Mechanistic Insights on the Iodine(III)‐Mediated α‐Oxidation of Ketones

The synthesis of α‐substituted carbonyl compounds is of great importance due to their ubiquity in both natural and man‐made biologically active compounds. The field of hypervalent iodine chemistry has been a great contributor to access these molecules. For example, the α‐oxidation of carbonyl compounds has been one of the most investigated iodine(III)‐mediated stereoselective transformations. Yet, it is also the transformation that has met the most challenge in terms of achieving high stereoselectivities. The different mechanistic pathways of the iodine(III)‐mediated α‐tosyloxylation of ketones have been investigated. The calculations suggest an unprecedented iodine(III)‐promoted enolization process. Indications that iodonium intermediates could serve as proficient Lewis acids are reported. This concept could have broad impact and foster new developments in the field of hypervalent iodine chemistry.     

Hypervalent‐Iodine‐Mediated Carbon–Carbon Bond Cleavage and Dearomatization of 9H‐Fluoren‐9‐ols

A transition‐metal‐free synthesis of spiro compounds from 9H‐fluoren‐9‐ols mediated by hypervalent iodine is reported. In this reaction, an unprecedented β‐carbon elimination of tertiary alkoxyliodine(III) to form new diaryliodonium salts is proposed. The obtained phenol intermediates undergo oxidative dearomatization to furnish a class of oxo‐spiro compounds. This domino reaction significantly increases the complexity of these molecules and shows excellent regio‐ and stereoselectivity.     

Synthesis of 2‐Amino 3‐Substituted Quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one Derivatives via Iodine‐Mediated Guanidinylation of Pbf‐Activated Thiourea

2‐Amino 3‐substituted‐quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one derivatives were synthesized from Pbf‐isothiocyanate and methyl anthranilate. The construction of the guanidine‐containing quinazolinone heterocyclic skeleton was achieved using Pbf‐activated thiourea treated with primary amines via iodine‐mediated guanidinylation. The desired compounds were obtained after Pbf cleavage by trifluoroacetic acid.     

Synthesis of 1‐methyl‐, 4‐nitro‐, 4‐amino‐and 4‐iodo‐1,2‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazol‐3‐ones

4‐Aminopyrazole‐3‐ones 4b, e, f were prepared from pyrazole‐3‐ones 1b‐d in a four‐step reaction sequence. Reaction of the latter with methyl p‐toluenesulfonate gave 1‐methylpyrazol‐3‐ones 2b‐d . Compounds 2b‐d were treated with aqueous nitric acid to give 4‐nitropyrazol‐3‐ones 3b‐d. Reduction of compounds 3b‐d by catalytic hydrogenation with Pd‐C afforded the 4‐amino compounds 4b, e, f. Using similar reaction conditions, nitropyrazole‐3‐ones derivatives 2c, d were reduced into aminopyrazole‐3‐ones 5e, f. 4‐Iodopyrazole‐3‐ones 7a, 7c and 8 were prepared from the corresponding pyrazol‐3‐ones 2a, 2c and 6 and iodine monochloride or sodium azide and iodine monochloride.     

Intramolecular Metal‐Free Oxidative Aryl–Aryl Coupling: An Unusual Hypervalent‐Iodine‐Mediated Rearrangement of 2‐Substituted N‐Phenylbenzamides

Hypervalent‐iodine‐mediated oxidative coupling of the two aryl groups in either 2‐acylamino‐N‐phenyl‐benzamides or 2‐hydroxy‐N‐phenylbenzamides, with concomitant insertion of the ortho‐substituted N or O atom into the tether, has been described for the first time. This unusual metal‐free rearrangement reaction involves an oxidative C(sp²)? C(sp²) aryl–aryl bond formation, cleavage of a C(sp²)? C(O) bond, and a lactamization/lactonization. Furthermore, unsymmetrical diaryl compounds can be easily obtained by removing the tether within the cyclized product.     

Assembly of a Benzo‐Fused Bridged Ketone Scaffold from 1,5,10‐Enediynes through One‐Pot Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Cyclization/Iodine‐Mediated Oxidative Ring Expansion

In the presence of a cationic Ru catalyst, 1,6‐diynes bearing a terminal styryl moiety underwent [2+2+2] cyclization to produce dehydrobiphenylenes fused with a five‐membered ring. Although the cycloadducts were unstable toward purification, their one‐pot iodine‐mediated ring expansion successfully afforded unprecedented bridged ketone products containing a benzo‐fused bicyclo[3.2.1] framework.     

