A Novel Method for the Synthesis of Carboxylic Esters Catalyzed by Expandable Graphite

Esterification reaction of carboxylic acid and alcohol has been carried out in excellent yield with expandable graphite as a catalyst.     

Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling Polymerization via C−H Activation for the Synthesis of Conjugated Polymers

Owing to their versatile (opto)electronic properties, conjugated polymers have found application in several organic electronic devices. Cross-coupling reactions such as Stille, Suzuki, Kumada couplings, and direct arylation reactions have proved to be effective for their synthesis. More atom-efficient oxidative direct arylation polymerization has also been reported for making homopolymers. However, growing interest toward donor-acceptor polymers has led to the recent emergence of cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) polymerization to synthesize alternating copolymers without any prefunctionalization of monomers. Metal-catalyzed cross-coupling of two simple arenes via double C−H activation, or of an arene with an alkene via oxidative Heck-type reaction have been used so far for CDC polymerization. In this article, we discuss the development of CDC polymerization protocols along with the relevant small molecule CDC reactions for an improved understanding of these reactions.     

RhIII-Catalyzed C−H Activation of Aryl Hydroxamates for the Synthesis of Isoindolinones

Rh^III-catalyzed C−H functionalization reaction yielding isoindolinones from aryl hydroxamates and ortho-substituted styrenes is reported. The reaction proceeds smoothly under mild conditions at room temperature, and tolerates a range of functional groups. Experimental and computational investigations support that the high regioselectivity observed for these substrates results from the presence of an ortho-substituent embedded in the styrene. The resulting isoindolinones are valuable building blocks for the synthesis of bioactive compounds. They provide easy access to the natural-product-like compounds, isoindolobenzazepines, in a one-pot two-step reaction. Selected isoindolinones inhibited Hedgehog (Hh)-dependent differentiation of multipotent murine mesenchymal progenitor stem cells into osteoblasts.     

Synthesis of Heptagon-Containing Polyarenes by Catalytic C−H Activation

Nanocarbons incorporating non-hexagonal aromatic rings - such as five-, seven-, and eight-membered rings - have various intriguing physical properties such as curved structures, unique one-dimensional packing, and promising magnetic, optical, and conductivity properties. Herein, we report an efficient synthetic approach to polycyclic aromatics containing seven-membered rings via a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Ar−H/Ar−Br coupling. In addition to all-hydrocarbon scaffolds, heteroatom-embedded heptagon-containing polyarenes can be efficiently constructed with this method. Rhodium- and palladium-catalyzed sequential six- and seven-membered ring formations also afford complex heptagon-containing molecular nanocarbons from readily available arylacetylenes and biphenyl boronic acids. Detailed mechanistic analysis by DFT calculations showed the feasibility of seven-membered ring formation by a concerted metalation-deprotonation mechanism. This reaction can serve as a template for the synthesis of a wide range of seven-membered ring-containing molecular nanocarbons.     

A Novel Synthesis of Dimethyl Malonate by Carbonylation of Methyl Chloroacetate Catalyzed by Cobalt Complex

Dimethyl malonate (DMM) is an important organic synthesis intermediate. Traditional synthetic method by reaction of mono-chloroacetic acid with sodium cyanide1 is poisonous and complicated. Therefore, an interest in green synthesis routes of DMM has risen greatly. The several processes for preparing DMM by carbonylation of methyl chloroacetate catalyzed by Co2(CO)8 have been reported2~5. However, Co2(CO)8 is unstable and must be prepared under high pressure (12 Mpa). Moreover, the yield…     

A Metal-Free C−H Amination-Based Strategy for N-Amino Indole Synthesis

An oxidative cyclization of electron-rich α-arylhydrazones promoted by phenyliodine bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA) has been accomplished. This metal-free, chemoselective transformation allows to obtain synthetically and medicinally important N-amino-1H-indoles, obviating the need for pre-functionalization of substrates.     

Synthesis of Ketones from Acyl Chlorides and Triorganoindium Reagents by Pd‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling

Triorganoindium reagents prepared from indium tribromide and 3 equiv of organolithium reagents react with acyl chlorides in palladium‐catalyzed cross‐coupling for preparation of new ketones.     

Efficient Synthesis of Phenoxathiines via the Cascade C–H Hydroxylation–C–S Coupling–C–O Cyclization Reaction

Russian Journal of General Chemistry - The ligand-free and simple cascade C–H hydroxylation–C–S coupling–C–O cyclization reaction has been used as the synthetic...     

