Iron-Catalyzed α,ß-Dehydrogenation of Carbonyl Compounds.

An iron-catalyzed α,ß-dehydrogenation of carbonyl compounds was developed. A broad spectrum of carbonyls or analogues, such as aldehyde, ketone, lactone, lactam, amine, and alcohol, could be converted to their α,ß-unsaturated counterparts in a simple one-step reaction with high yields.

Ultrathin Amorphous/Crystalline Heterophase Rh and Rh Alloy Nanosheets as Tandem Catalysts for Direct Indole Synthesis.

Heterogeneous noble-metal-based catalysis plays an essential role in the production of fine chemicals. Rh-based catalysts are one of the most active candidates for indole synthesis. However, it is still highly desired to develop heterogeneous Rh-based catalysts with high activity and selectivity. In this work, a general, facile wet-chemical method is reported to synthesize ultrathin amorphous/crystalline heterophase Rh and Rh-based bimetallic alloy nanosheets (NSs), including RhCu, RhZn, and RhRu. Impressively, the amorphous/crystalline heterophase Rh NSs exhibit enhanced catalytic activity toward the direct synthesis of indole compared to the crystalline counterpart. Importantly, the obtained amorphous/crystalline heterophase RhCu alloy NSs can further enhance the selectivity to indole of >99.9% and the conversion is 100%. This work demonstrates the importance of phase engineering and metal alloying in the rational design and synthesis of tandem heterogeneous catalysts toward fine chemical synthesis.

tBuOK-Promoted Cyclization of Imines with Aryl Halides.

A transition-metal-free indole synthesis using radical coupling of 2-halotoluenes and imines via the later-stage C-N bond construction was reported for the first time. It includes an aminyl radical generation by C-H cleaving addition of 2-halotoluenes to imines via the carbanion radical relay and an intramolecular coupling of aryl halides with aminyl radicals. One standard condition can be used for all halides including F, Cl, Br, and I. No extra oxidant or transition metal is required.

CuSO4-Catalyzed dual annulation to synthesize O, S or N-containing tetracyclic heteroacenes.

In this work, CuSO4 is utilized as a practical redox catalyst for tandem dual annulation in the synthesis of indole-fused tetracyclic heteroacenes, which are important skeletons in both medicinal chemistry and materials chemistry. The preparation of such skeletons in a convenient and efficient manner is in high demand. This method realizes the modular synthesis of benzofuro-, benzothieno-, and indoloindoles from abundant feedstocks such as 2-halobenzyl halides and nitrile derivatives in up to 99% yields, providing a rapid access to diverse indole-fused heteroacenes with biological or optoelectronic properties.

CuSO4-Catalyzed Tandem C(sp3)-H Insertion Cyclization of Toluenes with Isonitriles to Form Indoles.

A CuSO4-catalyzed tandem benzylic C-H insertion cyclization of toluene derivatives and isonitriles is described. The naturally abundant salt CuSO4 serves as a low-cost ligand-free redox catalyst. This reaction provides a practical modular synthesis of N-aryl indoles from isonitriles.

Competing Dehalogenation versus Borylation of Aryl Iodides and Bromides under Transition-Metal-Free Basic Conditions.

In this work, selectivity-controllable base-promoted transition-metal-free borylation and dehalogenation of aryl halides are described. Under the conditions of borylation, the dehalogenation which emerges as a competitive side reaction has been well-controlled by carefully controlling the borylation conditions. On the other hand, the dehalogenation using benzaldehyde as a hydrogen source has also been accomplished. The applications of direct radical borylation and dehalogenation of aryl halides demonstrate their synthetic practicability in pharmaceutical-oriented organic synthesis. Based on the experimental evidences, the tBuOK/1,10-Phen-triggered radical nature of both competitive reactions has been revealed.

Copper-catalyzed oxidative benzylic C-H cyclization via iminyl radical from intermolecular anion-radical redox relay.

Base-promoted C-H cleavage without transition metals opens a practical alternative for the one based on noble metals or radical initiators. The resulting carbanion can pass through radical addition to unsaturated bonds like C-N or C-C triple bonds, in which stoichiometric oxidants are needed. When in situ C-H cleavage meets catalytic carbanion-radical relay, it turns to be challenging but has not been accomplished yet. Here we report the combination of base-promoted benzylic C-H cleavage and copper-catalyzed carbanion-radical redox relay. Catalytic amount of naturally abundant and inexpensive copper salt, such as copper(II) sulfate, is used for anion-radical redox relay without any external oxidant. By avoiding using N-O/N-N homolysis or radical initiators to generate iminyl radicals, this strategy realizes modular synthesis of N-H indoles and analogs from abundant feedstocks, such as toluene and nitrile derivatives, and also enables rapid synthesis of large scale pharmaceuticals.

Phenanthroline- tBuOK Promoted Intramolecular C-H Arylation of Indoles with ArI under Transition-Metal-Free Conditions.

The first example of phenanthroline- tBuOK promoted intramolecular radical C-H arylation of N-(2-iodobenzyl)indoles without involvement of transition metals has been developed. A variety of substituted 6 H-isoindolo [2, 1-a] indoles were prepared by a simple and efficient intramolecular cyclization using 1,10-phenanthroline in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide and chlorobenzene. This strategy provides a fast and versatile access to isoindolo[2,1- a]indole derivatives for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and organic electroluminescent (EL) materials.

Strategy for Overcoming Full Reversibility of Intermolecular Radical Addition to Aldehydes: Tandem C-H and C-O Bonds Cleaving Cyclization of (Phenoxymethyl)arenes with Carbonyls to Benzofurans.

An intermolecular addition of carbon radicals enabled by a cascade radical coupling strategy is developed. It includes an intermolecular alkyl radical addition to a carbonyl group followed by an intramolecular alkoxy radical addition to haloarenes and produces substituted benzofurans in high yields. The radical nature of this reaction is explored by radical trapping experiments and EPR analysis. The mechanism is investigated by KIE experiments and control experiments. This method could provide rapid and practical access to the key intermediate of TAM-16, a safe and potent antibacterial agent for treating tuberculosis, and, therefore, is of great importance for organic synthesis and the pharmaceutical industry.

Transition-Metal-Free Hydrogenation of Aryl Halides: From Alcohol to Aldehyde.

A transition-metal- and catalyst-free hydrogenation of aryl halides, promoted by bases with either aldehydes or alcohols, is described. One equivalent of benzaldehyde affords an equal yield as that of 0.5 equiv of benzyl alcohol. The kinetic study reveals that the initial rate of PhCHO is much faster than that of BnOH, in the ratio of nearly 4:1. The radical trapping experiments indicate the radical nature of this reaction. Based on the kinetic study, trapping and KIE experiments, and control experiments, a tentative mechanism is proposed. As a consequence, a wide range of (hetero)aryl iodides and bromides were efficiently reduced to their corresponding (hetero)arenes. Thus, for the first time, aldehydes are directly used as hydrogen source instead of other well-established alcohol-hydrogen sources.