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Although known for over 90 years, only in the past two decades has the chemistry of diboron(4) compounds been extensively explored. Many interesting structural features and reaction patterns have emerged, and more importantly, these compounds now feature prominently in both metal-catalyzed and metal-free methodologies for the formation of B–C bonds and other processes.

A N-arylation of α- and β-amino acid esters with aryl triflates is presented utilizing a Pd catalyst under mild reaction conditions with minimal racemization.

Detailed in this Communication is the enantioselective synthesis of 1,1-diarylalkanes, a structure found in a range of pharmaceutical drug agents and natural products, through the employment of copper(I) hydride and palladium catalysis. Judicious choice of ligand for both Cu and Pd enabled this hydroarylation protocol to work for an extensive array of aryl bromides and styrenes, including β-substituted vinylarenes and six-membered heterocycles, under relatively mild conditions.

The insertion of the diazo derivative Me3SiCHN2 into pinB–SR σ bonds (R = Ph, Tol, Bn) allows a direct synthesis of multisubstituted H–C(SR)(Bpin)(SiMe3) compounds. Consecutive base-assisted transformations of HC(S)(B) (Si) systems lead to deborylative alkylations, Sommelet–Hauser rearrangements, and deprotoalkylations. Intramolecular cyclizations can be selectively performed either via desilylative or deborylative manifolds by fine-tuning the base employed.

Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions that form C–N bonds have become useful methods to synthesize anilines and aniline derivatives, an important class of compounds throughout chemical research. A key factor in the widespread adoption of these methods has been the continued development of reliable and versatile catalysts that function under operationally simple, user-friendly conditions. This review provides an overview of Pd-catalyzed N-arylation reactions found in both basic and applied chemical research from 2008 to the present. Selected examples of C–N cross-coupling reactions between nine classes of nitrogen-based coupling partners and (pseudo)aryl halides are described for the synthesis of heterocycles, medicinally relevant compounds, natural products, organic materials, and catalysts.

An operationally simple hydrosilylation of alkenes is developed using a stable Fe(II)-precatalyst with in situ activation by iPr2NEt.

The enantioselective synthesis of isochroman motifs has been accomplished by palladium(II)-catalyzed allylic C−H oxidation from terminal olefin precursors. Critical to the success of this goal was the development and utilization of a novel chiral aryl sulfoxide-oxazoline (ArSOX) ligand. The allylic C−H oxidation reaction proceeds with the broadest scope and highest levels of asymmetric induction reported to date (avg. 92 % ee, 13 examples with greater than 90 % ee).

Aryl ethers are prepared by cross-coupling of phenols with aryl iodides in isopropyl acetate as solvent.

As our understanding of the impact of specific molecular properties on applications in discovery-based disciplines improves, the extent to which published synthetic methods meet (or do not meet) desirable criteria is ever clearer. Herein, we show how the application of simple (and in many cases freely available) computational tools can be used to develop a semiquantitative understanding of the potential of new methods to support molecular discovery. This analysis can, among other things, inform the design of improved substrate scoping studies; direct the prioritization of specific exemplar structures for synthesis; and substantiate claims of potential future applications for new methods.

The catalyst can be recycled and reused for six times with only a minimal loss of activity.

An unprecedented and challenging radical-radical cross-coupling of α-aminoalkyl radicals with monofluoroalkenyl radicals derived from gem-difluoroalkenes was achieved. This first example of tandem C(sp(3) )-H and C(sp(2) )-F bond functionalization through visible-light photoredox catalysis offers a facile and flexible access to privileged tetrasubstituted monofluoroalkenes under very mild reaction conditions. The striking features of this redox-neutral method in terms of scope, functional-group tolerance, and regioselectivity are illustrated by the late-stage fluoroalkenylation of complex molecular architectures such as bioactive (+)-diltiazem, rosiglitazone, dihydroartemisinin, oleanic acid, and androsterone derivatives, which represent important new α-amino C-H monofluoroalkenylations.

Over the past two decades, there have been major developments in transition metal–catalyzed aminations of aryl halides to form anilines, a common structure found in drug agents, natural product isolates, and fine chemicals. Many of these approaches have enabled highly efficient and selective coupling through the design of specialized ligands, which facilitate reductive elimination from a destabilized metal center. We postulated that a general and complementary method for carbon–nitrogen bond formation could be developed through the destabilization of a metal amido complex via photoredox catalysis, thus providing an alternative approach to the use of structurally complex ligand systems. Here, we report the development of a distinct mechanistic paradigm for aryl amination using ligand-free nickel(II) salts, in which facile reductive elimination from the nickel metal center is induced via a photoredox-catalyzed electron-transfer event.

