Palladium-catalyzed cascade of aza-Wacker and Povarov reactions of aryl amines and 1,6-dienes for hexahydro-cyclopenta[b]quinoline framework.

Palladium catalyzed tandem reaction represents a one-pot synthetic approach to efficiently synthesize complex functionalized molecules while reducing synthetic steps, aligning with the principles of green chemistry. However, achieving a direct cascade of the aza-Wacker and Povarov reactions in one-pot synthesis presents a challenge due to substrate compatibility issues between the two reactions. In this work, we describe an aza-Wacker/Povarov reaction employing a highly electrophilic palladium catalyst, which effectively converts anilines and 1,6-dienes into hexahydro-cyclopenta[b]quinolines. The optimized conditions yield up to 79%, with a diastereoselectivity > 20:1. Substrate range testing reveals compatibility with various sensitive functional groups, and successful late-stage modifications are performed on several natural products and drug molecules, demonstrating the versatility and practicality of the method. Additionally, a preliminary investigation into the reaction mechanism suggests an aza-Wacker process followed by a Povarov process.

Pd-catalyzed Markovnikov selective oxidative amination of 4-pentenoic acid.

Pd-catalyzed regioselective amination of unactivated alkene remains a challenge and is of great interest. Herein, a palladium-catalyzed and ligand-controlled strategy for the Markovnikov selective oxidative amination of 4-pentenoic acid has been described. The protocol effectively reverses the carboxylic acid-directed anti-Markovnikov selectivity in oxidative amination of 4-pentenoic acid, successfully constructing γ-ketoamide derivatives.

Synthesis of Dihalonaphthalenes via Silver-Catalyzed Halogenation and Electrophilic Cyclization of Terminal Alkynols.

Herein, we report a silver-catalyzed halogenation and electrophilic cyclization reaction based on the trifunctionalization of terminal alkynols with NBS or iodine monochloride in a step-efficient synthetic way to produce homo/heterodihalogenated naphthalene derivatives bearing two different halogen atoms in moderate to good yields. This methodology readily accommodates various functional groups, including electron-withdrawing nitro, cyano, acid-sensitive dioxazolyl, and alkoxy groups.

Palladium-catalyzed 1,1-aminoxylation of 3-butenoic acid with 2-alkynylanilines.

Herein, a palladium-catalyzed 1,1-aminoxylation of 3-butenoic acid and 2-alkynylanilines has been developed, achieving the installation of two distinct heteroatom motifs across an olefin skeleton. The strategy features a high step and atom economy and good functional group tolerance, which outlines an efficient approach for simultaneously building up γ-butylactone and indole skeletons. Notably, an external ligand, 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, has been used to succeed in this protocol to effectively suppress the production of indole byproducts.

Palladium-catalyzed syn-alkynylarylation of internal alkynes: rapid access to all-carbon tetrasubstituted alkenes.

Herein, a straightforward method for rapid access to all-carbon tertrasubstituted alkenes bearing alkyl, aryl and alkynyl groups is established via palladium-catalyzed three-component cross-coupling reaction of internal alkynes, haloalkynes and arylboronic acids. This protocol is characterized by a broad substrate scope and excellent chemo- and regioselectivities. The dual beneficial roles of silver salts in activating haloalkynes and inhibiting bromoalkynylation have been demonstrated by serving as both the Lewis acid and halide scavenger.

Rh(III)-Catalyzed [3 + 3]-Coupling Cyclization of 3-Hydroxyisoindolinones with Carbenoids: Rapid Access to Spirolactam Skeletons.

A Rh(III)-catalyzed [3 + 3]-coupling cyclization of 3-hydroxy-3-phenylisoindolinone with carbenoids has been developed. The method provides an efficient approach to access polyfunctionalized-spiro[isochromene-1,1'-isoindolin]-3'-ones with good to excellent reaction conversions.

Ligand-enabled ruthenium-catalyzed meta-C-H alkylation of (hetero)aromatic carboxylic acids.

Carboxylates are ideal directing groups because they are widely available, readily cleavable and excellent linchpins for diverse follow-up reactions. However, their use in meta-selective C-H functionalizations remains a substantial unmet catalytic challenge. Herein, we report the ruthenium-catalyzed meta-C-H alkylation of aromatic carboxylic acids with various functionalized alkyl halides. A bidentate N-ligand increases the electron density at the metal center of ortho-benzoate ruthenacycles to the extent that single-electron reductions of alkyl halides can take place. The subsequent addition of alkyl radicals is exclusively directed to the position para to the CAr-Ru bond, i.e., meta to the carboxylate group. The resulting catalytic meta-C-H alkylation extends to a wide range of (hetero)aromatic carboxylic acids including benzofused five-membered ring heteroarenes but no pyridine derivatives in combination with secondary/tertiary alkyl halides, including fluorinated derivatives. It also allows site-selective C5-H alkylation of 1-naphthoic acids. The products are shown to be synthetic hubs en route to meta-alkylated aryl ketones, nitriles, amides, esters and other functionalized products.

