Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed Ring-Opening Diboration of Arylidenecyclopropanes to Access Chiral Skipped 1,4- and 1,3-Diboronates.

Two enantioselective approaches to synthesize chiral skipped diboronate compounds have been developed, relying on copper-catalyzed one-pot asymmetric ring-opening diboration of arylidenecyclopropanes. A wide range of arylidenecyclopropanes react smoothly with HBpin in the presence of CuOAc and (R)-DTBM-Segphos, affording chiral 1,4-diboronates with high enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). Meanwhile, a variety of arylidenecyclopropanes react selectively with HBpin and B2pin2 in the presence of CuOAc and (S,S)-Ph-BPE with the sequential addition of MeOH, providing chiral 1,3-diboronates with high enantioselectivity (up to 98% ee). These enantioenriched 1,3- and 1,4-diboronates can undergo various enantiospecific transformations with minimal loss of their enantiopurity. Mechanistic studies reveal that these two diboration processes start with CuH-catalyzed ring-opening hydroboration of arylidenecyclopropanes to form a mixture of Z/E-homoallyl boronate intermediates, which subsequently undergo enantioselective CuH-catalyzed second hydroboration or Cu-Bpin-catalyzed protoboration to produce chiral 1,4-diboronates or 1,3-diboronates, respectively.

Copper-Catalyzed Regio- and Enantioselective Hydroboration of Difluoroalkyl-Substituted Internal Alkenes.

Catalytic asymmetric hydroboration of fluoroalkyl-substituted alkenes is a straightforward approach to access chiral small molecules possessing both fluorine and boron atoms. However, enantioselective hydroboration of fluoroalkyl-substituted alkenes without fluorine elimination has been a long-standing challenge in this field. Herein, a copper-catalyzed hydroboration of difluoroalkyl-substituted internal alkenes with high levels of regio- and enantioselectivities is reported. The native carbonyl directing group, copper hydride system, and bisphosphine ligand play crucial roles in suppressing the undesired fluoride elimination. This atom-economic protocol provides a practical synthetic platform to obtain a wide scope of enantioenriched secondary boronates bearing the difluoromethylene moieties under mild conditions. Synthetic applications including functionalization of biorelevant molecules, versatile functional group interconversions, and preparation of difluoroalkylated Terfenadine derivative are also demonstrated.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Regiodivergent Ring-Opening Dihydroboration of Arylidenecyclopropanes to Access Skipped Diboronates.

Ligand-controlled regiodivergent cobalt-catalyzed ring-opening dihydroboration of arylidenecyclopropanes is developed to access synthetically versatile skipped diboronates with catalysts generated in situ from Co(acac)2 and dpephos or xantphos. A variety of arylidenecyclopropanes reacted with pinacolborane (HBpin) to form the corresponding 1,3- or 1,4-diboronates in high isolated yields and with high regioselectivity. Skipped diboronate products from these reactions can undergo various transformations to allow selective installation of two different functional groups along alkyl chains. Mechanistic studies suggest that these reactions combine cobalt-catalyzed ring-opening hydroboration of arylidenecyclopropanes and hydroboration of homoallylic or allylic boronate intermediates.

Copper-Catalyzed Quadruple Borylation of Terminal Alkynes to Access sp3 -Tetra-Organometallic Reagents.

Copper-catalyzed regioselective quadruple borylation of terminal alkynes has been developed employing a copper catalyst generated from CuI and dcpe (1,2-bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)ethane). A wide range of terminal alkynes undergo this multi-borylation reaction to afford the corresponding 1,1,2,2-tetraborylalkanes in high yields. Mechanistic studies reveal that this quadruple borylation reaction proceeds through copper-catalyzed sequential double 1,2-diborylation of alkynes and 1,2-diborylalkene intermediates. This protocol represents the most straightforward and atom-economic approach to prepare sp3 -tetra-organometallic reagents from readily accessible alkynes with commercially available copper catalysts.

Enantioselective Cobalt-Catalyzed Hydroboration of Fluoroalkyl-Substituted Alkenes to Access Chiral Fluoroalkylboronates.