ConspectusAromatic fluorides are prevalent in both agrochemical and pharmaceutical agents. However, methods for their rapid and general preparation from widely available starting materials are limited. Traditional approaches such as the Balz–Schiemann and Halex reactions require harsh conditions that limit functional group tolerance and substrate scope. The use of transition metals to affect C–F bond formation has provided some useful alternatives, but a broadly applicable method remains elusive. In contrast to the widespread use of Pd0/PdII catalysis for aryl–Z bond formation (Z = C, N, O), the analogous C–F cross-coupling process was unknown until fairly recently. In large part, this is due to the challenging Ar–F reductive elimination from Pd(II) intermediates. We have discovered that certain biaryl monophosphine ligands are uniquely capable of promoting this transformation. In this Account, we describe the discovery and development of a Pd-catalyzed C–F cross-coupling process and the systematic develo...

All three diastereomers are prepared in 11 steps starting from commercially available 2,2-dimethoxyacetaldehyde.

A series of boronic acid-containing saccharide receptors was synthesised via copper catalysed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions. Their saccharide binding capacity was studied by 1H and 11B NMR spectroscopy titrations and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) techniques. Fluorescent sensors were generated by linking a phenylboronic acid (PBA) receptor with fluorophores via a triazole-linker. Fluorescence titrations with fructose revealed that the substitution pattern about the PBA influences the fluorescence response to saccharides. Titrations studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy suggested that fructose binding is enhanced when the aromatic ring bearing the boronic acid has the triazole-containing substituent at the ortho position. No evidence of either a dative N–B bond or solvent insertion (between B and N) was observed by 11B NMR spectroscopy. These results demonstrate that synthetic accessible triazole receptors may allow rapid sensor synthesis, screening and discovery.

The first Rh-catalyzed C–H amidation of pyridines is reported. The incorporation of a substituent at the C2 position both is crucial to the success of this transformation and provides considerable scope for further elaboration of the resulting products. Among these compounds, 2-chloropyridines allow access to a selection of intermediates including a versatile azaquinazoline scaffold.

The synthesis of β-thio substituted carbonyl compounds is achieved by uncatalyzed reaction of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with thiodioxaborolanes under mild reaction conditions.

The single P—B bond of novel phosphinoboronate ester (II) is highly reactive and readily undergoes addition to C=O and C=N bonds, respectively.

A two step condensation sequence allows the synthesis of the title species (V) and (VIII) from 9-chloroacridines, phenylene diamines, and alloxan.

A selective, practical and general incorporation of fluoroalkyl groups into organic frameworks is of great interest for synthesis. Herein we report the first metal-free, initiator-free, and general photochemical perfluoroalkylation of a variety of N,N-dialkylhydrazones at room temperature in the absence of any external photocatalyst. It constitutes an important advance in perfluoroalkyl radical addition to CN π bonds for the synthesis of hydrazones instead of amines. Affordable and easily available perfluoroalkyl iodides serve as effective precursors. The excellent regio-, stereo- and chemoselectivity as well as the broad substrate scope make this a very promising synthetic tool.

A decarboxylating alkynylation of α,α-difluoroarylacetic acids with ethynylbenziodoxolone reagents is reported. AgNO3 serves as the catalyst and K2S2O8 as the oxidant. A series of functional groups were tolerated, and moderate to good yields were obtained.

We report an operationally simple, metal-free approach for the late-stage introduction of the important lipophilic hydrogen-bond donor motif, SCF2H. This reaction converts diaryl- and dialkyl-disulfides into the corresponding aryl/alkyl–SCF2H through the nucleophilic transfer of a difluoromethyl group with good functional group tolerance. This method is notable for its use of commercially available TMSCF2H, and does not rely on the need for handling of sensitive metal complexes.

