Nucleophile‐Initiated Catalytic and Multicomponent Reactions

A number of well‐known reactions, proceed through the intermediacy of dipolar/zwitterionic species generated via the addition of a neutral nucleophile with an unsaturated electrophile. A mechanistic understanding of these reactions was made possible by seminal contributions of Huisgen. The design of novel reactions based on such dipolar species was, however, not pursued in detail for a long time. Our efforts to exploit various reactivity profiles available for the zwitterionic/dipolar intermediates have resulted in the discovery of a large number of novel, convenient protocols to access a wide variety of products. The nucleophilic initiators may participate in the reaction or play a mediating role depending upon the nature of nucleophile, its quantity and the reaction conditions. In a majority of these transformations two electrophilic components, that would normally be inert towards each other, are combined by the intermediacy of a nucelophile. A brief summary of such nucleophile‐initiated novel reactions that were developed in our research group are described. Reactions involving a variety of nucleophiles such as phosphines, pyridine, quinoline, isoquinoline, isocyanides, dimethoxycarbene and N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are discussed.     

A joint experimental and theoretical study of the palladium-catalyzed electrophilic allylation of aldehydes

Palladium-catalyzed electrophilic allylation of aldehydes with allylstannanes has been proposed in the literature as a model reaction illustrating the potential of nucleophilic eta(1)-allyl palladium pincer complexes to promote new catalytic processes. This reaction was studied by a joint experimental and theoretical approach. It was shown that pincer palladium complexes featuring a S approximately P approximately S and a S approximately C approximately S tridentate ligand are efficient catalysts for this reaction. The full mechanism of this transformation was studied in detail by means of DFT calculations. Two pathways were explored: the commonly proposed mechanism involving eta(1)-allyl palladium intermediates and a Lewis acid promoted mechanism. Both of these mechanisms were compared to the direct transformation that was shown experimentally to occur under mild conditions. The mechanism involving an eta(1)-allyl palladium intermediate has been discarded on energetic grounds, the nucleophilic attack and the transmetalation step being more energetically demanding than the direct reaction between allyltin and the aldehyde. On the other hand, a mechanism where the palladium acts as a Lewis acid proved to be fully consistent with all experimental and theoretical results. This mechanism involves (L approximately X approximately L)Pd(+) species which activate the aldehyde moiety toward nucleophilic attack.     

Are peroxyformic acid and dioxirane electrophilic or nucleophilic oxidants?

The electronic character of peroxyformic acid and dioxirane has been clarified by the analysis of donor-acceptor interactions in 16 transition states (TS) for the epoxidation of olefins. Is has been shown that the olefins are attacked by peroxyformic acid (PFA) in an electrophilic way. A relation of the electronic character to reactivity has been found: the more electrophilic the attack on the C=C bond is, the faster the reaction. In contrast, dioxirane (DO) has been identified as both an electrophilic and nucleophilic oxidant, depending on the substituents at the C=C double bond. The substrates with electron-withdrawing groups are attacked by DO in a nucleophilic way. These reactions have comparably low activation barriers. For instance, the acrylonitrile epoxidation with dioxirane is significantly faster than the corresponding reaction with PFA and proceeds via a transition state with a smaller extent of reaction and a larger extent of asymmetry.     

The First Reaction of Dimethoxycarbene with an Imine Moiety

The nucleophilic dimethoxycarbene (DMC; 2 ) generated by thermal decomposition of 2,5‐dihydro‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole derivative 1 in boiling toluene reacts smoothly with N‐(9H‐fluoren‐9‐ylidene)‐4‐methylbenzenesulfonamide ( 7b ) to yield carbonimidoate derivative 10 . A multi‐step reaction pathway, initiated by the attack of DMC onto the C?N bond and followed by the migration of the sulfonyl group (or via a sulfinate anion) is proposed to explain the formation of the final product. In contrast to the formal ketimine 7b , N‐benzylidene‐4‐methylbenzenesulfonamide ( 7a ), a formal aldimine, does not react with DMC under comparable conditions.     

