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Ruthenium(II)-catalyzed enantioselective C–H functionalization reactions of sulfoximines with sulfoxonium ylides are described. The combination of [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 and a pseudo-C 2-symmetric binaphthyl monocarboxylic acid furnished the S-chiral products in 76:24 to 92:8 er.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the molten state of Li2SO4-Na2SO4 have been performed to investigate the structure and the transport properties. In MD, the screened Born-Mayer type pair-pote...

A previously unreported heterodetic cyclic peptide, homophymamide A (1), was isolated from a Homophymia sp. marine sponge. The structure of homophymamide A was determined to be a lower homologue of anabaenopeptins by spectroscopic analysis, chemical degradation, and chemical synthesis. Analysis of the acidic hydrolysate showed that the racemization of Lys took place, leading us to pose a cautionary note on the configurational assignment of peptides that contain a ureido bond.

Oshimalides A (1) and B (2) were isolated from a Luffariella sp. marine sponge. The absolute configurations of the stereogenic centers in the cyclohexenone ring were determined by the modified Mosher's analysis of the reduction product. The absolute configuration of the stereogenic center in the dihydropyran ring was assigned by analysis of the 1H NMR data of the vicinal diols which were prepared by AD-mix reagents stereoselectively.

Myrindole A, a bis-indole alkaloid, was isolated from the deep-sea sponge Myrmekioderma sp. The high degree of unsaturation of the molecule complicated the assignment of its structure by standard 2D-NMR experiments but was ultimately achieved by a combination of 1H-15N-HMBC and 1,n-ADEQUATE experiments as well as the comparison of measured and calculated CD spectra. Myrindole A showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Enantioselective C(sp3)–H functionalization reactions using high-valent group 9 metal catalysts with cyclopentadienyl ligands have been achieved by the introduction of appropriate chiral carboxylic...

The transition-metal-free 211At-astatination of spirocyclic aryliodonium ylides via a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction is described. This method enables the preparation of 211At-radiolabeled compounds derived from multi-functionalized molecules and heteroarenes in good to excellent radiochemical yields.

Enantioselective C–H alkylation of ferrocene carboxamides with diazomalonates using an achiral Cp*Ir(III)/chiral carboxylic acid is described. The combination of an achiral Cp*Ir(III) complex and a binaphthyl-based chiral carboxylic acid provided planar chiral alkylated ferrocenes in good yields with moderate to good enantioselectivity (up to 94 : 6 er).

Organosilanes are synthetically useful reagents and precursors in organic chemistry. However, the typical inertness of unactivated Si-C(sp3) bonds under conventional reaction conditions has hampered the application of simple tetraalkylsilanes in organic synthesis. Herein we report the chemoselective cleavage of Si-C(sp3) bonds of unactivated tetraalkylsilanes using iodine tris(trifluoroacetate). The reaction proceeds smoothly under mild conditions (-50 °C to room temperature) and tolerates various polar functional groups, thus enabling subsequent Tamao-Fleming oxidation to provide the corresponding alcohols. NMR experiments and density functional theory calculations on the reaction indicate that the transfer of alkyl groups from Si to the I(III) center and the formation of the Si-O bond proceed concertedly to afford an alkyl-λ3-iodane and silyl trifluoroacetate. The developed method enables the use of unactivated tetraalkylsilanes as highly stable synthetic precursors.

The enantioselective C-H alkylation of 8-ethylquinolines with enones or acrolein using a RhIII catalyst and a chiral carboxylic acid is described. Under mild reaction conditions, a binaphthyl-based chiral carboxylic acid enables the enantioselective cleavage of the 8-ethylquinoline C(sp3)-H bond. The obtained results demonstrate the utility of the combination of a high-valent group 9 metal catalyst and a chiral carboxylic acid for the enantioselective C(sp3)-H activation and the subsequent C-C bond formation.

