Gold-Catalyzed Oxidative Aminocyclizations of Propargyl Alcohols and Propargyl Amines to Form Two Distinct Azacyclic Products: Carbene Formation versus a 3,3-Sigmatropic Shift of an Initial Intermediate

Gold-catalyzed oxidations of propargyl alcohols with nitrones by using a P(tBu)₂(o-biphenyl)Au⁺ catalyst, afforded bicyclic annulation products from the Mannich reactions of gold enolates. The same reactions of propargyl amines with nitrones by using the same gold catalyst gave distinct oxoarylation products. Our DFT calculations indicate that oxidation of propargyl alcohols with nitrones by using electron-rich gold catalysts lead only to gold carbenes, which can generate gold enolates or oxoarylation intermediates with enolate species having a barrier smaller than that of oxoarylation species.     

Gold- and silver-catalyzed reactions of propargylic alcohols in the presence of protic additives

A wide range of primary, secondary and tertiary propargylic alcohols undergo a Meyer-Schuster rearrangement to give enones at room temperature in the presence of a gold(I) catalyst and small quantities of MeOH or 4-methoxyphenylboronic acid. The syntheses of the enone natural products isoegomaketone and daphenone were achieved using this reaction as the key step. The rearrangement of primary propargylic alcohols can readily be combined in a one-pot procedure with the addition of a nucleophile to the resulting terminal enone, to give β-aryl, β-alkoxy, β-amino or β-sulfido ketones. Propargylic alcohols bearing an adjacent electron-rich aryl group can also undergo silver-catalyzed substitution of the alcohol with oxygen, nitrogen and carbon nucleophiles. This latter reaction was initially observed with a batch of gold catalyst that was probably contaminated with small quantities of silver salt.     

Gold‐ and Silver‐Catalyzed Reactions of Propargylic Alcohols in the Presence of Protic Additives

A wide range of primary, secondary and tertiary propargylic alcohols undergo a Meyer–Schuster rearrangement to give enones at room temperature in the presence of a gold(I) catalyst and small quantities of MeOH or 4‐methoxyphenylboronic acid. The syntheses of the enone natural products isoegomaketone and daphenone were achieved using this reaction as the key step. The rearrangement of primary propargylic alcohols can readily be combined in a one‐pot procedure with the addition of a nucleophile to the resulting terminal enone, to give β‐aryl, β‐alkoxy, β‐amino or β‐sulfido ketones. Propargylic alcohols bearing an adjacent electron‐rich aryl group can also undergo silver‐catalyzed substitution of the alcohol with oxygen, nitrogen and carbon nucleophiles. This latter reaction was initially observed with a batch of gold catalyst that was probably contaminated with small quantities of silver salt.     

Water compatible gold(III)-catalysed synthesis of unsymmetrical ethers from alcohols

An efficient and broad-scoped method for the preparation of unsymmetrical ethers from alcohols catalysed by the simplest and least expensive gold catalyst, NaAuCl(4), is described for the first time. The procedure enables the etherification of benzylic and tertiary alcohols with moderate to good yields under mild conditions with low catalyst loading. Symmetrical ethers, the usual side products in the etherification of alcohols, were not detected in this case. The formation of the racemic ether from a chiral benzyl alcohol suggests the intermediacy of a carbocation, which has not previously been postulated for gold-catalysed reactions involving alcohols.     

Gold nanoparticles incarcerated in nanoporous syndiotactic polystyrene matrices as new and efficient catalysts for alcohol oxidations

The controlled synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), incarcerated in a semicrystalline nanoporous polymer matrix that consisted of a syndiotactic polystyrene-co-cis-1,4-polybutadiene multi-block copolymer is described. This catalyst was successfully tested in the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols, in which we used dioxygen as the oxidant under mild conditions. Accordingly, (±)-1-phenylethanol was oxidised to acetophenone in high yields (96%) in 1 h, at 35 °C, whereas benzyl alcohol was quantitatively oxidised to benzaldehyde with a selectivity of 96% in 6 h. The specific rate constants calculated from the corresponding kinetic plots were among the highest found for polymer-incarcerated AuNPs. Similar values in terms of reactivity and selectivity were found in the oxidation of primary alcohols, such as cinnamyl alcohol and 2-thiophenemethanol, and secondary alcohols, such as indanol and α-tetralol. The remarkable catalytic properties of this system were attributed to the formation, under these reaction conditions, of the nanoporous ε crystalline form of syndiotactic polystyrene, which ensures facile and selective accessibility for the substrates to the gold catalyst incarcerated in the polymer matrix. Moreover, the polymeric crystalline domains produced reversible physical cross-links that resulted in reduced gold leaching and also allowed the recovery and reuse of the catalyst. A comparison of catalytic performance between AuNPs and annealed AuNPs suggested that multiple twinned defective nanoparticles of about 9 nm in diameter constituted the active catalyst in these oxidation reactions.     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols on gold in alkaline media: base or gold catalysis?

