Transition metal-catalysed cross-coupling reactions of P-activated enols

Transition metal catalysed cross-coupling reactions are ubiquitous in organic chemistry providing an impressive technique for C-C bond formation. Whilst many electrophilic partners have been described for these reactions, aryl and vinyl phosphates, phosphonates and phosphonites can offer advantages in terms of preparation, stability and reactivity profile. This critical review summarises the advances made to date utilising P-activated enols in metal-catalysed cross-coupling reactions (97 references).     

Transition metal-catalysed intermolecular reaction of allenes with oxygen nucleophiles: a perspective

Transition metal catalysed hydroalkoxylation of allenes has received much attention in recent years, and both the intra- and intermolecular versions have been reported. Gold(I) complexes are among the most active catalysts for these processes. This critical perspective article will cover the progress in this field, analysing the intermolecular metal-catalysed reaction of allenes using palladium, iridium, rhodium, ruthenium, gold and platinum, in the presence of alcohols, water or carboxylic acids, and the mechanistic implications of these processes depending on the metal used.     

Transition metal-catalysed organic reactions promoted by chelating or metallacycle-forming substrates

Chelating or metallacycle-forming substrates are very useful for directing organometallic reactions. This review covers the more recent research that has been carried out in the authors' laboratory. Rhodium(I)- and (III)-catalysed reactions of C---C coupling of butadiene with N-allylamides or N-alkylbutenamides are described. These reactions are controlled by the size and strength of the chelate ring formed by double-bond insertion into the crotyl-rhodium bond (formed from butadiene) and their regioselectivity can change with the oxidation state of the metal. Rhodium(I)-catalysed reactions of butadiene with enamides are also chelation controlled and lead to different products, depending on the substituents at nitrogen. Cobalt(II) metallacycles have been utilized for promoting some organic reactions. It has been shown that alkenes can be catalytically incorporated into cobaltacyclopentadiene rings, that spirocycles can be obtained from diynes, carbon monoxide and acrylic esters and that a Pauson-Khand-type reaction can be combined with a Michael-type reaction to prepare catalytically new cyclopentenones. The use of palladacycles, derived from norbornene insertion into aryl-palladium bonds, followed by cyclization, has allowed the selective functionalization of either end of the metallacycle and the formation of condensed rings. Conversion of a palladium(II) into a palladium(IV) metallacycle, and catalytic processes involving these intermediates, have been achieved. The formation of alkylaromatic palladacycles has also been exploited for the selective meta functionalization of the aromatic moiety by means of alkyl groups, accompanied by expulsion of the norbornene molecule.     

Transition metal-catalysed acylation of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with acylstannanes

Acylstannanes were found to add to such alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds as enones or ynoates in the presence of a nicel or palladium catalyst to give 2-stannyl-4-oxoalk-2-enoates or 1,4-diketones, whereas the three component coupling between acylstannanes, enones and aldehydes provided 2-hydroxymethyl 1,4-diketones.     

Transition metal catalysis and nucleophilic fluorination

Transition metal catalyzed transformations using fluorinating reagents have been developed extensively for the preparation of synthetically valuable fluorinated targets. This is a topic of critical importance to facilitate laboratory and industrial chemical synthesis of fluorine containing pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Translation to (18)F-radiochemistry is also emerging as a vibrant research field because functional imaging based on Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is increasingly used for both diagnosis and pharmaceutical development. This review summarizes how fluoride sources have been used for the catalytic nucleophilic fluorination of various substrates inclusive of aryl triflates, alkynes, allylic halides, allylic esters, allylic trichloroacetimidates, benzylic halides, tertiary alkyl halides and epoxides. Until recently, progress in this field of research has been slow in part because of the challenges associated with the dual reactivity profile of fluoride (nucleophile or base). Despite these difficulties, some remarkable breakthroughs have emerged. This includes the demonstration that Pd(0)/Pd(II)-catalyzed nucleophilic fluorination to access fluoroarenes from aryl triflates is feasible, and the first examples of Tsuji-Trost allylic alkylation with fluoride using either allyl chlorides or allyl precursors bearing O-leaving groups. More recently, allylic fluorides were also made accessible under iridium catalysis. Another reaction, which has been greatly improved based on careful mechanistic work, is the catalytic asymmetric hydrofluorination of meso epoxides. Notably, each individual transition metal catalyzed nucleophilic fluorination reported to date employs a different F-reagent, an observation indicating that this area of research will benefit from a larger pool of nucleophilic fluoride sources. In this context, a striking recent development is the successful design, synthesis and applications of a fluoride-derived electrophilic late stage fluorination reagent. This new class of reagents could greatly benefit preclinical and clinical PET imaging.     

Transition metal-catalysed (4 + 3) cycloaddition reactions involving allyl cations

In this emerging area article, we focus on novel intramolecular transition metal catalysed (4 + 3)-cycloaddition reactions of allenedienes in which the allene acts as an allylic-cation surrogate. This process has emerged as a powerful tool for the construction not only of complex seven-membered rings containing compounds but also different types of useful molecular skeletons by the proper selection of the catalyst. The transformation proceeds with high chemo- and stereoselectivity mainly because it occurs through an exo-like concerted transition state which exhibits a clear in-plane aromatic character. Despite that, different reaction mechanisms (i.e. stepwise processes) are also possible depending on the nucleophilicity of the diene moiety.     

