Iron‐Catalyzed Direct Oxidative Alkylation and Hydroxylation of Indolin‐2‐ones with Alkyl‐Substituted N‐Heteroarenes

Presented herein is the first direct alkylation and hydroxylation reaction between two different C(sp³)?H bonds, indolin‐2‐ones and alkyl‐substituted N‐heteroarenes, through an oxidative cross‐coupling reaction. The reaction is catalyzed by a simple iron salt under mild ligand‐free and base‐free conditions. The reaction is environmentally benign, employs air (molecular oxygen) as the terminal oxidant and oxygen source for the synthesis of O‐containing compounds, and produces only water as the byproduct.     

Palladium‐catalyzed synthesis of 8‐allyl or 8‐prenylcoumarins by using organotin reagents as multicoupling nucleophiles

In this study, 8‐iodocoumarin derivatives underwent a direct Stille cross‐coupling reaction with several organotin compounds in the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(PPh₃)₄ in DMF at 80 °C. The cross‐coupling reaction proceeded smoothly under mild conditions and permitted the formation of 8‐allyl or 8‐prenylcoumarin compounds in good yields. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Copper‐Catalyzed γ‐Selective and Stereospecific Allylic Cross‐Coupling with Secondary Alkylboranes

The scope of the copper‐catalyzed coupling reactions between organoboron compounds and allylic phosphates is expanded significantly by employing triphenylphosphine as a ligand for copper, allowing the use of secondary alkylboron compounds. The reaction proceeds with complete γ‐E‐selectivity and preferential 1,3‐syn stereoselectivity. The reaction of γ‐silicon‐substituted allylic phosphates affords enantioenriched α‐stereogenic allylsilanes.     

Synthesis of Novel 2‐Oxoquinoline Derivatives via Ugi‐Four‐Component‐Heck Reaction

The present study provides an efficient strategy for the preparation of novel N‐substituted‐4‐methyl‐quinolin‐1(2H)‐one derivatives via two‐step Ugi/Heck reaction. The procedure is based on the Ugi coupling between 2‐bromoanilines, various aromatic aldehydes, vinylacetic acid, and isocyanides, and then intramolecular Heck reaction, which leads to the formation of the title compounds in good yields.     

Single and Twofold Metal‐ and Reagent‐Free Anodic C−C Cross‐Coupling of Phenols with Thiophenes

The first electrochemical dehydrogenative C−C cross‐coupling of thiophenes with phenols has been realized. This sustainable and very simple to perform anodic coupling reaction enables access to two classes of compounds of significant interest. The scope for electrochemical C−H‐activating cross‐coupling reactions was expanded to sulfur heterocycles. Previously, only various benzoid aromatic systems could be converted, while the application of heterocycles was not successful in the electrochemical C−H‐activating cross‐coupling reaction. Here, reagent‐ and metal‐free reaction conditions offer a sustainable electrochemical pathway that provides an attractive synthetic method to a broad variety of bi‐ and terarylic products based on thiophenes and phenols. This method is easy to conduct in an undivided cell, is scalable, and is inherently safe. The resulting products offer applications in electronic materials or as [OSO]²⁻ pincer‐type ligands.     

The palladium‐catalyzed C‐N cross‐coupling reaction of diheteroaryl disulfides with heterocyclic amines

The Pd‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reaction of 1, 2‐di(pyrimidin‐2‐yl) disulfides with heterocyclic amines including 2‐amino pyrimidines and 1,3,4‐thiadiazol‐2‐amines to deliver symmetrical C‐N coupling products in moderate to good yields is reported. This method provides an opportunity for synthesis of bioactive molecules and pharmaceutically interesting compounds containing heterocycle motifs. The reported protocol shows good functional group compatibility, and provides a new strategy for preparation of C2‐amination pyrimidine derivatives from heterocyclic disulfides.     

Expedient Synthesis of Chiral α‐Amino Acids through Nickel‐Catalyzed Reductive Cross‐Coupling

A novel method for the synthesis of non‐natural L ‐ and D ‐amino acids by a Ni‐catalyzed reductive cross‐coupling reaction is described. This strategy enables the racemization‐free cross‐coupling of serine/homoserine‐ derived iodides with aryl/acyl/alkyl halides. It provides convenient access to varieties of enantiopure and functionalized amino acids, which are important building blocks in bioactive compounds and pharmaceuticals.     

