Mechanistic analysis of iridium(III) catalyzed direct C-H arylations: a DFT study

In a recent experimental work the Ir complex [Ir(cod)(py)(PCy(3))](PF(6)) (that is, Crabtree's catalyst) has been shown to catalyze the C-H arylation of electron-rich heteroarenes with iodoarenes using Ag(2)CO(3) as base. For this process, an electrophilic metalation mechanism, (S(E)Ar) has been proposed as operative mechanism rather than the concerted metalation-deprotonation (CMD) mechanism, widely implicated in Pd-catalyzed arylation reactions. Herein we have investigated the C-H activation step for several (hetero)arenes catalyzed by a Ir(III) catalyst and compared the data obtained with the results for the Pd(II)-catalyzed C-H bond activation. The calculations demonstrate that, similar to Pd(II)-catalyzed reactions, the Ir(III)-catalyzed direct C-H arylation occurs through the CMD pathway which accounts for the experimentally observed regioselectivity. The transition states for Ir(III)-catalyzed direct C-H arylation feature stronger metal-C((arene)) interactions than those for Pd(II)-catalyzed C-H arylation. The calculations also demonstrate that ligands with low trans effect may decrease the activation barrier of the C-H bond cleavage.     

Palladium-catalyzed benzylic C-H insertion of 2-substituted N-iminopyridinium ylides

Palladium-catalyzed direct benzylic C-H arylation of 2-alkyl substituted N-iminopyridinium ylides is described. The insertion can be conducted with several electron-poor and electron-rich aryl chlorides in good yields. This work adds to the few examples of sp3 C-H insertions that have been reported so far.     

Control of product selectivity by a styrene additive in ruthenium-catalyzed C-H arylation

A unique effect of styrene additive on product selectivity was observed for RuH(2)(CO)(PPh(3))(3)-catalyzed C-H arylation of acetophenone derivatives bearing two ortho C-H bonds. Without styrene, the C-H arylation with arylboronates gives diarylation products as the major products throughout the reaction, but the use of styrene as an additive switches the product selectivity and leads to selective formation of monoarylation products.     

Double C-H functionalization in sequential order: direct synthesis of polycyclic compounds by a palladium-catalyzed C-H alkenylation-arylation cascade

Palladium-catalyzed cascade C-H alkenylation and arylation provides convenient access to polycyclic aromatic compounds. Treatment of 3-bromoaniline derivatives bearing a bromocinnamyl group on the nitrogen atom with a catalytic amount of [Pd(OAc)(2)] and PCy(3)·HBF(4) in the presence of Cs(2)CO(3) in dioxane affords naphthalene-fused indole derivatives in good yields. This double cyclization reaction is also applicable to heterocyclic substrates, giving fused indoles containing a heteroaromatic ring such as dibenzofuran, dibenzothiophene, carbazole, indole, or benzofuran through heterocyclic C-H arylation. When using a 2,6-unsubstituted aniline derivative, the first C-H arylation preferentially proceeds at the more hindered position of the aniline ring.     

Direct C-H arylation of (hetero)arenes with aryl iodides via rhodium catalysis

A new method for the catalytic C-H arylation of heteroarenes and arenes that manifests high activity paired with reasonably broad scope was developed. Under the catalytic influence of RhCl(CO){P[OCH(CF3)2]3}2 and Ag2CO3, the direct C-H arylation of heteroarenes/arenes with aryl/heteroaryl iodides took place to afford a range of biaryls in good to excellent yields with high regioselectivity. Thiophenes, furans, pyrroles, indoles, and alkoxybenzenes are applicable in this arylation protocol.     

Decarbonylative C-h coupling of azoles and aryl esters: unprecedented nickel catalysis and application to the synthesis of muscoride a

A nickel-catalyzed decarbonylative C-H biaryl coupling of azoles and aryl esters is described. The newly developed catalytic system does not require the use of expensive metal catalysts or silver- or copper-based stoichiometric oxidants. We have successfully applied this new C-H arylation reaction to a convergent formal synthesis of muscoride A.     

Direct arylation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through palladium catalysis

We have discovered that the combination of Pd(OAc)(2)/o-chloranil can catalyze the direct C-H bond arylation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with arylboroxins that occurs selectively at the K-region. The sequential integration of Pd-catalyzed direct arylation of PAHs and FeCl(3)-mediated cyclodehydrogenation is effective in rapidly extending a parent PAH π-system with high directionality.     