The development of robust and reactive chiral catalysts is a fundamental aim in asymmetric catalysis, and crucial for providing efficient methods for synthesizing chiral molecules. Chiral paddle-wheel bimetallic complexes provide a highly tunable chiral environment in rhodium-catalysed asymmetric carbene/nitrene transfer reactions and Lewis acid-catalysed reactions. Chiral paddle-wheel complexes having other transition metals as the reactive metal centre, however, have not yet been identified in asymmetric catalysis. Here, we report the synthesis, structures and high catalytic performances of chiral paddle-wheel diruthenium complexes. The cationic chiral diruthenium complex [Ru2((S)-BPTPI)4]+ exhibited remarkable reactivity as a Lewis acid catalyst for asymmetric hetero-Diels–Alder reactions, achieving a turnover number of up to 1,880,000 with high enantioselectivity (>90% e.e.). The chiral diruthenium complexes also exhibited good reactivity and high enantioselectivity in C–H amination and cyclopropanation reactions under oxidizing conditions, indicating their high tolerance towards oxidation. Our results reveal the chiral paddle-wheel diruthenium scaffold as a promising platform for asymmetric catalysis. The development of chiral catalysts is of fundamental importance in asymmetric catalysis. Now, chiral paddle-wheel diruthenium complexes are reported that are stable under oxidizing conditions and effective in asymmetric C–C and C–N bond-forming reactions with turnover numbers of up to 1,880,000.

In the past decade, synthetic chemists have discovered the outstanding generality and potential of visible-light-driven photoredox catalysis, which converts visible light into chemical energy, realizing numerous transformations of small molecules. The current state-of-the-art strategy in photoredox catalysis, combining photoredox and transition-metal catalysis, has received considerable attention in organometallic chemistry. In parallel with the rapid development of nickel/photoredox and copper/photoredox catalysis, cobalt/photoredox catalysis has emerged as a distinct new option in this area. This short review covers the general strategy, characteristics compared with other metallaphotoredox systems, and future perspectives of cobalt/photoredox catalysis. To our knowledge, this is the first review encompassing the general combination of cobalt and photoredox catalysis in synthetic chemistry.

Despite their unique potential as rare 1,1-dipole synthons, allyl sulfones are rarely used in target-oriented syntheses, likely due to the lack of a general catalytic method for their branch-selective allylic substitution. Herein, we identified allyl 4-chlorophenyl sulfone as a versatile linchpin for both base-mediated α-derivatization and subsequent cobalt-catalyzed allylic substitution. The sequential transformations allow for highly regioselective access to branched allylic substitution products with a variety of aliphatic side chains. The photoredox-enabled­ ­cobalt catalysis is indispensable for achieving high yields and regioselectivity­ for the desulfonylative substitution in contrast to traditional metal-catalyzed protocols, which lead to inferior outcomes in the corresponding transformations.

Transition-metal-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions with Cp*MIII catalysts (M=Co, Rh, Ir) have found a wide variety of applications in organic synthesis. Albeit the intrinsic difficulties in achieving catalytic stereocontrol using these catalysts due to their lack of additional coordination sites for external chiral ligands and the conformational flexibility of the Cp ligand, catalytic enantioselective C-H functionalization reactions using the Group 9 metal triad with Cp-type ligands have been intensively studied since 2012. In this minireview, the progress in these reactions according to the type of the chiral catalyst used are summarized and discussed. The development of chiral Cpx ligands the metal complexes thereof, artificial metalloenzymes, chiral carboxylate-assisted enantioselective C-H activations, enantioselective alkylations assisted by chiral carboxylic acids or chiral sulfonates, and chiral transient directing groups are discussed.

An extensively N-methylated linear nonapeptide heptavalinamide A (1) was isolated from the marine cyanobacterium Symploca sp. collected at Kabira Reef of Ishigaki Island, Okinawa. The amino acid sequence of 1 was assigned by interpretation of 2D NMR and MS/MS data. The absolute configurations of the constituent amino acids were determined by the application of Marfey's method. A method to assign the configuration of N,N-dimethylvaline by LCMS is discussed.

The C–H bond addition reaction of 2-phenylpyridine derivatives with α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids catalyzed by Cp*Rh(III)/BH3·SMe2 is reported. Activation of C–H bonds with the rhodium catalyst and activation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids with the boron catalyst cooperatively work, and a BINOL-urea hybrid ligand significantly improved the reactivity. With the optimized hybrid catalytic system, various β-disubstituted carboxylic acids were obtained under mild reaction conditions.

