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We present a stopped-flow benchtop NMR system (composed of commercially available hardware components) that allows for quantitative reaction monitoring to be completed with relative ease, even with experimentally complex reaction systems.

The crystallization-induced diastereomer transformation of a precursor to navoximod was investigated using online HPLC and optimized with inline racemization.

Ring walking is an important mechanistic phenomenon leveraged in many catalytic C-C bond forming reactions. However, ring walking has been scarcely studied under Buchwald-Hartwig amination conditions despite the importance of such transformations. An in-depth mechanistic study of the Buchwald-Hartwig amination is presented focussing on ligand effects on ring walking behavior. The ability of palladium catalysts to promote or inhibit ring walking is strongly influenced by the chelating nature of the ligand. In stark contrast, the resting state of the catalyst had no impact on ring walking behavior. Furthermore, the complexity of the targeted system enabled the differentiation between catalysts which undergo ring walking versus diffusion-controlled coupling. The insights gained in this study were leveraged to achieve desymmetrization of a tetrabrominated precursor. A small library of asymmetric 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis[N,N-di(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]-9,9’spirobifluorene (SpiroOMeTAD) derivatives were successfully synthesized using this strategy highlighting the ease with which libraries of these compounds can be accessed for screening.

Current PAT tools struggle to provide real time solid-phase composition data for crystallizations. HPLC offers a variety of benefits over other solution-phase PATs and can be used to infer solid-phase composition when combining total (solid plus solution phase) sampling with solution-only sampling. However, the selective solution-phase sampling of supersaturated solutions is extremely challenging. We herein present a dynamically flushed in situ filtration device that attaches to the tip of Mettler-Toledo's EasySampler probe and makes use of its mechanical motion to avoid surface fouling. Filter functionality was tested under both increasing saturation (via cooling or antisolvent addition) as well as decreasing saturation (via heating or solvent addition), illustrating its accuracy, reliability and versatility. The utility of the filter tip was highlighted by monitoring the classical resolution of TBZ, an important drug precursor.

The transformation of CO2 to value added commodity chemicals presents an impactful strategy to obtain products that are less dependent on fossil fuels. In this study, indium tribromide (InBr3) mixed with tetrabutylammonium bromide (NBu4Br) co-catalyst has been identified as a simple, highly efficient catalyst for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO2 at sub-atmospheric pressures, room temperature, and under solvent-free conditions. The InBr3/NBu4Br catalytic system is tolerant toward different functional groups with high conversions and >99% selectivity for cyclic carbonate without resorting to high pressures and temperatures. Moreover, a combination of in situ IR, NMR spectroscopy, and substrate labelling experiments enabled the proof of key catalytic steps and detection of reaction intermediates to elucidate the reaction mechanism. This technology represents a potential scalable system for the utilization of waste CO2.

Obtaining data-dense reaction profiles for reactions performed under an inert atmosphere remains a significant challenge obfuscating mechanistic analysis. To this end, we have developed a reaction ...

We have developed a convenient two-step, one-pot method for the facile synthesis of cyanoimidazoles. By integrating a suite of reaction-monitoring techniques, we were able to interrogate each transformation independently. We observed that formation of a key hemiaminal intermediate is complicated via many equilibrium processes, creating oligomers and eventually resulting in unproductive dimerization. DoE experiments indicated that despite the complex equilibria of this substrate, high conversion to the trifluoromethyl imidazole can still be achieved. We also report the effects of temperature, pH, and substrate concentrations on the rate and selectivity of the elimination cascade reaction converting the trifluoromethyl imidazole to the cyanoimidazole. By leveraging kinetic information gathered from each step independently, we report reaction conditions to achieve high yields of the cyanoimidazole from carbonyl-containing substrate directly in one pot.

Insights and mechanistic studies into biphasic reactions are often challenging due to difficulty in deploying in situ reaction-monitoring or sampling procedures. Herein, we describe the development...