Mn(I)-Catalyzed Carbon-Skeleton Rearrangement of Tertiary Alcohol-Based Aldol Reaction with Aldehydes.

A Mn-catalyzed ligand-directed Csp3-Csp2 coupling of tertiary allylic alcohols with arylaldehydes has been developed. The method provides an efficient approach to access 1,5-diarylpent-1-en-3-ones via carbon-skeleton rearrangement-based aldol reaction.

Chemoselective Thioacylation of Amines Enabled by Synergistic Defluorinative Coupling.

A mild and chemoselective method for the thioacylation of amines, including amino acids and peptides, using gem-difluoroalkenes and sulfide, is reported. The distinguishing of the different nucleophilic sites (S-site and diverse N-sites) by the chemoselective C-F bond functionalization of gem-difluoroalkenes enables the unique synergistic defluorinative coupling reaction. This reaction features mild conditions, is operationally simple, efficient, and gram-scalable, tolerates various functional groups, and is activator-free and without racemization. Thioamide moieties were incorporated site-specifically into bioactive compounds. The proposed mechanism is illustrated by a DFT calculation.

Axial Ligand Enables Synthesis of Allenylsilane through Dirhodium(II) Catalysis.

Described herein is a dirhodium(II)-catalyzed silylation of propargyl esters with hydrosilanes, using tertiary amines as axial ligands. By adopting this strategy, a range of versatile and useful allenylsilanes can be achieved with good yields. This reaction not only represents a SN2'-type silylation of the propargyl derivatives bearing a terminal alkyne moiety to synthesize allenylsilanes from simple hydrosilanes, but also represents a new application of dirhodium(II) complexes in catalytic transformation of carbon-carbon triple bond. The highly functionalized allenylsilanes that are produced can be transformed into a series of synthetically useful organic molecules. In this reaction, an intriguing ON-OFF effect of the amine ligand was observed. The reaction almost did not occur (OFF) without addition of Lewis base amine ligand. However, the reaction took place smoothly (ON) after addition of only catalytic amount of amine ligand. Detailed mechanistic studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the reactivity can be delicately improved by the use of tertiary amine. The fine-tuning effect of the tertiary amine is crucial in the formation of the Rh-Si species via a concerted metalation deprotonation (CMD) mechanism and facilitating ß-oxygen elimination.

Macrocyclization of carbon dioxide with 3-triflyloxybenzynes and tetrahydrofuran: straightforward access to 14-membered macrolactones.

A novel [2+2+5+5] macrocyclization of carbon dioxide with 3-triflyloxybenzynes and tetrahydrofuran has been disclosed for the first time under transition metal-free conditions. The reaction provides a facile method for the synthesis of a rare type of 14-membered macrocyclic lactone, which is potentially useful but difficult to access by existing methods.

Base-Promoted (5 + 2) Annulation between 2-(Alkynylaryl)acetonitriles and Arylalkynes for the Synthesis of Benzocycloheptene Derivatives.

Herein, we describe a novel approach to the synthesis of benzocycloheptene derivatives via base-promoted (5 + 2) annulation between 2-(alkynylaryl)acetonitriles and arylalkynes. In this chemistry, 2-(alkynylaryl)acetonitriles are employed as a new C5 synthon to construct various benzocycloheptene(s) derivatives by building two C-C bonds in one single step. This method features excellent regioselectivity, the use of readily available starting materials, and good functional group tolerance. The practicality of the strategy was further demonstrated by gram-scale synthesis, late-stage functionalizations, and the post-modification of natural products such as probenecid and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.

Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Formal [4 + 2] Reaction of Alkynyl Sulfides and 2-Pyrones To Access Polysubstituted Aryl Sulfides.

A practical and efficient method to access polysubstituted aryl sulfides has been discovered via a Lewis acid-catalyzed reaction between alkynyl sulfide and 2-pyrone, involving a Diels-Alder/retro-Diels-Alder pathway. Alkynyl sulfide as an electron-rich dienophile and 2-pyrones as electron-poor dienes are conjunctively transformed into a series of polysubstituted aryl sulfides with broad functional group compatibility in good to excellent yields (40 examples, 43-88% yield). The robustness and practicality of the protocol has been demonstrated through gram-scale synthesis and the ease of transformation of the resulting products.

Synthesis of Dienamides via Palladium-catalyzed Oxidative N-α,ß-Dehydrogenation of Amides.

Enamides and their derivatives are prominent bioactive pharmacophores found in various bioactive molecules. Herein we report a palladium-catalyzed oxidative N-α,ß-dehydrogenation of amides to produce a range of enamides with high yields and excellent tolerance toward different functional groups. Mechanistic studies indicate that the reaction involves allylic C(sp3)-H activation followed by ß-H elimination. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated through late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules and the synthesis of valuable compounds through product elaboration.

