Chemoselective organocatalytic aerobic oxidation of primary amines to secondary imines

Biomimetic aerobic oxidation of primary benzylic amines has been achieved by using a quinone catalyst. Excellent selectivity is observed for primary, unbranched benzylic amines relative to secondary/tertiary amines, branched benzylic amines, and aliphatic amines. The exquisite selectivity for benzylic amines enables oxidative self-sorting within dynamic mixtures of amines and imines to afford high yields of cross-coupled imine products.     

New preparation of benzylic aluminum and zinc organometallics by direct insertion of aluminum powder

The reaction of commercial Al-powder (3 equiv) and InCl(3) (1-5 mol %) with benzylic chlorides provides various functionalized benzylic aluminum sesquichlorides under mild conditions (THF, 20 °C, 3-24 h) without homocoupling (<5%). These new benzylic organometallics reacted smoothly with various electrophiles (Pd-catalyzed cross-couplings, or Cu-mediated acylations, allylations, or 1,4-addition reactions). Electron-poor benzylic chlorides or substrates prone to Wurtz coupling can be converted to benzylic zinc compounds by the reaction of Al-powder in the presence of ZnCl(2).     

PCC-mediated novel oxidation reactions of homobenzylic and homoallylic alcohols

A new PCC-mediated carboncarbon bond cleavage reaction during oxidation of homobenzylic alcohols leading to the formation of benzylic carbonyl compounds has been observed. Homobenzylic alcohols with no benzylic substitution (R¹=H) gave benzylic aldehydes without further oxidation, while those with benzylic substitution (R¹=Me, Et, Ar) gave benzylic ketones. In contrast, homoallylic alcohols gave products arising from double bond migration, cis- to trans-olefin isomerization and/or allylic oxidation.     

Benzylic C-H activation and C-O bond formation via aryl to benzylic 1,4-palladium migrations

A procedure for benzylic C-H activation has been developed using a palladium 1,4-aryl to benzylic migration as a key step. Carboxylates and phenoxides readily trap the resulting benzylic palladium intermediates obtained from palladium ‘through space’ migration. Aryl bromides and iodides have been successfully employed in this reaction, furnishing moderate to good yields. The mechanism of this reaction has been studied by deuterium-labeling experiments, which suggest that the migration of palladium from an aryl to a benzylic position occurs reversibly. The reaction conditions developed for the migration process also oxidize the neighboring benzylic alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones.     

Fluorescent oligo(N‐phenylmaleimide)s via aerobic radical telomerization initiated by benzylic hydrocarbons: Catalytic effect of CoII/N‐hydroxyphthalimide pair

Radical oligomerization of N‐phenylmaleimide (NPMI) was performed in benzylic hydrocarbons as the solvent. The thermally induced oligomerization occurred only above 130 °C, with the initiation attributed to autoxidation of benzylic hydrocarbons as well as formation and dissociation of charge‐transfer complexes between benzylic hydrocarbons and maleimides. The end‐group analysis on oligo(N‐ethylmaleimide) prepared under similar conditions confirmed that the chain transfer to benzylic hydrocarbons was the primary fashion in forming oligomeric chains, and radical telomerization underlaid the oligomerization with benzylic hydrocarbons as both the solvent, the initiator and the telogen. Co^II/N‐hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) pairs could catalyze the telomerization at 110 °C. In such a catalytic process, Co^II‐based oxidative complexes oxidized benzylic hydrocarbons and NHPI into benzylic radicals and phthalimide N‐oxyl (PINO), and benzylic hydrocarbons underwent hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) to PINO. Oligo(NPMI)s were formed via HAT with benzylic hydrocarbons and NHPI. These oligo(NPMI)s exhibited fluorescent properties with excitation at 270–350 nm and 400–550 nm and emission at 530–750 nm. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 3846–3857     

Benzylic manganese halides, sulfonates, and phosphates: preparation, coupling reactions, and applications in organic synthesis

The use of highly active manganese, prepared by the Rieke method, for the direct preparation of benzylic manganese reagents was investigated. The oxidative addition of the highly active manganese (Mn) to benzylic halides was easily completed under mild conditions. More importantly, benzylic manganese sulfonates and phosphates were prepared by direct oxidative addition of Mn to the carbon-oxygen bonds of benzylic sulfonates and phosphates. The resulting benzylic manganese reagents were found to undergo cross-coupling reactions with a variety of electrophiles. The majority of these reactions were carried out in the absence of any transition metal catalyst under mild conditions. This approach also provided a facile synthetic route to the preparation of resorcinolic lipids.     