Chemical Synthesis of Human Insulin‐Like Peptide‐6

Human insulin‐like peptide‐6 (INSL‐6) belongs to the insulin superfamily and shares the distinctive disulfide bond configuration of human insulin. In this report we present the first chemical synthesis of INSL‐6 utilizing fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl‐based (Fmoc) solid‐phase peptide chemistry and regioselective disulfide bond construction protocols. Due to the presence of an oxidation‐sensitive tryptophan residue, two new orthogonal synthetic methodologies were developed. The first method involved the identification of an additive to suppress the oxidation of tryptophan during iodine‐mediated S‐acetamidomethyl (Acm) deprotection and the second utilized iodine‐free, sulfoxide‐directed disulfide bond formation. The methodologies presented here offer an efficient synthetic route to INSL‐6 and will further improve synthetic access to other multiple‐disulfide‐containing peptides with oxidation‐sensitive residues.     

Alkylative Carbocyclization of ω‐Iodoalkynyl Tosylates with Alkynyllithium Compounds Through a Carbenoid‐Chain Process Leading to (1‐Iodoprop‐2‐ynylidene)tetrahydrofurans and ‐cyclopropanes

Alkylative carbocyclization reactions of ω‐iodoalkynyl tosylates with alkynyllithium compounds to give products with incorporated iodine atoms are described. Slow addition of 2‐(3‐iodoprop‐2‐ynyloxy)ethyl tosylates to 1‐alkynyllithium compounds in tetrahydrofuran at 40 °C followed by additional stirring at this temperature gives (Z)‐3‐(1‐iodoprop‐2‐ynylidene)tetrahydrofurans stereoselectively in good to moderate yields. Under similar conditions at 0 °C, 4‐iodobut‐1‐ynyl tosylates react with 1‐alkynyllithium compounds to give (1‐iodoprop‐2‐ynylidene)cyclopropanes. The carbocyclization reactions are proposed to proceed through a new carbenoid‐chain process involving the exo cyclization of a lithium acetylide intermediate and the vinylic substitution of the resulting TsO,Li‐cycloalkylidenecarbenoids (Ts=tosyl) by 1‐alkynyllithium compounds.     

Synthesis of 1,2,4‐Triazolo[4,3‐a]pyridines and Related Heterocycles by Sequential Condensation and Iodine‐Mediated Oxidative Cyclization

A facile and efficient approach to access 1,2,4‐triazolo[4,3‐a]pyridines and related heterocycles has been accomplished through condensation of readily available aryl hydrazines with corresponding aldehydes followed by iodine‐mediated oxidative cyclization. This transition‐metal‐free synthetic process is broadly applicable to a variety of aromatic, aliphatic, and α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes, and can be conveniently conducted on the gram scale.     

Hypervalent‐Iodine(III)‐Mediated Oxidative Methodology for the Synthesis of Fused Triazoles

The organic chemistry of hypervalent organoiodine compounds has been an area of unprecedented development. This surge in interest in the use of hypervalent iodine compounds has mainly been owing to their highly selective oxidizing properties, environmentally benign character and commercial availability. Hypervalent iodine reagents have also been used as an alternative to toxic heavy metals, owing to their low toxicity and ease of handling. Hypervalent organoiodine(III) reagents are versatile oxidants that have been successfully employed to extend the scope of selective oxidative transformations of complex organic molecules in synthetic chemistry. This Focus Review concerns the tandem in situ generation and 1,5‐electrocyclization of N‐heteroaryl nitrilimines into fused triazoles. We describe the importance of recently developed hypervalent‐organoiodine(III)‐catalyzed oxidative cyclization reactions, building towards the conclusion that hypervalent iodine chemistry is a promising frontier for oxidative cyclization, in particular of hydrazones, for the synthesis of fused triazoles.     

Recyclable Hypervalent‐Iodine‐Mediated Dehydrogenative α,β′‐Bifunctionalization of β‐Keto Esters Under Metal‐Free Conditions

We have developed a method for recyclable hypervalent‐iodine‐mediated direct dehydrogenative α,β′‐ bifunctionalization of β‐ketoesters and β‐diketones under metal‐free conditions, which affords a straightforward way to synthesize benzo‐fused 2,3‐dihydrofurans. This efficient, mild method, which has a wide substrate scope and good functional‐group tolerance, was used for the multistep synthesis of the protected aglycone of a naturally occurring phenolic glycoside. A mechanism involving Michael addition to an enone intermediate and subsequent oxidative cyclization is proposed.     