Automated kinetic profiling is a valuable tool for providing insights into key mechanistic features of complex catalytic systems. In an attempt to optimize a palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction, automated kinetic profiling was utilized with offline liquid chromatography to monitor reaction progress. Upon uncovering analytical sample instability issues, an online HPLC capability was developed and implemented through integration of a Chemspeed liquid handling robot with an Agilent HPLC to facilitate automated reaction set-up and monitoring. Application of this capability resulted in the observation that precatalyst activation was a key factor influencing the reaction rate. Leveraging this mechanistic insight, a more efficient method to access the active catalyst was developed. This change resulted in a five-fold increase in the reaction rate.

This article describes the integration of evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) with automated robotic sampling to obtain reliable and data-rich solubility and crystallization profiles of minimally- or non-UV active compounds. The new technology allowed for the thermodynamic solubilities of various compounds to be profiled over broad temperature ranges without experimenter intervention. Two case studies are presented that illustrate the ability of the automated system to furnish solution phase composition of systems actively undergoing crystallization: first, the dynamic change in the solution phase concentration of multiple components during seeded preferential crystallization is monitored and time-course profiles showing the change in solution phase enantiomeric excess (e.e.) were created. Second, a diastereomeric resolution is profiled, illustrating the utility that monitoring the solution phase composition during crystallization has on reporting on the success of this classical resolution method. Validation of the sampling technology is provided by corroborating the ELSD data with in situ ReactIR monitoring.

We have developed a reaction monitoring platform capable of automated sampling and online HPLC analysis to generate temporal profiles for reactions performed from within a glovebox. The device allows for facile reaction progress analysis to aid in mechanistic studies of air-sensitive chemical transformations. The platform has demonstrated high reproducibility regarding sample mixing, dilution, delivery, and analysis. We employed the sampling platform to acquire temporal profiles for a series of Buchwald-Hartwig aminations. Parallel coupling reactions using iodobenzene and bromobenzene both exhibit complex kinetics. A competition reaction including both aryl halides demonstrated high selectivity for iodobenzene indicative of catalyst monopoly. The temporal profile for the difunctionalized substrate 1,4-iodobromobenzene was unexpected based a priori and is indicative of a distinct underlying mechanism. We attribute this unanticipated reactivity to intramolecular catalysts transfer through the π system as seen in “living” polymerization transfer catalyst systems. This automated sampling platform has greatly increased mechanistic understanding by performing only a small subset of experiments.

Detailed kinetic analysis for the Cu(I)-catalyzed Kinugasa reaction forming β-lactams has revealed an anomalous overall zero-order reaction profile, due to opposing positive and negative orders in nitrone and alkyne, respectively. Furthermore, the reaction displays a second-order dependence on the catalyst, confirming the critical involvement of a postulated bis-Cu complex. Finally, reaction progress analysis of multiple byproducts has allowed a new mechanism, involving a common ketene intermediate to be delineated. Our results demonstrate that β-lactam synthesis through the Kinugasa reaction proceeds via a cascade involving (3 + 2) cycloaddition, (3 + 2) cycloreversion, and finally (2 + 2) cycloaddition. Our new mechanistic understanding has resulted in optimized reaction conditions to dramatically improve the yield of the target β-lactams and provides the first consistent mechanistic model to account for the formation of all common byproducts of the Kinugasa reaction.

An imine-coupled [Fe–N2S2]2 complex, prepared from a readily available benzothiazolidine ligand, catalyzes selectively the hydroboration of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes at low catalyst loadings (0.1 mol %) using pinacolborane. Both mono- and disubstituted aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes are hydroborated selectively in the presence of ketones, nitriles, alkenes, amines, and halides. Reaction of the [Fe–N2S2]2 complex with CO and preliminary reaction progress kinetic studies point to a complex mechanism.

A mechanistic study of a new heterocycloisomerization reaction that forms annulated aminopyrroles is presented. Density functional theory calculations and kinetic studies suggest the reaction is catalyzed by trace copper salts and that a Z- to E-hydrazone isomerization occurs through an enehydrazine intermediate before the rate-determining cyclization of the hydrazone onto the alkyne group. The aminopyrrole products are obtained in 36-93% isolated yield depending on the nature of the alkynyl substituent. A new automated sampling technique was developed to obtain robust mechanistic data.