Acylation Reactions of Dibenzo-7-phosphanorbornadiene: DFT Mechanistic Insights

Extensive DFT calculations provide deep mechanistic insights into the acylation reactions of tert-butyl dibenzo-7-phosphanobornadiene with PhCOX (X=Cl, Br, I, OTf) in CH₂Cl₂ solution. Such reactions are initialized by the nucleophilic P⋅⋅⋅C attack to the carbonyl group to form the acylphosphonium intermediate A⁺ together with X⁻ anion, followed either by nucleophilic X⁻⋅⋅⋅P attack (X=Cl, Br, and I) toward A⁺ to eliminate anthracene or by slow rearrangement or decomposition of A⁺ (X=OTf). In contrast to the first case (X=Cl) that is rate-limited by the initial P⋅⋅⋅C attack, other reactions are rate-limited by the second X⁻⋅⋅⋅P attack for X=Br and I and even thermodynamically prevented for X=OTf, leading to isolable phosphonium salts. The rearrangement of phosphonium A⁺ is initiated by a P-C bond cleavage, followed either by sequential proton-shifts to form anthracenyl acylphosphonium or by deprotonation with additional base Et₃N to form neutral anthracenyl acylphosphine. Our DFT results strongly support the separated acylphosphonium A⁺ as the key reaction intermediate that may be useful for the transfer of acylphosphenium in general.     

Radical carbonylation of ω-alkynylamines leading to α-methylene lactams. Synthetic scope and the mechanistic insights

Tin hydride mediated radical carbonylation and cyclization reaction was investigated using a variety of ω-alkynyl amines as substrates. In this reaction α-methylene and α-stannylmethylene lactams having five to eight membered rings were obtained as principal products. In cases where the nitrogen has a substituent capable of giving stable radicals, such as an α-phenethyl group, the lactam ring formation again took place with extrusion of an α-phenethyl radical. Coupled with the subsequent protodestannylation procedure (TMSCl plus MeOH), these reactions provide a useful entry to α-methylene lactams with incorporation of CO as a lactam carbonyl group. In cases where the amines do not have a substituent acting as a radical leaving group, a reaction course involving a 1,4-H shift is chosen so as to liberate tin radicals ultimately. Thus the proposed mechanism involves (i) nucleophilic attack of amine nitrogen onto a carbonyl group of α,β-unsaturated acyl radicals/α-ketenyl radicals via lone pair-π* interaction, which leads to zwitterionic radical species, (ii) the subsequent proton shift from N to O to give hydroxyallyl radicals, (iii) 1,4-hydrogen shift from O to C, and (iv) β-scission to give lactams with liberation of tin radicals. DFT calculations reveal that the 1,4-hydrogen shifts, the key step of the reaction mechanism, can proceed under usual reaction conditions. On the other hand, an S(H)i type reaction to give lactams may be the result of the β-scission of the similar zwitterionic radical intermediates. DFT calculations also predict that an S(H)i type reaction would result when the intermediate has a good (radical) leaving group such as a phenethyl group.     

Synthesis, structure, and alpha-elimination chemistry of hafnocene triarylstannyl complexes

New hafnocene triarylstannyl complexes were prepared and were shown to undergo clean thermal decompositions via alpha-aryl-elimination to produce the corresponding stannylene and a hafnocene aryl complex. The rate of the decomposition is highly dependent on the nature of the ancillary ligand, with the stabilities of the CpCp*Hf(SnPh(3))X compounds following the order X = NMe(2) > Np (alpha-agostic) > OMe > Cl > Me. Mechanistic information suggests that alpha-aryl-elimination may be viewed as a concerted process involving nucleophilic attack of the migrating aryl group onto the electrophilic metal center.     

