Pd-mBDPP-catalyzed regioselective internal arylation of electron-rich olefins by aryl halides

meso-2,4-Bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane (mBDPP) has proved to be an effective regiocontrolling ligand for palladium-catalyzed internal arylation by aryl bromides of electron-rich olefins in a common solvent DMSO with no need for any halide scavengers. The arylation of the benchmark electron-rich olefin butyl vinyl ether took place smoothly to afford exclusively alpha-arylated product with high isolated yields. The better performance of mBDPP, compared with that of the commonly used DPPP [1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane], highlights the important but subtle effect of ligand on the regioselectivity of the Heck arylation reactions.     

Palladium-catalyzed highly regioselective and stereoselective decarboxylative arylation of unactivated olefins with aryl carboxylic acids

Palladium(II)-catalyzed highly regioselective and stereoselective decarboxylative arylation of unactivated olefins with aryl carboxylic acids has been developed. This method is applicable to a variety of unactivated olefins, including allylamides, long chain functionalized olefins and purely aliphatic olefins, leads to the formation of linear E-configured products in high yields. Both electron-rich and electron-deficient aryl carboxylic acids are suitable arylation reagents. It was found that the choice of solvent, catalyst precursor and oxidant had an important influence on reaction efficiency. As a co-solvent and ligand, DMSO is critical to catalysis. This chemistry expands the scope of decarboxylative arylation of olefins with aryl carboxylic acids, and provides a rapid access to useful linear arylation products of unactivated olefins.     

Ionic liquid-promoted, highly regioselective Heck arylation of electron-rich olefins by aryl halides

Palladium-catalyzed regioselective Heck arylation of the electron-rich olefins, vinyl ethers 1a-d, enamides 1e-g, and allyltrimethylsilane 1h, has been accomplished in imidazolium ionic liquids with a wide range of aryl bromides and iodides instead of the commonly used, but commercially unavailable and expensive, aryl triflates. The reaction proceeded with high efficiency and remarkable regioselectivity without the need for costly or toxic halide scavengers, leading exclusively to substitution by aryl groups of diverse electronic and steric properties at the olefinic carbon alpha to the heteroatom of 1a-g and beta to the heteroatom of 1h. In contrast, the arylation reaction in molecular solvents led to mixtures of regioisomers under similar conditions. Several lines of evidence point to the unique regiocontrol stemming from the ionic environment provided by the ionic liquid that alters the reaction pathway. The chemistry provides a simple, effective method for preparing branched, arylated olefins and contributes to the extension of Heck reaction to a wider range of substrates.     

Palladium-catalyzed arylation of electron-rich heterocycles with aryl chlorides

[reaction: see text] Palladium-catalyzed C-H activation: cheap aryl chlorides can now be used for the arylation of a wide variety of electron-rich heterocycles. The key to the success of this reaction is the use of a bulky, electron-rich phosphine ligand. No copper additives are needed.     

High-yielding intramolecular direct arylation reactions with aryl chlorides

[reaction: see text] An N-heterocyclic carbene palladium catalyst system is used to promote direct arylation of a broad range of aryl chlorides to form six- and five-membered ring biaryls. An influence of the halide on the palladium precatalyst on catalyst activation has been revealed, as has a beneficial effect of NHC salts that allows the turnover numbers to be increased by simple addition of imidazolium salts to the reaction mixture.     

Homogeneous palladium-catalysed arylation of activated alkenes with aryl chlorides

A study has been made of arylation of activated alkenes with aryl chlorides homogeneously catalysed by palladium acetate in the presence of triphenylphosphine or tri-p-tolylphosphine. Electron-withdrawing substituents in the aryl chloride favour the reaction. Only moderate yields could be obtained, and the maximum turnover number was 51, mainly because of precipitation of palladium metal. The probable mechanism of the reaction is discussed.     

Palladium-catalyzed highly regioselective and stereoselective arylation of electron-rich allylamines with aryl bromides

A palladium-catalyzed, highly efficient Heck arylation of electron-rich N,N-diprotected allylamine derivatives with a wide range of aryl bromides under ligand-free conditions has been developed. In the presence of Pd(OAc)₂ and an appropriate additive, the reaction proceeds with excellent regioselectivity and stereoselectivity, leading exclusively to the γ-arylated (E)-allylamine products in good to excellent yields. It was found that the choice of solvent, olefin, additive and temperature has an important influence on the reaction. Worthy of note is that good results were observed only when using N,N-diprotected allylamines containing carbamate moiety, and the steric properties of allylamines also have important impacts on the regiocontrol. The use of TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy) or HQ (hydroquinone) as the additive is also crucial for securing a faster reaction rate. This method provides a straightforward approach for the efficient synthesis of various γ-arylated, linear (E)-allylamines.     