Mesoporous Silica MCM‐41 Supported N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Pd Complex for Heck and Sonogashira Coupling Reactions

Heterocyclic carbene‐Pd complex was anchored onto the mesoporous silica MCM‐41 which exhibits high catalytic activity in Heck reaction under phosphine free reaction conditions for the reaction of iodo/bromoarenes with olefinic compounds such as butyl acrylate, isopropyl acrylate and styrene. This catalytic system also showed high activity for Sonogashira coupling reaction of various aryl halides under copper, phosphine and solvent‐free reaction conditions. The air and thermally stable catalyst were reused several times without significant loss of its activity. High efficiency of the catalyst along with its recycling ability and the rather low Pd‐loading demonstrated in both Heck and Sonogashira coupling reactions are the merits of the presented catalyst system.     

Transition‐metal‐free N‐arylation: A general approach to aza‐fused poly‐heteroaromatics

A new and efficient method for the synthesis of various aza‐fused poly‐hetero aromatics has been described. This protocol includes an intermolecular condensation followed by metal‐free base‐promoted intramolecular C―N coupling reaction. The advantage of this one‐pot transformation lies in the use of simple cyclic amidines‐like compounds without prefunctionalization of the starting heterocycles.     

[Emim][BF4]: An Efficient Green Protocol for the Synthesis of Bioactive 2‐(5‐(substituted)‐2,6‐dioxo‐1,2,5,6‐tetrahydropyrimidin‐4‐yl)‐2,3‐dihydrophthalazine‐1,4‐dione Derivatives

The present study is designed to synthesize the 2‐(5‐(substituted)‐2,6‐dioxo‐1,2,5,6‐tetrahydropyrimidin‐4‐yl)‐2,3‐dihydrophthalazine‐1,4‐diones and investigate their anticancer activity. This is the first example of the condensation reaction of a series of phthalhydrazide derivatives in ionic liquid. In this investigation, the titled compounds syntheses were carried out by simple and efficient three component coupling of phthalhydrazide, aldehydes, and barbituric acid in the presence of [Emim][BF₄] ionic liquid. This methodology was provided and promotes the higher product yields in shorter reaction times and mild reaction conditions. The title compounds were tested for their anticancer activity. Some of them were shown the significant cytotoxic activity against the selected cancer cell lines.     

Ligand‐Promoted Oxidative Cross‐Coupling of Aryl Boronic Acids and Aryl Silanes by Palladium Catalysis

The first cross‐coupling reaction between aryl silanes and aryl boronic acids is described. This transformation represents one of the very few examples of coupling reactions between two nucleophilic organometallic reagents and provides a new method for the formation of biaryl compounds. The successful development of this reaction was enabled by the use of commercially available 2,2′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl (BINAP) as the ligand. A small amount of BINAP (3 mol %) was sufficient to suppress the formation of the homocoupling products, and the reaction yielded the cross‐coupling products with high selectivity under mild conditions, even when the ratio of the two coupling partners was 1:1.     

Bottom‐up Construction of π‐Extended Arenes by a Palladium‐Catalyzed Annulative Dimerization of o‐Iodobiaryl Compounds

A straightforward method was developed for construction of aromatic compounds with a triphenylene core. The method involves Pd‐catalyzed annulative dimerization of o‐iodobiaryl compounds by double C?I and C?H bond cleavage steps. Simple reaction conditions are needed, requiring neither a ligand nor an oxidant, and the reaction tolerates a wide range of coupling partners without compromising efficiency or scalability. Significantly, the tetrachloro‐substituted synthon, 1,6,11‐trichloro‐4‐(4‐chlorophenyl)triphenylene, can be generated and used to prepare a series of fully fused, small graphene nanoribbons by a late‐stage arylation with arylboronic acids and a subsequent Scholl reaction. The synthetic strategy enables bottom‐up access to extended π‐systems in a controlled manner.     

Organoaluminum‐Mediated Direct Cross‐Coupling Reactions

We present a direct cross‐coupling reaction between arylaluminum compounds (ArAlMe₂?LiCl) and organic halides RX (R=aryl, alkenyl, alkynyl; X=I, Br, and Cl) without any external catalyst. The reaction takes place smoothly, simply upon heating, thereby enabling the efficient and chemo‐/stereoselective formation of biaryl, alkene, and alkyne coupling products with broad functional group compatibility.     

Copper‐catalyzed C‐N coupling reaction of tosylhydrazones

Tosylhydrazones are a kind of labile and highly reactive compounds, which are apt to be transformed into reactive diazo compounds and then into extremely reactive carbenes under the basic condition. In order to fulfil the valuable C‐N coupling reaction, diaryliodonium salts are evaluated and prove to be a class of efficient electrophiles. The reaction with ligand‐free copper salt as catalyst shows a wide range of substrate scope. A plausible mechanism is proposed.     

