbon catalyst can be readily separated from the saccharide solution after reaction for reuse in the reaction without loss of activity. The catalytic performance of the carbon catalyst is attributed to the ability of the material to adsorb beta-1,4 glucan, which does not adsorb to other solid acids.     

Synthesis of multifunctional polymer containing Ni‐Pd NPs via thiol‐ene reaction for one‐pot cascade reactions

Recently, acid–base bifunctional catalysts have been considered due to their abilities, such as the simultaneous activation of electrophilic and nucleophilic species and their high importance in organic syntheses. However, the synthesis of acid–base catalysts is problematic due to the neutralization of acidic and basic groups. This work reports a facial approach to solve this problem via the synthesis of a novel bifunctional polymer using inexpensive materials and easy methods. In this way, at the first step, heterogeneous poly (styrene sulfonic acid‐n‐vinylimidazole) containing pentaerythritol tetra‐(3‐mercaptopropionate) (PETMP) and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA) cross‐linkers were synthesized in the pores of a mesoporous silica structure using click reaction as a novel bifunctional acid–base catalyst. After that, Ni‐Pd nanoparticles supported on poly (styrenesulfonic acid‐n‐vinylimidazole)/KIT‐6 as a novel trifunctional heterogeneous acid–base‐metal catalyst was prepared. The prepared catalysts were characterized by various techniques like FT‐IR, TGA, ICP‐AES, DRS‐UV, TEM, FE‐SEM, EDS‐Mapping, and XRD. The synthesized catalysts were efficiently used as bifunctional/trifunctional catalysts for one‐pot, deacetalization‐Knoevenagel condensation and one‐pot, three‐step and a sequential reaction containing deacetalization‐Knoevenagel condensation‐reduction reaction. It is important to note that the synthesized catalyst showing high chemo‐selectivity for the reduction of nitro group, alkenyl double bond and ester group in the presence of nitrile. Moreover, it was found that the different nanoparticles including Ni, Pd, and alloyed Ni‐Pd showing different chemo‐selectivity and catalytic activity in the reaction.     

缩酮作为探针反应表征催化剂活性的探索

将乙二醇与环己酮的缩合反应作为探针反应,对不同酸催化剂的催化活性进行了表征.在此基础上,提出了以反应速率来定量表征催化剂的反应活性,并以空白实验的活性为基础,提出了相对活性的概念.该表征方法简单快捷,能比较直观地反映出不同催化剂的活性大小.