Selective defluoroborylation and asymmetric hydroboration reactions of fluoroalkyl-substituted terminal alkenes with pinacolborane (HBpin) have been developed with cobalt catalysts generated from Co(acac)2 and bisphosphine ligands. A variety of fluoroalkyl-substituted terminal alkenes undergo this enantioselective hydroboration, affording the corresponding chiral alkylboronates containing fluoroalkyl-substituted stereogenic carbon centers with high enantioselectivity (up to 98% ee). This asymmetric hydroboration provides a versatile foundation for the synthesis of a variety of chiral organofluorine compounds containing fluoroalkyl-substituted stereogenic carbon centers.

Enantioselective Palladium-Catalyzed Arylborylation/Cyclization of Alkenes to Access Boryl-Functionalized Heterocyclic Compounds Containing Quaternary Stereogenic Centers.

Asymmetric palladium-catalyzed arylboration/cyclization of both nonactivated and activated alkenes with B2pin2 was developed. A wide range of N-allyl-o-iodobenzamides and o-iodoacryanilides reacted with B2pin2 to afford borylated 3,4-dihydroisoquinolinones and oxindoles, respectively, in high yields with high enantioselectivities. The synthetic utility of this enantioselective protocol was highlighted by synthesizing various chiral 3,4-dihydroisoquinolinone and oxindole derivatives containing quaternary stereogenic carbon centers, including enantioenriched Roche anticancer agent (S)-RO4999200.

Synergistic Hydrocobaltation and Borylcobaltation Enable Regioselective Migratory Triborylation of Unactivated Alkenes.

The structural diversity of sp3 -triorganometallic reagents enhances their potentiality in the modular construction of molecular complexity in chemical synthesis. Despite significant achievements on the preparation of sp3 1,1,1- and 1,1,2-triorganometallic B,B,B-reagents, catalytic approaches that enable the installation of multiple boryl groups at skipped carbons of unactivated alkenes still remain elusive. Herein, we report a cobalt-catalyzed selective triborylation reaction of unactivated alkenes to access synthetically versatile 1,1,3-triborylalkanes. This triborylation protocol provides a general platform for regioselective trifunctionalization of unactivated alkenes, and its utility is highlighted by the synthesis of various value-added chemicals from readily accessible unactivated alkenes. Mechanistic studies, including deuterium-labelling experiments and evaluation of potential reactive intermediates, provide insight into the experimentally observed chemo- and regioselectivity.

Cobalt-Catalyzed One-Pot Asymmetric Difunctionalization of Alkynes to Access Chiral gem-(Borylsilyl)alkanes.

Enantioselective cobalt-catalyzed one-pot hydrosilylation and hydroboration of terminal alkynes has been developed employing a cobalt catalyst generated from Co(acac)2 and (R,R)-Me-Ferrocelane. A variety of terminal alkynes undergo this asymmetric transformation, affording the corresponding gem-(borylsilyl)alkane products with high enantioselectivity (up to 98 % ee). This one-pot reaction combines (E)-selective hydrosilylation of alkynes and consecutive enantioselective hydroboration of (E)-vinylsilanes with one chiral cobalt catalyst. This protocol represents the most straightforward approach to access versatile chiral gem-(borylsilyl)alkanes from readily available alkynes with commercially available cobalt salt and chiral ligand.

Asymmetric Cobalt-Catalyzed Regioselective Hydrosilylation/Cyclization of 1,6-Enynes.

We report an enantioselective cobalt-catalyzed hydrosilylation/cyclization reaction of 1,6-enynes with secondary and tertiary hydrosilanes employing a catalyst generated in situ from the combination of Co(acac)2 and (R,Sp )-Josiphos. A wide range of oxygen-, nitrogen-, and carbon-tethered 1,6-enynes reacted with Ph2 SiH2 , (EtO)3 SiH, or (RO)2 MeSiH to afford the corresponding chiral organosilane products in high yields and up to >99 % ee. This cobalt-catalyzed hydrosilylation/cyclization also occurred with prochiral secondary hydrosilane PhMeSiH2 to yield chiral alkylsilanes containing both carbon- and silicon-stereogenic centers with excellent enantioselectivity, albeit with modest diastereoselectivity. The chiral organosilane products from this cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation/cyclization could be converted to a variety of chiral five-membered heterocyclic compounds by stereospecific conversion of their C-Si and Si-H bonds without loss of enantiopurity.

