H2 O ⋠B(C6 F5 )3 -Catalyzed para-Alkylation of Anilines with Alkenes Applied to Late-Stage Functionalization of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

Anilines are core motifs in a variety of important molecules including medicines, materials and agrochemicals. We report a straightforward procedure that allows access to new chemical space of anilines via their para-C-H alkylation. The method utilizes commercially available catalytic H2 O ⋅ B(C6 F5 )3 and is highly selective for para-C-alkylation (over N-alkylation and ortho-C-alkylation) of anilines, with a wide scope in both the aniline substrates and alkene coupling partners. Readily available alkenes are used, and include new classes of alkene for the first time. The mild reaction conditions have allowed the procedure to be applied to the late-stage-functionalization of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including fenamic acids and diclofenac. The formed novel NSAID derivatives display improved anti-inflammatory properties over the parent NSAID structure.

Accessing Highly Substituted Indoles via B(C6F5)3-Catalyzed Secondary Alkyl Group Transfer.

Herein, we report a synthetic method to access a range of highly substituted indoles via the B(C6F5)3-catalyzed transfer of 2° alkyl groups from amines. The transition-metal-free catalytic approach has been demonstrated across a broad range of indoles and amine 2° alkyl donors, including various substituents on both reacting components, to access useful C(3)-alkylated indole products. The alkyl transfer process can be performed using Schlenk line techniques in combination with commercially available B(C6F5)3·nH2O and solvents, which obviates the requirement for specialized equipment (e.g., glovebox).

Electron deficient borane-mediated hydride abstraction in amines: stoichiometric and catalytic processes.

The manipulation of amino C-H bonds has garnered significant interest from the synthetic community due to its inherently high atom, step and redox economy. This Tutorial Review summarises the ability of boranes to mediate hydride abstraction from α-amino and γ-amino conjugated C-H bonds. Borane-mediated hydride abstraction results in the generation of reactive iminium hydridoborate salts that participate in a variety of stoichiometric and catalytic processes. The reactions that have utilised this unusual reactivity include those that manipulate amino scaffolds (including dehydrogenation, racemisation, isomerisation, α- and ß-functionalisation, and C-N bond cleavage) and those that use amine-based reagents (transfer hydrogenation, and alkylation).

The Interrupted Pummerer Reaction in a Sulfoxide-Catalyzed Oxidative Coupling of 2-Naphthols.

A benzothiophene S-oxide catalyst, generated in situ by sulfur oxidation with H2 O2 , mediates the oxidative coupling of 2-naphthols. Key to the catalytic process is the capture and inversion of reactivity of a 2-naphthol partner, using an interrupted Pummerer reaction of an unusual benzothiophene S-oxide, followed by subsequent coupling with a second partner. The new catalytic manifold has been showcased in the synthesis of the bioactive natural products, (±)-nigerone and (±)-isonigerone. Although Pummerer reactions are used widely, their application in catalysis is rare, and our approach represents a new catalytic manifold for metal-free C-C bond formation.

Transition-Metal-Free Cross-Coupling of Benzothiophenes and Styrenes in a Stereoselective Synthesis of Substituted (E,Z)-1,3-Dienes.

A transition metal-free one-pot stereoselective approach to substituted (E,Z)-1,3-dienes was developed by using an interrupted Pummerer reaction/ligand-coupling strategy. Readily available benzothiophene S-oxides, which can be conveniently prepared by oxidation of the parent benzothiophenes, undergo Pummerer coupling with styrenes. Reaction of the resultant sulfonium salts with alkyllithium/magnesium reagents generates underexploited hypervalent sulfurane intermediates that undergo selective ligand coupling, resulting in dismantling of the benzothiophene motif and the formation of decorated (E,Z)-1,3-dienes.

Metal-Free Synthesis of Benzothiophenes by Twofold C-H Functionalization: Direct Access to Materials-Oriented Heteroaromatics.

Due to their ubiquity in nature and frequent use in organic electronic materials, benzothiophenes are highly sought after. Here we set out an unprecedented procedure for the formation of benzothiophenes by the twofold vicinal C-H functionalization of arenes that does not require metal catalysis. This one-pot annulation proceeds through an interrupted Pummerer reaction/[3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement/cyclization sequence to deliver various benzothiophene products. The procedure is particularly effective for the rapid synthesis of benzothiophenes from non-prefunctionalized polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Regiodivergent Copper Catalyzed Borocyanation of 1,3-Dienes.