Palladium-catalyzed highly regioselective Heck reaction of aryl nonaflates with electron-rich olefins

Highly efficient palladium-catalyzed Heck coupling of aryl nonaflates with electron-rich vinyl ethers, and enamides is described. These reactions afforded exclusively the branched products in good yields. The results indicated that aryl nonaflates are effective alternative to the frequently employed aryl triflates.     

Mechanism of homogeneous Ir(III) catalyzed regioselective arylation of olefins

The mechanism of hydroarylation of olefins by a homogeneous Ph-Ir(acac)(2)(L) catalyst is elucidated by first principles quantum mechanical methods (DFT), with particular emphasis on activation of the catalyst, catalytic cycle, and interpretation of experimental observations. On the basis of this mechanism, we suggest new catalysts expected to have improved activity. Initiation of the catalyst from the inert trans-form into the active cis-form occurs through a dissociative pathway with a calculated DeltaH(0 K)() = 35.1 kcal/mol and DeltaG(298 K)() = 26.1 kcal/mol. The catalytic cycle features two key steps, 1,2-olefin insertion and C-H activation via a novel mechanism, oxidative hydrogen migration. The olefin insertion is found to be rate determining, with a calculated DeltaH(0 K)() = 27.0 kcal/mol and DeltaG(298 K)() = 29.3 kcal/mol. The activation energy increases with increased electron density on the coordinating olefin, as well as increased electron-donating character in the ligand system. The regioselectivity is shown to depend on the electronic and steric characteristics of the olefin, with steric bulk and electron withdrawing character favoring linear product formation. Activation of the C-H bond occurs in a concerted fashion through a novel transition structure best described as an oxidative hydrogen migration. The character of the transition structure is seven coordinate Ir(V), with a full bond formed between the migrating hydrogen and iridium. Several experimental observations are investigated and explained: (a) The nature of L influences the rate of the reaction through a ground-state effect. (b) The lack of beta-hydride products is due to kinetic factors, although beta-hydride elimination is calculated to be facile, all further reactions are kinetically inaccessible. (c) Inhibition by excess olefin is caused by competitive binding of olefin and aryl starting materials during the catalytic cycle in a statistical fashion. On the basis of this insertion-oxidative hydrogen transfer mechanism we suggest that electron-withdrawing substituents on the acac ligands, such as trifluoromethyl groups, are good modifications for catalysts with higher activity.     

Palladium-catalyzed indole, pyrrole, and furan arylation by aryl chlorides

The palladium-catalyzed direct arylation of indoles, pyrroles, and furans by aryl chlorides has been demonstrated. The method employs a palladium acetate catalyst, 2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-biphenyl ligand, and an inorganic base. Electron-rich and electron-poor aryl chlorides as well as chloropyridine coupling partners can be used, and arylated heterocycles are obtained in moderate to good yields. Optimization of base, ligand, and solvent is required for achieving best results.     

Manganese-catalyzed oxidative homo-coupling of aryl Grignard chlorides

Manganese-catalyzed homo-coupling of aryl magnesium chlorides to give biphenyls was successfully achieved using manganese chloride as catalyst. A variety of aryl magnesium chlorides were efficiently converted into the corresponding symmetrical biaryls using 10 mol% MnCl₂ as catalyst in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of 1,2-dichloroethane. Since the aryl chlorides, from which the Grignard reagents were prepared, are cheaper and more readily available that the corresponding bromides and iodides this procedure should become the method of choice for preparing symmetrical biaryls.     

Intermolecular direct arylation of five-membered ring heterocycles by non-activated aryl chlorides

The use of non-activated aryl chloride electrophiles in the direct arylation of carbon–hydrogen bonds in five-membered ring heterocycles is described. Specifically, palladium-, ruthenium-, and nickel-catalyzed transformations, as well as reactions proceeding via benzyne intermediates, are discussed.     

Palladium catalyst systems for cross-coupling reactions of aryl chlorides and olefins

A detailed investigation into the influence of phosphines, additives, bases and solvents on the Heck coupling reaction of 4-trifluoromethyl-1-chlorobenzene (2) is presented. It is shown that a number of catalyst systems exist for efficient cross coupling of electron-deficient aryl chlorides with various olefins. Basicity and steric demand of the ligand are two factors which determine the success of the reaction. In addition the phosphine/palladium ratio, the correct type and amount of additive, and finally the use of an appropriate base and solvent are also important. The optimised reaction conditions are applied for the arylation of styrene, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and N,N-dimethyl acrylic amide with various aryl chlorides.     