Chromium-Catalyzed Selective Dimerization/Hydroboration of Allenes to Access Boryl-Functionalized Skipped (E,Z)-Dienes.

A chromium-catalyzed dimerization/hydroboration of allenes is developed to access synthetically versatile boryl-functionalized skipped dienes with a catalyst generated in situ from CrCl2 and a pyridine-2,6-diimine ligand mes PDI. A variety of allenes reacted with pinacolborane (HBpin) to afford the corresponding boryl-functionalized (E,Z)-1,4-dienes in high yields and with excellent selectivity. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic studies suggest that this chromium-catalyzed reaction probably proceeds through a chromium(I) hydride intermediate.

Cobalt-catalyzed deoxygenative triborylation of allylic ethers to access 1,1,3-triborylalkanes.

Polyborylated organic compounds have been emerging as versatile building blocks in chemical synthesis. Here we report a selective cobalt-catalyzed deoxygenative 1,1,3-triborylation reaction of allylic ethers with pinacolborane to prepare 1,1,3-triborylalkane compounds. With naturally abundant and/or synthetic cinnamic methyl ethers as starting materials, we have achieved the synthesis of a variety of 1,1,3-triborylalkanes (25 examples). The synthetic utility of these 1,1,3-triborylalkanes is demonstrated through site-selective allylation, protodeborylation, and consecutive carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. Mechanistic studies including deuterium-labeling and control experiments suggest that this 1,1,3-triborylation reaction proceeds through initial cobalt-catalyzed deoxygenative borylation of allylic ethers to form allylic boronates followed by cobalt-catalyzed 1,1-diborylation of the resulting allylic boronates.

Versatile cobalt-catalyzed regioselective chain-walking double hydroboration of 1,n-dienes to access gem-bis(boryl)alkanes.

Double hydroboration of dienes is the addition of a hydrogen and a boryl group to the two double bonds of a diene molecule and represents a straightforward and effective protocol to prepare synthetically versatile bis(boryl)alkanes, provided that this reaction occurs selectively. However, this reaction can potentially yield several isomeric organoboron products, and it still remains a challenge to control the regioselectivity of this reaction, which allows the selective production of a single organoboron product, in particular, for a broad scope of dienes. By employing a readily available cobalt catalyst, here we show that this double hydroboration yields synthetically useful gem-bis(boryl)alkanes with excellent regioselectivity. In addition, the scope of dienes for this reaction is broad and encompasses a wide range of conjugated and non-conjugated dienes. Furthermore, mechanistic studies indicate that this cobalt-catalyzed double hydroboration occurs through boryl-directed chain-walking hydroboration of alkenylboronates generated from anti-Markovnikov 1,2-hydroboration of 1,n-diene.

Ligand-controlled cobalt-catalyzed regiodivergent hydroboration of aryl,alkyl-disubstituted internal allenes.

We report a stereoselective regiodivergent hydroboration of aryl,alkyl-disubstituted internal allenes with pinacolborane (HBpin) in the presence of cobalt catalysts generated from bench-stable Co(acac)2 and bisphosphine ligands. An interesting correlation between the regioselectivity of this hydroboration and the bite angles of bisphosphine ligands was identified. When hydroboration was conducted with cobalt catalysts containing bisphosphines with medium bite angles (e.g. 98° for dppb and 96° for dppf), HBpin was selectively added to the alkyl-substituted double bond. However, HBpin was selectively added to the aryl-substituted double bond when the reactions were conducted with cobalt catalysts containing bisphosphines with large bite angles (e.g. 111° for xantphos and 114° for Nixantphos). A range of internal allenes underwent these Co-catalyzed hydroboration reactions in a regiodivergent manner to yield the corresponding (Z)-alkenylboronates in high isolated yields and with high regioselectivity. These reactions show good functional group compatibility and can be readily scaled up to gram scales without using a dry box. In addition, the comparison of regioselectivity between the Co-catalyzed hydrosilylation and hydroboration reactions of the same allene substrate suggests that this Co-catalyzed regiodivergent hydroboration of allenes proceeds through a Co-Bpin intermediate. Deuterium-labeling experiments suggest that the Co-Bpin intermediates react with allenes to form allylcobalt species which then react with HBpin to release (Z)-alkenylboronate products.