The mechanism of N-haloamide promoted electrophilic additions. high regio and stereoselectivity in the conversion of 2-tert-butyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyran into bromohydrins and in the opening of the corresponding epoxides

The reactions of cis- and trans-2-tert-butyl-4,5-epoxytetrahydropyran with HBr and with LAH have been examined as a model for the nucleophilic step of the reaction of the corresponding olefin with NBA in aqueous dioxane. A remarkable 90:10 preference for electrophilic attack syn to the tert -butyl group in the NBA reaction is found and shows that the two epoxides, as well as the intermediate epibromonium ions, undergo nucleophilic attack with high preference for diaxial opening, even when this requires reaction at carbon 5, which is more subject than carbon 4 to the unfavourable inductive effect of the pyran ring oxygen. These results constitute a further proof in favour of a mechanism of N-haloamide promoted electrophilic additions in which the electrophilic step is rapidly reversible and product composition is determined during the nucleophilic step.     

Gold-catalyzed ketene dual functionalization and mechanistic insights: divergent synthesis of indenes and benzo[d]oxepines

An unprecedented gold-catalyzed ketene C=O/C=C bifunctionalization method has been developed. Mechanistic studies and density function theory(DFT) calculations indicate that the reaction is initiated by gold-catalyzed Wolff rearrangement of diazoketone to form the ketene intermediate, followed by intermolecular nucleophilic addition and terminated with two divergent cyclization processes via enol intermediates. In the case with alcohols as the nucleophiles, the reaction goes through a C-5-endodig carbocyclization to give the indene products; whereas, O-7-endo-dig cyclization occurs dominantly when indoles/pyrroles are used as the nucleophiles, delivering the 7-membered benzo[d]oxepines. In comparison with the well-documented cycloaddition and nucleophilic addition reactions, this cascade reaction features a novel reaction pattern for the ketene dual functionalization through addition with nucleophile and electrophile in sequence.     

Computational studies of the reactions of B10H13- with alkynes and olefins: pathways for dehydrogenative alkyne-insertion and olefin-hydroboration reactions

Quantum mechanical computational studies of possible mechanistic pathways for B10H13(-) dehydrogenative alkyne-insertion and olefin-hydroboration reactions demonstrate that, depending on the reactant and reaction conditions, B10H13(-) can function as either an electrophile or nucleophile. For reactions with nucleophilic alkynes, such as propyne, the calculations indicate that at the temperatures (approximately 110-120 degrees C) required for these reactions, the ground-state B10H13(-) (1) structure can rearrange to an electrophilic-type cage structure 3 having a LUMO orbital strongly localized on the B6 cage-boron. Alkyne binding at this site followed by subsequent steps involving the formation of additional boron-carbon bonds, hydrogen elimination, protonation, and further hydrogen elimination then lead in a straightforward manner to the experimentally observed ortho-carborane products resulting from alkyne insertion into the decaborane framework. A similar mechanistic sequence was identified for the reaction of propyne with 6-R-B10H12(-) leading to the formation of 1-Me-3-R-1,2-C2B10H11 carboranes. On the other hand, both B10H13(-) and 4,6-C2B7H12(-) have previously been shown to react at much lower temperatures with strongly polarized alkynes, and the DFT and IRC calculations support an alternative mechanism involving initial nucleophilic attack by these polyborane anions at the positive terminal acetylenic carbon to produce terminally substituted olefinic anions. In the case of the B10H13(-) reaction, subsequent cyclization steps were identified that provide a pathway to the experimentally observed arachno-8-(NC)-7,8-C2B10H14(-) carborane. The computational study of B10H13(-) propylene hydroboration also supports a mechanistic pathway involving a cage rearrangement to the electrophilic 3 structure. Olefin-binding at the LUMO orbital localized on the B6 cage-boron, followed by addition of the B6-H group across the olefinic double bond and protonation, then leads to the experimentally observed 6-R-B10H13 products.     