On the basis of a comparison of the oxidation activity of a series of similar alcohols with varying pK(a) on gold electrodes in alkaline solution, we find that the first deprotonation is base catalyzed, and the second deprotonation is fast but gold catalyzed. The base catalysis follows a Hammett-type correlation with pK(a), and dominates overall reactivity for a series of similar alcohols. The high oxidation activity on gold compared to platinum for some of the alcohols is related to the high resistance of gold toward the formation of poisoning surface oxides. These results indicate that base catalysis is the main driver behind the high oxidation activity of many organic fuels on fuel cell anodes in alkaline media, and not the catalyst interaction with hydroxide.     

Water‐ and Organo‐Dispersible Gold Nanoparticles Supported by Using Ammonium Salts of Hyperbranched Polystyrene: Preparation and Catalysis

Gold nanoparticles (1 nm in size) stabilized by ammonium salts of hyperbranched polystyrene are prepared. Selection of the R groups provides access to both water‐ and organo‐dispersible gold nanoparticles. The resulting gold nanoparticles are subjected to studies on catalysis in solution, which include reduction of 4‐nitrophenol with sodium borohydride, aerobic oxidation of alcohols, and homocoupling of phenylboronic acid. In the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol, the catalytic activity is clearly dependent on the size of the gold nanoparticles. For the aerobic oxidation of alcohols, two types of biphasic oxidation are achieved: one is the catalyst dispersing in the aqueous phase, whereas the other is in the organic phase. The catalysts are reusable more than four times without loss of the catalytic activity. Selective synthesis of biphenyl is achieved by the homocoupling of phenylboronic acid catalyzed by organo‐dispersible gold nanoparticles.     

Remarkable effect of bimetallic nanocluster catalysts for aerobic oxidation of alcohols: combining metals changes the activities and the reaction pathways to aldehydes/carboxylic acids or esters

Selective oxidation of alcohols catalyzed by novel carbon-stabilized polymer-incarcerated bimetallic nanocluster catalysts using molecular oxygen has been developed. The reactivity and the selectivity were strongly dependent on the combination of metals and solvent systems; aldehydes and ketones were obtained by the gold/platinum catalyst in benzotrifluoride, and esters were formed by the gold/palladium catalyst in methanol. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example that the reaction pathway has been changed dramatically in gold catalysis by combining with a second metal. The differences in the activity and the selectivity are considered to be derived from the difference in the structure of the bimetallic clusters.     

Gold-catalyzed transesterification of ortho-alkynylbenzoic acid esters: a novel protecting group for alcohols and phenols

Treatment of ortho-alkynylbenzoic acid esters with excess amounts of EtOH in the presence of a gold catalyst results in the liberation of alcohols or phenols in high yields under mild conditions. The protection of alcohols and phenols proceeds smoothly by use of ortho-alkynylbenzoic acid or ortho-iodobenzoyl chloride. Highly chemoselective deprotections are described.     

Gold nanoparticles supported on ionic liquid‐modified cellulose as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones and reduction of nitroarenes

A novel catalyst of gold nanoparticles supported on cellulose fibres with the ionic liquid framework (Au NPs@CL‐IL) has been shown to be a highly active and recyclable catalyst for the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols and reduction of nitroarenes in aqueous media. The reusability of this catalyst is high, and it can be reused ten times without a significant decrease in its catalytic activity. Furthermore, transmission electron micrographs of the recovered catalyst show the presence of well‐distributed Au NPs on the CL‐IL fibres without any aggregation.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of 2,5‐Dihydropyrroles from Terminal Alkynes,Azides, and Propargylic Alcohols by Relay Actions of Copper,Rhodium, and Gold

Relay actions of copper, rhodium, and gold formulate a one‐pot multistep pathway, which directly gives 2,5‐dihydropyrroles starting from terminal alkynes, sulfonyl azides, and propargylic alcohols. Initially, copper‐catalyzed 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of terminal alkynes with sulfonyl azides affords 1‐sulfonyl‐1,2,3‐triazoles, which then react with propargylic alcohols under the catalysis of rhodium. The resulting alkenyl propargyl ethers subsequently undergo the thermal Claisen rearrangement to give α‐allenyl‐α‐amino ketones. Finally, a gold catalyst prompts 5‐endo cyclization to produce 2,5‐dihydropyrroles.     

Aerobic oxidation of alcohols in the liquid phase with nanoporous gold catalysts

Aerobic oxidation of alcohols in the liquid phase proceeded smoothly in the presence of nanoporous gold catalyst. The catalyst is reusable multiple times without leaching and loss of the catalytic activity. The reaction was applied successfully to a flow system. Adsorptions of O(2) and 1-phenylethanol into the AuNPore were confirmed by TDS analysis.     

