Copper-mediated cyanation of aryl boronic acids using benzyl cyanide

An efficient copper-mediated synthesis of aryl nitriles from aryl boronic acids has been achieved using benzyl cyanide as a user-friendly cyanide source. Various aryl boronic acids underwent the reaction smoothly, affording the corresponding aryl nitriles in moderate to good yields. tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) was found to be a critical agent facilitating the cyanation reaction.     

Highly efficient recyclable heterogeneous palladium catalyst for C-C coupling, amination and cyanation reactions

An inexpensive, air-moisture stable and reusable PS-Pd(II)-anthra complex was synthesized by reacting chloro-methylated polystyrene with anthranilic acid to get polymer anchored ligand which was then reacted with PdCl₂ to get polymer anchored complex. This complex was characterized by different spectroscopic and elemental analyses. The activity of the Pd-complex as catalyst was tested for the Suzuki, Heck, Sonogashira cross-coupling and also for amination and cyanation reactions under various conditions. The catalyst exhibits high catalytic activities for the coupling of various aryl halides with organoboronic acid, alkene, alkyne and amine along with the cyanation of aryl halides providing excellent yields of desired product. Further, the catalyst can be easily recovered quantitatively by simple filtration and reused up to five times without sufficient loss of its catalytic activity.     

Copper-mediated direct arylation of benzoazoles with aryl iodides

The direct arylation of 1,3-benzoazole compounds with aryl iodides is effectively promoted by CuI with use of PPh₃ and Na₂CO₃ or K₃PO₄ as ligand and base, respectively, in DMF or DMSO to produce the corresponding 2-arylated products with good yields.     

Low temperature recyclable catalyst for Heck reactions using ultrasound

The Heck reaction of iodobenzene with methyl acrylate in NMP as a solvent has been studied using Pd/C as a catalyst in the presence of ultrasound at room temperature. The ultrasound increased the rate of the reaction. The effect of base, solvent and recyclability of catalyst were studied in the presence of ultrasound and without ultrasound. The reaction only takes place in the presence of ultrasound. The catalyst could be recycled using HCOONa-ultrasound.     

Improving palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl halides: development of a state-of-the-art methodology using potassium hexacyanoferrate(II) as cyanating agent

Benzonitriles are easily accessible via palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl halides using potassium hexacyanoferrate(II) as cyanide source. This method is applicable on both activated and deactivated aryl and heteroaryl bromides and activated chlorides giving the corresponding benzonitriles in good to excellent yield. Advantageously, the used cyanating agent is non-toxic and cheap. The presented catalyst system is rather simple and it is not necessary to add expensive phosphines, making the novel method also attractive for industrial applications.     

Application of polymer-supported triphenyl phosphine in the palladium-catalyzed cyanation reaction under microwave conditions

A variety of aryl nitriles were prepared in excellent yields from the palladium acetate catalyzed coupling of aryl halides with Zn(CN)₂ using polymer-supported triphenyl phosphine as the ligand and dimethylformamide as solvent under microwave irradiation conditions.     

Copper-catalyzed C-N coupling reactions of aryl halides with α-amino acids under focused microwave irradiation

We have developed an efficient method for the preparation of enantiopure N-aryl-α-amino acids via copper-catalyzed N-arylation of α-amino acids and aryl halides under microwave irradiation. This protocol only needs less than 30 min to obtain the products, which are far superior to those obtained under conventional heating.     

Copper oxide nanoparticles catalyzed synthesis of aryl sulfides via cascade reaction of aryl halides with thiourea

Recyclable copper oxide nanoparticles catalyzed simple and highly efficient protocol for the synthesis of symmetrical aryl sulfides was developed by the cross-coupling of aromatic halides with inexpensive and commercially available thiourea which was used as an effective sulfur surrogate. The present cross-coupling protocol of thiourea, via cascade reaction with various substituted aryl halides, producing desired aryl sulfides, has an added advantage of avoiding foul-smelling thiols.     

Mild and efficient copper-catalyzed cyanation of aryl iodides and bromides

An efficient copper-catalyzed cyanation of aryl iodides and bromides is reported. Our system combines catalytic amounts of both copper salts and chelating ligands. The latter, which have potential nitrogen- and/or oxygen-binding sites, have never previously been used in this type of reaction. A protocol has been developed that enables the cyanation of aryl bromides through the copper-catalyzed in situ production of the corresponding aryl iodides using catalytic amounts of potassium iodide. Aryl nitriles are obtained in good yields and excellent selectivities in relatively mild conditions (110 degrees C) compared with the Rosenmund-von Braun cyanation reaction. Furthermore, the reaction is compatible with a wide range of functional groups including nitro and amino substituents. The protocol reported herein involves two main innovations: the use of catalytic amounts of ligands and the use of acetone cyanohydrin as the cyanating agent in copper-mediated cyanation reactions.     

Copper-catalyzed N-arylation of 2-arylindoles with aryl halides

10 mol% Cul combined with the DMEDA ligand can efficiently catalyze the N-arylation of 2-arylindoles with aryl iodides and aryl bromides in good to excellent yields. The aryl halides bearing electron-rich or electron-deficient functional groups can be well tolerated under this mild reaction conditions.     

An improved protocol for synthesis of N-arylamides and benzoxazoles by the copper-catalyzed reaction of aryl halides with nitriles

An improved protocol for the synthesis of N-arylamides and benzoxazoles by the copper-catalyzed reaction of aryl halides with nitriles has been developed. Use of acetaldoxime as the hydrolysis reagent instead of H₂O facilitates the operation of the reaction. The significantly decreased amount of nitriles, along with use of weak base K₂CO₃ instead of strong base KOH, makes this transformation atom-efficient and environmentally benign. A variety of N-arylamides and benzoxazole derivatives can be synthesized according to this approach.     

