Asymmetric organocatalytic diboration of alkenes

The use of chiral alcohols to form the Lewis acid-base *RO(-)→ bis(pinacolato)diboron adduct, in situ, provides an opportunity to induce asymmetry in the organocatalytic diboration of alkenes and complements the well established transition metal-mediated enantioselective diboration.     

Rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective diboration of simple alkenes

Enantioselective catalytic reactions that operate directly on inexpensive unactivated alkenes are extraordinarily useful for the preparation of chiral organic building blocks and new materials. While a number of such processes have been developed, our ability to meet the intensifying demand for inexpensive stereochemically complex materials will require a significant expansion of practical catalytic asymmetric reaction methodology. In this regard, the rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective diboration reaction has been developed in order to address a number of extant problems in catalytic alkene transformation simultaneously. This process provides an enantiomerically enriched reactive dimetalated intermediate which can be converted to a variety of difunctional reaction products.     

Hypervalent iodine-mediated aziridination of alkenes: mechanistic insights and requirements for catalysis

By detailed study of the possible side reactions in the previously reported aziridination of alkenes with N-aminoheterocycles mediated by hypervalent iodine reagents, the requirements to make this reaction catalytic in iodoarene have been determined. The reaction requires an oxidant that will oxidise iodoarenes but that does not oxidise alkenes, but it is possible that no such oxidant actually exists! A method in which the hypervalent iodine reagent can be recycled without the need for reisolation is possible. Further study into the mechanism of this reaction gives tentative evidence that the reaction proceeds through formation of an aminoiodane that reacts directly with the alkene, contrary to previous literature reports in which an acetoxyamine intermediate is suggested. The temperature effect of this reaction is remarkable.     

Rh-catalyzed enantioselective diboration of simple alkenes: reaction development and substrate scope

[Reaction: see text]. The rhodium-catalyzed reaction between bis(catecholato)diboron and simple alkenes results in the syn addition of the diboron across the alkene. The resulting 1,2-bis(boronate) is subsequently oxidized to provide the 1,2-diol. In the presence of enantiomerically enriched Quinap ligand, high enantioselection in the diboration can be achieved. The reaction is highly selective for trans- and trisubstituted alkenes and can be selective for some monosubstituted alkenes as well. The development of this reaction is described as is the substrate scope and experiments that are informative about the reaction mechanism and competing pathways.     

Gas-phase photooxidation of alkenes by V-doped TiO2-MCM-41: mechanistic insights of ethylene photooxidation and understanding the structure-activity correlation

Nanoparticles of Ti(0.95)V(0.05)O(2) were found to be impregnated in the hexagonal channels of the MCM-41 host, with a distribution of some particles on the surface, thus leading to an effective variation in the particle size as a function of loading host MCM-41 matrix. These catalysts were subjected to the photocatalytic degradation of alkenes under the ambient conditions in which the photocatalytic activity varied as a function of the loading percentage of Ti(0.95)V(0.05)O(2) in the host MCM-41.This is explained in light of the structure-activity correlation, and the better catalytic activity can be attributed to an electronic interaction between the host and guest molecules, as established from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. To understand the mechanistic aspect of the photooxidation of ethylene on the vanadium-doped titania dispersed in the MCM-41 matrix, extensive in situ FTIR experiments were undertaken. The intermediate species produced on bare Ti(0.95)V(0.05)O(2) are different from that produced on the Ti(0.95)V(0.05)O(2)/MCM-41 surface. Moreover, different intermediates were produced during ethylene oxidation under UV and visible irradiation, thus leading to different rates. The ethylene decomposition over bare Ti(0.95)V(0.05)O(2) occurs by means of formation of ethoxy groups, transformed to acetaldehyde or enolates, subsequently to acetates, and then to CO(2) under both UV and visible irradiation. However, in the case of Ti(0.95)V(0.05)O(2)/MCM-41 catalyst with UV irradiation, the adsorbed acetaldehyde thus formed undergoes aldol condensation over the Lewis acid sites to lead to the formation of crotonaldehyde, which is subsequently oxidized to acetate and consequently to CO(2). It was observed that during visible irradiation labile ethyl acetate is produced either by the Tischenko reaction or by the reaction between the labile acetic acid and the unreacted ethoxy groups. The ethyl acetate produces acetic acid monomer, which is oxidized to CO(2). Furthermore, in this work the effects of particle size on the intermediate species were also studied.     

