Synthesis of Triazenes with Nitrous Oxide

Triazenes are valuable compounds in organic chemistry and numerous applications have been reported. Furthermore, triazenes have been investigated extensively as potential antitumor drugs. Here, we describe a new method for the synthesis of triazenes. The procedure involves a reagent which is rarely used in synthetic organic chemistry: nitrous oxide (N₂O, “laughing gas”). Nitrous oxide mediates the coupling of lithium amides and organomagnesium compounds while serving as a nitrogen donor. Despite the very inert character of nitrous oxide, the reactions can be performed in solution under mild conditions. A key advantage of the new procedure is the ability to access triazenes with alkynyl and alkenyl substituents. These compounds are difficult to prepare by conventional methods because the required starting materials are unstable. Some of the new alkynyltriazenes were found to display high cytotoxicity in in vitro tests on ovarian and breast cancer cell lines.     

Allylic Functionalization of Unactivated Olefins with Grignard Reagents

New advances in the functionalization of unactivated olefins with carbon nucleophiles have provided more efficient and practical approaches to convert inexpensive starting materials into valuable products. Recent examples have been reported with stabilized carbon nucleophiles, tethered carbon nucleophiles, diazoesters, and trifluoromethane donors. A general method for functionalizing olefins with aromatic, aliphatic, and vinyl Grignard reagents was developed. In a one‐pot process, olefins are oxidized by a commercially available reagent to allylic electrophiles, which undergo selective copper‐catalyzed allylic alkylation with Grignard reagents. Products are formed in high yield and with high regioselectivity. This was utilized to synthesize a series of skipped dienes, a class of compounds that are prevalent in natural products and are difficult to synthesize by known allylic alkylation methods.     

Catalytic Reactions of Titanium Alkoxides with Grignard Reagents and Imines: A Mechanistic Study

The reactivity of Grignard reagents towards imines in the presence of catalytic and stoichiometric amounts of titanium alkoxides is reported. Alkylation, reduction, and coupling of imines take place. Whereas reductive coupling is the major reaction in stoichiometric reactions, alkylation is favored in catalytic reactions. Mechanistic studies clearly indicate that intermediates involved in the two reactions are different. Catalytic reactions involve a metal–alkyl complex. This has been confirmed by reactions of deuterium‐labeled substrates and different alkylating agents. Under the stoichiometric conditions, however, titanium olefin complexes are formed through reductive elimination, probably through a multinuclear intermediate.     

Iron-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Alkynyl and Styrenyl Chlorides with Alkyl Grignard Reagents in Batch and Flow

Transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling chemistry can be regarded as one of the most powerful protocols to construct carbon–carbon bonds. While the field is still dominated by palladium catalysis, there is an increasing interest to develop protocols that utilize cheaper and more sustainable metal sources. Herein, we report a selective, practical, and fast iron-based cross-coupling reaction that enables the formation of Csp−Csp³ and Csp²−Csp³ bonds. In a telescoped flow process, the reaction can be combined with the Grignard reagent synthesis. Moreover, flow allows the use of a supporting ligand to be avoided without eroding the reaction selectivity.     

Copper-Catalyzed Addition of Grignard Reagents to in situ Generated Indole-Derived Vinylogous Imines

Chiral indole derivatives are ubiquitous motifs in pharmaceuticals and alkaloids. Herein, the first protocol for catalytic asymmetric conjugate addition of Grignard reagents to various sulfonyl indoles, offering a straightforward approach for the synthesis of chiral 3-sec-alkyl-substituted indoles in high yields and enantiomeric ratios is presented. This methodology makes use of a chiral catalyst based on copper phosphoramidite complexes and in situ formation of vinylogous imine intermediates.     

Iron‐catalyzed Cross‐Coupling of Propargyl Carboxylates and Grignard Reagents: Synthesis of Substituted Allenes

Presented herein is a mild, facile, and efficient iron‐catalyzed synthesis of substituted allenes from propargyl carboxylates and Grignard reagents. Only 1–5 mol % of the inexpensive and environmentally benign [Fe(acac)₃] at ?20 °C was sufficient to afford a broad range of substituted allenes in excellent yields. The method tolerates a variety of functional groups.     

铜催化下格氏试剂与酰卤的选择性偶合: 直链酮化合物的合成

在一般情况下,格氏试剂与酰卤偶合反应难以控制在酮阶段,往往得到叔醇。在较低温度下有机铜试剂与酰卤偶合可高产率地得到酮,所以用固体铜盐CuX(X=Cl、Br、I)作为格氏试剂与酰卤偶合的催化剂,可以提高反应的选择性,从而提高酮的产率。但固体铜盐的催化反应仅适合于空间位阻较大的脂肪酮和某些芳香酮的制备,对于直链脂肪酮的制备则产率很低。我们采用可溶性铜络合物Li_2Cucl_4(四氯合铜酸锂)等作催化剂,在均相溶液中反应,有效地提高了催化效果及反应的选择性,从而使格氏试剂与酰卤的偶合反应成功地用于直链脂肪酮的制备,产率良好。     

Reactions of methylchlorodisilanes with Grignard reagents

Reactions of Cl₂MeSiSiMeCl₂ with RMgCl make it possible to obtain and isolate pure disilanes containing a smaller number of functional groups, namely, RMeClSiSiMeCl₂ (R = Ph), RMeClSiSiMeRCl (R = Prⁱ, Ph), and R₂MeSiSiMeRCl (R = Buⁱ). The reaction of Cl₂MeSiSiMeCl₂ with BuⁿMgCl is the least selective. The chlorides obtained were reduced with LiAlH₄ into the corresponding hydrides.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 954–957, May, 1995.     

Cu‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation of Phosphonates and Phosphine Oxides with Grignard Reagents

An efficient and highly enantioselective copper‐catalyzed allylic alkylation of phosphonates and phosphine oxides with Grignard reagents and Taniaphos or phosphoramidites as chiral ligands is reported. Transformation of these products leads to a variety of new phosphorus‐containing chiral intermediates.     

Nanosized Iron- or Copper-Catalyzed Homocoupling of Aryl,Heteroaryl, Benzyl,and Alkenyl Grignard Reagents

Under very mild reaction conditions, iron or copper nanoparticles efficiently promoted the homocoupling of different Grignard reagents in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature. The nanosized iron or copper particles were generated in situ in a simple and economical way from commercially available FeCl₂ or CuCl₂, respectively, an excess of lithium powder, and a catalytic amount (5 mol%) of 4,4′-di-tert-butylbiphenyl (DTBB) as electron carrier. The reaction of a series of aryl, heteroaryl, benzyl, and alkenyl Grignard reagents in the presence of a substoichiometric amount of the iron or copper nanoparticles led to the formation of the corresponding homocoupling products in good yield.     

Nitrous Oxide as a Hydrogen Acceptor for the Dehydrogenative Coupling of Alcohols

The oxidation of alcohols with N₂O as the hydrogen acceptor was achieved with low catalyst loadings of a rhodium complex that features a cooperative bis(olefin)amido ligand under mild conditions. Two different methods enable the formation of either the corresponding carboxylic acid or the ester. N₂ and water are the only by‐products. Mechanistic studies supported by DFT calculations suggest that the oxygen atom of N₂O is transferred to the metal center by insertion into the Rh?H bond of a rhodium amino hydride species, generating a rhodium hydroxy complex as a key intermediate.     

Iron‐Catalyzed Stereoselective Cross‐Coupling Reactions of Stereodefined Enol Carbamates with Grignard Reagents

A practical and highly stereoselective iron‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reaction of stereodefined enol carbamates and Grignard reagents to yield tri‐ and tetrasubstituted acrylates is reported. A facile method for the stereoselective generation of these enol carbamates has also been developed.     

Formation of Quaternary Stereogenic Centers by NHC–Cu‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Conjugate Addition Reactions with Grignard Reagents on Polyconjugated Cyclic Enones

The copper‐catalyzed conjugate addition of various Grignard reagents to polyconjugated enones (dienone and enynone derivatives) is reported. The catalyst system, composed of copper triflate and an NHC ligand, led to the unusual selective formation of the 1,4‐addition products. This reaction allows for the creation of all‐carbon chiral quaternary centers with enantiomeric excesses up to 99 %. The remaining unsaturation on the 1,4 adducts give access to valuable synthetic transformations.