1,3-Disiloxanediols are effective hydrogen-bonding catalysts that exhibit enhanced activity relative to silanediols and triarylsilanols. The catalytic activity for a series of 1,3-disiloxanediols, including naphthyl-substituted and unsymmetrical siloxanes, has been quantified and compared relative to other silanol and thiourea catalysts using the Friedel Crafts addition of indole to trans-β-nitrostyrene. An in-depth kinetic study using reaction progress kinetic analysis (RPKA) has been performed to probe the catalyst behavior of 1,3-disiloxanediols. The data confirm that the disiloxanediol-catalyzed addition reaction is first order in catalyst over all concentrations studied with no evidence of catalyst self-association. 1,3-Disiloxanediols proved to be robust and recoverable catalysts with no deactivation under reaction conditions. No product inhibition is observed, and competitive binding studies with nitro-containing additives suggest that 1,3-disiloxanediols bind weakly to nitro groups but are strongly activating for catalysis.

Catalyst-controlled, selective nitrene transfer is often challenging when both C–H and C═C bonds are present in a substrate. Interestingly, a simple change in the Ag(I):L ratio (L = bidentate N,N-donor ligand) enables tunable, chemoselective nitrene transfer that favors either C═C bond aziridination using an ∼1:1 Ag:L ratio (AgLOTf) or insertion into a C–H bond when the Ag:L ratio in the catalyst is 1:2 (AgL2OTf). In this paper, mechanistic studies, coupled with kinetic profiling of the entire reaction course, are employed to examine the reasons for this unusual behavior. Steady-state kinetics were found to be similar for both AgLOTf and AgL2OTf; both complexes yield electronically similar reactive intermediates that engage in nitrene transfer involving formation of a short-lived radical intermediate and barrierless radical recombination. Taken together, experimental and computational studies point to two effects that control tunable chemoselectivity: suppression of aziridination as the steric congestion ...

Detailed kinetic profiles of the copper-catalyzed exchange between the acetylenic proton and iodide of terminal and 1-iodophenylacetylenes are reported. The electronic nature of the alkynes does not influence the equilibrium of the exchange (Keq = 1), only the rate of equilibration. Notably, the profiles are the same for electron-rich, methyl-substituted phenylacetylenes but are divergent for electron-deficient, trifluoromethyl-substituted variants. The heretofore unreported exchange process yields practical considerations regarding reactions involving iodo and terminal alkynes.

An automated reaction monitoring system capable of unattended sample aliquoting and dilution, as well as immediate quantification and identification of reaction components via HPLC-MS has been developed. The device allows for facile reaction progress analysis, enabling mechanistic studies and serving as a primary process analytical technology (PAT) for reaction monitoring. The sampling sequence utilizes in line mixing to provide highly reproducible and accurate reaction profiles. To demonstrate the flexibility and robustness of this tool, progress curves have been acquired for three distinct reactions; namely a Cu(I)-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition which is difficult to quench due to very high catalyst activity, a Suzuki cross-coupling reaction that proves challenging to monitor due to heterogenous reagents, and a complex multicomponent cascade reaction that generates multiple regioisomers that are difficult to quantify by online spectroscopic methods.

A prototype automated system has been developed, which is capable of acquiring accurate kinetic reaction profiles from heterogeneous reactions. The device is capable of monitoring the composition and concentration of either the dissolved components (solution phase) or slurry (solid and solution phases) in parallel. This prototype was used to study the diastereo- and enantioselectivity of the aldol reaction between 4-tert-butyl cyclohexanone and p-nitrobenzaldehyde, catalyzed by either pyrrolidine or L-proline. With both catalysts, the observed high diastereoselectivity involves an interplay between solution phase reaction/epimerization and crystallization. These observations were possible due to the facile method of tandem solution and slurry analysis.