Synergistic Activation of Amides and Hydrocarbons for Direct C(sp3)–H Acylation Enabled by Metallaphotoredox Catalysis

The utilizations of omnipresent, thermodynamically stable amides and aliphatic C(sp³)−H bonds for various functionalizations are ongoing challenges in catalysis. In particular, the direct coupling between the two functional groups has not been realized. Here, we report the synergistic activation of the two challenging bonds, the amide C−N and unactivated aliphatic C(sp³)−H, via metallaphotoredox catalysis to directly acylate aliphatic C−H bonds utilizing amides as stable and readily accessible acyl surrogates. N-acylsuccinimides served as efficient acyl reagents for the streamlined synthesis of synthetically useful ketones from simple C(sp³)−H substrates. Detailed mechanistic investigations using both computational and experimental mechanistic studies were performed to construct a detailed and complete catalytic cycle. The origin of the superior reactivity of the N-acylsuccinimides over other more reactive acyl sources such as acyl chlorides was found to be an uncommon reaction pathway which commences with C−H activation prior to oxidative addition of the acyl substrate.     

Synthesis of Ferrocene 1,3-Derivatives by Distal C−H Activation**

The third position of cyclopentadienyl ring of a monosubstituted ferrocene has remained as an inaccessible chemical space for direct functionalization. Until recently, functionalizing the C(3)-position while bypassing the predominantly active C(2)-position is the most challenging task. Herein, we report a distal C−H functionalization of monosubstituted ferrocenes using an easily removable directing group with precise site-selectivity, under a Pd^II/ mono-N-protected amino-acid ligand catalytic system. The robust synthetic protocol leads to the synthesis of ferrocene 1,3-derivatives with broad scope in olefins while functionalizing ferrocenyl methylamine in moderate to good yields via a highly strained ferrocene appended 12-membered palladacycle intermediate.     

Synthesis of Seven-Membered Benzolactones by Nickel-Catalyzed C−H Coupling of Benzamides with Oxetanes

A NiCl₂(PEt₃)₂-catalyzed regioselective C−H coupling of 8-aminoquinoline-derived benzamides with oxetanes has been developed. The reaction proceeds with concomitant removal of the 8-aminoquinoline auxiliary to directly form the corresponding seven-membered benzolactones, which frequently occur in natural products and bioactive molecules. Additionally, no stereochemical erosion is observed during the course of the reaction, and the use of enantioenriched and substituted oxetane thus provides a new avenue to the optically active benzolactone.     

Cyclic α-Acylvinyl Anionic Synthons: A Novel Synthesis of 2-Trimethylsilyl-3-methyl-cyclohexenone by the Wurtz–Fittig Coupling Reaction

2-Trimethylsilyl-3-methyl-cyclohexen-1-one: a cyclic α-acyl anionic synthon was prepared in good yield by the Wurtz–Fittig coupling reaction of 6-bromo-7-methyl-1,4-dioxaspiro[4,5]-6-decene with metallic sodium and chlorotrimethylsilane in anhydrous ether solvent.     

Direct Dimesitylborylation of Benzofuran Derivatives by an Iridium-Catalyzed C−H Activation with Silyldimesitylborane

Direct dimesitylborylation of benzofuran derivatives by a C−H activation catalyzed by an iridium(I)/N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex in the presence of Ph₂MeSi-BMes₂ afforded the corresponding dimesitylborylation products in good to high yield with excellent regioselectivity. This method provides a straightforward route to donor–(π-spacer)–acceptor systems with intriguing solvatochromic luminescence properties.     

A computational mapping of the R–NHC coupling pathway – the key process in the evolution of Pd/NHC catalytic systems

C–C coupling reactions are of great importance in metal-catalyzed synthetic transformations. Reductive elimination of two carbon centers is the key stage, which takes place in the metal coordination sphere. In the present study, we provide a detailed analysis of nonclassical R–NHC coupling in the model (NHC)Pdⁱⁱ(Ph)(X)(Solv) complex, which is a representative intermediate of the Mizoroki–Heck and cross-coupling reactions. This C–C bond formation stage proceeds as Ph ligand movement and insertion into the Pd–NHC bond, rather than classical C–C coupling. Based on the analysis by the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) of the reaction path structures, the atomic rearrangements and alterations in the electronic system during the R–NHC coupling process were characterized in detail.     