Copper catalyzed multi-functionalization of unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds is a powerful tool for the generation of complex molecules. We report a regiodivergent process that allows a switch between 1,4-borocupration and 4,1-borocupration of 1,3-dienes upon a simple change in ligand. The subsequently generated allyl coppers are trapped in an electrophilic cyanation to selectively generate densely functionalized and synthetically versatile 1,2- or 4,3-borocyanation products.

An Interrupted Pummerer/Nickel-Catalysed Cross-Coupling Sequence.

An interrupted Pummerer/nickel-catalysed cross-coupling strategy has been developed and used in the elaboration of styrenes. The operationally simple method can be carried out as a one-pot process, involves the direct formation of stable alkenyl sulfonium salt intermediates, utilises a commercially available sulfoxide, catalyst, and ligand, operates at ambient temperature, accommodates sp-, sp2 -, and sp3 -hybridised organozinc coupling partners, and delivers functionalised styrene products in high yields over two steps. An interrupted Pummerer/cyclisation approach has also been used to access carbo- and heterocyclic alkenyl sulfonium salts for cross-coupling.

Synthesis of C2 Substituted Benzothiophenes via an Interrupted Pummerer/[3,3]-Sigmatropic/1,2-Migration Cascade of Benzothiophene S-Oxides.

Functionalized benzothiophenes are important scaffolds found in molecules with wide ranging biological activity and in organic materials. We describe an efficient, metal-free synthesis of C2 arylated, allylated, and propargylated benzothiophenes. The reaction utilizes synthetically unexplored yet readily accessible benzothiophene S-oxides and phenols, allyl-, or propargyl silanes in a unique cascade sequence. An interrupted Pummerer reaction between benzothiophene S-oxides and the coupling partners yields sulfonium salts that lack aromaticity and therefore allow facile [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. The subsequently generated benzothiophenium salts undergo a previously unexplored 1,2-migration to access C2 functionalized benzothiophenes.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Tertiary Alcohols and Thiols via Nonstabilized Tertiary α-Oxy- and α-Thio-Substituted Organolithium Species.

Nonstabilized α-O-substituted tertiary organolithium species are difficult to generate, and the α-S-substituted analogues are configurationally unstable. We now report that they can both be generated easily and trapped with a range of electrophiles with high enantioselectivity, providing ready access to a range of enantioenriched tertiary alcohols and thiols. The configurational stability of the α-S-organolithium species was enhanced by using a less coordinating solvent and short reaction times.

C-H Coupling Reactions Directed by Sulfoxides: Teaching an Old Functional Group New Tricks.

Sulfoxides are classical functional groups for directing the stoichiometric metalation and functionalization of C-H bonds. In recent times, sulfoxides have been given a new lease on life owing to the development of modern synthetic methods that have arisen because of their unique reactivity. They have recently been used in catalytic C-H activation proceeding via coordination of an internal sulfoxide to a metal or through the action of an external sulfoxide ligand. Furthermore, sulfoxides are able to capture nucleophiles and electrophiles to give sulfonium salts, which subsequently enable the formation of C-C bonds at the expense of C-H bonds. This Review summarizes a renaissance period in the application of sulfoxides arising from their versatility in directing C-H functionalization.

Enantioselective Generation of Adjacent Stereocenters in a Copper-Catalyzed Three-Component Coupling of Imines, Allenes, and Diboranes.

A highly enantio- and diastereoselective copper-catalyzed three-component coupling affords the first general synthesis of homoallylic amines bearing adjacent stereocenters from achiral starting materials. The method utilizes a commercially available NHC ligand and copper source, operates at ambient temperature, couples readily available simple imines, allenes, and diboranes, and yields high-value homoallylic amines that exhibit versatile amino, alkenyl, and boryl units.

Ambiphilic Frustrated Lewis Pair Exhibiting High Robustness and Reversible Water Activation: Towards the Metal-Free Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide.

The synthesis and structural characterization of a phenylene-bridged Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) having a 2,2,6,6­tetramethylpiperidine (TMP) as the Lewis base and a 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (BBN) as the Lewis acid is reported. This FLP exhibits unique robustness towards the products of carbon dioxide hydrogenation. The compound shows reversible splitting of water, formic acid and methanol while no reaction is observed in the presence of excess formaldehyde. The molecule is incredibly robust, showing little sign of degradation after heating at 80 °C in benzene with 10 equiv. of formic acid for 24 h. The robustness of the system could be exploited in the design of metal-free catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide.