Gold(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of alkynyl hydroxyallyl tosylamides to 4-oxa-6-azatricyclo[3.3.0.0(2,8)]octanes

Reaction of alkyne allyl alcohols tethered with N-(p-tolylsulfonamide) in the presence of a cationic gold(I) catalyst gave new cycloisomerization products, 4-oxa-6-azatricyclo[3.3.0.0(2,8)]octanes.     

A Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Domino Coupling of Alcohols with Allenes Enables the Synthesis of Highly Substituted Indenes

The reaction of aryl‐substituted allenes with alcohols under gold catalysis led to highly substituted indenes in good yields, with low catalyst loading and under mild conditions. During this domino transformation, two C?C bonds are formed with water as the only byproduct.     

聚酰胺酸盐稳定的金纳米催化剂用于羧酸的绿色合成

使用一锅法成功制备了水溶性聚酰胺酸盐稳定的金纳米催化剂(AuNPs-PAAS),将该催化剂用于伯醇的催化氧化.利用紫外-可见分光光度计,X射线衍射仪(XRD),透射电子显微镜(TEM)等表征方法对催化剂进行了表征.结果表明,金纳米粒子在聚酰胺酸溶液中处于均匀分散状态,金纳米尺寸约为5 nm.将制备的纳米金催化剂用于伯醇的氧化,评价了其在伯醇氧化成羧酸反应中的催化性能,结果显示,在空气为氧化剂,水为溶剂的条件下,AuNPs-PAAS对伯醇的催化氧化为高效的准均相催化过程,高选择性得到羧酸产物,通过调节溶液的pH值,可以很容易的实现产物与反应体系分离和催化剂的回收和循环利用.     

Aerobic oxidative transformation of primary alcohols and amines to amides promoted by a hydroxyapatite-supported gold catalyst in water

In the presence of an easily prepared hydroxyapatite-supported gold catalyst, namely Au/HAP, various kinds of structurally diverse primary alcohols including benzylic and aliphatic ones, and amines involving aromatic and secondary ones could be converted into the corresponding amides in water with up to 99% yield. Meanwhile, on the basis of experimental observations and literatures, a plausible reaction pathway was described to elucidate the reaction mechanism.     

Regioselective Dihalohydration Reactions of Propargylic Alcohols: Gold‐Catalyzed and Noncatalyzed Reactions

The regioselective conversion of propargylic alcohols into previously unreported α,α‐diiodo‐β‐hydroxyketones was achieved by treatment with N‐iodosuccinimide in the presence of a gold catalyst. The corresponding α,α‐dichloro‐β‐hydroxyketones were obtained by treatment with trichloroisocyanuric acid in the absence of a catalyst. The latter reaction can be extended to other alkynols. These transformations can be used to prepare potentially useful halogenated building blocks. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that the reaction involves participation of the acetonitrile solvent in the formation of a 5‐halo‐1,3‐oxazine intermediate.     

Gold-catalyzed tandem cycloisomerization-hydroalkoxylation of homopropargylic alcohols

The tandem cycloisomerization-hydroalkoxylation of various homopropargylic alcohols in the presence of an alcohol and a dual catalyst system, consisting of a gold precatalyst and a Br?nsted acid, provides an efficient route to tetrahydrofuranyl ethers under mild reaction conditions. The reaction can be carried out in various solvents, including alcohol, with both terminal and internal alkynes as the substrate.     

Direct Amidation from Alcohols and Amines through a Tandem Oxidation Process Catalyzed by Heterogeneous‐Polymer‐Incarcerated Gold Nanoparticles under Aerobic Conditions

We describe herein a highly elegant and suitable synthesis of amide products from alcohols and amines through a tandem oxidation process that uses molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant. Carbon‐black‐stabilized polymer‐incarcerated gold (PICB‐Au) or gold/cobalt (PICB‐Au/Co) nanoparticles were employed as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst depending on alcohol reactivity and generated only water as the major co‐product of the reaction. A wide scope of substrate applicability was shown with 42 examples. The catalysts could be recovered and reused without loss of activity by using a simple operation.     

Bifunctional Ligand Enables Efficient Gold‐Catalyzed Hydroalkenylation of Propargylic Alcohol

Using the previously designed biphenyl‐2‐ylphosphine ligand, featuring a remote tertiary amino group, the first gold‐catalyzed intermolecular hydroalkenylation of alkynes has been developed. Synthetically valuable conjugated dienyl alcohols are formed in moderate to good yields. A range of alkenyltrifluoroborates are allowed as the alkenyl donor, and no erosion of alkene geometry and/or the propargylic configuration are detected. DFT calculations confirm the critical role of the remote basic group in the ligand as a general‐base catalyst for promoting this novel gold catalysis with good efficiency.