Direct Oxidative Coupling of Arenes with Olefins by Rh‐Catalyzed C?H Activation in Air: Observation of a Strong Cooperation of the Acid

A [{RhCl(cod)}₂]/CCl₃COOH system was developed for the oxidative coupling of non‐chelate‐assisted arenes with olefins in the presence of catalytic amounts of Cu(OAc)₂ ? H₂O as a co‐oxidant and oxygen as the terminal oxidant. The acid was an indispensable component in this system and played a very important role in the coupling reaction. This catalytic system was applied to the direct oxidative coupling of a series of arenes and olefins and the corresponding products were afforded in high yields with special chemo‐ and regioselectivity. This reaction provides an atom‐efficient route to vinylarenes, which are widely used in various fine chemicals.     

Synthesis of Acetic Acid on Pd—H4SiW12O40—Based Catalysts by Direct Oxidation of Ethylene

Synthesis of acetic acid by direct oxidation of ethylene on Pd-H4SiW12O40-based catalysts was studied in a fixed-bed integral reactor and a pulse differential reactor,From the performance of the catalysts with different compositions and configurations,it is proposed that acetic acid is predominantly produced via an intermediate of acetaldehyde ,This can be easily confirmed by comparing the product distributions in the integral and the differential reactors,The active sites for acetic acid formation are considered to exist mainly at the boundaries between the H2SiW12O40 and the Pd particles,The Pd-based catalysts reduced by H2/N2 have higher activities than those reduced by hydrazine,as explained by the degree of Pd dispersion obtained from the characteristics of hydrogen chemical adsorption It was found that the Pd-Se-SiW12/SiO2 catalyst with selenium tetrachloride as a precursor was more active than that with potassium selenite ,and that the acetic acid yield can be greatly increased by adding a suitable amount of dichloroethane (C2H4Cl2/C2H4 mole ratio=0.03) to the reactants.     

Direct C−H Borylation of Arenes Catalyzed by Saturated Hydride-Boryl-Iridium-POP Complexes: Kinetic Analysis of the Elemental Steps

The saturated trihydride IrH₃{κ³-P,O,P-[xant(PiPr₂)₂]} ( 1 ; xant(PiPr₂)₂=9,9-dimethyl-4,5-bis(diisopropylphosphino)xanthene) activates the B−H bond of two molecules of pinacolborane (HBpin) to give H₂, the hydride-boryl derivatives IrH₂(Bpin){κ³-P,O,P-[xant(PiPr₂)₂]} ( 2 ) and IrH(Bpin)₂{κ³-P,O,P-[xant(PiPr₂)₂]} ( 3 ) in a sequential manner. Complex 3 activates a C−H bond of two molecules of benzene to form PhBpin and regenerates 2 and 1 , also in a sequential manner. Thus, complexes 1 , 2 , and 3 define two cycles for the catalytic direct C−H borylation of arenes with HBpin, which have dihydride 2 as a common intermediate. C−H bond activation of the arenes is the rate-determining step of both cycles, as the C−H oxidative addition to 3 is faster than to 2 . The results from a kinetic study of the reactions of 1 and 2 with HBpin support a cooperative function of the hydride ligands in the B−H bond activation. The addition of the boron atom of the borane to a hydride facilitates the coordination of the B−H bond through the formation of κ¹- and κ²-dihydrideborate intermediates.     

Novel monoligated imine–Pd–NHC complexes: extremely active pre-catalysts for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of aryl chlorides

Novel monoligated imine–Pd–NHC pre-catalysts with extremely high activity for the coupling of aryl chlorides and aryl boronic acids have been well explored. Three diffident catalysts could be obtained through one reaction. Changes in imine ligands would lead to remarkable variation on catalytic activity. Under mild reaction conditions, high reaction yields were achieved. A wide range of biphenyls could be efficiently obtained at ultra low catalyst loadings of 0.005 mol %.     

Gallium Triiodide–Catalyzed Organic Reaction: A Convenient Procedure for the Synthesis of Coumarins

Abstract

Gallium triiodide, which was generated in situ by the reaction of gallium metal and iodine, was used as an efficient catalyst in the Pechmann condensation of phenols with ethyl acetoacetate, leading to the formation of coumarins. The reaction proceeded in dichloromethane at room temperature with good to excellent yields.