Preparation of Heteroaromatic (Aryl)iodonium Imides as I−N Bond‐Containing Hypervalent Iodine

Hypervalent iodine(III) compounds containing iodine–nitrogen bonds are very attractive amination reagents in organic synthesis. Heteroaromatic (aryl)iodonium imides containing a iodine–nitrogen bond and a hypervalent iodine(III) atom were prepared from heteroarenes, bis(sulfon)imides and (diacetoxyiodo)arenes under mild conditions. These compounds were stable under air and in organic solvents, and could be easily purified by precipitation. X‐ray crystal structure analysis indicated that the structure of N‐pivaloyl indolyl(phenyl)iodonium bis(tosyl)imides and N‐pivaloyl indolyl(2‐butoxyphenyl)iodonium bis(tosyl)imides was a dimer with a T‐shaped geometry at the iodine atom linked to an indole group and a bis(tosyl)imide by a monomer unit. Moreover, the use of substituted iodoarenes facilitated the purification of some of the heteroaromatic (aryl)iodonium imides.     

Molecular iodine‐catalyzed one‐pot synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthene‐11‐one and diazabenzo[a]anthracene‐9,11‐dione derivatives under microwave irradiation

An efficient one‐pot condensation of β‐naphthol, aldehydes, and cyclic 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds has been achieved with molecular iodine as a catalyst under microwave irradiation, thus a variety of tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthene‐11‐one and diazabenzo[a]anthracene‐9,11‐dione derivatives were prepared in good yields. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

Relationship between dye–iodine binding and cell voltage in dye‐sensitized solar cells: A quantum‐mechanical look

It has been proposed that iodine binding to dyes may actually decrease the cell efficiency of a dye‐sensitized solar cell. A previous experimental study showed that a two‐atom change from oxygen to sulfur increased recombination of iodine with injected electrons by a factor of approximately 2. Here, it is shown that iodine binding is a plausible explanation for this effect. The steric and conjugation effects are quantified separately using a set of model compounds. Quantum‐chemical calculations show that elongation of the hydrocarbon chain has only an insignificant effect on the iodine and bromine binding to the chalcogen atoms (O, S, Se). The conjugation, however, significantly disfavors the iodine and bromine interaction. Iodine and bromine binding to the dye and model compounds containing sulfur is significantly more favorable than to their oxygen containing counterparts. Bromine binding to dyes is shown to be stronger than that of iodine. Accordingly, bromine binding to dyes may contribute significantly to the observed lower efficiencies in cells using Br/Br^? as the redox couple. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Reactivity of di‐iodine toward thiol: Desulfuration reaction of 5‐nitro‐2‐mercapto‐benzimidazole upon reaction with di‐iodine

The reaction of 2‐mercapto‐benzoic acid (H₂MBA), 2‐mercato‐nicotinic acid (H₂MNA), and 2‐mercapto‐pyrimidine (PMTH) with a twofold molar amount of di‐iodine (I₂) results in the isolation of crystals of the neutral disulfides of formulae: {(HMBA)₂·1/2(CH₃CN)} ( 1 ), {(HMNA)₂·(H₂O)} ( 2 ), and (PMT)₂ ( 3 ), respectively, when dichloromethane/acetonitrile/methanol ( 1 ) or dichloromethane ( 2,3 ) were used as solvents. The reaction of di‐iodine with thethiol PMTH and 2‐mercapto‐benzothiazole (MBZTH) yields the disulfide (PMT)₂ ( 3 ), and the di‐iodine adduct of formula {[MBZTH‐I₂]·[MBZTH]₂} ( 4 ), respectively. The reaction of di‐iodine with 5‐nitro‐2‐mercapto‐benzimidazole (O₂N‐MBZIMH) ( 5 ) in the presence of ferric trichloride hydrate (FeCl₃·6H₂O), in a 6:3:1 (I₂:thiol:FeCl₃·6H₂O) molar ratio, results in cocrystal ( 6 ), which contain the desulfurated hydroxyl derivative O₂N‐BZIMOH ( 6a ) and unreacted O₂N‐MBZIMH ( 6b ) in a 3:1 molar ratio. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FT‐IR, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structures of compounds 1 – 6 were also determined by X‐ray crystallography. Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that thiols with low oxidation potentials (< 1.0 V) mainly form disulfides upon a reaction with di‐iodine, whereas those with higher oxidation potential form charge transfer (CT), resulting in desulfurated products, MBZIMH. However, in the case of O₂N‐MBZIMH a desulfurated species was isolated. The formation of the final product also requires the presence of FeCl₃. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 23:498–511, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com . DOI 10.1002/hc.21042     