Short stereoselective synthesis of the Phytophthora universal mating hormone α1 using lithiation/borylation reactions.

The universal mating hormone α 1 of the virulent plant pathogen Phytophthora has been synthesized in 12 steps and 28 % overall yield. Key CC bond-forming steps involved the use of two lithiation/borylation reactions to couple together enantioenriched building blocks, one of which also set up the stereochemistry of the tertiary alcohol at C11. Detailed analysis showed that the diastereomeric purity of the target molecule was >91 %, the highest obtained to date.

B(C6F5)3-Catalyzed Dehydrogenation of Pyrrolidines to Form Pyrroles.

Pyrroles are important N-heterocycles found in medicines and materials. The formation of pyrroles from widely accessible pyrrolidines is a potentially attractive strategy but is an underdeveloped approach due to the sensitivity of pyrroles to the oxidative conditions required to achieve such a transformation. Herein, we report a catalytic approach that employs commercially available B(C6F5)3 in an operationally simple procedure that allows pyrrolidines to serve as direct synthons for pyrroles. Mechanistic studies have revealed insights into borane-catalyzed dehydrogenative processes.

Synthesis of enantioenriched tertiary boronic esters by the lithiation/borylation of secondary alkyl benzoates.

Simple, secondary 2,4,6-triisopropyl benzoates (TIB esters) and secondary dialkyl N,N-diisopropyl carbamates have been reported to be resistant to deprotonation by strong bases. We have found that the combination of sBuLi (1.6 equiv) and TMEDA (6 equiv) in CPME at -60 °C enables deprotonation of unactivated secondary dialkyl TIB esters, but not the carbamates. These carbanions were reacted with a range of neopentyl boronic esters which, after 1,2-metalate rearrangement and oxidation, gave a range of tertiary alcohols in high yield and universally high er. Further functional group transformations of the tertiary boronic esters were demonstrated (conversion to quaternary centers, C-tertiary amines) together with application of the methodology to the synthesis of the simplest unbranched hydrocarbon bearing a quaternary center, (R)-4-ethyl-4-methyloctane, validating the synthetic utility of the methodology.

Synthesis of enantioenriched tertiary boronic esters from secondary allylic carbamates. Application to the synthesis of C30 botryococcene.

Enantioenriched secondary allylic carbamates have been deprotonated with sBuLi and reacted with boronic esters. In contrast to other electrophiles, high α-selectivity was observed and the boronate complexes were formed with almost complete retention of stereochemistry. The boronate complexes underwent a stereospecific 1,2-migration leading to tertiary allylic boronic esters with high er (>98:2). The scope of the reaction has been explored and found to embrace a broad range of both allylic carbamates and boronic esters. The methodology has been applied to an eight-step, stereoselective synthesis of each of the diastereoisomers of C30 botryococcene.

B(C6F5)3-Catalyzed Direct C3 Alkylation of Indoles and Oxindoles.

The direct C3 alkylation of indoles and oxindoles is a challenging transformation, and only a few direct methods exist. Utilizing the underexplored ability of triaryl boranes to mediate the heterolytic cleavage of α-nitrogen C-H bonds in amines, we have developed a catalytic approach for the direct C3 alkylation of a wide range of indoles and oxindoles using amine-based alkylating agents. We also employed this borane-catalyzed strategy in an alkylation-ring opening cascade.

Transition-Metal-Free Synthesis of C3-Arylated Benzofurans from Benzothiophenes and Phenols.

We report a transition-metal-free synthesis of benzofurans from benzothiophenes and phenols that exploits the unique reactivity of sulfoxides. Through a sequence involving an interrupted Pummerer reaction and [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement, phenols can be combined with readily accessible yet synthetically unexplored benzothiophene S-oxides to provide C3-arylated benzofuran products. The products from this approach can undergo subsequent functionalization to gain access to a range of important benzofuran derivatives.

Dual vicinal functionalisation of heterocycles via an interrupted Pummerer coupling/[3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement cascade.

A dual vicinal functionalisation cascade involving the union of heterocycles and allyl sulfoxides is described. In particular, the approach provides efficient one-step access to biologically relevant and synthetically important C3 thio, C2 carbo substituted indoles. The reaction operates under mild, metal free conditions and without directing groups, via an interrupted Pummerer coupling of activated allyl sulfoxides, generating allyl heteroaryl sulfonium salts that are predisposed to a charge accelerated [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement.