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.     

Ru(II)-Catalyzed Amidation of 2-Arylpyridines with Isocyanates via C-H Activation

An efficient Ru(II)-catalyzed amidation of 2-arylpyridines with isocyanates via C-H bond activation is described.     

Snapshot of the palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidative biaryl bond formation by X-ray analysis of the intermediate diaryl palladium(II) complex

Pd(II) caught in the act: The diaryl Pd(II) intermediate of a Pd(II)-catalyzed oxidative biaryl bond formation proceeding via a double C-H bond activation has been isolated and fully characterized, including an X-ray crystal structure analysis. Stabilization due to chelation by adjacent pivaloyloxy and acetyl groups has allowed the isolation of this long-sought crucial intermediate. On gentle warming, the complex is transformed into a carbazole product, and the catalytically active Pd(II) species is regenerated by oxidation with Cu(II).     

Palladium-catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling between pyridine N-oxides and indoles

A Pd(II)-catalyzed oxidative coupling between pyridine N-oxides and N-substituted indoles via 2-fold C-H bond activation was achieved with high selectivity using Ag(2)CO(3) as an oxidant.     

Pd(II)-catalyzed ortho trifluoromethylation of arenes and insights into the coordination mode of acidic amide directing groups

A Pd(II)-catalyzed trifluoromethylation of ortho C-H bonds with an array of N-arylbenzamides derived from benzoic acids is reported. N-Methylformamide has been identified as a crucial promoter of C-CF(3) bond formation from the Pd center. X-ray characterization of the C-H insertion intermediate has revealed a rare coordination mode of acidic amides as directing groups and the origin of their capacity in directing C-H activation.     

Copper(II)-catalyzed aerobic oxidative synthesis of substituted 1,2,3- and 1,2,4-triazoles from bisarylhydrazones via C-H functionalization/C-C/N-N/C-N bonds formation

An unprecedented copper(II)-catalyzed aerobic oxidative synthesis of 2,4,5-triaryl-1,2,3-triazoles and 1,3,5-triaryl-1,2,4-triazoles from bisarylhydrazones as the common starting precursor has been achieved via cascade C-H functionalization/C-C/N-N/C-N bonds formation under mild reaction conditions. One of the enthralling outcomes of this strategy is the copper(II)-catalyzed room temperature C-H functionalization/C-N bond formation in presence of air, which has been accomplished during the synthesis of substituted 1,2,4-triazoles. This new class of compounds could give prospective luminescence as an iconic component in the area of pharmaceutical and biological sciences. The intermediates for both the processes have been isolated to elucidate the mechanistic scenario.     

Cu(Ⅱ)-catalyzed domino reaction of 2-halobenzamide and arylmethanamine to construct 2-aryl quinazolinone

A novel method for achieving a copper(II)-catalyzed domino reaction for the construction of 2-aryl quinazolinones,without the addition of any ligand and additive,has been developed.The domino reaction achieved N-(a-substituted)benzylation,benzylic C–H amidation,and C–C(or C–H) bond cleavage.     

One-pot synthesis of benzofused heteroaryl azoles via tandem C-heteroatom coupling/C-H activation of azoles

The Cu(I) or Pd(II)-catalyzed cross-couplings of gem-dihaloolefins with azoles via tandem C-heteroatom coupling/C-H activation for the preparation of benzofused heteroaryl azoles have been developed.     

Synthesis of biphenyl-2-carbonitrile derivatives via a palladium-catalyzed sp2 C-H bond activation using cyano as a directing group

Pd(II)-catalyzed aromatic C-H bond activation using cyano as a directing group was carried out in TFA medium. Biphenyl-2-carbonitrile derivatives were therefore synthesized from aryl nitriles and aryl halides in moderate to good yields.     

Copper(II)-catalyzed conversion of bisaryloxime ethers to 2-arylbenzoxazoles via C-H functionalization/C-N/C-O bonds formation

A copper(II)-catalyzed conversion of bisaryloxime ethers to 2-arylbenzoxazoles has been developed. The reaction involves a cascade C-H functionalization and C-N/C-O bond formation under oxygen atmosphere.     

Theoretical analysis of the mechanism of palladium(II) acetate-catalyzed oxidative Heck coupling of electron-deficient arenes with alkenes: effects of the pyridine-type ancillary ligand and origins of the meta-regioselectivity

A systematic theoretical study is carried out on the mechanism for Pd(II)-catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling between electron-deficient arenes and alkenes. Two types of reaction pathways involving either a sequence of initial arene C-H activation followed by alkene activation, or the reverse sequence of initial alkene C-H activation followed by arene activation are evaluated. Several types of C-H activation mechanisms are discussed including oxidative addition, σ-bond metathesis, concerted metalation/deprotonation, and Heck-type alkene insertion. It is proposed that the most favored reaction pathway should involve an initial concerted metalation/deprotonation step for arene C-H activation by (L)Pd(OAc)(2) (L denotes pyridine type ancillary ligand) to generate a (L)(HOAc)Pd(II)-aryl intermediate, followed by substitution of the ancillary pyridine ligand by alkene substrate and direct insertion of alkene double bond into Pd(II)-aryl bond. The rate- and regio-determining step of the catalytic cycle is concerted metalation/deprotonation of arene C-H bond featuring a six-membered ring transition state. Other mechanism alternatives possess much higher activation barriers, and thus are kinetically less competitive. Possible competing homocoupling pathways have also been shown to be kinetically unfavorable. On the basis of the proposed reaction pathway, the regioselectivity predicted for a number of monosubstituted benzenes is in excellent agreement with experimental observations, thus, lending further support for our proposed mechanism. Additionally, the origins of the regioselectivity of C-H bond activation is elucidated to be caused by a major steric repulsion effect of the ancillary pyridine type ligand with ligands on palladium center and a minor electronic effect of the preinstalled substituent on the benzene ring on the cleaving C-H bond. This would finally lead to the formation of a mixture of meta and para C-H activation products with meta products dominating while no ortho products were detected. Finally, the multiple roles of the ancillary pyridine type ligand have been discussed. These insights are valuable for our understanding and further development of more efficient and selective transition metal-catalyzed oxidative C-H/C-H coupling reactions.     

Rhodium-catalyzed regioselective C-H functionalization via decarbonylation of acid chlorides and C-H bond activation under phosphine-free conditions

Efficient rhodium(I)-catalyzed regioselective functionalization of aromatic C-H bonds has been realized with acid chlorides as the coupling partners via decarbonylation and C-H activation under phosphine-free conditions.     

Understanding Reactivity and Stereoselectivity in Palladium-Catalyzed Diastereoselective sp(3) C-H Bond Activation: Intermediate Characterization and Computational Studies

The origin of the high levels of reactivity and diastereoselectivity (>99:1 dr) observed in the oxazoline-directed, Pd(II)-catalyzed sp(3) C-H bond iodination and acetoxylation reactions as reported in previous publications has been studied and explained on the basis of experimental and computational investigations. The characterization of a trinuclear chiral C-H insertion intermediate by X-ray paved the way for further investigations into C-H insertion step through the lens of stereochemistry. Computational investigations on reactivities and diastereoselectivities of C-H activation of t-Bu- and i-Pr-substituted oxazolines provided good agreement with the experimental results. Theoretical predictions with DFT calculations revealed that C-H activation occurs at the monomeric Pd center and that the most preferred transition state for C-H activation contains two sterically bulky t-Bu substituents in anti-positions due to steric repulsion and that this transition state leads to the major diastereomer, which is consistent with the structure of the newly characterized C-H insertion intermediate. The structural information about the transition state also suggests that a minimum dihedral angle between C-H bonds and Pd-OAc bonds is crucial for C-H bond cleavage. We have also utilized density functional theory (DFT) to calculate the energies of various potential intermediates and transition states with t-Bu- and i-Pr-substituted oxazolines and suggested a possible explanation for the substantial difference in reactivity between the t-Bu- and i-Pr-substituted oxazolines.     

Copper-catalyzed amidation of 2-phenylpyridine with oxygen as the terminal oxidant

The Cu(OAc)(2)-catalyzed, O(2)-mediated amidation of 2-phenylpyridine via C-H bond activation is reported. A variety of nitrogen reagents including sulfonamides, carboxamides, and anilines participate in the reaction in moderate to good yields.     

Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H activation of primary benzamides and tandem cyclization with cyclic 2-diazo-1,3-diketones for the synthesis of isocoumarins

A simple and efficient Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H activation and tandem intramolecular cyclization for the synthesis of isocoumarins has been developed. The protocol uses easily available primary benzamides and cyclic 2-diazo-1,3-diketones as starting materials. This reaction proceeds via C-C and C-O bond formation in a single reaction vessel, and the corresponding isocoumarins were obtained in moderate to excellent yields (58%–97%). The well established protocol showed high functional group tolerance, which provided an efficient and alternative route to isocoumarin backbone.     

Palladium-catalyzed direct olefination of urea derivatives with n-butyl acrylate by C-H bond activation under mild reaction conditions

Pd(II)-catalyzed aromatic C-H bond activation using urea as a directing group was achieved in a p-TsOH/AcOH medium under mild reaction conditions. The direct olefination products of various urea derivatives were produced from aryl urea derivatives and butyl acrylate in moderate to good yields.     

Regioselective Mercury(I)/Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Single-Step Approach for the Synthesis of Imines and 2-Substituted Indoles

An efficient synthesis of ketimines was achieved through a regioselective Hg(I)-catalyzed hydroamination of terminal acetylenes in the presence of anilines. The Pd(II)-catalyzed cyclization of these imines into the 2-substituted indoles was satisfactorily carried out by a C-H activation. In a single-step approach, a variety of 2-substituted indoles were also generated via a Hg(I)/Pd(II)-catalyzed, one-pot, two-step process, starting from anilines and terminal acetylenes. The arylacetylenes proved to be more effective than the alkyl derivatives.     

Palladium-catalyzed oxidative C–H/C–H cross-couplings of thiazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidine with aromatic (hetero)cycles

A novel Pd(II)-catalyzed dehydrogenative cross-coupling reaction of thiazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidine with unactivated (hetero)arenes via C–H bond activation was achieved. This protocol provides a straightforward and operationally simple method for the synthesis of 2-arylsubstituted thiazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidines of interest in pharmaceutical sciences.     

Palladium(II)-assisted ortho alkylation of C(sp2)-H bonds in substituted azobenzenes with simple alkyl halides

Abstract

A new and relatively simple synthetic strategy has been described for Pd(II)-catalyzed C-C bond formation via alkylation of ortho C(sp²)-H bonds in substituted azobenzenes possessing (2-phenylamino)phenylazo directing group employing different alkyl iodides. The yields of various ortho alkylated products are found to be good to excellent (65%–85%). A palladocyclic intermediate complex has been isolated and fully characterized. Based on the experimental results and the isolation of the palladocyclic intermediate, a catalytic cycle involving a sequential C-H activation/oxidative addition followed by reductive elimination pathway has been proposed.     

Synthesis of 2-(polyfluoroaryl)benzofurans via a copper(I)-catalyzed reaction of 2-(2,2-dibromovinyl)phenol with polyfluoroarene

A novel and efficient route for the synthesis of 2-(polyfluoroaryl)benzofurans via a copper(I)-catalyzed tandem reaction of 2-(2,2-dibromovinyl)phenol with polyfluoroarene is reported. The corresponding products are generated in good yields. During the reaction process, a copper-catalyzed intramolecular C-O bond formation and a C-H activation are involved.