Redox‐Neutral Rhodium‐Catalyzed CH Functionalization of Arylamine N‐Oxides with Diazo Compounds: Primary C(sp3)H/C(sp2)H Activation and Oxygen‐Atom Transfer

An unprecedented rhodium(III)‐catalyzed regioselective redox‐neutral annulation reaction of 1‐naphthylamine N‐oxides with diazo compounds was developed to afford various biologically important 1H‐benzo[g]indolines. This coupling reaction proceeds under mild reaction conditions and does not require external oxidants. The only by‐products are dinitrogen and water. More significantly, this reaction represents the first example of dual functiaonalization of unactivated a primary C(sp³)? H bond and C(sp²)? H bond with diazocarbonyl compounds. DFT calculations revealed that an intermediate iminium is most likely involved in the catalytic cycle. Moreover, a rhodium(III)‐catalyzed coupling of readily available tertiary aniline N‐oxides with α‐diazomalonates was also developed under external oxidant‐free conditions to access various aminomandelic acid derivatives by an O‐atom‐transfer reaction.     

A Versatile Room‐Temperature Route to Di‐ and Trisubstituted Allenes Using Flow‐Generated Diazo Compounds

A copper‐catalyzed coupling reaction between flow‐generated unstabilized diazo compounds and terminal alkynes provides di‐ and trisubstituted allenes. This extremely mild and rapid transformation is highly tolerant of several functional groups.     

Synthesis and Structure Determination of Some New N‐Glycosides of 4,5‐Disubstituted‐1,2,4‐Triazole‐3‐Thiones

Some new N‐glycosides of 4‐(2‐phenylethyl)‐5‐pyridyl‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐thiones were synthesised by the coupling reaction of halo sugar with 4,5‐disubstituted 3H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐thiones in the presence of mercuric cyanide and dry nitromethane as solvent, followed by deprotection using dry ammonia in methanol. All of the above compounds were fully characterized by means of infrared, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis.     

Trifluoromethylation‐Initiated Remote Cross‐Coupling of Carbonyl Compounds to Form Carbon–Heteroatom/Carbon Bonds

By involving the reversal of conventional reactivity expectations without external oxidants, we describe a novel and convenient protocol of remote cross‐coupling of carbonyl compounds with a series of common and simple nucleophiles. This cross‐coupling is triggered by radical trifluoromethylation of alkenes, thereby achieving highly selective remote difunctionalization of alkenes and α‐position of the carbonyl group for facile access to trifluoromethyl α‐halo‐ and α‐cyanocarbonyl compounds. The reaction exhibits a broad substrate scope with excellent functionality tolerance and many different types of nucleophiles; further synthetic applicability of the obtained compounds proved to be suitable, thus showing great potential for synthetic utility.     

Synthesis of Biaryls through Nickel‐Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling of Amides by Carbon–Nitrogen Bond Cleavage

The first Ni‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of amides for the synthesis of widely occurring biaryl compounds through N?C amide bond activation is reported. The reaction tolerates a wide range of electron‐withdrawing, electron‐neutral, and electron‐donating substituents on both coupling partners. The reaction constitutes the first example of the Ni‐catalyzed generation of aryl electrophiles from bench‐stable amides with potential applications for a broad range of organometallic reactions.     

Transition‐Metal‐Free Formal Sonogashira Coupling and α‐Carbonyl Arylation Reactions

Transition‐metal‐free formal Sonogashira coupling and α‐carbonyl arylation reactions have been developed. These transformations are based on the nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) of β‐carbonyl sulfones to electron‐deficient aryl fluorides, producing a key intermediate that, depending on the reaction conditions, gives the aromatic alkynes or α‐aryl carbonyl compounds. The development of these reactions is presented and, based on investigations under basic and acidic conditions, mechanisms have been proposed. To develop the formal Sonogashira coupling further, a milder, two‐step protocol is also disclosed that expands the reaction concept. The scope of these reactions is demonstrated for the synthesis of Sonogashira and α‐carbonyl arylated products from a range of electron‐deficient aryl fluorides with a variety of functional groups and aryl‐, heteroaryl‐, alkyl‐, and alkoxy‐substituted sulfone nucleophiles. These transition‐metal‐free reactions complement the metal‐catalyzed versions in terms of substitution patterns, simplicity, and reaction conditions.