An efficient method for the N-arylation of phenylurea via copper catalyzed amidation

The coupling reaction of phenylurea with different functionalized aryl halides in the presence of air stable CuI,N,N-dimethylethylenediamine as a ligand,and K₃PO₄ as a base gives symmetrical and unsymmetrical diarylureas in relatively high yields.This method is milder than the palladium catalyzed arylation and avoids the use of toxic phosphine ligands.     

N-arylation of indoles with aryl halides using copper/glycerol as a mild and highly efficient recyclable catalytic system

A simple, efficient, and inexpensive copper catalyzed protocol has been developed for cross-coupling of indoles with aryl halides by using glycerol as a green recyclable solvent and DMSO as an additive. The reaction was carried out at low catalyst loading furnishing various N-aryl indoles in good to excellent yield. This copper/glycerol mixture was recycled up to four runs without any loss in its catalytic activity.     

Catalytic Sandmeyer cyanation as a synthetic pathway to aryl nitriles

Aryl nitriles ArCN were obtained by the Cu(I)/Cu(II) catalysed reaction of aryl diazonium salts with KCN in good yields.     

Sulfate additives generate robust and highly active palladium catalysts for the cyanation of aryl chlorides

The use of sulfate additives such as H₂SO₄ greatly increases the reactivity of palladium catalysts for the cyanation of aryl and heteroaryl chlorides and renders them more robust toward adventitious air. Using this method, a wide variety of aromatic and heteroaromatic nitriles were prepared in high yield.     

A practical synthesis of highly functionalized aryl nitriles through cyanation of aryl bromides employing heterogeneous Pd/C: in quest of an industrially viable process

Preparation of aryl nitrile 2a through classical Rosenmund-von Braun reaction of aryl bromide 1a resulted in a poor yield (61%) due to a high reaction temperature (165 °C) and a lack of efficient procedure for separating 2a from a large quantity of heavy metal waste (Cu salts). To address these issues, a practical synthesis of multifunctional aryl nitriles through cyanation of aryl bromides has been developed with heterogeneous Pd/C used as the catalyst. Treatment of aryl bromides 1 with Zn(CN)₂ in the presence of Pd/C, Zn, ZnBr₂ and PPh₃ in DMA provided aryl nitriles 2 involving those carrying sterically demanding electron-rich substituent in good yields and in highly reproducible manner. The activity of Pd/C is highly dependent on the properties of the Pd/C. Oxidic thickshell type catalyst Pd/C D5 was found to furnish the highest rate acceleration and yield. The use of heterogeneous Pd/C might anchor and disperse Pd over the solid support of the catalyst, at least in the initial stage of the reaction, to assure the formation of monomeric Pd complex without precipitating to inactive Pd black. The use of a slightly excess of Zn(CN)₂ (0.6 equiv) and air oxidation of phosphine ligand, after end of the reaction, converted Pd species to insoluble phosphine-free Pd cyanides, from which Pd was recovered in high yield through simple filtration followed by usual recovery process involving combustion.     

Synthesis of 5,5′-diarylated 2,2′-bithiophenes via palladium-catalyzed arylation reactions

2,2′-Bithiophene and 3,3′-dicyano-2,2′-bithiophenes are diarylated directly with aryl bromides at the 5- and 5′-positions accompanied by C-H bond cleavage in the presence of Pd(OAc)₂ and a bulky phosphine ligand using Cs₂CO₃ as base. In the reaction using (2,2′-bithiophen-5-yl)diphenylmethanol as the substrate, monoarylation at the 5-position via C-C bond cleavage occurs selectively to give 5-aryl-2,2′-bithiophenes and the subsequent arylation with a different aryl bromide affords the corresponding unsymmetrically 5,5′-diarylated products.     

Copper-catalyzed direct preparation of diaryl sulfides from aryl iodides using potassium thiocyanate as a sulfur transfer reagent

A method for direct preparation of diaryl sulfides from aryl iodides using potassium thiocyanate as a sulfur-transfer agent is reported. A catalyst system comprising of a simple copper salt, tetrabutylammonium bromide as a phase-transfer agent and water as the solvent is used. Microwave heating at 200 °C for 60 min allows for the conversion of a range of aryl iodides to the corresponding diaryl sulfides.     

Tetraphosphine/palladium catalysed Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of aryl halides with alkylboronic acids

Through the use of [PdCl(C₃H₅)]₂/cis,cis,cis-1,2,3,4-tetrakis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)cyclopentane as a catalyst, a range of aryl bromides and chlorides undergoes Suzuki cross-coupling with alkylboronic acids in good yields. Several alkyl substituents such as ethyl, n-butyl, n-octyl, isobutyl or 2,2-dimethylpropyl on the alkylboronic acids have been successfully used. The functional group tolerance on the aryl halide is remarkable; substituents such as fluoro, methyl, methoxy, acetyl, formyl, benzoyl, nitro or nitrile are tolerated. Furthermore, this catalyst can be used at low loading, even for reactions of sterically hindered aryl bromides.     

Reversal of aryl bromide reactivity in Pd-catalysed aryl amination reactions promoted by a hemilabile aminophosphine ligand

Incorporation of a hemilabile amino group with a bulky, electron-rich phosphorus ligand led to a reversal in the order of aryl bromide reactivity in Pd-catalysed aryl amination reactions.