Pd/C-Catalyzed Carbonylative Amidation for the Synthesis of 2-Carboxamidocyclohexane-1,3-diones.

Herein, a first-ever heterogeneous Pd/C-catalyzed single-step tandem approach for the synthesis of 2-carboxamidocyclohexane-1,3-diones via direct carbonylative C-H amidation of cyclohexane-1,3-diones is reported. The reaction progressed under base-, oxidant-, and ligand-free conditions employing oxalic acid as a CO surrogate and sodium azide as a nitrogen precursor in a double-layer vial system.

An unconventional iron oxide catalyst for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation to 2,5-diformylfuran.

Commonly used magnetic iron oxide (γ-Fe2O3) was examined for the first time as an unconventional catalyst for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) oxidation to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF). Fascinatingly, the magnetic support showed remarkable catalytic activity for this conversion, especially in nanoscale size (≤50 nm). The developed mild reagent system consisting of γ-Fe2O3 and molecular O2 in xylene solvent delivered DFF with 94% selectivity and 82% conversion at 135 °C for 12 h. A deep inspection of the mechanistic study through IR and XPS analysis revealed a phase transition (γ-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4) during the reaction, and then its reversal to the parent form after catalyst activation. The loss in crystallinity and increase in the particle size of the catalyst after the reaction were explicitly analysed by XRD and TEM studies, respectively. The excellent activity of the catalyst was even noticed by a recyclability test for six cycles. The method avoided the requirement of high-pressure equipment, costly noble and transition metals, and harsh basic environments.

Palladium-catalyzed ortho-halogen-induced deoxygenative approach of alkyl aryl ketones to 2-vinylbenzoic acids.

The 2-vinylbenzoic acids have wide applications in the field of polymer chemistry and are key precursors for the synthesis of important bioactive molecules. Herein, an ortho-halogen-induced deoxygenative approach for the generation of 2-vinylbenzoic acids from alkyl aryl ketones by palladium catalysis is discovered and explored. This approach requires no base or stoichiometric additives and can be carried out through a simple one-step process. Furthermore, the present reaction is scalable up to one-gram scale. The commercially available palladium on carbon (5 wt%) was used as a heterogeneous catalyst and showed excellent recyclability (<5 times) without significant loss in catalytic activity. Pleasingly, under our optimized conditions, the alpha alkyl substituted 2-iodoacetophenones exhibit good diastereoselectivity and predominantly (E)-2-vinylbenzoic acids were obtained with good to excellent yields.

Polystyrene-Supported Palladium (Pd@PS)-Catalyzed Carbonylative Annulation of Aryl Iodides Using Oxalic Acid as a Sustainable CO Source for the Synthesis of 2-Aryl Quinazolinones.

An efficient and convenient strategy for the synthesis of diversely substituted quinazolinones from o-carbamoyl/cyano aniline and aryl iodides using oxalic acid as a CO source under polystyrene supported palladium (Pd@PS) nanoparticles (NPs) catalyzed conditions has been developed. In this study, oxalic acid has been employed as safe, economic, environmentally benign, sustainable and bench-stable, solid CO surrogate under Double-Layer-Vial (DLV) system for the synthesis of 2-aryl quinazolinones. This methodology does not require any special high-pressure equipment like autoclaves, microwaves, etc. Moreover, a simple procedure for catalyst preparation, catalyst recyclability, easy handling of reaction, additive and base-free generation of CO, excellent to good yields and vast substrate scope are the additional features of developed protocol.

Hypervalent Iodine(III)-Mediated Counteranion Controlled Intramolecular Annulation of Exocyclic ß-Enaminone to Carbazolone and Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine Synthesis.

A highly efficient and flexible protocol for intramolecular annulation of exocyclic ß-enaminones has been disclosed for the synthesis of carbazolones and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines through a counter-anion-controlled free-radical mechanism promoted by hypervalent iodine(III). The cooperative behavior of HTIB and AgSbF6 plays a crucial role in the intramolecular annulation process through C-C and C-N bond formation to give the desired products. The mechanistic insights suggest that the two competitive reactions involved in the system are guided by the nature of the counteranion, which determines the formation of the final products. A wide variety of carbazolones and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine molecules have been prepared and isolated in good to excellent yields.