Couplings of benzylic halides mediated by titanocene chloride: synthesis of bibenzyl derivatives

Titanocene monochloride catalyzes the homocoupling of benzylic halides and benzylic gem-dibromides to give the corresponding bibenzyl and stilbenyl systems. Exposure of benzylic bromides to Ti(III) in the presence of aldehydes gave rise to the Barbier-type products. Examples of the utility of the herein described processes are included.     

Palladium-catalyzed nucleophilic benzylic substitutions of benzylic esters

A palladium complex generated in situ from [Pd(eta3-C3H5)(cod)]BF4 and DPPF is a good catalyst for benzylic alkylation of benzyl methyl carbonate with the carbanion of dimethyl malonates. The catalytic reaction is applicable to a wide range of the benzylations of benzylic esters with malonates. The catalytic activity was heavily affected by the bite angle of the bidentate phosphine ligand on palladium. DPEphos ligand is superior to DPPF in the case of palladium-catalyzed benzylic amination of benzylic esters.     

Copper-catalyzed oxidative coupling of benzylic C-H bonds with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds

A copper-catalyzed oxidative coupling of benzylic C-H bonds with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds is described. The reaction utilizes an inexpensive copper catalyst-oxidant system that is suitable for the coupling of a range of benzylic C-H bonds with various 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. Kinetic isotope studies support a mechanism involving a benzylic hydrogen abstraction.     

Donor and acceptor properties of the chromium tricarbonyl substituent in benzylic and homobenzylic anions, cations, and radicals

Both benzylic cations and anions are strongly stabilized by chromium tricarbonyl complexation, while benzylic radicals are largely unaffected. Density functional theory calculations were performed on primary, secondary, and tertiary benzylic species to explore the effect of substitution on the stabilizing ability of the chromium tricarbonyl moiety. Complexed 1-indanyl species were also examined to elucidate the effect of conformational restraint. It was found that the strong stabilization of benzylic anions and the slight destabilization of benzylic radicals by chromium tricarbonyl are insensitive to skeletal changes. Chromium-complexed benzylic cations, however, are highly sensitive to changes in the organic framework, with increased substitution or constriction of conformational mobility eroding the effect of the metal. 2-Indanyl species were also examined to study the effect of the chromium tricarbonyl fragment on homobenzylic species. It was found that the metal fragment stabilizes distant anions by field and inductive effects and cations by a direct interaction of the metal with the cationic carbon. Homobenzylic radicals, however, do not interact with the chromium tricarbonyl moiety and suffer a slight inductive destabilization.     

Copper triflate/t-BuOOAc-catalyzed amidation of allylic and benzylic acetates with sulfonamides

A copper triflate/t-BuOOAc-catalyzed amidation of allylic and benzylic acetates has been developed which is suitable for the coupling of a wide variety of functionalized sulfonamide nucleophiles with acetate electrophiles. The methodology allows for the amidation of benzylic substrates which are not further activated by an additional adjacent alkene or alkyne, enabling simple allylic acetates and primary benzylic acetates to be used as reaction partners.     

Palladium-catalyzed Heck reaction of in-situ generated benzylic iodides and styrenes

A palladium-catalyzed Heck reaction of in-situ generated benzylic iodides and styrenes has been achieved. The reaction proceeds in a one-pot manner through 1) addition perfluoroalkyl iodides to styrenes to give benzylic iodides, 2) followed by a palladium-catalyzed Heck coupling of the resulting benzylic iodides with the same alkenes in high regio- and stereoselectivity. A variety of perfluoroalkylated alkenes were obtained in moderate to excellent yields.     

Prins cyclizations: labeling studies and application to natural product synthesis

The first syntheses of two natural products, catechols 1 and 2, isolated from Plectranthus sylvestris (labiatae), are reported. Oxygen-18 labeling studies support the proposed intermediacy of a stabilized benzylic cation in the acid-promoted cyclization of an aldehyde and benzylic homoallylic alcohol possessing an electron-rich aromatic ring. In contrast, with an electron-deficient aromatic ring the pathway via a benzylic cation is only minor. [reaction: see text]     

Les organocadmiens benzyliques : obtention exclusive d'alcools: Secondaires d'addition avec l'acetaldehyde et le benzaldehyde

In contrast to the Grignard reaction, the reaction of various substituted benzylic cadmium reagents with aldehydes gives specifically secondary benzylic alcohols with good yields.     

