Regioselective Synthesis of α-Quaternary Amino Acid Derivatives Enabled by Photoinduced Energy Transfer.

α-Quaternary amino acids have found application in many biologically relevant compounds and pharmaceuticals. Although there are many methods for the synthesis of α-quaternary amino acids, most of them are mainly realized with the aid of transition metals and complex ligands. We present herein a 2,7-Br-4CzIPN catalyzed regioselective alkylation of azlactones with redox-active esters via radical-radical couplings. Strikingly, this approach is devoid of any metal or additive and shows broad scope and superior sensitive functional group compatibility.

Visible-light-promoted regioselective hydrocarboxylation of allenes with formate salt and CO2.

Visible-light-promoted hydrocarboxylation of allenes with formate salt and CO2 was developed for the first time using commercially available [Ir(ppy)2(dtbbpy)]PF6 as a photocatalyst. This strategy provides an efficient and practical method to access ß,γ-unsaturated linear carboxylic acids in moderate yields with complete regioselectivity.

Lithium Triethylborohydride (LiHBEt3)-Promoted Hydrosilylation of Allenes to Prepare (E)-Allylsilanes.

A transition-metal-free hydrosilylation of allenes is reported herein by using commercially available lithium triethylborohydride (LiHBEt3) as the catalyst. Both mono- and disubstituted allenes could be hydrosilylated with primary or secondary silanes effectively. This reaction represents an environmental and economic method to prepare (E)-allylsilanes in good yields along with decent selectivities.

Photoredox-Catalyzed Phosphonocarboxylation of Allenes with Phosphine Oxides and CO2.

Phosphonocarboxylation of allenes with diarylphosphine oxides and CO2 via visible-light photoredox catalysis was developed for the first time. This work provided practical and sustainable access to highly valuable but otherwise difficult-to-access linear allylic ß-phosphonyl carboxylic acids in moderate yields with exclusive regio- and stereoselectivity. This method was also characterized by step and atom economy and transition-metal free and mild conditions. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggested that allyl-methyl carbanion species are the key intermediates.

Preparation of (E)-1,3-Enyne Derivatives through Palladium Catalyzed Hydroalkynylation of Allenes.

A general and efficient palladium catalyzed hydroalkynylation of allenes was developed to produce synthetically versatile (E)-1,3-enyne derivatives with high regio- and stereoselectivity. This catalytic system proceeded under mild conditions and was compatible with a broad range of substrates, especially for allenes without electron-bias groups. This work further broadens the synthetic potential of these scaffolds in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry.

Pyrazole synthesis via a cascade Sonogashira coupling/cyclization of N-propargyl sulfonylhydrazones.

An efficient approach for the preparation of pyrazoles via a Pd(ii)/Cu(i)-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling/cyclization of N-propargyl sulfonylhydrazones has been established. In this study, we firstly report the strategic use of a Sonogashira reaction to construct pyrazole rings in a one step operation. With a broad range of functional group tolerance, bioactive 3-CF3 pyrazoles can also be synthesized easily through this domino coupling/cyclization sequence.

Conjugated Microporous Polymer as Heterogeneous Ligand for Highly Selective Oxidative Heck Reaction.

A series of pyridine-type ligands containing C≡C bonds were designed and synthesized for selective oxidative Heck reaction. These ligands were utilized as functional units and integrated into the skeleton of conjugated microporous polymers. 6,6'-diiodo-2,2'-bipyridine and 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene were polycondensed via Sonogashira cross-coupling strategy to afford CMP-1 material. The resultant CMP-1 was used as a heterogeneous catalytic ligand for the PdII-catalyzed oxidative Heck reaction with high linear selectivity. The linear selectivity of CMP-1 is about 30 times higher than that of bipyridine-based monomer ligand. This work opens a new front of using CMP as an intriguing platform for developing highly efficient catalysts in controlling the regioselectivity in organic reactions.

Silver(I)-Catalyzed Tandem Sigamatropic Rearrangement/1,3-H Shift/6π Aza-electrocyclization of N-Propargylic Hydrazones: A Mild Synthetic Route to 1,6-Dihydropyridazines.

A highly efficient AgOTf catalyzed [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement/1,3-H shift/6π aza-electrocyclization cascade reaction of N-propargylic hydrazones has been developed. This method provides a new mild synthetic route to various polysubstituted 1,6-dihydropyridazines including the 3-CF3-substituted ones with high selectivity.

Synthesis of 4-Arylidenepyrazolones by a Gold-Catalyzed Cyclization/Arylidene Group Transfer Cascade of N-Propioloyl Hydrazones.

An efficient gold-catalyzed cyclization/arylidene group transfer cascade reaction of N-propioloyl hydrazones has been developed. This method provides a novel approach for the synthesis of various functionalized 4-arylidenepyrazolones.

