Efficient Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Heteroaryl Ethers by a Transition Metal‐Free C?O Cross‐Coupling Reaction of Activated and Unactivated Heteroaryl Chlorides with Alcohols and Phenols

By optimizing the reaction conditions via a careful screening of the bases and solvents, we developed an efficient transition metal‐free method for C? O cross‐coupling of activated and unactivated heteroaryl chlorides with primary and secondary alcohols and phenols, providing a simple, efficient, and practical method for synthesis of the useful unsymmetrical heteroaryl alkyl and heteroaryl aryl ethers.     

Synthesis of Complex Phenols Enabled by a Rationally Designed Hydroxide Surrogate

The conversion of aryl halides to phenols under mild reaction conditions is a longstanding and formidable challenge in organic chemistry. Herein, we report the rational design of a broadly applicable Pd‐catalyzed method to prepare phenols with benzaldehyde oxime as a hydroxide surrogate. These reactions occur under mildly basic conditions and enable the late‐stage hydroxylation of several functionally‐dense drug‐like aryl halides.     

Palladium-catalyzed highly regioselective and stereoselective decarboxylative arylation of unactivated olefins with aryl carboxylic acids

Palladium(II)-catalyzed highly regioselective and stereoselective decarboxylative arylation of unactivated olefins with aryl carboxylic acids has been developed. This method is applicable to a variety of unactivated olefins, including allylamides, long chain functionalized olefins and purely aliphatic olefins, leads to the formation of linear E-configured products in high yields. Both electron-rich and electron-deficient aryl carboxylic acids are suitable arylation reagents. It was found that the choice of solvent, catalyst precursor and oxidant had an important influence on reaction efficiency. As a co-solvent and ligand, DMSO is critical to catalysis. This chemistry expands the scope of decarboxylative arylation of olefins with aryl carboxylic acids, and provides a rapid access to useful linear arylation products of unactivated olefins.     

Direct conversion of aryl halides to phenols using high-temperature or near-critical water and microwave heating

The direct conversion of aryl halides to the corresponding phenols has been achieved using microwave heating. High-temperature or near-critical water is used as the solvent in conjunction with a copper catalyst and a mineral base.     

CuBr/proline‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of unactivated benzene with aryl halides

Direct C? H arylation of unactivated benzene with aryl halides was achieved using a readily available copper catalyst. The reaction was carried out at 80 °C, using CuBr as catalyst, proline as ligand and t‐BuOK as base. This radical cross‐coupling reaction between unactivated benzene and aryl iodides proceeds via homolytic aromatic substitution and offers an efficient method for the synthesis of various biaryls in good to excellent yields. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rational Design of an Iron‐Based Catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura Cross‐Couplings Involving Heteroaromatic Boronic Esters and Tertiary Alkyl Electrophiles

Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions between a variety of alkyl halides and unactivated aryl boronic esters using a rationally designed iron‐based catalyst supported by β‐diketiminate ligands are described. High catalyst activity resulted in a broad substrate scope that included tertiary alkyl halides and heteroaromatic boronic esters. Mechanistic experiments revealed that the iron‐based catalyst benefited from the propensity for β‐diketiminate ligands to support low‐coordinate and highly reducing iron amide intermediates, which are very efficient for effecting the transmetalation step required for the Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction.     

Synthesis of α,α-disubstituted aryl amines by rhodium-catalyzed amination of tertiary allylic trichloroacetimidates

The rhodium-catalyzed regioselective amination of tertiary allylic trichloroacetimidates with unactivated aromatic amines is a direct and efficient approach to the preparation of α,α-disubstituted allylic aryl amines in good yield and with excellent regioselectivity. This method is applicable to a variety of unactivated primary and secondary amines and allows for the preparation of reverse prenylated indoles in two steps.     

Tandem CH Activation/Arylation Catalyzed by Low‐Valent Iron Complexes with Bisiminopyridine Ligands

Tandem C?H activation/arylation between unactivated arenes and aryl halides catalyzed by iron complexes that bear redox‐active non‐innocent bisiminopyridine ligands is reported. Similar reactions catalyzed by first‐row transition metals have been shown to involve substrate‐based aryl radicals, whereas our catalytic system likely involves ligand‐centered radicals. Preliminary mechanistic investigations based on spectroscopic and reactivity studies, in conjunction with DFT calculations, led us to propose that the reaction could proceed through an inner‐sphere C?H activation pathway, which is rarely observed in the case of iron complexes. This bielectronic noble‐metal‐like behavior could be sustained by the redox‐active non‐innocent bisiminopyridine ligands.     

One-Pot Generation of Benzynes from Phenols: Formation of Primary Anilines by the Deoxyamination of Phenols

Benzynes were selectively generated in situ from phenols and trapped regioselectively with potassium hexamethyldisilazide to form primary anilines following acidic workup. The direct conversion of a phenolic hydroxyl group into a free amino group is a useful method for the preparation of primary aryl amines that are hard to synthesize by using coupling reactions involving phenol derivatives with ammonia. Whereas reactions of ortho- and meta-substituted phenols produced meta-substituted anilines exclusively, those of para-substituted phenols provided ortho-silylanilines.     

A simple deprotection of triflate esters of phenol derivatives

Efficient conversion of aryl triflates into the corresponding phenols has been accomplished with Et₄NOH. In contrast to other cleavage reactions, such functional groups as nitro, ketone, halogen, amide and sulfonamide groups were intact under the reaction conditions. This mild removal of the trifluoromethanesulfonyl group would serve a new protecting group of phenols.     

