One-pot synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical aryl sulfides by Pd-catalyzed couplings of aryl halides and thioacetates

Aryl sulfides were obtained from the coupling reaction of S-aryl (or S-alkyl) thioacetates and aryl bromides in the presence of palladium catalyst. This reaction method enables the one-pot synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical diaryl sulfides by employing potassium thioacetate with aryl iodides and aryl bromides.     

Rapid, easy copper-free Sonogashira couplings using aryl iodides and activated aryl bromides

We present here an easy, rapid copper-free methodology for the Sonogashira coupling reaction. It works well for a range of aryl iodides and activated aryl bromides.     

Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative couplings of arenecarboxylic acids with aryl iodides

The combination of palladium chloride with BINAP shows high efficiency in the decarboxylative cross-coupling reactions of arenecarboxylic acids with aryl iodides. The reactions proceed smoothly to generate the corresponding biaryl compounds in good to excellent yields.     

Thiophene backbone amide linkers, a new class of easily prepared and highly acid-labile linkers for solid-phase synthesis

Solid-phase synthesis is of tremendous importance for small-molecule and biopolymer synthesis. Linkers (handles) that release amide-containing products after completion of solid-phase synthesis are widely used. Here we present a new class of highly acid-labile backbone amide linkers (BAL handles) based on 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT), which we have termed T-BAL. These thiophene linkers are synthesized in three convenient steps from commercially available EDOT. In the linker design, the spacer was introduced to the EDOT core either via a carbon-carbon bond or via a thioether linkage. Introduction of the spacer via a C-C bond was performed by a chemoselective Negishi coupling without transient protection of the aldehyde group to provide the T-BAL1 handle. Introduction via a thioether linkage was performed by a facile nucleophilic aromatic substitution between the brominated EDOT aldehyde and unprotected mercapto acids to provide T-BAL2 and T-BAL3 handles. The minimal use of protecting groups gave the corresponding linker molecules in few synthetic steps and in good yields. After anchoring of the linker to a polymeric support, introduction of the first amino acid was achieved by reductive amination, giving a secondary amine. A following acylation of the secondary amine with a symmetrical amino acid anhydride resulted in a backbone amide linkage between the handle and the growing substrate (e.g., peptide chain). After solid-phase synthesis, the substrates could be released from the resin by either low acid conditions using 1% TFA in CH2Cl2 or high acid conditions such as 50% TFA in CH2Cl2. Peptide thioesters could be released from the T-BAL1 handle under very mild conditions using aqueous acetic acid. Tert-butyl based protecting groups, tert-butyl esters, tert-butyl ethers, and Boc groups, as well as dimethyl acetals were relatively stable to these mild conditions for release of the peptides.     

Ligand-free nickel-catalyzed Kumada couplings of aryl bromides with tert-butyl Grignard reagents

A ligand-free nickel-catalyzed Kumada cross-coupling of aryl bromides and tert-butyl Grignard reagents led to the formation of a series of tert-butyl aryls in moderate to good yields, excellent tBu/iBu ratios, and good functional group compatibility. A radical coupling process is indicated and a mechanism with a Ni(I)-Ni(III) catalytic cycle is proposed.     

Synthesis of highly luminescent organoboron polymers connected by bifunctional 8‐aminoquinolate linkers

New organoboron aminoquinolate‐based polymers linked by π‐conjugated bridge were prepared by Sonogashira–Hagihara coupling of organoboron aminoquinolate‐based bisiodo monomers bearing biphenyl or bithiophene moiety with 1,4‐diethynylbenzene derivatives. Tetracoordination states of boron atoms in the obtained polymers were confirmed by ¹¹B NMR spectroscopy, and they were also characterized by ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopies and size‐exclusion chromatography. Their optical properties were studied by UV–vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies. In the region above 400 nm, the polymers prepared from 1,4‐diethynyl‐2,5‐dioctyloxybenzene showed bathochromic shifts when compared with those prepared from 1.4‐diethynyl‐2‐perfluorooctyl‐5‐trifluoromethylbenzene. The polymers with biphenyl moiety showed higher absolute fluorescence quantum yields (?_F = 0.28 and 0.65), whereas those with bithiophene moiety led to decreasing of the low quantum yields (?_F = 0.19 and 0.00). The density‐functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent–DFT calculations of model compounds corresponding to the polymers were in good agreement with the results from UV–vis properties. The calculations revealed that the electronic structure of the polymer with bithiophene moiety is different from that with biphenyl moiety, and predicted the electron transfer from the bithiophene moiety to the π‐extended quinoline moiety in transition state. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3693–3701, 2010     

A new two-step four-component synthesis of highly functionalized cyclohexenols by sequential nickel-catalyzed couplings

A new two-step procedure for the synthesis of cyclohexenols has been developed. A nickel-catalyzed three-component addition of an enal, alkyne, and acetylenic tin affords substituted hept-4-en-6-ynals. The products of this first step then undergo a second nickel-catalyzed reaction with organozincs or organoboranes to afford densely functionalized cyclohexenols. Variation in each of the four components is tolerated to provide access to a wide range of versatile building blocks.     

