Visible-Light-Driven External-Reductant-Free Cross-Electrophile Couplings of Tetraalkyl Ammonium Salts.

Cross-electrophile couplings between two electrophiles are powerful and economic methods to generate C-C bonds in the presence of stoichiometric external reductants. Herein, we report a novel strategy to realize the first external-reductant-free cross-electrophile coupling via visible-light photoredox catalysis. A variety of tetraalkyl ammonium salts, bearing primary, secondary, and tertiary C-N bonds, undergo selective couplings with aldehydes/ketone and CO2. Notably, the in situ generated byproduct, trimethylamine, is efficiently utilized as the electron donor. Moreover, this protocol exhibits mild reaction conditions, low catalyst loading, broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and facile scalability. Mechanistic studies indicate that benzyl radicals and anions might be generated as the key intermediates via photocatalysis, providing a new direction for cross-electrophile couplings.

Selective and Catalytic Hydrocarboxylation of Enamides and Imines with CO2 to Generate α,α-Disubstituted α-Amino Acids.

The first catalytic hydrocarboxylation of enamides and imines with CO2 to generate valuable α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids is reported. Notably, excellent chemo- and regio-selectivity are achieved, significantly different from previous reports on ß-carboxylation of enamides, homocoupling or reduction of imines. Moreover, this transition-metal-free procedure exhibits low loading of an inexpensive catalyst, easily available substrates, mild reaction conditions, high efficiency, facile scalability and easy product derivatization, providing great potential for application in organic synthesis, pharmaceutical chemistry, and biochemistry.

Visible-Light-Driven Iron-Promoted Thiocarboxylation of Styrenes and Acrylates with CO2.

The first thiocarboxylation of styrenes and acrylates with CO2 was realized by using visible light as a driving force and catalytic iron salts as promoters. A variety of important ß-thioacids were obtained in high yields. This multicomponent reaction proceeds in an atom- and redox-economical manner with broad substrate scope under mild reaction conditions. Notably, high regio-, chemo-, and diasteroselectivity are observed. Mechanistic studies indicate that a radical pathway can account for the unusual regioselectivity.

Selective Oxytrifluoromethylation of Allylamines with CO2.

Reported is the first oxy-trifluoromethylation of allylamines with carbon dioxide (CO2 ) using copper catalysis, thus leading to important CF3 -containing 2-oxazolidones. It is also the first time CO2 , a nontoxic and easily available greenhouse gas, has been used to tune the difunctionalization of alkenes from amino- to oxy-trifluoromethylation. Of particular note, this multicomponent reaction is highly chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselective under redox-neutral and mild reaction conditions. Moreover, these reactions feature good functional-group tolerance, broad substrate scope, easy scalability and facile product diversification. The important products could also be formed with either spirocycles or two adjacent tetrasubstituted carbon centers.

Lactamization of sp(2) C-H Bonds with CO2 : Transition-Metal-Free and Redox-Neutral.

The first direct use of carbon dioxide in the lactamization of alkenyl and heteroaryl C-H bonds to synthesize important 2-quinolinones and polyheterocycles in moderate to excellent yields is reported. Carbon dioxide, a nontoxic, inexpensive, and readily available greenhouse gas, acts as an ideal carbonyl source. Importantly, this transition-metal-free and redox-neutral process is eco-friendly and desirable for the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, these reactions feature a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, facile scalability, and easy product derivatization.

Visible-light photoredox-catalyzed umpolung carboxylation of carbonyl compounds with CO2.

Photoredox-mediated umpolung strategy provides an alternative pattern for functionalization of carbonyl compounds. However, general approaches towards carboxylation of carbonyl compounds with CO2 remain scarce. Herein, we report a strategy for visible-light photoredox-catalyzed umpolung carboxylation of diverse carbonyl compounds with CO2 by using Lewis acidic chlorosilanes as activating/protecting groups. This strategy is general and practical to generate valuable α-hydroxycarboxylic acids. It works well for challenging alkyl aryl ketones and aryl aldehydes, as well as for α-ketoamides and α-ketoesters, the latter two of which have never been successfully applied in umpolung carboxylations with CO2 (to the best of our knowledge). This reaction features high selectivity, broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, mild reaction conditions and facile derivations of products to bioactive compounds, including oxypheonium, mepenzolate bromide, benactyzine, and tiotropium. Moreover, the formation of carbon radicals and carbanions as well as the key role of chlorosilanes are supported by control experiments.

Oxy-Difluoroalkylation of Allylamines with CO2 via Visible-Light Photoredox Catalysis.

A selective oxy-difluoroalkylation of allylamines with carbon dioxide (CO2) via visible-light photoredox catalysis is reported. These multicomponent reactions are efficient and environmentally friendly to generate a series of important 2-oxazolidinones with functionalized difluoroalkyl groups. The good functional group tolerance, broad substrate scope, easy scalability, mild reaction conditions, and facile functionalization of products provide great potential for application in organic synthesis and pharmaceutical chemistry.

Ruthenium-catalyzed umpolung carboxylation of hydrazones with CO2.

The first ruthenium-catalyzed umpolung carboxylation of hydrazones with CO2 to generate important aryl acetic acids is reported. Besides aldehyde hydrazones, a variety of ketone hydrazones, which have not been successfully applied in previous umpolung reactions with other reactive electrophiles, also show high reactivity and selectivity under mild conditions. Moreover, this operationally simple protocol features good functional group tolerance, is readily scalable, and offers easy derivation of important structures, including bioactive felbinac and adiphenine. Computational studies reveal that this umpolung reaction proceeds through the generation of a Ru-nitrenoid followed by concerted [4 + 2] cycloaddition with CO2.

Catalytic Lactonization of Unactivated Aryl C-H Bonds with CO2: Experimental and Computational Investigation.

The first catalytic lactonization of unactivated aryl C-H bonds with CO2 to afford important phthalides is reported. Notably, this method features high selectivity, excellent functional group tolerance, smooth scalability, and facile product diversification. DFT calculations reveal that a novel insertion of two CO2 into the O-Pd bond of a palladacycle might be the key step, providing great potential and a different perspective for carbonylation with CO2.