Use of aryl chlorides as electrophiles in Pd-catalyzed alkene difunctionalization reactions.

The development of conditions that allow use of inexpensive aryl chlorides as electrophiles in Pd-catalyzed alkene carboamination and carboetherification reactions is described. A catalyst composed of Pd(OAc)(2) and S-Phos minimizes N-arylation of the substrate and prevents formation of mixtures of regioisomeric products. A number of heterocycles, including pyrrolidines, isoxazolidines, tetrahydrofurans, and pyrazolidines, are efficiently generated with this method.

Synthesis and reactivity of azapalladacyclobutanes.

N-Sulfonyl aziridines undergo oxidative addition to palladium(0) complexes generated in situ from mixtures of Pd2(dba)3 and 1,10-phenanthroline. The resulting azapalladacyclobutane complexes undergo intramolecular carbopalladation in the presence of copper(I) iodide to afford azapalladabicyclo[3.2.1]octanes. A deuterium-labeling experiment indicates that the oxidative addition proceeds via SN2-type attack of palladium(0) on the less-hindered carbon of the aziridine ring and that alkene insertion occurs in a syn fashion. The azapalladabicyclo[3.2.1]octane complexes undergo oxidative palladium-carbon bond functionalization in the presence of copper(II) bromide.

Nonsteroidal benzophenone-containing analogues of cholesterol.

The four benzophenones, 10-13, containing the natural side chain of cholesterol (1) have been synthesized to explore whether the tetracyclic nucleus of 1 is essential for its biochemical properties. The syntheses of analogues 10, 11, and 13 feature efficient introduction of the alkyl side chain by Suzuki coupling. Preliminary biochemical evaluation of 10 and 12 suggests that the sterol tetracyclic nucleus is not required for biological compatibility with 1.

Palladium-catalyzed tandem N-arylation/carboamination reactions for the stereoselective synthesis of N-aryl-2-benzyl pyrrolidines.

[reaction: see text] The tandem N-arylation/carboamination of gamma-amino alkenes with two different aryl bromides provides rapid entry to differentially arylated N-aryl-2-benzyl pyrrolidine derivatives in good yields with good to excellent levels of diastereoselectivity. The selective diarylation is achieved in a one-pot process by an in situ modification of the palladium catalyst via phosphine ligand exchange.

Selective synthesis of 5- or 6-aryl octahydrocyclopenta[b]pyrroles from a common precursor through control of competing pathways in a Pd-catalyzed reaction.

The Pd/phosphine-catalyzed reaction of 1 with aryl bromides leads to the selective synthesis of either 6-aryl octahydrocyclopenta[b]pyrroles (3), the corresponding 5-aryl isomers 5, diarylamine 2, or hexahydrocyclopenta[b]pyrrole 4 depending on the structure of the phosphine ligand. These transformations are effective with a variety of different aryl bromides and provide 3-5 with excellent levels of diastereoselectivity (dr > or = 20:1). The changes in product distribution are believed to derive from the influence of Pd-catalyst structure on the relative rates of reductive elimination, beta-hydride elimination, alkene insertion, and alkene displacement processes in a mechanistically complex reaction. The effect of phosphine ligand structure on product distribution is described in detail, along with analysis of a proposed mechanism for these transformations.

Synthesis of N-Aryl-2-allyl Pyrrolidines via Palladium-catalyzed Carboamination Reactions of γ-(N-Arylamino)alkenes with Vinyl Bromides.

A palladium-catalyzed carboamination reaction of γ-N-arylamino alkenes with vinyl bromides that affords N-aryl-2-allyl pyrrolidines is described. These reactions proceed with high diastereoselectivity for the formation of trans-2,3- and cis-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines. Conditions for a tandem N-arylation/carboamination sequence that leads to the formation of an N-aryl-2-allyl pyrrolidine or indoline via the coupling of a primary γ-amino alkene, an aryl bromide, and a vinyl bromide are also reported. The mechanism of the carboamination reactions and the origin of unexpected products that formally derive from rearrangement of the vinyl bromide are discussed.

A new, mild synthesis of N-sulfonyl ketimines via the palladium-catalyzed isomerization of aziridines.

[reaction: see text] A new method for the synthesis of N-tosylketimines via the palladium-catalyzed isomerization of N-tosylaziridines is described. The mild reaction conditions tolerate the presence of a variety of functional groups including ketones, esters, and acetals. The reactions are believed to proceed via the oxidative addition of the aziridine to Pd(0) and represent the first examples of transformations involving Pd(0)-mediated oxidative additions of aziridines that do not proceed through allylpalladium intermediates.