Pd-catalyzed carbonylative reactions of aryl iodides and alkynyl carboxylic acids via decarboxylative couplings

Alkynyl carboxylic acids reacted with aryl iodides under a CO atmosphere in the presence of a palladium catalyst to produce α,β-alkynyl aryl ketones in good yields. The maximum turnover number was 16?800. The desired carbonylative coupling was formed from phenyl propiolic acid without any formation of a noncarbonylative coupling product in the absence of CuI. However, the reaction with alkyl-substituted alkynyl carboxylic acids required CuI as a cocatalyst for high yield.     

Surface and bulk modification of polyolefins by functional aryl nitrenes as highly reactive intermediates

Aromatic azides with hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) residues or hydrophilic groups such as glucose, sucrose and dextrine residues were synthesized and used for surface modification of polyolefins. By UV‐irradiation nitrenes were formed, which are able to react with polyolefin surfaces. By photochemical immobilization of the carbohydrates hydrophilicity of PE and PP was strongly increased (surface tensions > 44mN/m). Light stability of PP surfaces modified with HALS azides was comparable with PP, stabilised with Tinuvin 770. Bulk modification of ethylene‐propylene and ethylene‐octene copolymers was achieved by grafting nitrenes formed by thermal decomposition of azido benzoic acid. In a circulating air oven up to 1.55 wt% amino benzoic acid residues could be bonded covalently to ethylene‐propylene‐copolymers, less than half of it to ethylene‐octene‐copolymers. Reactive extrusion resulted in grafting yields of more than 50% for both types of copolymers.     

Synthesis of 2-arylpiperidines by palladium couplings of aryl bromides with organozinc species derived from deprotonation of N-boc-piperidine

The organolithium species derived from proton abstraction of N-Boc-piperidine with s-BuLi and TMEDA can be transmetalated to the organozinc reagent, and this organometallic species can be coupled directly with aryl bromides in a Negishi-type reaction using palladium catalysis with the ligand tri-tert-butylphosphine (t-Bu3P-HBF4). The chemistry was applied to a very short synthesis of the alkaloid anabasine.     

Novel enzyme activities and functional plasticity revealed by recombining highly homologous enzymes

BACKGROUND: Directed evolution by DNA shuffling has been used to modify physical and catalytic properties of biological systems. We have shuffled two highly homologous triazine hydrolases and conducted an exploration of the substrate specificities of the resulting enzymes to acquire a better understanding of the possible distributions of novel functions in sequence space. RESULTS: Both parental enzymes and a library of 1600 variant triazine hydrolases were screened against a synthetic library of 15 triazines. The shuffled library contained enzymes with up to 150-fold greater transformation rates than either parent. It also contained enzymes that hydrolyzed five of eight triazines that were not substrates for either starting enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: Permutation of nine amino acid differences resulted in a set of enzymes with surprisingly diverse patterns of reactions catalyzed. The functional richness of this small area of sequence space may aid our understanding of both natural and artificial evolution.     

A soluble polyethyleneglycol-anchored phosphine as a highly active, reusable ligand for Pd-catalyzed couplings of aryl chlorides: comparison with cross and non-cross-linked polystyrene and silica supports

The so-called SPhos phosphine, an extremely active ligand in the amination and Suzuki coupling of sterically-hindered aryl chlorides, has been anchored on different supports such as non-soluble (cross-linked polystyrene) and soluble (non-cross-linked polystyrene and polyethyleneglycol) polymers, as well as high surface silica. SPhos anchored on polyethyleneglycol (PEG-SPhos) showed the best activity for both amination and Suzuki couplings. The PEG-SPhos ligand can be quantitatively recovered from the reaction mixture through precipitation with diethyl ether and recycled in four consecutive runs without loosing activity. ³¹P NMR spectra of the reused anchored ligand showed that deactivation of the PEG-SPhos ligand comes from the progressive oxidation of the phosphine-to-phosphine oxide.     

