Palladium‐Catalyzed Dearomative syn‐1,4‐Carboamination with Grignard Reagents

A protocol for palladium‐catalyzed dearomative functionalization of simple, nonactivated arenes with Grignard reagents has been established. This one‐pot method features a visible‐light‐mediated [4+2] cycloaddition between an arene and an arenophile, and subsequent palladium‐catalyzed allylic substitution of the resulting cycloadduct with a Grignard reagent. A variety of arenes and Grignard reagents can participate in this process, forming carboaminated products with exclusive syn‐1,4‐selectivity. Moreover, the dearomatized products are amenable to further elaborations, providing functionalized alicyclic motifs and pharmacophores. For example, naphthalene was converted into sertraline, one of the most prescribed antidepressants, in only four operations. Finally, this process could also be conducted in an enantioselective fashion, as demonstrated with the desymmetrization of naphthalene.     

Dearomative Intramolecular (4+3) Cycloadditions of Arenes with Epoxy and Aziridinyl Enolsilanes

An intramolecular (4+3) cycloaddition of epoxy and aziridinyl enolsilanes with benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene derivatives is reported. Highly functionalized polycyclic alcohols and amines are generated under relatively mild reaction conditions with yields up to 89 %. Optically enriched cycloadducts are obtained from cycloadditions of enantiomerically pure epoxides and aziridines.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Dearomative Cyclocarbonylation by CN Bond Activation

A fundamentally novel approach to bioactive quinolizinones is based on the palladium‐catalyzed intramolecular cyclocarbonylation of allylamines. [Pd(Xantphos)I₂], which features a very large bite angle, has been found to facilitate the rapid carbonylation of azaarene‐substituted allylamines into bioactive quinolizinones in good to excellent yields. This transformation represents the first dearomative carbonylation and is proposed to proceed by palladium‐catalyzed C? N bond activation, dearomatization, CO insertion, and a Heck reaction.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Alkylation with Alkyl Halides by C(sp3)−H Activation

Utilizing halogens as traceless directing goups represents an attractive strategy for C−H functionalization. A two C−H alkylation system, initiated by the oxidative addition of organohalides to Pd⁰, has been developed. The first reaction involves an intermolecular alkylation of palladacycles to form C(sp³)−C(sp²) bonds followed by C(sp²)−H activation/cyclization to deliver alkylated benzocyclobutenes as the final products. In the second reaction, two C−C bonds are formed by the reaction of palladacycles with CH₂Br₂, and provides a facile and efficient method for the synthesis of indanes. The alkylated benzocyclobutene products can be transformed into tricyclic hyrocarbons, and the indane derivatives are essential structural motifs in bioactive and odorant molecules.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Pyrazole‐Directed sp3 C−H Bond Arylation for the Synthesis of β‐Phenethylamines

We have developed a method for palladium‐catalyzed, pyrazole‐directed sp³ C−H bond arylation by aryl iodides. The reaction employs a Pd(OAc)₂ catalyst at 5–10 mol % loading and silver(I) oxide as a halide‐removal agent, and it proceeds in acetic acid or acetic acid/hexafluoroisopropanol solvent. Ozonolysis of the pyrazole moiety affords pharmaceutically important β‐phenethylamines.     

Diastereo‐ and Enantioselective Palladium‐Catalyzed Dearomative [3+2] Cycloaddition of 3‐Nitroindoles

Diastereo‐ and enantioselective cycloaddition of 3‐nitroindoles with vinyl aziridine was realized under Pd‐catalysis using commercially available Walphos as the ligand, affording pyrroloindolines in high yields with high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities. The reaction can be scaled up to a gram scale and the reaction products are easily converted to amino pyrroloindoline and other pyrroloindoline derivatives.     

Enantioselective Dearomative Difunctionalization of Indoles by Palladium‐Catalyzed Heck/Sonogashira Sequence

Palladium‐catalyzed enantioselective dearomative arylalkynylation of N‐substituted indoles, through a Heck/Sonogashira sequence, was established using a new BINOL‐based phosphoramidite as the chiral ligand. A wide range of 2,3‐disubstituted indolines, bearing vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters, were efficiently constructed in one step with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97 % ee) and diastereoselectivities (>20:1).     