Sulfuryl fluoride, SO2F2, has been known and used as a fumigant for over 50 years but it has only recently gained widespread interest as a reagent for organic synthesis. Herein we report a novel application of sulfuryl fluoride gas in a new 1,1-dihydrofluoroalkylation reaction, which simply involves bubbling SO2F2 through a solution of amine, 1,1-dihydrofluoroalcohol, and diisopropylethylamine. The reaction is successful for a wide range of primary and secondary amines, as well as several 1,1-dihydrofluoroalcohols, to afford the 1,1-dihydrofluoroalkylated amines in 42% to 80% isolated yields. The reaction also displays excellent functional group tolerance. The ease of the one-pot activation and alkylation, combined with the wide substrate scope make this new procedure an attractive alternative to existing 1,1-dihydrofluoroalkylation methodologies.

We have used the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to measure the extent of oxidative DNA damage under varying reaction conditions used for copper(I)-catalyzed click chemistry. We systematically studied how the damage depends on a number of key reaction parameters, including the amounts of copper, ascorbate, and ligand used, and found that the damage is significant under nearly all conditions tested, including those commonly used for bioconjugation. Furthermore, we discovered that the addition of dimethyl sulfoxide, a known radical scavenger, into the aqueous mixture dramatically suppresses DNA damage during the reaction. We also measured the efficiency of cross-linking two short synthetic oligonucleotides via click chemistry, and found that the reaction could proceed reasonably efficiently even with DMSO present. This approach for screening both DNA damage and reactivity under a range of reaction conditions will be valuable for improving the biocompatibility of click chemistry, and should help to extend this powerful synthetic tool for both in vitro and in vivo applications.

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Continuing developments in the elucidation techniques of complex catalytic processes is of foremost importance to modern synthetic chemistry, and the identification of efficient synthetic techniques relies on precise, reliable, and adaptable methods to dissect the mechanism of a given transformation. Currently, methods of reaction development are grounded upon the systematic modification of specific variables - such as temperature, time, concentration, etc. - to account for and control the dynamic series of coupled equilibria within a catalytic environment. On the other hand, tandem reaction analytical methods that involve the concomitant use of different instruments to probe a reaction can provide time-resolved information regarding active chemical species and facilitate the interrogation and optimization of the system. Herein, we report our study applying tandem in situ ReactIR and HPLC-MS monitoring to the dysprosium(III) triflate-catalyzed aza-Piancatelli rearrangement of 2-furylcarbinols, a reaction that grants access to trans-4,5-disubstituted cyclopentenones - common motifs in important biologically relevant and natural compounds. With a prototype automated sampling apparatus, information was obtained about the intrinsic chemoselectivity of the reaction, and previously unseen intermediates were observed, allowing for a more detailed reaction mechanism to be substantiated. The advantages of applying this type of tandem measurement to study these types of systems are also discussed. (Figure Presented).

Metal carbenes appended with two electron-donating groups, known as "donor/donor" carbenes, undergo diastereo- and enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed C-H insertion reactions with ether substrates to form benzodihydrofurans. Unlike the reactions of metal carbenes with electron-withdrawing groups attached, the attenuated electrophilicity enables these reactions to be conducted in Lewis basic solvents (e.g., acetonitrile) and in the presence of water. The diazo precursors for these species are prepared in situ from hydrazone using a mild and chemoselective oxidant (MnO2 ). Although this sequence often can be performed in one-pot, control experiments have elucidated why a "two-pot" process is often more efficient. A thorough screening of achiral catalysts demonstrated that sterically encumbered catalysts are optimal for diastereoselective reactions. Although efficient insertion into allylic and propargylic C-H bonds is observed, competing dipolar cycloaddition processes are noted for some substrates. The full substrate scope of this useful method of benzodihydrofuran synthesis, mechanisms of side reactions, and computational support for the origins of stereoselectivity are described.