Binuclear ruthenium(III) complexes: synthesis,characterisation, catalytic activity in aryl–aryl couplings and biological activity

Binuclear ruthenium(III) complexes containing a binucleating Schiff base ligand, L and Ph₃P or Ph₃As, [RuX₂(EPh₃)₂]₂L (X = Cl or Br; E = P or As) have been prepared by reacting [RuCl₃(PPh₃)₃], [RuCl₃(AsPh₃)₃], [RuBr₃(AsPh₃)₃] and [RuBr₃(PPh₃)₂(MeOH)] with Schiff bases in a 2:1 molar ratio. The Schiff bases used in this study were prepared by condensing the appropriate diamine with salicylaldehyde or benzoylacetone in a 1:2 molar ratio respectively. The complexes were characterised by analytical, spectral (i.r., electronic, e.p.r.) and electrochemical data. An octahedral structure has been proposed for all the new ligand-bridged binuclear Ru^III complexes. The new complexes have been used as catalysts in aryl–aryl couplings and also subjected to antifungal activity studies.     

Ionic liquid-promoted, highly regioselective Heck arylation of electron-rich olefins by aryl halides

Palladium-catalyzed regioselective Heck arylation of the electron-rich olefins, vinyl ethers 1a-d, enamides 1e-g, and allyltrimethylsilane 1h, has been accomplished in imidazolium ionic liquids with a wide range of aryl bromides and iodides instead of the commonly used, but commercially unavailable and expensive, aryl triflates. The reaction proceeded with high efficiency and remarkable regioselectivity without the need for costly or toxic halide scavengers, leading exclusively to substitution by aryl groups of diverse electronic and steric properties at the olefinic carbon alpha to the heteroatom of 1a-g and beta to the heteroatom of 1h. In contrast, the arylation reaction in molecular solvents led to mixtures of regioisomers under similar conditions. Several lines of evidence point to the unique regiocontrol stemming from the ionic environment provided by the ionic liquid that alters the reaction pathway. The chemistry provides a simple, effective method for preparing branched, arylated olefins and contributes to the extension of Heck reaction to a wider range of substrates.     

Solvent controlled self-assembly at the liquid-solid interface revealed by STM

The effect of solvent on the two-dimensional (2D) supramolecular ordering of monodendron 1 at the liquid-solid interface has been systematically investigated by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Solvents range from those with hydrophilic solvating properties, such as alkylated alcohols and acids, to hydrophobic solvents such as alkylated aromatics and alkanes. Dramatic differences in the 2D ordering are observed depending on the nature of the solvent. Of particular interest is the fact that in hydrophobic solvating solvents, such as aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, solvent molecules are coadsorbed in the 2D molecular network while this is not the case for alkylated alcohols or acids. Furthermore, in the case of the coadsorbing solvents, a striking influence of the alkyl chain length has been observed on the 2D pattern formed. The solvent and alkyl chain length dependences are discussed in terms of molecule-molecule interactions (homo and hetero) and molecule-substrate interactions.     

Synthesis of symmetrical diarylalkyne from palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative couplings of propiolic acid and aryl bromides under water

Symmetric diarylalkynes were obtained from the decarboxylative coupling reactions of aryl bromides and propiolic acid in water solvent condition. In the presence of phase transfer surfactant C₁₈H₃₇N(CH₃)₃Cl, the catalytic system of both Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂/dppb and Pd(TPPMS)₂Cl₂/TPPMS afforded the desired coupled products in good yields.     

Free radical-mediated aryl amination: convergent two- and three-component couplings to chiral 2,3-disubstituted indolines

5-exo-trig Cyclization of an aryl radical to the nitrogen of an azomethine is used as the key annulating step in a modular preparation of 2,3-cis- and trans-disubstituted indolines. The precursors are readily prepared by phase-transfer-catalyzed Michael addition of a glycine Schiff base to a variety of acceptors. When the more reactive alkylidene malonate Michael acceptors are implemented, a one-pot three-component coupling is possible. The net result is a convergent [3 + 2] coupling strategy for the construction of highly functionalized indolines, a substructure occurring in numerous biologically active natural products.     

Sonogashira couplings of aryl bromides: room temperature, water only, no copper

Cross-coupling reactions between lipophilic terminal alkynes and aryl bromides can be catalyzed by ligated Pd, in the absence of copper, in pure water at ambient temperatures. Small amounts of the nonionic amphiphile PTS assist by virtue of nanometer micelles formed spontaneously in an aqueous medium.     

Iron catalyzed highly regioselective dimerization of terminal aryl alkynes

Iron can catalyze head-to-head dimerization of terminal aryl alkynes to give the corresponding (E) selective conjugated enynes in high yields. A variety of substituted aryl acetylenes underwent smooth dimerization using catalytic FeCl(3) and DMEDA in the presence of KO(t)Bu.