Total Synthesis of (−)‐Spiroleucettadine

One of a number of intriguing new alkaloids isolated from the Leucetta sp. sponge in 2004, spiroleucettadine displayed unique structural features on a restricted scaffold: a trans ‐fused 5,5‐bicyclic ring system together with an amino hemiketal moiety. Attempts to synthesize the initially proposed structure failed, raising questions as to its veracity, and structure revision ensued in 2008; no successful synthetic approach has been reported to date. Herein, we describe the enantiospecific total synthesis of (−)‐spiroleucettadine by a highly efficient biomimetic approach starting from l ‐tyrosine. One of two key hypervalent‐iodine‐mediated oxidation reactions forged the spirocyclic center, and the other enabled the installation of the methylamine side chain in the penultimate step. Our approach provides synthetic access to a new class of spiroannulated natural products and will enable future studies of the structure–biological‐activity relationships of these antibacterial compounds.     

Saccharin‐Based μ‐Oxo Imidoiodane: A Readily Available and Highly Reactive Reagent for Electrophilic Amination

Three new saccharin‐based hypervalent iodine compounds were prepared by the reaction of saccharine with (diacetoxyiodo)arenes or acetoxybenziodoxole. Structures of these new imidoiodanes were established by X‐ray crystallography. The saccharin‐based μ‐oxo‐bridged imidoiodane readily reacts with silyl enol ethers under mild conditions to give the corresponding α‐aminated carbonyl compounds in moderate yields.     

Dense Iodine‐Rich Compounds with Low Detonation Pressures as Biocidal Agents

Fifteen iodo compounds and six iodyl compounds with an iodine content between 45.3 and 89.0 % were prepared. The mono, di, and triiodyl compounds were obtained from the corresponding iodo compound by employing Oxone. All the compounds were characterized by IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The impact sensitivity was measured by using BAM (Bundesamt für Materialforschung) methodology. Based on the calculated heats of formation and experimental densities, the detonation properties and detonation products were predicted by employing Cheetah 6.0. A total percentage of iodine‐containing species in wt % (I₂, HI, and I in gas phase) ranged from 46.7 ( 21 ) to 88.94 % ( 11 ) was found in the detonation products. The high concentration and easy accessibility of iodine and/or iodine‐containing species is very important in developing materials suitable as Agent Defeat Weapons (ADWs).     

Pentaiodide komplexer Alkalimetall‐Kronenether‐Kationen: Darstellung und strukturelle Charakterisierung der Verbindungen [M(Benzo‐15‐Krone‐5)2]I5 mit M = Na,K, Rb,Cs

Pentaiodides of Complex Alkaline Metal Crown Ether Cations: Synthesis and Structural Characterisation of the Compounds [M(benzo‐15‐crown‐5)₂]I₅, M = Na, K, Rb and Cs The isotypic compounds [M(benzo‐15‐crown‐5)₂]I₅, M = Na, K, Rb and Cs are obtained as single crystals via the reaction of benzo‐15‐crown‐5, MI and iodine (2 : 1 : 2) from ethanol/dichloromethane (1 : 1). These compounds crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with four formula units in the unit cell. The cations form typical sandwich complexes. The volume of the unit cell increases by 4, 3 % from the sodium to the caesium compound, corresponding to the increasing space required by the cations. The pentaiodide units consist of a elongated triiodide unit and two iodine half‐molecules. These iodine molecules are completed by centres of symmetry. The interconnection between the pentaiodide units leads to the formation of zig‐zag chains that run along [001]. Considering the strongly different ionic radii of the alkali‐metal cations, the existence of this number of isotypic structures is rather surprising.     

Solvent‐Driven Iodine‐Mediated Oxidative Strategies for the Synthesis of Bis(imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridin‐3‐yl)sulfanes and Disulfanes

Two efficient iodine‐mediated strategies, which are economical and one‐pot, are described to access bis(imidazo[1,2‐a ]pyridin‐3‐yl)sulfanes and bis(imidazo[1,2‐a ]pyridin‐3‐yl)disulfanes in chloroform and acetic acid, respectively, by a direct oxidative homocoupling of imidazo‐heterocycles using inexpensive sodium sulfide as a sulfur source. These strategies are scalable, and an array of substrates delivered their corresponding stable sulfur‐bridged imidazo‐heterocycles in excellent yields.