Isolation of chiral molecules as pure enantiomers remains a fundamental challenge in chemical research. Enantioselective enrichment through preferential crystallization is an efficient method to achieve enantiopure compounds, but its applicability depends on the relative stability of the enantiopure and racemic crystal forms. Using a simple thermodynamic model and first-principles density-functional calculations, it is possible to predict the difference in solubility between the enantiopure and racemic solid phases. This approach uses dispersion-corrected density functionals and is capable of accurately predicting the solution-phase entantiomeric excess to within about 10% of experimental measurements on average. The accuracy of the exchange-hole dipole moment (XDM) model of dispersion enables the viability of the proposed method. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The observed rate of reaction in the dysprosium triflate catalyzed aza-Piancatelli rearrangement is controlled by a key off-cycle binding between aniline and catalyst. Deconvoluting the role of these ancillary species greatly broadens our understanding of factors affecting the productive catalytic pathway. We demonstrate that the rate of reaction is controlled by initial competitive binding between the furylcarbinol and nitrogen nucleophile using either a Brønsted or Lewis acid catalyst and that the resulting rearrangement proceeds without involving the Brønsted and Lewis acid catalyst. This shows conclusively that the rate-controlling step and selectivity of reaction are decoupled. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

We describe the use of iterative in situ click chemistry to design an Akt-specific branched peptide triligand that is a drop-in replacement for monoclonal antibodies in multiple biochemical assays. Each peptide module in the branched structure makes unique contributions to affinity and/or specificity resulting in a 200 nM affinity ligand that efficiently immunoprecipitates Akt from cancer cell lysates and labels Akt in fixed cells. Our use of a small molecule to preinhibit Akt prior to screening resulted in low micromolar inhibitory potency and an allosteric mode of inhibition, which is evidenced through a series of competitive enzyme kinetic assays. To demonstrate the efficiency and selectivity of the protein-templated in situ click reaction, we developed a novel QPCR-based methodology that enabled a quantitative assessment of its yield. These results point to the potential for iterative in situ click chemistry to generate potent, synthetically accessible antibody replacements with novel inhibitory properties.

Experimental and computational studies probing the nature of intermediates in the α-amination of aldehydes catalyzed by prolinate salts support an enamine carboxylate intermediate in the stereodetermining step.

A new method for the synthesis of dihydroimidazo[1,2-a][1,3,5]triazin-4(6H)-ones via copper(I)-catalyzed hydroamination was developed. In addition, for the first time, iodoalkynes were shown to participate in the copper(I)-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination reaction with exclusive formation of E-isomers.

This invention provides a method for preparing a 1,2,3-triazole compound comprising contacting an organic azide with a 2-substitued-1-haloalkyne, in the presence of a copper catalyst and a copper-coordinating ligand (preferably a tertiary amine) in a liquid reaction medium, thereby forming a 1,4,5-substituted-1,2,3-triazole compound including a halo substituent at the 5-position of the triazole, the organic portion of the organic azide at the 1-position of the triazole, and the substituent of the 1-iodoalkyne at the 4-position of the triazole. A method for preparing 1-iodoalkynes is also provided.

Special agents for protein capture: Iterative in situ click chemistry (see scheme for the tertiary ligand screen) and the one-bead-one-compound method for the creation of a peptide library enable the fragment-based assembly of selective high-affinity protein-capture agents. The resulting ligands are water-soluble and stable chemically, biochemically, and thermally. They can be produced in gram quantities through copper(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition.

© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015. This article describes the aza-Piancatelli rearrangement with hydroxylamines to 4-aminocyclopentenones and subsequent transformations that highlight the versatility of the cyclopentene scaffold and the value of the hydroxylamine nucleophile in this transformation.

The synthesis and catalytic activity of a new class of 1,2,3-triazolyl N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalysts is described. These new catalysts chemoselectively facilitate the oxidative esterification of aldehydes. NMR acidity studies show an inverse correlation between triazolium acidity and reactivity. Kinetic studies show that the resting state of the catalyst involves a NHC–aldehyde adduct. A catalytically active intermediate was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction as the initial carbene–aldehyde adduct.

The utility of a new fluorous-supported chiral auxiliary was tested using a series of catalyzed and uncatalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions with diphenylnitrone. The yields and selectivities of the cycloadducts compare favourably with those obtained using the conventional Evans-type auxiliaries, while purification was greatly assisted by using fluorous solid phase extraction. Following characterization, the cycloadducts were released from the auxiliaries by reductive cleavage. The auxiliary was readily refunctionalized and reused in subsequent cycloaddition reactions, with no deterioration of the observed yields or selectivities.