Catalytic enantioselective directed methylene C(sp3 )-H amidation reactions of 8-alkylquinolines using a Cp*RhIII /chiral carboxylic acid (CCA) hybrid catalytic system are described. A binaphthyl-based chiral carboxylic acid efficiently differentiates between the enantiotopic methylene C-H bonds, which leads to the formation of C-N bonds with good enantioselectivity.

N 6-Isopentenyladenosine (i6A) was isolated from a marine sponge Oceanapia sp. as the major cytotoxic constituent along with N6-isopentenyladenosine 5ʹ-monophosphate (i6AP) which was inactive. The structures of i6A and i6AP were assigned by a combination of the analysis of NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. This is the first isolation of i6A and i6AP from a marine sponge.

Homoallylic amines are important synthetic targets in organic synthesis. Compared to other conventional allylation reactions using pre-functionalized allylic compounds, the allylation of imines usi...

Cobalt-catalyzed C-H allylation reactions of NH-free benzimidates using vinylcyclopropanes or allyl carbonate are reported. The reactive and relatively unstable imidate groups remain intact during the C-H allylations to afford functionalized imidates without dealcoholizations. The thus obtained allylated imidate was subsequently converted into other heterocyclic structures through a following C-H functionalization reaction, demonstrating the synthetic utility of this method.

Enantioselective C–H functionalization reactions using trivalent group 9 metals (Co, Rh, Ir) have been investigated mainly on the basis of the development of well-designed chiral cyclopentadienyl (...

Co-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions have received little attention, arguably because of the lack of any known advantage of Co catalysis over either Rh or Ir catalysis. Described here is a general and regioselective Co-catalyzed allylic alkylation using an in situ catalyst activation by organophotoredox catalysis. This noble-metal-free catalytic system exhibits unprecedentedly high reactivities and regioselectivities for the allylation with an allyl sulfone, for the first time, representing the unique synthetic utility of the Co-catalyzed method compared to the related Rh- and Ir-catalyzed reactions.

This account describes Cp*CoIII-catalyzed C–H functionalization reactions developed in our group between 2013 and 2018. Cp*CoIII catalysts not only serve as inexpensive alternatives to Cp*RhIII catalysts but also exhibit unique reactivity and selectivity in several transformations. In the latter part of this review, we introduce catalytic asymmetric C–H functionalization reactions using achiral RhIII or CoIII catalysts with chiral disulfonates or carboxylic acids as external chiral sources.1 Introduction and Overview2 Cp*CoIII-Catalyzed C–H Functionalization Reactions2.1 C–H Addition Reactions to Polar Double Bonds2.2 Cp*Co(CO)I2 and [Cp*CoI2]2 Precursors for the C2-selective C–H Amidation of Indoles2.3 C–H Functionalization of Carbamoyl-Protected Indoles Using Alkynes2.4 C–H Allylation Using Allyl Alcohols2.5 Cyclization Reactions of O-Acyloximes and Alkynes2.6 Other Miscellaneous Reactions3 Enantioselective C–H Functionalization Reactions by Hybrid Catalysis3.1 Cp*RhIII/Chiral Disulfonate Catalysts for the Enantioselective C–H Addition to Enones3.2 Enantioselective C–H Cleavage Using Chiral Carboxylic Acids4 Summary and Perspective

The photocatalyst-free C-H γ,γ,γ-trifluoroalkylation of quinolines under visible light irradiation is reported. By the combination of readily available alkenes and Umemoto's reagent II, a variety of γ,γ,γ-trifluoroalkyl groups were installed into quinolines via chemoselective sequential radical processes. This transformation provides rapid access to a variety of quinoline derivatives with scarcely explored fluoroalkyl groups, affording a novel library of N-heteroaromatic compounds and versatile building blocks for applications in medicinal chemistry.