Mimicking the silicon surface: reactivity of silyl radical cations toward nucleophiles

Radical cations of selected low molecular-weight silicon model compounds were obtained by photoinduced electron transfer. These radical cations react readily with a variety of nucleophiles, regularly used in monolayer fabrication onto hydrogen-terminated silicon. From time-resolved kinetics, it was concluded that the reactions proceed via a bimolecular nucleophilic attack to the radical cation. A secondary kinetic isotope effect indicated that the central Si-H bond is not cleaved in the rate-determining step. Apart from substitution products, also hydrosilylation products were identified in the product mixtures. Observation of the substitution products, combined with the kinetic data, point to an bimolecular reaction mechanism involving Si-Si bond cleavage. The products of this nucleophilic substitution can initiate radical chain reactions leading to hydrosilylation products, which can independently also be initiated by dissociation of the radical cations. Application of these data to the attachment of organic monolayers onto hydrogen-terminated Si surfaces via hydrosilylation leads to the conclusion that the delocalized Si radical cation (a surface-localized hole) can initiate the hydrosilylation chain reaction at the Si surface. Comparison to monolayer experiments shows that this reaction only plays a significant role in the initiation, and not in the propagation steps of Si-C bond making monolayer formation.     

Inversion versus retention of configuration for nucleophilic substitution at vinylic carbon

A high-level computational study using CCSD, CCSD(T), and G2(+) levels of theory has shown that unactivated vinyl substrates such as vinyl chloride would afford gas phase, single-step halide exchange by a pure in-plane sigma-approach of the nucleophile to the backside of the C--Cl sigma bond. Geometry optimization by CCSD/6-31+G* and CCSD(T)/6-31+G* confirms the earlier findings of Glukhovtsev, Pross, and Radom that the S(N)2 reaction of Cl(-) with unactivated vinyl chloride in the gas phase occurs by a sigma attack. Complexation of vinyl chloride with Na(+) does not alter this in-plane sigma preference. However, moderately activated dihaloethylenes such as 1-chloro-1-fluoroethylene undergo gas-phase S(N)2 attack by the accepted pi-route where the nucleophile approaches perpendicular to the plane of the C==C. In the latter case a single-step pi pathway is preferred for the Cl(-) + H(2)C==CFCl reaction. This is the first definitive example at a high level of theory where a single-step pi nucleophilic vinylic substitution is preferred over a multistep mechanism in the gas phase. The activation barriers for these gas-phase single-step sigma- and pi-processes involving both naked anions and Na(+) complexes are, however, prohibitively high. Solvation and the presence of a counterion must play a dominant role in nucleophilic vinylic substitution reactions that proceed so readily in the condensed phase. In solution, nucleophilic vinylic substitution reactions involving electron-withdrawing groups on the carbon--carbon double bond (e.g., -CN, -CHO, and -NO(2)) would almost certainly proceed via a free discrete carbanionic intermediate in accord with experiment.     

Metal-ligand cooperation in catalytic intramolecular hydroamination: a computational study of iridium-pyrazolato cooperative activation of aminoalkenes

The present study comprehensively explores diverse mechanistic pathways for intramolecular hydroamination of prototype 2,2-dimethyl-4-penten-1-amine by Cp*Ir chloropyrazole (1; Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) in the presence of KOtBu base with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The most accessible mechanistic pathway for catalytic turnover commences from Cp*Ir pyrazolato (Pz) substrate adduct 2?S, representing the catalytically competent compound and proceeds via initial electrophilic activation of the olefin C=C bond by the metal centre. It entails 1) facile and reversible anti nucleophilic amine attack on the iridium-olefin linkage; 2) Ir-C bond protonolysis via stepwise transfer of the ammonium N-H proton at the zwitterionic [Cp*IrPz-alkyl] intermediate onto the metal that is linked to turnover-limiting, reductive, cycloamine elimination commencing from a high-energy, metastable [Cp*IrPz-hydrido-alkyl] species; and 3) subsequent facile cycloamine liberation to regenerate the active catalyst species. The amine-iridium bound 2?a?S likely corresponds to the catalyst resting state and the catalytic reaction is expected to proceed with a significant primary kinetic isotope. This study unveils the vital role of a supportive hydrogen-bonded network involving suitably aligned β-basic pyrazolato and cycloamido moieties together with an external amine molecule in facilitating metal protonation and reductive elimination. Cooperative hydrogen bonding thus appears pivotal for effective catalysis. The mechanistic scenario is consonant with catalyst performance data and furthermore accounts for the variation in performance for [Cp*IrPz] compounds featuring a β- or γ-basic pyrazolato unit. As far as the route that involves amine N-H bond activation is concerned, a thus far undocumented pathway for concerted amidoalkene → cycloamine conversion through olefin protonation by the pyrazole N-H concurrent with N-C ring closure is disclosed as a favourable scenario. Although not practicable in the present system, this pathway describes a novel mechanistic variant in late transition metal-ligand bifunctional hydroamination catalysis that can perhaps be viable for tailored catalyst designs. The insights revealed herein concerning the operative mechanism and the structure-reactivity relationships will likely govern the rational design of late transition metal-ligand bifunctional catalysts and facilitate further conceptual advances in the area.     

Dimethylzinc-initiated radical reaction of cyclic ethers with arylamines, alkoxyamines, and dialkylhydrazines

Dimethylzinc-initiated radical reaction of THF with arylamines afforded aminoalcohols which were derived from the two molecules of THF and one molecule of an arylamine. The reaction seems to proceed via two-consecutive processes, electrophilic and then nucleophilic reactions of THF-derived species. Alkoxyamines and dialkylhydrazines reacted with electrophilic cyclic ether species to give the corresponding oximes and hydrazones of ω-hydroxyalkanal.     

Five-to-six membered ring-rearrangements in the reaction of 5-perfluoroalkyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with hydrazine and methylhydrazine

The hydrazinolysis reaction of 5-perfluoroalkyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with hydrazine or methylhydrazine as bidentate nucleophiles has been investigated. The reaction occurred through the addition of the bidentate nucleophile to the C(5)-N(4) double bond of the 1,2,4-oxadiazole followed by ring-opening and ring-closure (ANRORC) involving the second nucleophilic site of the reagent. This ring-closure step could involve either the original C(3) of the 1,2,4-oxadiazole (giving a five-to-five membered ring rearrangement) or an additional electrophilic center linked to it (exploiting a five-to-six membered ring rearrangement). An alternative initial nucleophilic attack may involve the additional electrophilic center linked at C(3), that is the carbonyl group, leading to the formation of the hydrazones which undergo the Boulton-Katritzky rearrangement (BKR). The chosen reaction path is a function of the used nucleophile and of the nature of the substituent at C(3). At variance with previous hypotheses, when methylhydrazine was used, the observed regiochemistry always showed the preferred initial attack by the less hindered NH(2) end of the nucleophile on C(5). Moreover, new spectroscopic evidence allowed the assignment of correct structures to the products formed by reaction of 5-perfluoroalkyl-3-phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with methylhydrazine.     

Activation of leinamycin by thiols: a theoretical study

Reaction of thiols with the 1,2-dithiolan-3-one 1-oxide heterocycle found in leinamycin (1) results in the conversion of this antitumor antibiotic to a DNA-alkylating episulfonium ion (5). While the products formed in this reaction have been rationalized by a mechanism involving initial attack of thiol on the central sulfenyl sulfur (S2') of the 1,2-dithiolan-3-one 1-oxide ring, the carbonyl carbon (C3') and the sulfinyl sulfur (S1') of this heterocycle are also expected to be electrophilic. Therefore, it is important to consider whether nucleophilic attack of thiol at these sites might contribute either to destruction of the antibiotic or conversion to its episulfonium ion form. To address this question, we have used computational methods to examine the attack of methyl thiolate on each of the three electrophilic centers in a simple analogue of the 1,2-dithiolan-3-one 1-oxide heterocycle found in leinamycin. Calculations were performed at the MP2/6-311+G(3df,p)//B3LYP/6-31G level of theory with inclusion of solvent effects. The results indicate that the most reasonable mechanism for thiol-mediated activation of leinamycin involves initial attack of thiolate at the S2'-position of the antibiotic's 1,2-dithiolan-3-one 1-oxide heterocycle, followed by conversion to the 1,2-oxathiolan-5-one intermediate (3).     