Dimensional Reduction of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Synthesis of Fused Tetracyclic Heterocycles.

Heterogeneous palladium catalysts with high efficiency, high Pd atom utilization, simplified separation, and recycle have attracted considerable attention in the field of synthetic chemistry. Herein, we reported a zirconium-based two-dimensional metal-organic framework (2D-MOF)-based Pd(II) photocatalyst (Zr-Ir-Pd) by merging the Ir photosensitizers and Pd(II) species into the skeletons of the 2D-MOF for the Pd(II)-catalyzed oxidation reaction. Morphological and structural characterization identified that Zr-Ir-Pd with a specific nanoflower-like structure consists of ultrathin 2D-MOF nanosheets (3.85 nm). Due to its excellent visible-light response and absorption capability, faster transfer and separation of photogenerated carriers, more accessible Pd active sites, and low mass transfer resistance, Zr-Ir-Pd exhibited boosted photocatalytic activity in catalyzing sterically hindered isocyanide insertion of diarylalkynes for the construction of fused tetracyclic heterocycles, with up to 12 times the Pd catalyst turnover number than the existing catalytic systems. In addition, Zr-Ir-Pd inhibited the competitive agglomeration of Pd(0) species and could be reused at least five times, owing to the stabilization of 2D-MOF on the single-site Pd and Ir sites. Finally, a possible mechanism of the photocatalytic synthesis of fused tetracyclic heterocycles catalyzed by Zr-Ir-Pd was proposed.

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Alstrostine G Utilizing a Catalytic Asymmetric Desymmetrization Strategy.

A highly effective enantioselective monobenzoylation of 1,3-diols has been developed for the synthesis of 1,1-disubstituted tetrahydro-ß-carbolines. The chemistry has been successfully applied to the asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-alstrostine G, which also features a cascade Heck/hemiamination reaction enabling facile construction of the pivotal pentacyclic core.

Silver-Catalyzed Coupling of Ethynylbenziodoxolones with CO2 and Amines to Afford O-ß-Oxoalkyl Carbamates.

A novel three-component coupling reaction of ethynylbenziodoxolones (EBXs) with CO2 and amines has been achieved via silver catalysis, thereby providing an efficient method for the construction of a range of structurally diverse and valuable O-ß-oxoalkyl carbamates. The transformation proceeds under mild reaction conditions and exhibits a wide substrate scope and good functional group compatibility. In addition, this strategy could be extended to the synthesis of α-acyloxyketones using carboxylic acids as the nucleophiles to react with EBXs.

Cobalt-catalyzed cross-electrophile coupling of alkynyl sulfides with unactivated chlorosilanes.

Herein, we disclose a highly efficient cobalt-catalyzed cross-electrophile alkynylation of a broad range of unactivated chlorosilanes with alkynyl sulfides as a stable and practical alkynyl electrophiles. Strategically, employing easily synthesized alkynyl sulfides as alkynyl precursors allows access to various alkynylsilanes in good to excellent yields. Notably, this method avoids the utilization of strong bases, noble metal catalysts, high temperature and forcing reaction conditions, thus presenting apparent advantages, such as broad substrate scope (72 examples, up to 97% yield), high Csp-S chemo-selectivity and excellent functional group compatibility (Ar-X, X = Cl, Br, I, OTf, OTs). Moreover, the utilities of this method are also illustrated by downstream transformations and late-stage modification of structurally complex natural products and pharmaceuticals. Mechanistic studies elucidated that the cobalt catalyst initially reacted with alkynyl sulfides, and the activation of chlorosilanes occurred via an SN2 process instead of a radical pathway.

Palladium-Catalyzed Annulation of Tertiary Anilines with 3-Butenoic Acid via Dual C-H Bond Activation.

Catalytic cyclization via dual C-H bond activation has evolved as a powerful strategy for building bi- and polycyclic molecules. Herein, a palladium-catalyzed annulation of tertiary anilines with 3-butenoic acid via N-α-C(sp3)-H and ortho-C(sp2)-H activation is described. The remarkable characteristics of this reaction include excellent diastereoselectivity, broad substrate scope, and good tolerance for some highly sensitive groups. In addition, the KIE experiment suggested that the C-H bond abscission is not the turnover-limiting step.

Synthesis of γ-Thiapyrones by Diels-Alder/Retro-Diels-Alder Reaction of α-Pyrones with 5-H-1,2,3-Thiadiazoles.

The efficient synthesis of γ-thiapyrones by a base-mediated Diels-Alder/retro-Diels-Alder reaction of α-pyrones with 5-H-1,2,3-thiadiazoles is reported herein. Thioketenes in situ generated from thiadiazoles as electron-poor dienophile and electron-rich 4-hydroxy-2-pyrones as dienes are conjunctively transformed into a series of γ-thiapyrones with broad functional group compatibility in good to excellent yields (35 examples, 67% average yield).