Pd/Cu-Catalyzed Enantioselective Sequential Heck/Sonogashira Coupling: Asymmetric Synthesis of Oxindoles Containing Trifluoromethylated Quaternary Stereogenic Centers.

An asymmetric palladium and copper co-catalyzed Heck/Sonogashira reaction between o-iodoacrylanilides and terminal alkynes to synthesize chiral oxindoles was developed. In particular, a wide range of CF3 -substituted o-iodoacrylanilides reacted with terminal alkynes, affording the corresponding chiral oxindoles containing trifluoromethylated quaternary stereogenic centers in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (94-98 % ee). This asymmetric Heck/Sonogashira reaction provides a general approach to access oxindole derivatives containing quaternary stereogenic centers including CF3 -substituted ones.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Regio- and Stereoselective Hydrosilylation of 1,3-Diynes To Access Silyl-Functionalized 1,3-Enynes.

A regio- and stereoselective hydrosilylation of 1,3-diynes has been developed relying on catalysts generated from bench-stable Co(acac)2 and dppp ligand. A variety of symmetrical and unsymmetrical 1,3-diynes undergo this transformation, yielding the corresponding silyl-functionalized 1,3-enynes in high yields with excellent regioselectivity. Gram-scale reactions and further transformations of the silyl-containing 1,3-enyne products highlight the synthetic utilities of this Co-catalyzed hydrosilylation of 1,3-diynes.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydroboration/Cyclization of 1,7-Enynes: Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Quinolinones Containing Quaternary Stereogenic Centers.

An asymmetric cobalt-catalyzed hydroboration/cyclization of 1,7-enynes to synthesize chiral six-membered N-heterocyclic compounds was developed. A variety of aniline-tethered 1,7-enynes react with pinacolborane to afford the corresponding chiral boryl-functionalized quinoline derivatives in high yields with high enantioselectivity. This cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric cyclization of 1,7-enyens provides a general approach to access a series of chiral quinoline derivatives containing quaternary stereocenters.

Versatile Cobalt-Catalyzed Enantioselective Entry to Boryl-Functionalized All-Carbon Quaternary Stereogenic Centers.

We report an asymmetric synthesis of chiral boryl-functionalized γ-lactams containing all-carbon quaternary stereocenters via a Co-catalyzed enantioselective hydroboration/cyclization of amide-tethered 1,6-enynes. These enantio-enriched γ-lactam products can be readily converted to a variety of cyclic and acyclic other chiral γ-lactams, pyrrolidin-2,3-diones, ß-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides, and ß-amino carboxylic amides.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral gem-Bis(boryl)alkanes.

We report an asymmetric synthesis of enantioenriched gem-bis(boryl)alkanes in an enantioselective diborylation of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes catalyzed by Co(acac)2 /(R)-DM-segphos. A range of activated and unactivated alkenes underwent this asymmetric diborylation in the presence of cyclooctene as a hydrogen acceptor, affording the corresponding gem-bis(boryl)alkanes with high enantioselectivity. The synthetic utility of these chiral organoboronate compounds was demonstrated through several stereospecific derivatizations and the synthesis of sesquiterpene and sesquiterpenoid natural products.

Cobalt-catalyzed regioselective stereoconvergent Markovnikov 1,2-hydrosilylation of conjugated dienes.

We report the first stereoconvergent Markovnikov 1,2-hydrosilylation of conjugated dienes using catalysts generated from bench-stable Co(acac)2 and phosphine ligands. A wide range of E/Z-dienes underwent this Markovnikov 1,2-hydrosilylation in a stereoconvergent manner, affording (E)-allylsilanes in high isolated yields with high stereoselectivities (E/Z = >99 : 1) and high regioselectivities (b/l up to > 99 : 1). Mechanistic studies revealed that this stereoconvergence stems from a σ-π-σ isomerization of an allylcobalt species generated by the 1,4-hydrometalation of Z-dienes. In addition, a cobalt catalyst that can only catalyze the hydrosilylation of the E-isomer of an (E/Z)-diene was identified, which allows the separation of the (Z)-isomer from an isomeric mixture of (E/Z)-dienes. Furthermore, asymmetric hydrosilylation of (E)-1-aryl-1,3-dienes was studied with Co(acac)2/(R)-difluorphos and good enantioselectivities (er up to 90 : 10) were obtained.