Efficient Pd-Catalyzed Direct Coupling of Aryl Chlorides with Alkyllithium Reagents

Organolithium compounds are amongst the most important organometallic reagents and frequently used in difficult metallation reactions. However, their direct use in the formation of C−C bonds is less established. Although remarkable advances in the coupling of aryllithium compounds have been achieved, Csp²−Csp³ coupling reactions are very limited. Herein, we report the first general protocol for the coupling or aryl chlorides with alkyllithium reagents. Palladium catalysts based on ylide-substituted phosphines (YPhos) were found to be excellently suited for this transformation giving high selectivities at room temperature with a variety of aryl chlorides without the need for an additional transmetallation reagent. This is demonstrated in gram-scale synthesis including building blocks for materials chemistry and pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, the direct coupling of aryllithiums as well as Grignard reagents with aryl chlorides was also easily accomplished at room temperature.     

Ylide‐Functionalized Phosphines: Strong Donor Ligands for Homogeneous Catalysis

Phosphines are important ligands in homogenous catalysis and have been crucial for many advances, such as in cross‐coupling, hydrofunctionalization, or hydrogenation reactions. Herein we report the synthesis and application of a novel class of phosphines bearing ylide substituents. These phosphines are easily accessible via different synthetic routes from commercially available starting materials. Owing to the extra donation from the ylide group to the phosphorus center the ligands are unusually electron‐rich and can thus function as strong electron donors. The donor capacity surpasses that of commonly used phosphines and carbenes and can easily be tuned by changing the substitution pattern at the ylidic carbon atom. The huge potential of ylide‐functionalized phosphines in catalysis is demonstrated by their use in gold catalysis. Excellent performance at low catalyst loadings under mild reaction conditions is thus seen in different types of transformations.     

A General Palladium‐Catalyzed Hiyama Cross‐Coupling Reaction of Aryl and Heteroaryl Chlorides

A general palladium‐catalyzed Hiyama cross‐coupling reaction of aryl and heteroaryl chlorides with aryl and heteroaryl trialkoxysilanes by a Pd(OAc)₂/ L2 catalytic system is presented. A newly developed water addition protocol can dramatically improve the product yields. The conjugation of the Pd/ L2 system and the water addition protocol can efficiently catalyze a broad range of electron‐rich, ‐neutral, ‐deficient, and sterically hindered aryl chlorides and heteroaryl chlorides with excellent yields within three hours and the catalyst loading can be down to 0.05 mol % Pd for the first time. Hiyama coupling of heteroaryl chlorides with heteroaryl silanes is also reported for the first time. The reaction can be easily scaled up 200 times (100 mmol) without any degasification and purification of reactants; this facilitates the practical application in routine synthesis.     

Cobalt‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling of Functionalized Alkylzinc Reagents with (Hetero)Aryl Halides

A combination of 10 % CoCl₂ and 20 % 2,2′‐bipyridine ligands enables cross‐coupling of functionalized primary and secondary alkylzinc reagents with various (hetero)aryl halides. Couplings with 1,3‐ and 1,4‐substituted cycloalkylzinc reagents proceeded diastereoselectively leading to functionalized heterocycles with high diastereoselectivities of up to 98:2. Furthermore, alkynyl bromides react with primary and secondary alkylzinc reagents providing the alkylated alkynes.     

Electron‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling of Arylboron Compounds with Aryl Iodides

Arylboroxines in combination with zinc chloride and potassium tert‐butoxide were found to undergo the electron‐catalyzed cross‐coupling with aryl iodides to give the corresponding biaryls without the aid of transition‐metal catalysis.     

Novel Base‐Free Catalytic Wittig Reaction for the Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Alkenes

A highly efficient catalyst system for base‐free catalytic Wittig reactions has been developed and optimized. Initially, several potential (pre)catalysts as well as different silanes as reducing agents were screened. A system based on a readily available phosphine oxide as precatalyst and trimethoxy silane as reducing agent proved to be optimal. The effect of various Brønsted acidic additives was studied. Subsequently, the reaction conditions were optimized and standard reaction conditions were determined. Under these conditions the scope of this new protocol was evaluated. Nine activated olefins and 33 aldehydes were converted into 42 highly functionalized alkenes. Notably, aromatic, aliphatic as well as heteroaromatic aldehydes could be converted, giving the desired products in isolated yields up to 99 % and with good to excellent E/Z selectivities. These results underline the remarkable efficiency of this protocol considering the complexity of the reaction mixture and the four reaction steps that proceed in parallel in one pot.     