Theonellamides (TNMs) are antifungal and cytotoxic bicyclic dodecapeptides isolated from the marine sponge Theonella sp. The inclusion of cholesterol (Chol) or ergosterol in the phosphatidylcholine membrane is known to significantly enhance the membrane affinity for theonellamide A (TNM-A). We have previously revealed that TNM-A stays in a monomeric form in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solvent systems, whereas the peptide forms oligomers in aqueous media. In this study, we utilized 1H NMR chemical shift changes (Δδ1H) in aqueous DMSO solution to evaluate the TNM-A/sterol interaction. Because Chol does not dissolve well in this solvent, we used 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) instead, which turned out to interact with membrane-bound TNM-A in a very similar way to that of Chol. We determined the dissociation constant, KD, by NMR titration experiments and measured the chemical shift changes of TNM-A induced by 25-HC binding in the DMSO solution. Significant changes were observed for several amino acid residues in a certain area of the molecule. The results from the solution NMR experiments, together with previous findings, suggest that the TNM-Chol complex, where the hydrophobic cavity of TNM probably incorporates Chol, becomes less polar by Chol interaction, resulting in a greater accumulation of the peptide in membrane. The deeper penetration of TNM-A into the membrane interior enhances membrane disruption. We also demonstrated that hydroxylated sterols, such as 25-HC that has higher solubility in most NMR solvents than Chol, act as a versatile substitute for sterol and could be used in 1H NMR-based studies of sterol-binding peptides.

Marine sponges are an excellent source of biologically active secondary metabolites. We focus on deep-sea sponges for our discovery study. A marine sponge Cladocroce sp. exhibited cytotoxic activity in the bioactivity screening. From this sponge a previously unreported cytotoxic glycosphingolipid, calyxoside B, was isolated and the structure of this compound was elucidated by analyses of MS and NMR spectra and chemical derivatization. We converted the ketone in the middle of a long aliphatic chain into an oxime to which was applied Beckmann rearrangement to afford two positional isomers of amides. The products were subjected to acidic hydrolysis followed by LC-MS analysis, permitting us to assign unequivocally the position of the ketone. Calyxoside B shows cytotoxicity against HeLa cells with an IC50 value of 31 µM and also weakly stimulated the production of cytokines in mice.

Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) hydrogenation has recently emerged as an indispensable method for the chemoselective reduction of unactivated alkenes. However, the hitherto reported systems basically require stoichiometric amounts of silanes and peroxides, which prevents wider applications, especially with respect to sustainability and safety concerns. Herein, we report a silane- and peroxide-free HAT hydrogenation using a combined cobalt/photoredox catalysis and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as a sole stoichiometric reactant. A cobalt salophen complex is identified as the optimal cocatalyst for this environmentally benign HAT hydrogenation in aqueous media, which exhibits high functional-group tolerance. In addition to its applicability in the late-stage hydrogenation of amino-acid derivatives and drug molecules, this method offers unique advantage in direct transformation of unprotected sugar derivatives and allows the HAT hydrogenation of unprotected C-glycoside in higher yield compared to previously reported HAT hydrogenation protocols. The proposed mechanism is supported by experimental and theoretical studies., Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) hydrogenation of alkenes usually requires stoichiometric silanes and peroxides. Here, the authors report a silane- and peroxide-free HAT hydrogenation method using a combined cobalt/photoredox catalysis and vitamin C as a sole stoichiometric reactant.

The synthesis, characterization, and catalytic performance of iridium(III) catalysts that bear an amide-pendant cyclopentadienyl ligand ([CpA IrI2 ]2 ) is reported. These [CpA IrI2 ]2 catalysts were obtained from the complexation of a CpA ligand precursor with [Ir(cod)OAc]2 followed by oxidation. Double aromatic homologation reactions of benzamides with alkynes by fourfold C-H activation proceeded in good to high yield with these [CpA IrI2 ]2 catalysts, demonstrating their superior catalytic performance in this challenging transformation.

Recent advances in Cpx MIII catalysis (M=Co, Rh, Ir) have enabled a variety of enantioselective C(sp2 )-H functionalization reactions, but enantioselective C(sp3 )-H functionalization is still largely unexplored. We describe an asymmetric C(sp3 )-H amidation of thioamides using an achiral CoIII /chiral carboxylic acid hybrid catalytic system, which provides easy and straightforward access to chiral β-amino thiocarbonyl and β-amino carbonyl building blocks with a quaternary carbon stereocenter.