Mechanistic origin of ligand-controlled regioselectivity in Pd-catalyzed C-H activation/arylation of thiophenes

The use of ligands to control regioselectivity in transition-metal-catalyzed C-H activation/functionalization is a highly desirable but challenging task. Recently, Itami et al. reported an important finding relating to Pd-catalyzed ligand-controlled α/β-selective C-H arylation of thiophenes. Specifically, the use of the 2,2'-bipyridyl ligand resulted in α-arylation, whereas the use of the bulky fluorinated phosphine ligand P[OCH(CF(3))(2)](3) resulted in β-arylation. Understanding of this surprising ligand-controlled α/β-selectivity could provide important insights into the development of more efficient catalyst systems for selective C-H arylation, and so we carried out a detailed computational study on the problem with use of density functional theory methods. Three mechanistic possibilities--S(E)Ar and migration, metalation/deprotonation, and Heck-type arylation mechanisms--were examined. The results showed that the S(E)Ar and migration mechanism might not be plausible, because the key Wheland intermediates could not be obtained. On the other hand, our study indicated that the metalation/deprotonation and Heck-type arylation mechanisms were both involved in Itami's reactions. In the metalation/deprotonation pathway the α-selective product (C5-product) was preferred, whereas in the Heck-type arylation mechanism the β-selective product (C4-product) was favored. The ligands played crucial roles in tuning the relative barriers of the two different pathways. In the 2,2'-bipyridyl-assisted system, the metalation/deprotonation pathway was energetically advantageous, leading to α-selectivity. In the P[OCH(CF(3))(2)](3)-assisted system, on the other hand, the Heck-type arylation mechanism was kinetically favored, leading to β-selectivity. An interesting finding was that P[OCH(CF(3))(2)](3) could produce a C-H···O hydrogen bond in the catalyst system, which was crucial for stabilization of the Heck-type transition state. In comparison, this C-H···O hydrogen bond was absent with the other phosphine ligands [i.e., P(OMe)(3), PPh(3), PCy(3)] and these phosphine ligands therefore favored the metalation/deprotonation pathway leading to α-selectivity. Furthermore, in this study we have provided theoretical evidence showing that the Heck-type arylation reaction could proceed through an anti-β-hydride elimination process.     

Regioselective C-H bond functionalizations of acridines using organozinc reagents

Despite the recent advance in C-H bond functionalization chemistry, the C-H bonds in the acridine ring system, which is an important scaffold in medicinal and material science, have met with limited success, due, in part, to the lack of activated C-H bonds adjacent to the ring nitrogen atom. Herein, several protocols that can effect the regioselective arylation and alkylation of acridines at the C-4 and C-9 positions are described.     

Copper-mediated C-H bond arylation of arenes with arylboronic acids

A new copper-mediated cross-coupling of arenes and arylboronic acids is described. Under the influence of Cu(OCOCF 3) 2, the C-H bond arylation of electron-rich arenes with arylboronic acids takes place to afford a range of biaryls in good yields. The reaction is selective for cross-coupling; no homocoupling product arising from arenes or arylboronic acids is detected. Multiple C-H bond arylation is possible with indoles and pyrroles furnishing interesting extended pi-systems.     

The first use of [PdBr2(imidazolidin-2-ylidene)(pyridine)] catalysts in the direct C-H bond arylation of C2-substituted furan and thiophene

Research on Chemical Intermediates - N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-linked PEPPSI-type palladium complexes have recently been used in the direct C-H bond arylation of heteroarenes. However, in most...     

Sequential hydrocarbon functionalization: allylic C-H oxidation/vinylic C-H arylation

A Pd(II)/sulfoxide-catalyzed sequential allylic C-H oxidation/vinylic C-H arylation of alpha-olefins to furnish E-arylated allylic esters in high regio- and E:Z selectivities (>20:1) is reported. The broad scope of this method with respect to the alpha-olefin, carboxylic acid, and aryl boronic acid enables the rapid assembly of densely functionalized fragments for complex molecule synthesis from cheap, abundant hydrocarbon starting materials. The Pd(II)/sulfoxide-catalyzed vinylic C-H arylation of electronically unbiased olefins with aryl boronic acids proceeds under oxidative, acidic conditions and mild temperatures (room temperature to 45 degrees C).     

Pd(II)-catalyzed para-selective C-H arylation of monosubstituted arenes

Pd-catalyzed highly para-selective C-H arylation of monosubstituted arenes (including toluene) is developed for the first time using an F(+) reagent as a bystanding oxidant. This finding provides a new retrosynthetic disconnection for para-substituted biaryl synthesis via C-H/C-H cross-coupling.     