Forming Benzylic Iodides via a Nickel Catalyzed Diastereoselective Dearomative Carboiodination Reaction of Indoles

A diastereoselective dearomative carboiodination reaction is reported. We report a novel metal‐catalyzed approach to install reactive secondary benzylic iodides. Utilizing the unique reactivity of nickel, we have expanded the carboiodination reaction to non‐activated aromatic double bonds forming a previously unattainable class of iodides. We also report a broadly applicable method to avoid the use of a metallic reducing agent by utilizing an alkyl phosphite as the ligand. The reaction is thought to proceed through a syn intramolecular carbonickelation across a 2‐substituted indole followed by a diastereoretentive reductive elimination of the carbon?iodine bond. The complex iodinated indolines generated in the reaction were obtained in moderate to good yields and good to excellent diastereoselectivity. The products were easily functionalized by a variety of synthetic methods.     

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.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Catellani ortho‐Acylation Reaction: An Efficient and Regiospecific Synthesis of Diaryl Ketones

A palladium‐catalyzed, norbornene‐mediated Catellani ortho‐acylation reaction was developed by the use of either acyl chlorides or acid anhydrides as acylation reagents. The addition of more than a stoichiometric amount of H₂O is crucial for this transformation when acid chlorides are used, and kinetic studies indicate that the active acylation reagent is possibly an acid anhydride.     

Photoarylation of Iodocarboranes with Unactivated (Hetero)Arenes: Facile Synthesis of 1,2‐[(Hetero)Aryl]n‐o‐Carboranes (n=1,2) and o‐Carborane‐Fused Cyclics

Photoarylation of iodocarboranes with unactivated arenes/heteroarenes at room temperature has been achieved, for the first time, thus leading to the facile synthesis of a large variety of cage carbon mono(hetero)arylated and di(hetero)arylated o‐carboranes. This work represents a clean, efficient, transition‐metal‐free, and cheap synthesis of functionalized carboranes, which has significant advantages over the known methods.     

Visible‐Light‐Driven Palladium‐Catalyzed Radical Alkylation of C−H Bonds with Unactivated Alkyl Bromides

Reported herein is a novel visible‐light photoredox system with Pd(PPh₃)₄ as the sole catalyst for the realization of the first direct cross‐coupling of C(sp³)−H bonds in N‐aryl tetrahydroisoquinolines with unactivated alkyl bromides. Moreover, intra‐ and intermolecular alkylations of heteroarenes were also developed under mild reaction conditions. A variety of tertiary, secondary, and primary alkyl bromides undergo reaction to generate C(sp³)−C(sp³) and C(sp²)−C(sp³) bonds in moderate to excellent yields. These redox‐neutral reactions feature broad substrate scope (>60 examples), good functional‐group tolerance, and facile generation of quaternary centers. Mechanistic studies indicate that the simple palladium complex acts as the visible‐light photocatalyst and radicals are involved in the process.     

Rapid Assembly of Diversely Functionalized Spiroindenes by a Three‐Component Palladium‐Catalyzed C−H Amination/Phenol Dearomatization Domino Reaction

A novel palladium‐catalyzed three‐component reaction of phenol‐derived biaryls with N‐benzoyloxyamines and norbornadiene (NBD) has been developed for the assembly of highly functionalized spiroindenes. This domino process was realized through NBD‐assisted C−H amination and phenol dearomatization by forming one C−N bond and two C−C bonds in a single step. Preliminary studies indicated that asymmetric control of this transformation was feasible with chiral ligands. Moreover, the potential synthetic utility of this methodology was highlighted by a series of further transformations.     

Microwave‐Assisted Palladium‐Catalyzed Direct Arylation of 1,4‐Disubstituted 1,2,3‐Triazoles with Aryl Chlorides

Treatment of 1,4‐disubstituted 1,2,3‐triazoles with aryl chlorides in the presence of potassium carbonate under palladium catalysis and microwave irradiation at 250 °C for 15 min leads to arylation of the triazole at the 5‐position. A variety of functional groups, including ester and hydroxy groups, are compatible. The procedure is suitable for the regioselective preparation of trisubstituted triazoles. Microwave irradiation accelerates the reaction, thus allowing the rapid synthesis of trisubstituted triazoles, which are difficult to synthesize selectively.