Monoaryl-λ3 -iodanes are potentially attractive arylating agents. They are generally synthesized from aryl iodides via oxidation, which can cause functional group incompatibility, especially when polyfunctionalized derivatives are desired. This work describes the direct synthesis of monoaryl-λ3 -iodanes through a chemoselective ipso-substitution reaction of arylgermanes and arylstannanes with iodine tris(trifluoroacetate). The generated iodanes were converted to iodonium ylides or used for further transformations in one pot. The presented method enables the preparation of polyfunctionalized monoaryl-λ3 -iodanes.

Though Cp*Rh(iii) complexes are prominent and versatile catalysts for C–H bond functionalization reactions, catalytic stereocontrol is difficult due to the lack of vacant coordination sites. Here, we report a hybrid strategy for inducing chirality without using previously reported chiral Cpx ligands. A preformed hybrid catalyst, [Cp*RhLN][6,6′-Br-(S)-BINSate], catalysed C–H activation and subsequent conjugate addition of 2-phenylpyridine derivatives to enones in good yield and enantioselectivity (enantiomeric ratio up to 95:5). In addition to 2-phenylpyridines, the conjugate addition of 6-arylpurines proceeded with an enantiomeric ratio of up to 91:9 using [Cp*RhLN][(R)-SPISate]. The results demonstrate that a chiral organic anion can efficiently control the enantioselectivity of Cp*Rh(iii)-catalysed C–H bond functionalization without a chiral Cpx ligand. Though pentamethylcyclopentadienyl rhodium(iii) complexes have been successfully employed for C–H functionalizations, stereocontrol can be difficult due to the lack of vacant coordination sites on the metal centre. Here, Yoshino, Matsunaga and co-workers show that chiral anions can be used alongside the achiral rhodium complex to catalyse C–H activation and subsequent asymmetric conjugate addition.

Surugamide F is a linear decapeptide (1) isolated along with the cyclic octapeptides surugamides A-E (2-6), from a marine-derived Streptomyces species. The linear peptide 1 is produced by two nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) encoded in adjacent open reading frames, which are further flanked by an additional pair of NRPS genes responsible for the biosyntheses of the cyclic peptides 2-6. While the cyclic peptides 2-6 were identified to be cathepsin B inhibitors, the biological activity of the new metabolite 1 still remained unclear. In order to elucidate its unique biosynthetic pathway and biological activity in detail, we planned to develop an efficient synthetic route toward 1. Here we report the diastereoselective total synthesis of 1, utilizing 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-based solid-phase peptide synthesis. During this study, we found that the structural correction of 1 was required, due to the mislabeling of the commercially obtained 3-amino-2-methylpropionic acid, and the true structure of 1 was corroborated by the chemical synthesis and chromatographic comparison.

Stellatolide H (1) was isolated from a deep-sea sponge Discodermia sp. as the cytotoxic constituent. The planar structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of the NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric data. The absolute configurations of the constituent amino acid residues were determined by the Marfey’s method. Stellatolide H (1) is a peptide lactone of the callipeltin class with its N-terminus blocked by 3-hydroxy-6,8-dimethyldeca-(4Z,6E)-dienoic acid (Hdda).

Palladium-catalyzed germylation of aryl bromides and aryl triflates using commercially available hexamethyldigermane is described. Optimized reaction conditions afforded various functionalized aryltrimethylgermanes, including drug-like molecules, in moderate to good yields, demonstrating the versatility of the presented protocols.

Poecillastrin H (1), a chondropsin-type macrolide with a conjugated pentaene moiety, was isolated from the Characella sp. marine sponge. The planar structure of 1 was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration of the β-hydroxyaspartic acid residue (β-OHAsp) was determined to be d-threo by Marfey’s analysis, and the mode of lactone ring formation through the OHAsp residue was determined by chemical degradation. Poecillastrin H was extremely sensitive toward light and showed potent cytotoxic activity against 3Y1 cells with an IC50 value of 4.1 nM.

Morphology-guided cell-based screening of the extract of a Mycale sp. marine sponge led to the isolation of two trisoxazole macrolides, miuramides A (1) and B (2), which induced characteristic morphological changes in 3Y1 cells. The structure of 1 including absolute configuration was elucidated by a combination of the analysis of spectroscopic data, derivatization, and degradation. Both compounds exhibit potent cytotoxicity against 3Y1 cells.