Stereoselective nucleophilic addition reactions to nitro sugars

Nucleophile(s) almost exclusively added from the equatorial side of 2-nitro-β-$\text{D}$-2-enopyranoside and the axial side of 2-nitro-$\text{D}$-$\text{ribo}$-1-enitol. On the other hand, methoxide and $\text{tert}$-butyl peroxide ions approached from the equatorial side of 2-nitro-α-$\text{D}$-2-enopyranoside, whereas methanol and hydrogen peroxide ion from the axial side.     

Synthetic evolutions in the nucleophilic addition to alkynes

This short account describes our efforts to transform the simple nucleophilic addition of alkynes into a more efficient, selective and environmentally benign synthetic tool. We have circumvented the lack of regioselectivity in the gold-catalyzed triple bond addition of water through neighboring group participation and in the process we developed a ‘functionalized hydration’ (multiple bond formation and hydration in a one-pot process) using fluorine-engendered cationic gold catalysis. In addition, we have conducted the synthesis of O-heterocycles through a gold-catalyzed tandem addition/cycloisomerization sequence, the synthesis of N-heterocycles through a copper-catalyzed cyclization-triggered addition of alkynes, and a green synthesis of thioethers ‘on water’ without catalyst or initiator. These nucleophilic synthetic evolutions, catapulted by a simple addition to an alkyne, will surely contribute to provide a wider synthetic access to sophisticated biological targets.     

Efficient stereoselective nucleophilic addition of pyrroles to chiral nitrones

Regioselective additions of pyrroles to a variety of optically active nitrones under smooth acidic conditions lead to chiral pyrrolic N-hydroxylamines in good to excellent yields. Depending on the position of the chirality on the nitrone partner, the addition products have been isolated with high diastereoselectivity levels. Reaction of glyoxylate based chiral nitrones either at the C-2 or at the C-3 position of the pyrrole nucleus afforded N-hydroxyamino esters in high yields as single diastereoisomers. These adducts allow access to enantio-enriched non proteinogenic 2'- and 3'-pyrrolylglycines (13 and 19 respectively).     

Added-metal-free catalytic nucleophilic addition of Grignard reagents to ketones

On the basis of the investigation of the combinational effect of quaternary ammonium salts and organic bases, an added-metal-free catalytic system for nucleophilic addition reactions of a variety of Grignard reagents to diverse ketones in THF solvent has been developed to produce tertiary alcohols in good to excellent yields. By using tetrabutylammonium chloride (NBu(4)Cl) as a catalyst and diglyme (DGDE) as an additive, this system strongly enhances the efficiency of addition at the expense of enolization and reduction. NBu(4)Cl should help to shift the Schlenk equilibrium of Grignard reagents to the side of dimeric Grignard reagents to favor the additions of Grignard reagents to ketones via a favored six-membered transition state to form the desired tertiary alcohols, and DGDE should increase the nucleophilic reactivities of Grignard reagents by coordination. This catalytic system has been applied in the efficient synthesis of Citalopram, an effective U.S. FDA-approved antidepressant, and a recyclable version of this catalytic synthesis has also been devised.     

Polymer-supported catalysts in nucleophilic addition of n-butanol to isocyanates

The kinetics of n-butanol addition to isocyanate in the presence of organotin compounds and their polymer-supported analogues has been investigated. The functionalized polymer chain creates steric hindrances to the formation of non-reactive complexes which include organotin sites. The catalytic activity increases by a factor of 10–100 as compared with low molecular weight analogues.     

Additive-free nucleophilic addition of imidazolines and imidazoles to haloacetylenes

Nucleophilic addition of imidazolines to 1-halo-1-alkynes takes place by simple heating in DMF without any additives to give (Z)-N-(1-halo-1-alken-2-yl)imidazolines in good yield and in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner. These reaction conditions are also valid for the similar addition of imidazoles.     

Transition state flexibility in nucleophilic attack on carbon

Multi-directional transition state theory qualitatively explains steric effects with hindered nucleophiles.     

Inner C-cyanide addition and nucleophilic addition to Ni(II) N-confused porphyrins

Inner C-cyanide addition and subsequent addition of a methoxy group were observed in the reactions of Ni(II) N-confused tetra(p-tolyl)porphyrin with sodium methoxide and DDQ.     

Theoretical study of nucleophilic addition of amines to organic nitriles

The mechanism of nucleophilic addition of a series of amines to acetonitrile MeC≡N both free and activated in a platinum complex trans-[PtCl₂(N ≡CMe)₂] was studied in detail by the theoretical methods of quantum chemistry. The influence of the nature of a particular nucleophile on the mechanism, kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of the processes was elucidated. These reactions proceed according to a concerted highly synchronous mechanism that includes formation of 6-membered transition state consisting of the nitrile, amine, and water molecules. Hydrazine, aliphatic amines, and methylendiamine exhibit the highest reactivity from both kinetic and a thermodynamic viewpoint, while aromatic amines and amidine are the most inert.