The mechanism of the reaction at room temperature between an unactivated 2-alkyl aziridine and carbon dioxide to generate the corresponding oxazolidinone in glass has been studied. Theoretical calculations suggest that this reaction should not proceed at room temperature in the absence of a catalyst. In cases where a reaction was observed, kinetic studies show that the reaction displays a zero-order dependence with respect to aziridine, indicating that free aziridine is not involved in the rate-determining step. An ammonium salt generated in situ acts as a catalyst. The amount of this catalyst is diminutive, which prevented spectroscopic identification, and it is not readily removed from the starting material using chromatography.

We present a novel method that covalently and sequence-specifically attaches long DNA molecules to a surface that is compatible with high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. Surfaces prepared with this approach are ideally suited for performing biophysical experiments on single DNA molecules. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

The synthesis and catalytic activity of a new class of 1,2,3-triazolyl N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalysts is described. These new catalysts chemoselectively facilitate the oxidative esterification of aldehydes. NMR acidity studies show an inverse correlation between triazolium acidity and reactivity. Kinetic studies show that the resting state of the catalyst involves a NHC–aldehyde adduct. A catalytically active intermediate was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction as the initial carbene–aldehyde adduct.

Insights into the mechanism of attrition-enhanced deracemization and resolution of solid enantiomorphic chiral compounds are obtained by crystal size and solubility measurements and by isotopic labeling experiments. Together these results help to deconvolute the various chemical and physical rate processes contributing to the phenomenon. Crystal size measurements highlight a distinct correlation between the stochastic, transient growth of crystals and the emergence of a single solid enantiomorph under attrition conditions. The rapid mass transfer of molecules between the solution and solid phases under attrition is demonstrated, and the concept of a crystal-size-induced solubility driving force is exploited to overcome the stochastic nature of the crystal growth and dissolution processes. Extension to non-racemizing conditions provides a novel methodology for chiral resolution. Implications both for practical chiral separations and for the origin of biological homochirality are discussed.

Fluorinated molecules are omnipresent in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, materials, and as imaging agents for positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. PET imaging has become a widely used technique in medical diagnostics in recent years. This method requires the use of a fluorinecontaining agent enriched with the F nucleus. This fluorine isotope has a notoriously short half-life of 109 minutes, thus imposing strict requirements for the speed and operational simplicity of reactions used for its introduction into imaging probes. Considerations of cost and practicality demand that the fluorine is derived from simple fluoride salts (such as KF and NaF). While methods for the late-stage introduction of fluorine into complex molecules have been reported, a new robust process would be a useful addition to the developing field of medical imaging, especially in light of the growing use of the CuAAC (see below). The copper(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC; Scheme 1a) has emerged as a powerful method for the creation of covalent links between diverse

Treatment of triazines of type (I) with catalytic amounts of Cu(I) salts allows new access to 7-aza-5-deazapurine derivatives.

Copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) is a widely utilized, reliable, and straightforward way for making covalent connections between building blocks containing various functional groups. It has been used in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, surface and polymer chemistry, and bioconjugation applications. Despite the apparent simplicity of the reaction, its mechanism involves multiple reversible steps involving coordination complexes of copper(I) acetylides of varying nuclearity. Understanding and controlling these equilibria is of paramount importance for channeling the reaction into the productive catalytic cycle. This tutorial review examines the history of the development of the CuAAC reaction, its key mechanistic aspects, and highlights the features that make it useful to practitioners in different fields of chemical science.

The Michael reaction of NH-1,2,3-triazole (1) with α,β-unsaturated ketones was studied. 1H-1,2,3-triazolyl-ketones were selectively generated when 1 was combined neat with a variety of enones. The use of aprotic solvents with catalytic base gave the corresponding 2H-regioisomers. Together, these two protocols provide direct access to either the N1- or N2-substituted 1,3-triazolyl ketone regioisomers.