Highly Chemoselective Iridium Photoredox and Nickel Catalysis for the Cross‐Coupling of Primary Aryl Amines with Aryl Halides

A visible‐light‐promoted iridium photoredox and nickel dual‐catalyzed cross‐coupling procedure for the formation C?N bonds has been developed. With this method, various aryl amines were chemoselectively cross‐coupled with electronically and sterically diverse aryl iodides and bromides to forge the corresponding C?N bonds, which are of high interest to the pharmaceutical industries. Aryl iodides were found to be a more efficient electrophilic coupling partner. The coupling reactions were carried out at room temperature without the rigorous exclusion of molecular oxygen, thus making this newly developed Ir‐photoredox/Ni dual‐catalyzed procedure very mild and operationally simple.     

Enantioselective Palladium‐Catalyzed Dearomative Cyclization for the Efficient Synthesis of Terpenes and Steroids

A novel enantioselective palladium‐catalyzed dearomative cyclization has been developed for the efficient construction of a series of chiral phenanthrenone derivatives bearing an all‐carbon quaternary center. The effectiveness of this method in the synthesis of terpenes and steroids was demonstrated by a highly efficient synthesis of a kaurene intermediate, the facile construction of the skeleton of the anabolic steroid boldenone, and the enantioselective total synthesis of the antimicrobial diterpene natural product (?)‐totaradiol.     

Aromatic Amide‐Derived Non‐Biaryl Atropisomers as Highly Efficient Ligands in Silver‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Cycloaddition Reactions

The synthesis of a series of aromatic amide‐derived non‐biaryl atropisomers with a phosphine group and multiple stereogenic centers is reported. The novel phosphine ligands exhibit high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities (up to >99:1 d.r., 95–99 % ee) as well as yields in the silver‐catalyzed asymmetric [3+2] cycloaddition of aldiminoesters with nitroalkenes, which provides a highly enantioselective strategy for the synthesis of optically pure nitro‐substituted pyrrolidines. In addition, the experimental results with regard to the carbon stereogenic center as well as the amide stereochemistry confirmed the potential of hemilabile atropisomers as chiral ligand in catalytic asymmetric [3+2] cycloaddition reaction.     

Efficient Synthesis of (−)‐Corynoline by Enantioselective Palladium‐Catalyzed α‐Arylation with Sterically Hindered Substrates

Sterically hindered substrates can be employed in an enantioselective palladium‐catalyzed α‐arylation with the chiral monophosphorus ligand BI‐DIME. This process enabled an efficient synthesis of the antidepressant (S)‐nafenodone, a four‐step enantioselective synthesis of the Sceletium alkaloid (+)‐sceletium A‐4, a concise five‐step enantioselective synthesis of (?)‐corynoline, as well as a three‐step preparation of (?)‐DeN‐corynoline.     

Barbier–Negishi Coupling of Secondary Alkyl Bromides with Aryl and Alkenyl Triflates and Nonaflates

A mild and practical Barbier–Negishi coupling of secondary alkyl bromides with aryl and alkenyl triflates and nonaflates has been developed. This challenging reaction was enabled by the use of a very bulky imidazole‐based phosphine ligand, which resulted in good yields as well as good chemo‐ and site selectivities for a broad range of substrates at room temperature and under non‐aqueous conditions. This reaction was extended to primary alkyl bromides by using an analogous pyrazole‐based ligand.     

Additive Effects in the Palladium‐Catalyzed Carboiodination of Chiral N‐Allyl Carboxamides

The use of Pd catalysis as a means to synthesize organic halides has recently received increased attention. Among the reported methods is the Pd‐catalyzed carboiodination, which uses extremely bulky ligands to facilitate carbon–halogen reductive elimination from Pd^II as the key catalytic step. When approaching substrates exhibiting low stereoselectivity, catalyst troubleshooting becomes difficult as there are few ligands known to promote the key reductive elimination. Herein, we present our finding that tertiary amines act as weakly coordinating ligands which significantly enhance diastereoselectivity in the Pd/QPhos‐catalyzed carboiodination of chiral N‐allyl carboxamides. This methodology allows efficient access to enantioenriched and densely functionalized dihydroisoquinolinones, and has been applied toward the asymmetric formal synthesis of (+)‐corynoline.