The first general palladium catalyst for the Suzuki-Miyaura and carbonyl enolate coupling of aryl arenesulfonates

The first general method for the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura and carbonyl enolate coupling of unactivated aryl arenesulfonates was developed utilizing XPhos, 1, and Pd(OAc)2. This is of significant interest because aryl tosylates and aryl benzenesulfonates are more easily handled and considerably less expensive than aryl triflates. This catalyst system effects the coupling of a variety of aryl, heteroaryl, and extremely hindered arylboronic acids with different aryl tosylates, under mild conditions. The same catalyst was employed in the first carbonyl enolate coupling of aryl arensulfonates.     

Formal Direct Cross‐Coupling of Phenols with Amines

The transition‐metal‐catalyzed amination of aryl halides has been the most powerful method for the formation of aryl amines over the past decades. Phenols are regarded as ideal alternatives to aryl halides as coupling partners in cross‐couplings. An efficient palladium‐catalyzed formal cross‐coupling of phenols with various amines and anilines has now been developed. A variety of substituted phenols were compatible with the standard reaction conditions. Secondary and tertiary aryl amines could thus be synthesized in moderate to excellent yields.     

Carbene adduct of cyclopalladated ferrocenylimine catalyzed α-arylation of ketones with aryl chlorides or bromides

Carbene adduct of cyclopalladated ferrocenylimine exhibited highly catalytic activity for the α-arylation of ketones with aryl halides. The corresponding products were obtained in moderate to excellent yields. Such protocol was applied to various ketones and a broad scope of aryl halides including aryl chlorides, bromides as well as unactivated and sterically hindered aryl halides.     

Mild metal-free syn-stereoselective ring opening of activated epoxides and aziridines with aryl borates

A conceptually new, simple and practical method for the syn-nucleophilic displacement of aryl and vinyl epoxides and aryl aziridines with (substituted) phenols, using aryl borates as activating nucleophiles under neutral conditions, is reported.     

Synthesis of Phenols: Organophotoredox/Nickel Dual Catalytic Hydroxylation of Aryl Halides with Water

A highly effective hydroxylation reaction of aryl halides with water under synergistic organophotoredox and nickel catalysis is reported. The OH group of the resulting phenols originates from water, following deprotonation facilitated by an intramolecular base group on the ligand. Significantly, aryl bromides as well as less reactive aryl chlorides served as effective substrates to afford phenols with a wide range of functional groups. Without the need for a strong inorganic base or an expensive noble‐metal catalyst, this process can be applied to the efficient preparation of diverse phenols and enables the hydroxylation of multifunctional pharmaceutically relevant aryl halides.     

Efficient Negishi coupling reactions of aryl chlorides catalyzed by binuclear and mononuclear nickel-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes

We describe the first nickel-N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed Negishi cross-coupling reaction of a variety of unactivated aryl chlorides, heterocyclic chlorides, aryl dichlorides, and vinyl chloride. The mononuclear and binuclear nickel-NHC complexes supported by heteroarene-functionalized NHC ligands are found to be highly efficient for the coupling of unactivated aryl chlorides and organozinc reagents, leading to biaryls and terphenyls in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. For all aryl chlorides, the binuclear nickel catalysts show activities higher than those of mononuclear nickel complexes because of possible bimetallic cooperative effect.     

Direct Phenolysis Reactions of Unactivated Amides into Phenolic Esters Promoted by a Heterogeneous CeO2 Catalyst

The direct catalytic esterification of amides that leads to the construction of C−O bonds through the cleavage of amide C−N bonds is a highly attractive strategy in organic synthesis. While aliphatic and aromatic alcohols can be readily used for the alcoholysis of activated and unactivated amides, the introduction of phenols is more challenging due to their lower nucleophilicity in the phenolysis of unactivated amides. Herein, we demonstrate that phenols can be used for the phenolysis of unactivated amides into the corresponding phenolic esters using a simple heterogenous catalytic system based on CeO₂ under additive-free reaction conditions. The method tolerates a broad variety of functional groups (>50 examples) in the substrates. Results of kinetic studies afforded mechanistic insights into the principles governing this reaction, suggesting that the cooperative effects of the acid–base functions of catalysts would be of paramount importance for the efficient progression of the C−N bond breaking process, and consequently, CeO₂ showed the best catalytic performance among the catalysts explored.     

Highly efficient gold(III)-catalyzed intermolecular hydroarylation of unactivated alkenes with arenes under mild conditions

A simple and efficient method for functionalization of electron-rich arenes and heteroarenes with unactivated alkenes by Au(III)-catalyzed intermolecular hydroarylation under mild reaction conditions was developed. This method features a short reaction time (5 h) under mild conditions and has a broad substrate scope, including electron-rich arenes and heteroarenes, terminal and internal substituted aryl alkenes, and unactivated aliphatic alkenes.     

Regioselective cobalt-catalyzed addition of sulfides to unactivated alkenes

A novel method to synthesize tertiary alkyl/aryl sulfides in a mild and regioselective manner from unactivated alkenes using cobalt catalysis is described. The methodology is compatible with sensitive functionalities and is successful with several different types of alkenes and sulfides.     

Rational Design of an Iron-Based Catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Couplings Involving Heteroaromatic Boronic Esters and Tertiary Alkyl Electrophiles

Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions between a variety of alkyl halides and unactivated aryl boronic esters using a rationally designed iron-based catalyst supported by β-diketiminate ligands are described. High catalyst activity resulted in a broad substrate scope that included tertiary alkyl halides and heteroaromatic boronic esters. Mechanistic experiments revealed that the iron-based catalyst benefited from the propensity for β-diketiminate ligands to support low-coordinate and highly reducing iron amide intermediates, which are very efficient for effecting the transmetalation step required for the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction.