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High oxidation-state carbonyl coupling partners including esters and lactones were reacted with enones to give aldol-type products directly using two-fold organoborane catalysis. This new retrosynthetic disconnection to aldol-type products is compatible with enolisable coupling partners, without self-condensation, and couples the high reactivity of secondary dialkylboranes with the stability of pinacolboronic esters. Excellent chemoselectivity, substrate scope (including those containing reducible functionalities and free alcohols) and diastereocontrol were achieved to access both the syn- and anti-aldol-type products. Mechanistic studies confirmed the two-fold catalytic role of the single secondary borane catalyst for boron enolate formation and formation of an aldehyde surrogate from the ester or lactone coupling partner.

Interactions between carbonyl groups are prevalent in protein structures. Earlier investigations identified dominant electrostatic dipolar interactions, while others implicated lone pair n→π* orbital delocalisation. Here these observations are reconciled. A combined experimental and computational approach confirmed the dominance of electrostatic interactions in a new series of synthetic molecular balances, while also highlighting the distance‐dependent observation of inductive polarisation manifested by n→π* orbital delocalisation. Computational fiSAPT energy decomposition and natural bonding orbital analyses correlated with experimental data to reveal the contexts in which short‐range inductive polarisation augment electrostatic dipolar interactions. Thus, we provide a framework for reconciling the context dependency of the dominance of electrostatic interactions and the occurrence of n→π* orbital delocalisation in C=O⋅⋅⋅C=O interactions., Carbonyls reconciled: Electrostatics and orbital interactions have both been implicated in governing carbonyl interactions. A combined experimental and computational approach reconciles these conflicting explanations of the physiochemical origin of the interaction, demonstrating that orbital delocalisation augments electrostatic control, but for very close carbonyl contacts.

The reaction of a Lewis acidic borane with an alkyne is a key step in a diverse range of main group transformations. Alkyne 1,1-carboboration, the Wrackmeyer reaction, is an archetypal transformation of this kind. 1,1-Carboboration has been proposed to proceed through a zwitterionic intermediate. We report the isolation and spectroscopic, structural and computational characterization of the zwitterionic intermediates generated by reaction of B(C6 F5 )3 with alkynes. The stepwise reactivity of the zwitterion provides new mechanistic insight for 1,1-carboboration and wider B(C6 F5 )3 catalysis. Making use of intramolecular stabilization by a ferrocene substituent, we have characterized the zwitterionic intermediate in the solid state and diverted reactivity towards alkyne cyclotrimerization.

The equilibrium between disilenes (R2 Si=SiR2 ) and their silylsilylene (R3 Si-SiR) isomers has previously been inferred but not directly observed, except in the case of the parent system H2 Si=SiH2 . Here, we report a new method to prepare base-coordinated disilenes with hydride substituents. By varying the bulk of the coordinating base and other silicon substituents, we have been able to control the rearrangement of disilene adducts to their silylsilylene tautomers. Remarkably, 1,2 migration of a trimethylsilyl group is preferred over hydrogen migration. A DFT study of the reaction mechanism provides a rationale for the observed reactivity and detailed information on the bonding situation in base-stabilized disilenes.

A bio-inspired, pyrrolidine-mediated, dimerization of para-quinols has been developed. It represents one of the most complex, yet general, dimerization reactions ever disclosed, selectively forming four new bonds, four new rings, and eight new contiguous stereogenic centres. The para-quinol starting materials are easily handled, bench-stable compounds, accessed in just one step from aromatic feedstocks. The reaction can be scaled up to give grams of polycyclic material, primed for further elaboration.

The total synthesis of a dimeric thymol derivative (thymarnicol) isolated from Arnica sachalinensis was accomplished in 6 steps. A key biomimetic Diels–Alder dimerization was found to occur at ambient temperature and the final oxidative cyclization occurs when the substrate is exposed to air and visible light. These results indicate that this natural product is likely the result of spontaneous (non‐enzyme‐mediated) reactivity.

The asymmetric hydrocyanation of vinylarenes was investigated using hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in the presence of 5 mol% of a catalyst prepared from a phenol-derived chiral phosphine-phosphite ligand and bis(cyclooctadiene)nickel [Ni(cod)2]. The reactions were performed in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature to give exclusively the branched nitriles with superior enantioselectivities of 88–99% ee for vinylarenes and 74–94% ee for vinylheteroarenes, respectively. Using styrene as a model substrate it was shown that the catalyst loading could be decreased to 0.42 mol% without any loss of selectivity (88% ee). The structure of the pre-catalyst, i.e., a tetrahedral Ni(0)(P,P-chelate)(cod) complex, was proven by X-ray and NMR analysis. Additional insight into the reaction course was gained by monitoring the hydrocyanation of styrene-d8 by means of 2D NMR spectroscopy.

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

This method allows Markovnikov-like addition of HCN to vinylarenes in good to high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities.

The N-functionalized macrocyclic ligand 2,13-bis(1-naphthalenylmethyl)-5,16-dimethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatricyclo(14,4,01.18,07.12)docosane (L3) and its copper(II) complex were prepared. The crystal structure of [Cu(L3)](ClO4)2·2CH3CN was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 150 K. The copper atom, which lies on an inversion centre, has a square planar arrangement and the complex adopts a stable trans-III configuration. The longer distance [2.081(2) A] for Cu–N(tertiary) compared to 2.030(3) A for Cu–N(secondary) may be due to the steric effect of the attached naphthalenylmethyl group on the tertiary nitrogen atom. Two perchlorate ions are weakly attached to copper in axial sites and are further connected to the ligand of the cation through NH···O hydrogen bonds [N···O 3.098 A]. IR and UV/Vis spectroscopic properties are also described.

A series of new RhI triazole-based N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes [(cod)Rh(NHC)Cl] 2a–c were obtained by transmetallation from AgI complexes using n-butyl, benzyl and neopentyl NHC wing tip substituents. The corresponding new RhI ionic complexes (3a-c) were synthesized bytreating compounds 2a–c with triphenylphosphane and AgBF4. These complexes were characterized by nmr spectroscopy and the structures of 2c, 3a, 3b, and 3c were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 3b formed two polymorphs, the first reported incidence of polymorphism in this type of NHC. Ir analogues, 4, of complexes 3a–c were also synthesized; two complexes are isomorphous with the Rh analogues 4b and 4c while 4a has a different structure. Differences in syn and anti molecular conformation of the NHC ligands is rationalized in terms of stabilizing intramolecular C–H···π interactions and steric crowding of the PPh3 ligand.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)

A three-step sequence is presented via Ugi four-component reaction followed by debenzylation and cyclization with hydrazine.

A series of title compounds is synthesized by a strategy which involves Ugi four-component condensation of the isonitrile (I) followed by TFA-mediated deprotection and cyclization.

FeBr3-catalyzed or LDA-mediated S-alkylation of thioamides followed by thio-Claisen rearrangement allows a regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective access to the title compounds.

The structures of the title compounds are determined by spectroscopic means and X-ray analysis.

The reactions of nitrile complexes of the [Re(6)(μ(3)-Se)(8)](2+) core-containing clusters, [Re(6)(μ(3)-Se)(8)(PEt(3))(n)(CH(3)CN)(6-n)](2+) [n = 5 (1); n = 4, cis- (2) and trans- (3); n = 0 (4)], with organic azides C(6)H(5)CH(CH(3))N(3) and C(6)H(5)CH(2)N(3) produced the corresponding cationic imino complexes of the general formula [Re(6)(μ(3)-Se)(8)(PEt(3))(n)(L)(6-n)](2+) [L = PhN=CHCH(3): n = 5 (5); n = 4, cis- (6) and trans- (7); n = 0 (8) and L = HN=CHPh: n = 5 (9); n = 4, cis- (10) and trans- (11)]. These novel complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy ((1)H and (31)P) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A mechanism involving the migration of one of the groups on the azido α-C atom to the α-N atom of the azido complex, concerted with the photo-expulsion of N(2), was invoked to rationalize the formation of the imino complexes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that due to the coordination with and activation by the cluster core, the energy of the electronic transition responsible for the photo-decomposition of a cluster-bound azide is much reduced with respect to its pure organic counterpart. The observed geometric specificity was rationalized by using the calculated and optimized preferred ground-state conformation of the cluster-azido intermediates.

Organocatalytic alpha-sulfenylation of substituted piperazine-2,5-diones is reported through the use of cinchona alkaloids as Lewis bases and electrophilic sulfur transfer reagents. 1-Phenylsulfanyl[1,2,4]triazole, a novel sulfur transfer reagent, gave excellent product yields with a number of substituted piperazine-2,5-diones under mild conditions. Catalyst loading, stoichiometry of sulfur electrophile, temperature and solvent were optimized to achieve high product yields.