Photochemical cleavage of benzylic stannanes

Photolysis of benzylic stannanes leads to efficient homolytic cleavage to form benzylic and stannyl radicals. The reaction proceeds via the excited singlet state of the benzyl stannane.     

Selective Benzylic and Allylic Alkylation of Protic Nucleophiles with Sulfonamides through Double Lewis Acid Catalyzed Cleavage of sp3 Carbon–Nitrogen Bonds

The acid‐catalyzed benzylic and allylic alkylation of protic nucleophiles is fundamentally important for the formation of carbon? carbon and carbon? heteroatom bonds, and it is a formidable challenge for benzylic and allylic amine derivatives to be used as the alkylating agents. Herein we report a highly efficient benzylic and allylic alkylation of protic carbon and sulfur nucleophiles with sulfonamides through double Lewis acid catalyzed cleavage of sp³ carbon–nitrogen bonds at room temperature. In the presence of a catalytic amount of inexpensive ZnCl₂‐TMSCl (TMSCl: chlorotrimethylsilane), 1,3‐diketones, β‐keto esters, β‐keto amides, malononitrile, aromatic compounds, thiols, and thioacetic acid can couple with a broad range of tosyl‐activated benzylic and allylic amines to give diversely functionalized products in good to excellent yields and with high regioselectivity. Furthermore, the cross‐coupling reaction of 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds with benzylic propargylic amine derivatives has been successfully applied to the one‐step synthesis of polysubstituted furans and benzofurans.     

Mechanistic role of benzylic bromides in the catalytic autoxidation of methylarenes

Different pathways for benzylic bromide transformations were examined under conditions of cobalt-bromide catalysis in acetic acid. It has been shown that benzylic bromides participate in the catalytic cycle through their catalyzed and noncatalyzed oxidation, through their reaction with Co(III), and through cobalt(II)-catalyzed solvolysis. The rates of the direct reduction of Co(III) by several benzylic bromides were measured under an argon atmosphere; the reaction occurs by a mechanism involving two forms of Co(III). The same reaction under an oxygen atmosphere initiates the cobalt-bromide-catalyzed oxidation of benzyl bromide, thus leading to the regeneration of inorganic bromide and the fast reduction of Co(III). Solvolysis of benzylic bromides plays only a minor role in the regeneration of inorganic bromide in glacial acetic acid.     

Benzylic Fluorination of Aza‐Heterocycles Induced by Single‐Electron Transfer to Selectfluor

A selective and mild method for the benzylic fluorination of aromatic azaheterocycles with Selectfluor is described. These reactions take place by a previously unreported mechanism, in which electron transfer from the heterocyclic substrate to the electrophilic fluorinating agent Selectfluor eventually yields a benzylic radical, thus leading to the desired C?F bond formation. This mechanism enables high intra‐ and intermolecular selectivity for aza‐heterocycles over other benzylic components with similar C?H bond‐dissociation energies.     

Cross-dehydrogenative coupling of secondary benzylic ethers with indoles and pyrroles

Current studies on cross-dehydrogenative coupling of benzylic ethers for new C–C bond construction predominantly focus on primary ether moieties. Oxidative cross-coupling of secondary benzylic ethers remains elusive. Herein, we describe the first cross-dehydrogenative coupling of secondary benzylic ethers with indoles and pyrroles for tertiary ether construction. A broad range of α-aryl substituted isochromans react with a variety of electronically varied indoles and pyrroles smoothly under mild metal-free conditions in high efficiency. In addition, the catalytic asymmetric variant was preliminarily explored, and corresponding tertiary ether was obtained in 69% ee.     

Synthesis of Highly Substituted γ‐Butyrolactones by a Gold‐Catalyzed Cascade Reaction of Benzyl Esters

Easily accessible benzylic esters of 3‐butynoic acids in a gold‐catalyzed cyclization/rearrangement cascade reaction provided 3‐propargyl γ‐butyrolactones with the alkene and the carbonyl group not being conjugated. Crossover experiments showed that the formation of the new C?C bond is an intermolecular process. Initially propargylic–benzylic esters were used, but alkyl‐substituted benzylic esters worked equally well. In the case of the propargylic–benzylic products, a simple treatment of the products with aluminum oxide initiated a twofold tautomerization to the allenyl‐substituted γ‐butyrolactones with conjugation of the carbonyl group, the olefin, and the allene. The synthetic sequence can be conducted stepwise or as a one‐pot cascade reaction with similar yields. Even in the presence of the gold catalyst the new allene remains intact.