Dioxygen-promoted regioselective oxidative heck arylations of electron-rich olefins with arylboronic acids

Arylations of electron-rich heteroatom-substituted olefins were performed with arylboronic acids. This appears to constitute the first example of palladium(II)-catalyzed internal Heck arylations. The novel protocol exploits oxygen gas for environmentally benign reoxidation and a stable 1,10-phenanthroline bidentate ligand to promote the palladium(II) regeneration and to control the regioselectivity. Internal arylation is strongly favored with electron-rich arylboronic acids. DFT calculations support a charge-driven selectivity rationale, where phenyls substituted with electron-donating groups prefer the electron-poor alpha-carbon of the olefin. Experiments, verified by calculations, confirm the cationic nature of the catalytic route. This Heck methodology provides a facile and mild access to functionalized enamides. Controlled microwave heating and increased oxygen pressure were used to further reduce the reaction time to 1 h.     

Palladium-catalyzed regioselective Heck arylation of electron-rich olefins in a molecular solvent-ionic liquid cocktail

We have recently established that highly regioselective Heck arylation of electron-rich olefins can be accomplished with aryl halides without using any halide scavengers in imidazolium ionic liquid solvents. The results presented in this paper show that the benchmark electron-rich olefins vinyl ethers can be readily arylated by aryl bromides in a molecular solvent-ionic liquid cocktail with no compromise on regioselectivity. By introducing a small amount of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF₄]) to DMSO, the arylation reactions of the vinyl ethers 1a-d by the bromides 2a-j took place to afford essentially only the α arylated products. The enamide 1e underwent similar regioselective arylation in the solvent cocktail. In the absence of the ionic liquid, lower regioselectivities were observed. In comparison with the chemistry we have reported so far, the current method reduces considerably the reliance on the volume of ionic liquids used, providing a simpler and more practical synthetic pathway for preparing arylated vinyl ethers and aryl methyl ketones.     

Copper-catalyzed oxidative sp3 C-H bond arylation with aryl boronic acids

An efficient method was developed for arylation of sp(3) C-H bonds using copper bromide as catalyst in absence of directing group with arylboronic acids. The oxidative arylation provides easy access to biologically active tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives and can either use peroxide or molecular oxygen as oxidant.     

Transition-metal-free highly chemo- and regioselective arylation of unactivated arenes with aryl halides over recyclable heterogeneous catalysts

A novel heterogeneous catalysis system using metal-organic frameworks as catalyst demonstrated excellent chemo- and regioselectivity for the direct arylation of unactivated arenes with aryl iodides/bromides without the assistance of any transition metals.     

Hydrogen-bond-directed catalysis: faster, regioselective and cleaner Heck arylation of electron-rich olefins in alcohols

A general method for the regioselective Heck reaction of electron-rich olefins is presented. Fast, highly regioselective Pd-catalysed alpha-arylation of electron-rich olefins, vinyl ethers (1 a-d), hydroxyl vinyl ethers (1 e, f), enamides (1 g, h) and a substituted vinyl ether (1i) has been accomplished with a diverse range of aryl bromides (2 a-r), for the first time, in cheap, green and easily available alcohols with no need for any halide scavengers or salt additives. The reaction proceeds with high efficiency, leading exclusively to the alpha-products, in 2-propanol and particularly in ethylene glycol. In the latter, the arylation can be catalysed at a palladium loading of 0.1 mol% and finish in as short a time as 0.5 h. The remarkable performance of the alcohol solvents in promoting alpha regiocontrol is attributed to their hydrogen-bond-donating capability, which is believed to facilitate the dissociation of halide anions from PdII, and hence, the generation of a key ionic PdII-olefin intermediate responsible for the alpha product. This belief is further strengthened by the study of a benchmark arylation reaction in 21 different solvents. The study revealed that exclusive alpha-regioselective arylation takes place in almost all of the protic solvents, and there is a rough correlation between the alpha-arylation rates and the solvent parameter E(T)N. The method is simpler, cleaner and more general than those established thus far.     

Highly regioselective anti-markovnikov palladium-borate-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation reactions: unprecedented results for aryl olefins

[Structure: see text] A general, highly efficient and regioselective methoxycarbonylation, by means of a palladium-salicylicborate-catalyzed protocol, of terminal alkyl and aryl olefins is described. The substrates include aliphatic alkenes, allylbenzenes, and styrene derivatives. The yields are very good (60-92%) and the regioselectivity, in favor of the linear ester, is up to quantitative--unprecedented in the case of styrenes.