Unexpected Migratory Insertion Reactions of M(alkyl)2 (M=Zn,Cd) and Diamidocarbenes

The electrophilic character of free diamidocarbenes (DACs) allows them to activate inert bonds in small molecules, such as NH₃ and P₄. Herein, we report that metal coordinated DACs also exhibit electrophilic reactivity, undergoing attack by Zn and Cd dialkyl precursors to afford the migratory insertion products [(6‐MesDAC‐R)MR] (M=Zn, Cd; R=Et, Me; Mes=mesityl). These species were formed via the spectroscopically characterised intermediates [(6‐MesDAC)MR₂], exhibiting barriers to migratory insertion which increase in the order MR₂ = ZnEt₂ < ZnMe₂ < CdMe₂. Compound [(6‐MesDAC‐Me)CdMe] showed limited stability, undergoing deposition of Cd metal, by an apparent β‐H elimination pathway. These results raise doubts about the suitability of diamidocarbenes as ligands in catalytic reactions involving metal species bearing nucleophilic ligands (M‐R, M‐H).     

DFT study on the regio- and stereoselectivity of the organocatalytic aza-Diels-Alder reaction of crotonaldehyde and cyclic 1-aza-1,3-butadiene

The mechanism of 1,4-, 1,2-, and 3,4-cyclization reactions of cyclic 1-azadiene 1 with an organocatalyst 4 has been studied theoretically using DFT method. The reactions proceed in a stepwise fashion, with zwitterionic intermediates. The most favorable cyclization reaction takes place along the C–C pathway of the 1,4-cyclization reaction, under a combination of kinetic and thermodynamic control. The reaction is characterized by the nucleophilic attack of 4 (C₅) to the electrophilic center of 1 (C₁), leading to the formation of cycloadduct 6, which correctly explains the source of the regioselectivity.

     

Pincer complex-catalyzed allylation of aldehyde and imine substrates via nucleophilic eta1-allyl palladium intermediates

Electrophilic allylic substitution of allylstannanes with aldehyde and imine substrates could be achieved by employment of palladium pincer complex catalysts. It was found that the catalytic activity of the pincer complexes is highly dependent on the ligand effects. The best results were obtained by employment of PCP pincer complexes with weakly coordinating counterions. In contrast to previous applications for electrophilic allylic substitutions via bisallylpalladium complexes, the presented reactions involve monoallylpalladium intermediates. Thus, employment of pincer complex catalysts extends the synthetic scope of the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions. Moreover, use of these catalysts eliminates the side reactions occurring in transformations via bisallylpalladium intermediates. The key intermediate of the electrophilic substitution reaction was observed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. This intermediate was characterized as an eta(1)-allyl-coordinated pincer complex. Density functional theory (DFT) modeling shows that the electrophilic attack can be accomplished with a low activation barrier at the gamma-position of the eta(1)-allyl moiety. According to the DFT calculations, this reaction takes place via a six-membered cyclic transition-state (TS) structure, in which the tridentate coordination state of the pincer ligand is preserved. The stereoselectivity of the reaction could be explained on the basis of the six-membered cyclic TS model.     

Intermediate carbene formation in the reaction of thioamides with phosphorus (III) derivatives: Quantum chemical investigation

The reactions of perfluoroalkyl thioamides with trimethyl phosphine, trimethyl phosphite, and tris(dimethylamino)phosphine have been analyzed by means of quantum chemical (DFT and MP2) calculations. The reaction seems to proceed via the nucleophilic attack of the electrophilic carbon atom by the phosphorus lone pair with the formation of cyclic or acyclic adducts. The latter releases the thiophosphate molecule forming perfluoroalkylaminocarbene as the short‐lived intermediate. The reaction of the carbene with the second molecule of trialkyl phosphite yields phosphorus ylide. The ylide undergoes a migration of fluorine from carbon to phosphorus. The reactions of perfluoroalkyl thioamides with phosphines and tris(dimethylamino)phosphine probably proceeds differently. Using alkyl thioamides or amides instead of perfluoroalkyl thioamides also makes the reaction less favorable. The only combination of perfluoroalkyl thioamides with trialkyl phosphite fulfills both the kinetic requirements (moderate activation energies and relative energies for intermediates) and the thermodynamic aspects (higher stabilities of the reaction products compared with the starting materials). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.