Efficient de novo asymmetric syntheses of (+)-preussin B, the C(2)-epimer of (−)-preussin B, and 3-deoxy-(+)-preussin B have been developed, using the diastereoselective conjugate addition of lithium (S)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amide to tert-butyl 4-phenylbut-2-enoate and diastereoselective reductive cyclizations of γ-amino ketones as the key steps to set the stereochemistry. Conjugate addition followed by enolate protonation generated the corresponding β-amino ester. Homologation using the ester functionality as a synthetic handle gave the corresponding γ-amino ketone. Hydrogenolytic N-debenzylation was accompanied by diastereoselective reductive cyclization in situ; reductive N-methylation then gave 3-deoxy-(+)-preussin B as the major diastereoisomeric product. Meanwhile, the same conjugate addition but followed by enolate oxidation with (+)-camphorsulfonyloxaziridine gave the corresponding anti-α-hydroxy-β-amino ester. α-Epimerization by oxidation and diastereoselective reduction then gave access to...

We report a direct sol–gel synthesis and characterization of new proton-containing, rhombohedral NASICION-type titanium compounds with mixed phosphate and sulfate oxoanions. The synthetic conditions were established by utilizing peroxide ion as a decomposable and stabilizing ligand for titanyl ions in the presence of phosphates in a strong acidic medium. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), induction-coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopic (ICP-OES) elemental analysis, and Raman and 1H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) spectroscopic studies have determined the presence of sulfate and proton ions in the structure, for which the compositional range has been found to be H1−xTi2(PO4)3−x(SO4)x (x=0.5–1). The particulate products exhibit a nanocrystalline nature observed through characterization with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The N2 sorption isotherm measurements and subsequent Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) analyses confirmed the presence of the textural meso- and macropores in the materials. Future studies would determine the potential of the new compounds in various applications as battery materials, proton conductors and solid acid catalysts.

We report an enantioselective Ni-catalyzed cross coupling of arylzinc reagents with pyridinium ions formed in situ from pyridine and a chloroformate. This reaction provides enantioenriched 2-aryl-1,2-dihydropyridine products that can be elaborated to numerous piperidine derivatives with little or no loss in ee. This method is notable for its use of pyridine, a feedstock chemical, to build a versatile, chiral heterocycle in a single synthetic step.

A new method for the enantioselective reductive coupling of aryl alkenes with activated carboxylic acid derivatives via copper hydride catalysis is described. Dual catalytic cycles are proposed, with a relatively fast enantioselective hydroacylation cycle followed by a slower diastereoselective ketone reduction cycle. Symmetrical aryl carboxyclic anhydrides provide access to enantioenriched α-substituted ketones or alcohols with excellent stereoselectivity and functional group tolerance.

Manganese is a non-toxic, inexpensive and earth abundant metal, so is a perfect candidate for catalysis whether as a replacement for precious metals or in the search for novel reactivity. Despite this, manganese catalysis has not undergone the same development of other earth-abundant metals (particularly iron and cobalt). This review details recent synthetic methodologies using manganese catalysts, including C–H activation, late stage fluorination, hydrosilylation and cross-coupling.

Enantioenriched alcohols found in an array of bioactive natural products and pharmaceutical agents are often synthesized by asymmetric nucleophilic addition to carbonyls. However, this approach generally shows limited functional-group compatibility, requiring the use of preformed organometallic reagents in conjunction with a stoichiometric or substoichiometric amount of chiral controller to deliver optically active alcohols. Herein we report a copper-catalyzed strategy for the stereoselective nucleophilic addition of propargylic and other alkyl groups to ketones, using easily accessible (poly)unsaturated hydrocarbons as latent carbanion equivalents. Our method features the catalytic generation of highly enantioenriched organocopper intermediates and their subsequent diastereoselective addition to ketones, allowing for the effective construction of highly substituted stereochemical dyads with excellent stereocontrol. Moreover, this process is general, scalable, and occurs at ambient temperature.

The enantioselective, intermolecular hydroallylation of vinylarenes employing allylic phosphate electrophiles has been achieved through a copper hydride catalyzed process. The protocol described herein can be applied to a diverse set of vinylarene substrates and allows for the installation of the parent allyl group as well as a range of 2-substituted allylic fragments.

The Chan–Evans–Lam reaction is a valuable C–N bond forming process. However, aryl boronic acid pinacol (BPin) ester reagents can be difficult coupling partners that often deliver low yields, in particular in reactions with aryl amines. Herein, we report effective reaction conditions for the Chan–Evans–Lam amination of aryl BPin with alkyl and aryl amines. A mixed MeCN/EtOH solvent system was found to enable effective C–N bond formation using aryl amines while EtOH is not required for the coupling of alkyl amines.

The need for chemists to design chemicals that not only fulfill their intended purposes but are of minimal hazard was recognized nearly a century ago. Over the decades regulations pertaining to the development of safer drug substances and pesticides have been promulgated, and caused changes in the relationships between industry, academia, government agencies, and how chemists are trained to develop new pesticides and new drug substances. This has led to the considerable progress that has occurred over the past 60 years in the development of safe and efficacious pharmaceuticals and pesticides. Progress in the design of safer commercial chemicals, however, has been comparatively slow, despite the many advances in: toxicological research; the elucidation of mechanisms of toxicity; and the identification of relationships between chemical structure, physicochemical and electronic properties with toxicity, environmental fate, or environmental hazard. While few would argue against the need for safer commercial chemicals, implementation of the design of safer chemicals as a paradigm has not advanced to the same extent as other approaches to preventing pollution. This article offers insights on how this paradigm can be advanced as an important component of sustainable development, and how those existing commercial chemicals for which safer, commercially viable alternatives are most needed can be identified and prioritized. One recommendation regarding prioritization is the use of information available in the United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI): the U.S.’ pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR). The TRI is an easy-to-use pollution prevention database tool used extensively for tracking the quantities of toxic chemicals annually released or otherwise managed as waste, and evaluating overall environmental performance by industrial facilities. Other PRTRs throughout the world have the potential to be used for identification and prioritization of chemicals as well.

The reduction and reductive addition (formal hydroamination) of functionalised nitroarenes is reported using a simple and bench-stable iron(III) catalyst and silane. The reduction is chemoselective for nitro groups over an array of reactive functionalities (ketone, ester, amide, nitrile, sulfonyl and aryl halide). The high activity of this earth-abundant metal catalyst also facilitates a follow-on reaction in the reductive addition of nitroarenes to alkenes, giving efficient formal hydroamination of olefins under mild conditions. Both reactions offer significant improvements in catalytic activity and chemoselectivity and the utility of these catalysts in facilitating two challenging reactions supports an important mechanistic overlap.

The regioselective amination of substituted di- and trichloropyrimidines affording the 2-substituted products is reported. While aryl- and heteroarylamines require the use of a dialkylbiarylphosphine-derived palladium catalyst for high efficiency, more nucleophilic dialkylamines produce 2-aminopyrimidines under noncatalyzed SNAr conditions. The key is the use of 5-trimethylsilyl-2,4-dichloropyrimidine as a surrogate for the parent dichloropyrimidine. For more challenging cases, the 2-chloro-4-thiomethoxy analogues were prepared and exclusively afford the desired 2-aminated-4-thiomethoxypyrimidine products.

In nearly all cases of biological activity of sulfated GAGs, the sulfate group(s) are critical for interacting with target proteins. A growing paradigm is that appropriate small, sulfated, nonsaccharide GAG mimetics can be designed to either mimic or interfere with the biological functions of natural GAG sequences resulting in the discovery of either antagonist or agonist agents. A number of times these sulfated NSGMs can be computationally designed based on the parent GAG-protein interaction. The small sulfated NSGMs may possess considerable aromatic character so as to engineer hydrophobic, hydrogen-bonding, Coulombic or cation-pi forces in their interactions with target protein(s) resulting in higher specificity of action relative to parent GAGs. The sulfated NSGMs can be easily synthesized in one step from appropriate natural polyphenols through chemical sulfation under microwave-based conditions. We describe step-by-step procedures to perform microwave-based sulfation of several small polyphenol scaffolds so as to prepare homogenous NSGMs containing one to more than 10 sulfate groups per molecule in high yields.

A wide range of amino alcohols is constructed with high levels of chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity by sequential copper-hydride-catalyzed hydrosilylation and hydroamination of readily available enals or enones.

The synthesis of the enantiopure tetrahydroisoquinolines is achieved by a short sequence consisting of aminohydroxylation of cinnamates (I) with a chiral bis-benzylic amine (II) followed by activation of the α-hydroxy group of products (III).

A novel structural class with high affinity and subtype selectivity for the sigma 2 receptor has been discovered. Preliminary structure-affinity relationship data are presented showing that 8-substituted 1,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,5-methanobenzazepine (norbenzomorphan) derivatives elicit modest to high selectivity for the sigma 2 over the sigma 1 receptor subtype. Indeed, piperazine analogue 8-(4-(3-ethoxy-3-oxopropyl)piperazin-1-yl)-1,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,5-methanobenzazepine-2-carboxylate (SAS-1121) is 574-fold selective for the sigma 2 over the sigma 1 receptor, thereby establishing it as one of the more subtype-selective sigma 2 binding ligands reported to date. Emerging evidence has implicated the sigma 2 receptor in multiple health disorders, so the drug-like characteristics of many of the selective sigma 2 receptor ligands disclosed herein, coupled with their structural similarity to frameworks found in known drugs, suggest that norbenzomorphan analogues may be promising candidates for further development into drug leads.

An Ir-catalyzed intermolecular reaction of biphenylenes as a C4 unit with various alkenes as a C1 unit gave 9,9-disubstituted fluorenes in moderate to high yields. Preliminary mechanistic studies revealed that this formal [4 + 1] cycloaddition probably proceeds via C–C bond cleavage, alkene insertion, β-hydrogen elimination, intramolecular alkene insertion, and then reductive elimination. An example of enantioselective reaction was also disclosed.

The first catalytic and highly enantioselective synthesis of tribenzothiepin derivatives was achieved. Two types of intermolecular cycloadditions using either diphenyl-sulfide-tethered diynes or 2-phenyl sulfanylbenzene-tethered diynes with a monoalkyne successfully gave chiral multisubstituted tribenzothiepins in good to excellent ee values under mild conditions. The inversion energy of this saddle-shaped molecule was calculated by measurement of the racemization rate of chiral tribenzothiepins using the Eyring kinetic equation under heating conditions. The present protocol could also be used to prepare a chiral tribenzoselenepin.

A practical synthesis of highly functionalized amines by the formal hydroamination reaction of alkenes with nitroarenes catalyzed by an air stable amine-bis(phenolate) iron(III) complex is reported. The reaction uses an easily handled silane, low catalyst loadings, and mild reaction conditions. A wide range of substrates are transformed with synthetically useful yields (21 examples).

A highly efficient 12-step synthesis of the marine alkaloid (-)-nakadomarin A has been accomplished. The key advanced intermediate, a tetracyclic ketone derivative, was constructed in just seven steps using a sequence that includes an asymmetric Pauson-Khand reaction, an Overman rearrangement reaction, a ring-closing metathesis reaction, and an amination reaction. Late introduction of the furan ring during the synthesis of (-)-nakadomarin A means that the key tetracyclic ketone derivative has the potential to serve as an advanced intermediate for the synthesis of related marine alkaloids.

Novel tricyclic bridged heterocyclic systems can be readily prepared from sequential 1,4- and 1,2-addition reactions of allyl and 3-substituted allylsilanes to indolizidine and quinolizidine α,β-unsaturated N-acyliminium ions. These reactions involve a novel N-assisted, transannular 1,5-hydride shift. Such a mechanism was supported by examining the reaction of a dideuterated indolizidine, α,β-unsaturated N-acyliminium ion precursor, which provided specifically dideuterated tricyclic bridged heterocyclic products, and from computational studies. In contrast, the corresponding pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine system did not provide the corresponding tricyclic bridged heterocyclic product and gave only a bis-allyl adduct, while more substituted versions gave novel furo[3,2-d]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine products. Such heterocyclic systems would be expected to be useful scaffolds for the preparation of libraries of novel compounds for new drug discovery programs.

Copper-catalyzed Si-H, B-H, P-H, S-H, and N-H insertion reactions of 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-diazoethane and 1-aryl 2,2,2-trifluorodiazoethanes generated a large number of new fluorine-containing chemical entities for medicinal chemists. With selected Si-H and B-H insertion reactions, we demonstrate successful extension to asymmetric catalysis.

The first gold-catalyzed photoredox C(sp(2) )-H difluoroalkylation and perfluoroalkylation of hydrazones with readily available RF -Br reagents is reported. The resulting gem-difluoromethylated and perfluoroalkylated hydrazones are highly functionalized, versatile molecules. A mild reduction of the coupling products can efficiently produce gem-difluoromethylated β-amino phosphonic acids and β-amino acid derivatives. In mechanistic studies, a difluoroalkyl radical intermediate was detected by an EPR spin-trapping experiment, indicating that a gold-catalyzed radical pathway is operating.

The cycloaddition reactions are promoted by novel, readily prepared urea-substituted cinchona alkaloid-derived catalysts.