Domino N‐/C‐Arylation via In Situ Generation of a Directing Group: Atom‐Efficient Arylation Using Diaryliodonium Salts

Both aryl components of diaryliodonium salts can be used in a domino one‐pot reaction via in situ generation of a directing group. A number of heterocycles undergo N‐arylation which is followed by ruthenium‐catalyzed C‐arylation. Notably the reaction extends well to unsymmetrical diaryliodonium salts with a number of highly selective examples shown.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Direct Oxidative Arylation with Boron Coupling Partners

An efficient synthesis of biaryls through a gold‐catalyzed oxidative cross‐coupling of arenes with strong electron‐deprived aryl boronates is presented herein. Regio‐ and chemocontrol are achieved by the selective activation of these coupling partners by gold at different oxidation states. Under reaction conditions devoid of basic additives or directing groups, the role of acetato ligand as an internal base has been revealed as a key parameter for expanding the reaction scope in these transformations.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Fluoroarylation of gem‐Difluoroalkenes

A Pd‐catalyzed fluoroarylation of gem ‐difluoroalkenes with aryl halides is reported. By taking advantage of the in situ generated α‐CF₃‐benzylsilver intermediates derived from the nucleophilic addition of silver fluoride to gem ‐difluoroalkenes, this strategy bypasses the use of a strong base, thus enabling a mild and general synthetic method for ready access to non‐symmetric α,α‐disubstituted trifluoroethane derivatives.     

Iron‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling of Alkenyl Acetates

Stable C O linkages are generally unreactive in cross‐coupling reactions which mostly employ more electrophilic halides or activated esters (triflates, tosylates). Acetates are cheap and easily accessible electrophiles but have not been used in cross‐couplings because the strong C O bond and high propensity to engage in unwanted acetylation and deprotonation. Reported herein is a selective iron‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of diverse alkenyl acetates, and it operates under mild reaction conditions (0 °C, 2 h) with a ligand‐free catalyst (1–2 mol %).     

Electrochemically Enabled,Nickel‐Catalyzed Amination

Along with amide bond formation, Suzuki cross‐coupling, and reductive amination, the Buchwald–Hartwig–Ullmann‐type amination of aryl halides stands as one of the most employed reactions in modern medicinal chemistry. The work herein demonstrates the potential of utilizing electrochemistry to provide a complementary avenue to access such critical bonds using an inexpensive nickel catalyst under mild reaction conditions. Of note is the scalability, functional‐group tolerance, rapid rate, and the ability to employ a variety of aryl donors (Ar−Cl, Ar−Br, Ar−I, Ar−OTf), amine types (primary and secondary), and even alternative X−H donors (alcohols and amides).     

Copper‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation of N‐Heteroaryl Aldimines: Elementary Step of a 1,4‐Insertion

Copper complexes of monodentate phosphoramidites efficiently promote asymmetric arylation of N‐azaaryl aldimines with arylboroxines. DFT calculations and experiments support an elementary step of 1,4‐insertion in the reaction pathway, a step in which an aryl‐copper species adds directly across four atoms of C=N?C=N in the N‐azaaryl aldimines.