Catalytic asymmetric carbohydroxylation of alkenes by a tandem diboration/Suzuki cross-coupling/oxidation reaction

[reaction: see text] Chiral nonsymmetric 1,2-diboron adducts are generated by catalytic enantioselective diboration. Oxidation of these adducts provides 1,2-diols in good yield. Alternatively, 1,2-diboron compounds may be reacted, in situ, with aryl halides wherein the less hindered C-B bond participates in cross-coupling. The remaining C-B bond is then oxidized in the reaction workup thereby allowing for net asymmetric carbohydroxylation of alkenes in a tandem one-pot diboration/Suzuki coupling/oxidation sequence.     

Gas-phase carbene radical anions: new mechanistic insights

The gas-phase reactivity of the CHCl*- anion has been investigated with a series of halomethanes (CCl4, CHCl3, CH2Cl2, and CH3Cl) using a FA-SIFT instrument. Results show that this anion primarily reacts via substitution and by proton transfer. In addition, the reactions of CHCl*- with CHCl3 and CH2Cl2 form minor amounts of Cl2*- and Cl-. The isotopic distribution of these two products is consistent with an insertion-elimination mechanism, where the anion inserts into a C-Cl bond to form an unstable intermediate, which eliminates either Cl2*- or Cl- and Cl*. Neutral and cationic carbenes are known to insert into single bonds; however, this is the first observation of such reactivity for carbene anions.     

Ammonium-directed olefinic epoxidation: kinetic and mechanistic insights

The ammonium-directed olefinic epoxidations of a range of differentially N-substituted cyclic allylic and homoallylic amines (derived from cyclopentene, cyclohexene, and cycloheptene) have been investigated, and the reaction kinetics have been analyzed. The results of these studies suggest that both the ring size and the identity of the substituents on nitrogen are important in determining both the overall rate and the stereochemical outcome of the epoxidation reaction. In general, secondary amines or tertiary amines with nonsterically demanding substituents on nitrogen are superior to tertiary amines with sterically demanding substituents on nitrogen in their ability to promote the oxidation reaction. Furthermore, in all cases examined, the ability of the (in situ formed) ammonium substituent to direct the stereochemical course of the epoxidation reaction is either comparable or superior to that of the analogous hydroxyl substituent. Much slower rates of ring-opening of the intermediate epoxides are observed in cyclopentene-derived and cycloheptene-derived allylic amines as compared with their cyclohexene-derived allylic and homoallylic amine counterparts, allowing for isolation of these intermediates in both of the former cases.     

Metal-catalyzed aziridination of alkenes by organic azides: a mechanistic DFT investigation

Structural Chemistry - The DFT B3LYP/6–31G(d,p) approach is used to study alkene aziridination by azides through catalyzed routes involving a metal nitrenoid intermediate. The catalysts...     

Unexpected influence of stereochemistry on the cytotoxicity of highly efficient Ti(IV) salan complexes: new mechanistic insights

The effect of stereochemistry on the cytotoxicity of highly active and hydrolytically stable N-methylated Ti(IV) salan complexes is reported. Four bis(isopropoxo) complexes incorporating N-methylated salan ligands with different aromatic substitution patterns have been prepared in racemic and optically active forms for the first time by ligand-to-metal chiral induction from trans-diaminocyclohexyl-based chiral ligands. The configuration of the metal center that derives from that of the ligand has an enormous influence on cytotoxicity, with the racemic mixture mostly being more active than the single enantiomers that are of either similar or different activity. This implies that the active species is a salan-bound heterochiral polynuclear compound, interacting with a chiral target. Four additional complexes of achiral salan and chiral labile sec-butoxo ligands, analyzed as racemic and as homochiral, revealed no influence of stereochemistry, supporting early dissociation of the labile ligands to give the polynuclear products.     