Integrated catalytic C-H transformations for one-pot synthesis of 1-arylisoindoles from isoindolines via palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation followed by C-H arylation

A one-pot conversion of isoindolines to 1-arylisoindoles was established from palladium-catalyzed cascade C-H transformations, that is, the dehydrogenation of isoindolines to give isoindoles, with subsequent C-H arylation of the isoindoles.     

Rhodium-catalyzed arylation using arylboron compounds: efficient coupling with aryl halides and unexpected multiple arylation of benzonitrile

[reaction: see text]. The Suzuki-Miyaura-type cross-coupling of arylboron compounds with aryl halides proceeds efficiently in the presence of a rhodium-based catalyst system to produce the corresponding biaryls. Furthermore, it has unexpectedly been observed that the treatment with benzonitrile under similar conditions brings about its multiple arylation, in which nucleophilic arylation on the cyano group and subsequent ortho arylation via C-H bond cleavage are involved.     

Highly regioselective arylation of sp3 C-H bonds catalyzed by palladium acetate

A new palladium-catalyzed arylation process based on C-H activation has been developed. The utilization of pyridine-containing directing groups allows the beta-arylation of carboxylic acid derivatives and gamma-arylation of amine derivatives. Both primary and secondary sp3 C-H bonds, as well as sp2 C-H bonds, are reactive.     

Palladium-Catalyzed C(sp(3))-H Arylation of Diarylmethanes at Room Temperature: Synthesis of Triarylmethanes via Deprotonative-Cross-Coupling Processes

Although metal-catalyzed direct arylation reactions of non- or weakly acidic C-H bonds have recently received much attention, chemists have relied heavily on substrates with appropriately placed directing groups to steer reactivity. To date, examples of intermolecular arylation of unactivated C(sp(3))-H bonds in the absence of a directing group remain scarce. We report herein the first general, high-yielding, and scalable method for palladium-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H arylation of simple diarylmethane derivatives with aryl bromides at room temperature. This method facilitates access to a variety of sterically and electronically diverse hetero- and nonheteroaryl-containing triarylmethanes, a class of compounds with various applications and interesting biological activity. Key to the success of this approach is an in situ metalation of the substrate via C-H deprotonation under catalytic cross-coupling conditions, which is referred to as a deprotonative-cross-coupling process (DCCP). Base and catalyst identification were performed by high-throughput experimentation (HTE) and led to a unique base/catalyst combination [KN(SiMe(3))(2)/Pd-NiXantphos] that proved to efficiently promote the room-temperature DCCP of diarylmethanes. Additionally, the DCCP exhibits remarkable chemoselectivity in the presence of substrates that are known to undergo O-, N-, enolate-, and C(sp(2))-H arylation.     

Copper-catalyzed oxidative sp3 C-H bond arylation with aryl boronic acids

An efficient method was developed for arylation of sp(3) C-H bonds using copper bromide as catalyst in absence of directing group with arylboronic acids. The oxidative arylation provides easy access to biologically active tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives and can either use peroxide or molecular oxygen as oxidant.     

Synthesis of 6,8,9-tri- and 2,6,8,9-tetrasubstituted purines by a combination of the Suzuki cross-coupling, N-arylation, and direct C-H arylation reactions

Novel practical methodology of synthesis of a several types of di-, tri-, and tetraarylpurine derivatives by a combination of regioselective Suzuki cross-coupling reactions and/or Cu-catalyzed N-arylation with direct C-H arylations was developed. 6,8-Diaryl- and 2,6,8-triaryl-9-isopropylpurines were prepared by one or two cross-couplings of 6-chloro- or 2,6-dichloro-9-isopropylpurine with arylboronic acids followed by Pd-catalyzed C-H arylation by aryl halides to position 8. 6-Chloropurine and adenine underwent Cu-catalyzed N-arylation to position 9 with boronic acids, followed by cross-coupling with AlMe3 and/or C-H arylation to obtain 8,9-diaryl-6-methylpurines or 8,9-diaryladenines (accompanied by products of partial N-arylation of adenine in position 6). The methodology is suitable for construction of small libraries of modified purines.     

Palladium-catalyzed benzene arylation: incorporation of catalytic pivalic acid as a proton shuttle and a key element in catalyst design

A palladium-pivalic acid cocatalyst system has been developed that exhibits unprecedented reactivity in direct arylation. This reactivity is illustrated with the first examples of high yielding direct metalation-arylation reactions of a completely unactivated arene, benzene. Experimental and computational evidence indicates that the pivalate anion is a key component in the palladation/C-H bond breaking event, that it lowers the energy of C-H bond cleavage and acts as a catalytic proton shuttle from benzene to the stoichiometric carbonate base. Eight examples of substituted aryl bromides are included which undergo direct arylation with benzene in 55-85% yield.