Poecillastrin E (1), F (2), and G (3) were isolated from a marine sponge Poecillastra sp. as the cytotoxic constituents. Their planar structures were determined by analyzing the MS and NMR spectra. They are closely related to the known poecillastrin C (4). The absolute configuration of the β-hydroxyaspartic acid (OHAsp) residue was determined to be D-threo by Marfey's analysis of the hydrolysate. The mode of lactone ring formation of OHAsp residue in 1–3 was determined by selective reduction of the ester linkage followed by acid hydrolysis.

Rac1 is a member of the Rho family of small GTPases that regulates cytoskeletal reorganization, membrane polarization, cell migration and proliferation. Recently, a self-activating mutation of Rac1, Rac1P29S, has been identified as a recurrent somatic mutation frequently found in sun-exposed melanomas, which possesses increased inherent GDP/GTP exchange activity and cell transforming ability. However, the role of cellular Rac1-interacting proteins in the transforming potential of Rac1P29S remains unclear. We found that the catalytic domain of DOCK1, a Rac-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) implicated in malignancy of a variety of cancers, can greatly accelerate the GDP/GTP exchange of Rac1P29S. Enforced expression of Rac1P29S induced matrix invasion and macropinocytosis in wild-type (WT) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), but not in DOCK1-deficient MEFs. Consistently, a selective inhibitor of DOCK1 that blocks its GEF function suppressed the invasion and macropinocytosis in WT MEFs expressing Rac1P29S. Human melanoma IGR-1 and breast cancer MDA-MB-157 cells harbor Rac1P29S mutation and express DOCK1 endogenously. Genetic inactivation and pharmacological inhibition of DOCK1 suppressed their invasion and macropinocytosis. Taken together, these results indicate that DOCK1 is a critical regulator of the malignant phenotypes induced by Rac1P29S, and suggest that targeting DOCK1 might be an effective approach to treat cancers associated with Rac1P29S mutation.

The green microalga Botryococcus braunii of the B race accumulates various lipophilic compounds containing a 10,11-oxidosqualene epoxide moiety in addition to large amounts of triterpene hydrocarbons. While 2,3-squalene epoxidases have already been isolated and characterized from the alga, the enzyme that catalyzes the 10,11-epoxidation of squalene has remained elusive. In order to obtain a molecular tool to explore a 10,11-squalene epoxidase, cDNA cloning of an NADPH-dependent cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) that is required by both squalene epoxidases and cytochrome P450 enzymes was carried out. The isolated cDNA contained an open reading frame (1998 bp) that encoded for a protein with 665 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 71.46 kDa and a theoretical pI of 5.49. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed the presence of conserved motifs, including FMN, FAD, and NADPH binding domains, which are typical of other CPRs and necessary for enzyme activity. By truncation of the N-terminal transmembrane anchor and addition of a 6× His-tag, BbCPR was heterologously produced in Escherichia coli and purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The purified recombinant enzyme showed optimal reducing activity of cytochrome c at around a neutral pH at a temperature range of 30–37°C. For steady state kinetic parameters, the recombinant enzyme had a km for cytochrome c and NADPH of 11.7 ± 1.6 and 9.4 ± 1.4 μM, and a kcat for cytochrome c and NADPH of 2.78 ± 0.09 and 3.66 ± 0.11 μmol/min/mg protein, respectively. This is the first study to perform the functional characterization of a CPR from eukaryotic microalgae.

Cp*Co(III)-catalyzed (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) C-H bond functionalization of 6-arylpurines using gem-difluoroalkenes and allyl fluorides is described. The reaction with gem-difluoroalkenes afforded monofluoroalkenes with high (Z)-selectivity, while the reaction with allyl fluorides led to C-H allylation in moderate (Z)-selectivity. Both reactions proceeded using a user-friendly single-component catalyst [Cp*Co(CH3CN)3](SbF6)2 in fluorinated alcohol solvents without any additives. Robustness was also demonstrated by a preparative-scale reaction under air.