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water with iron carbonyl phosphine complexes: improved water reduction catalysts and mechanistic insights

An extended study of a novel visible-light-driven water reduction system containing an iridium photosensitizer, an in situ iron(0) phosphine water reduction catalyst (WRC), and triethylamine as sacrificial reductant is described. The influences of solvent composition, ligand, ligand-to-metal ratio, and pH were studied. The use of monodentate phosphine ligands led to improved activity of the WRC. By applying a WRC generated in situ from Fe(3) (CO)(12) and tris[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]phosphine (P[C(6)H(3)(CF(3))(2)](3), Fe(3)(CO)(12)/PR(3)=1:1.5), a catalyst turnover number of more than 1500 was obtained, which constitutes the highest activity reported for any Fe WRC. The maximum incident photon to hydrogen efficiency obtained was 13.4% (440 nm). It is demonstrated that the evolved H(2) flow (0.23 mmol H(2) h(-1) mg(-1) Fe(3)(CO)(12)) is sufficient to be used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, which generate electricity directly from water with visible light. Mechanistic studies by NMR spectroscopy, in situ IR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations allow for an improved understanding of the mechanism. With respect to the Fe WRC, the complex [HNEt(3)](+)[HFe(3)(CO)(11)](-) was identified as the key intermediate during the catalytic cycle, which led to light-driven hydrogen generation from water.     

Stereospecific cyclodehydration of 1,4-sulfanylalcohols to thiolanes: mechanistic insights

A series of thiolanes were prepared by cyclodehydration of sulfanylalcohols in the presence of catalytic amounts of p-toluenesulfonic acid or by using K10 clay. The sulfur heterocycles were synthesised in good to excellent yields using either a conventional Dean-Stark method or microwave irradiation under solvent-free conditions. The reaction could be performed regio- and stereoselectively and its mechanism was investigated by means of enantio- and diastereomerically enriched substrates. In contrast to previous studies, our results are consistent with an intramolecular S_N2-type mechanism as a general pathway.     

Platinum-catalyzed diboration using a commercially available catalyst: diboration of aldimines to alpha-aminoboronate esters

Commercially available Pt(cod)Cl(2) catalyzes the diboration of alkenes, alkynes, and aldimines using bis(catecholato)diboron (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene). Catalyzed aldimine diboration provides the first direct route to alpha-aminoboronate esters. The diboration product from N-benzylidene-2,6-dimethylaniline is structurally characterized.     

Chiral N-acyloxazolidines: synthesis, structure, and mechanistic insights

A series of chiral imines derived from 1-amino-1-deoxyalditols such as d-glucamine, a rather unexplored raw material from the chiral pool, have been serendipitiously transformed into a novel family of N-acetyl-1,3-oxazolidines by means of an unexpected acetylation. The structure of these substances is supported by spectroscopic and crystallographic data. The acetylates also trigger a complex dynamic transformation, in which an initially configured trans oxazolidine converts into a more stable cis-configured derivative. Both isomers can also exist as rotational conformers (E,Z) as a consequence of the restricted rotation around the N-acetyl bond. The barriers to rotation have been determined by variable-temperature experiments. Overall, this transformation most likely involves the intermediacy of a chiral iminium ion, which has been documented in the synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles, thus explaining the experimental facts.     

Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative C-H functionalizations: trends and mechanistic insights

The selective oxidation of C-H bonds and the use of O(2) as a stoichiometric oxidant represent two prominent challenges in organic chemistry. Copper(II) is a versatile oxidant, capable of promoting a wide range of oxidative coupling reactions initiated by single-electron transfer (SET) from electron-rich organic molecules. Many of these reactions can be rendered catalytic in Cu by employing molecular oxygen as a stoichiometric oxidant to regenerate the active copper(II) catalyst. Meanwhile, numerous other recently reported Cu-catalyzed C-H oxidation reactions feature substrates that are electron-deficient or appear unlikely to undergo single-electron transfer to copper(II). In some of these cases, evidence has been obtained for the involvement of organocopper(III) intermediates in the reaction mechanism. Organometallic C-H oxidation reactions of this type represent important new opportunities for the field of Cu-catalyzed aerobic oxidations.     

Supramolecular catalysis of unimolecular rearrangements: substrate scope and mechanistic insights

A cavity-containing metal-ligand assembly is employed as a catalytic host for the 3-aza Cope rearrangement of allyl enammonium cations. Upon binding, the rates of rearrangement are accelerated for all substrates studied, up to 850-fold. Activation parameters were measured for three enammonium cations in order to understand the origins of acceleration. Those parameters reveal that the supramolecular structure is able to reduce both the entropic and enthalpic barriers for rearrangement and is highly sensitive to small structural changes of the substrate. The space-restrictive cavity preferentially binds closely packed, preorganized substrate conformations, which resemble the conformations of the transition states. This hypothesis is also supported by quantitative NOE studies of two encapsulated substrates, which place the two reacting carbon atoms in close proximity. The capsule can act as a true catalyst, since release and hydrolysis facilitate catalytic turnover. The question of product hydrolysis was addressed through detailed kinetic studies. We conclude that the iminium product must dissociate from the cavity interior and the assembly exterior before hydroxide-mediated hydrolysis, and propose the intermediacy of a tight ion pair of the polyanionic host with the exiting product.     

Cobalt(I)-mediated cycloisomerization of enynes: mechanistic insights

[CpCo(CO)2] catalyzes the cycloisomerization of 1,n-enynes to afford selectively five- and six-membered ring systems in high yields. The factors governing the cyclization have been explored and we have discovered that the reaction associates two different, but complementary, reactivities of the cobalt(I) complexes. By a judicious choice of the substitution of the enyne, it was also possible to isolate a cyclobutene that arises from a cobaltcyclopentene     

Ozonolysis of bicyclic 1,2-dioxines: initial scope and mechanistic insights

The ozonolysis of bicyclic 1,2-dioxines was investigated using a variety of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2-dioxines along with a 1,3-dialkyl and steroidal example, with yields ranging from moderate to excellent. Two different pathways were observed upon reaction of the 1,4-disubstituted 1,2-dioxines with ozone; one pathway saw the "expected" results, that is, cleavage of the olefinic moiety with generation of 1,4-dicarbonyl 1,2-dioxines, while the other pathway revealed a previously unobserved rearrangement involving cleavage of the peroxide linkage along with loss of either CO or CO(2). Several unsymmetrical ozonolyses were also performed to further investigate the origins of this rearrangement, and initial mechanistic insights into the fragmentation pathways are discussed.     

Solvent-dependent changes in the ene reaction of RTAD with alkenes: the cyclopropyl group as a mechanistic probe

[reaction: see text] The vinylcyclopropyl moiety was used as an efficient probe to test mechanistic possibilities of the triazolinedione-alkene ene reaction. In non-hydroxylic solvents, this reaction afforded only the ene adducts via a closed three-membered aziridinium imide (AI) intermediate, whereas in hydroxylic solvents a dipolar intermediate is favored and trapped by the cyclopropyl moiety to form the corresponding cyclopropyl-rearranged solvent-trapped adducts.     

Asymmetric hydrogenation of tri-substituted alkenes with Ir-NHC-thiazole complexes

An efficient chiral N-heterocyclic carbene ligand for the Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of largely unfunctionalized tri-substituted olefins has been developed. The Ir-NHC-thiazole catalyst is able to reduce a large variety of substrates with excellent conversions and good enantioselectivities with ee’s ranging from 34% to 90%, depending on the geometry around the double bond of the substrates.