Selective synthesis of 4-(sulfonyl)-methyl-1H-pyrazoles and (E)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazoles from N-allenic sulfonylhydrazones.

Selective synthesis of 4-(sulfonyl)-methyl-1H-pyrazoles and (E)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazoles from N-allenic sulfonylhydrazones with sulfonyl group migrations has been developed. A key feature of these reactions is that the migrations of the sulfonyl groups to different positions can be controlled by changing the Lewis acids.

Silver(I)-catalyzed annulation for the regioselective synthesis of N-imino-γ-carbolinium ylides from hydrazones of indole-3-carbonyl derivatives and propargylic alcohols.

A regioselective efficient synthetic approach to N-imino-γ-carbolinium ylides via AgOTf-catalyzed iminoannulation has been developed. This transformation proceeds via a silver(i) triflate-catalyzed consecutive Friedel-Crafts reaction/N-C bond formation sequence between the readily available indole derivatives and propargylic alcohols.

One-pot synthesis of pyrazoles through a four-step cascade sequence.

A one-pot synthesis of 3,4,5- and 1,3,5-pyrazoles from tertiary propargylic alcohols and para-tolylsulfonohydrazide has been accomplished. The pyrazoles are formed through a four-step cascade sequence, including FeCl3 -catalyzed propargylic substitution, aza-Meyer-Schuster rearrangement, base-mediated 6π electrocyclization, and thermal [1,5] sigmatropic shift. In this reaction, the 3,4,5- and 1,3,5-pyrazoles are produced selectively according to different substituents in the starting alcohols.

Chemoselective synthesis of substituted pyrazoles through AgOTf-catalyzed cascade propargylic substitution-cyclization-aromatization.

A cascade AgOTf-catalyzed chemoselective approach to 3,5/1,3-disubstitued pyrazoles from propargylic alcohols and para-tolylsulfonohydrazide has been developed. Good chemoselectivity is observed depending on the different substituents in the alkyne moiety of the propargylic alcohols, generating two different kinds of products through different aromatization mechanisms. The pyrazolo[5,1-a]isoquinoline skeleton can also be effectively constructed by this method through a cascade bicyclization process.

A Photosensitizer for N-O Bond Activation: 2,7-Br-4CzIPN-Catalyzed Difunctionalization of Alkenes with Oxime Esters.

We developed 2,4,5,6-tetrakis(2,7-dibromo-9H-carbazol-9-yl)isophthalonitrile (2,7-Br-4CzIPN) as a new photosensitizer for the energy-transfer-driven N-O bond dissociation of oxime esters. In the presence of 2,7-Br-4CzIPN, difunctionalization of alkenes with oxime esters, including oxyimination, aminocarboxylation, and amidylimination, could afford a variety of versatile molecules in good yields with excellent regioselectivity, which widely occur in natural products and drugs. Our theoretical investigations and experiments have demonstrated that 2,7-Br-4CzIPN has unique photophysical properties, favorable triplet energy, and excellent photocatalytic activity.

Chemodivergent Synthesis of Allylic Sulfones via Ligand-Controlled Coupling of Allenes with Sulfinic Acids.

Allylic sulfones are important building blocks in organic synthesis and pharmaceutical chemistry. Herein, we disclose a chemodivergent protocol for Pd-catalyzed and ligand-controlled coupling of allenes with sulfinic acids, providing straightforward and atom-economical access to branched allylic sulfones and linear allylic sulfones bearing a conjugated (Z,E)-1,3-diene scaffold in good yields with high selectivities. This strategy features mild conditions, an unprecedented substrate scope, and functional group compatibility.

Pentagon-fused hollow fullerene in C78 family retrieved by chlorination.

C(78) is one of the most widely investigated higher fullerenes. Among its huge isomer family, only one non-IPR (IPR = isolated pentagon ring) cage, the C(2)-symmetric (#22010)C(78), was previously stabilized by endohedral derivatization. Here we report a new C(1)-symmetric non-IPR hollow isomer, (#23863)C(78), which was captured as (#23863)C(78)Cl(8) and then subjected to a regioselective substitution reaction with benzyl hydroperoxide to form (#23863)C(78)(OOCH(2)C(6)H(5))Cl(7). The structural connectivity of (#23863)C(78), which contains a pair of fused pentagons, was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the (#23863)C(78)(OOCH(2)C(6)H(5))Cl(7) molecule, which shares the same fullerene core with (#23863)C(78)Cl(8); support for the structure is provided by comparable IR measurements and computation. Theoretical studies suggest that the differences in C-Cl bond length, intermediate stability, and steric effects of the involved molecules account for the chemical regioselectivity of the substitution reaction.

Facile one-pot synthesis of three different substituted thiazoles from propargylic alcohols.

Three different substituted thiazoles have been successfully synthesized from readily available propargylic alcohols. Various secondary propargylic alcohols or tertiary propargylic alcohols participated well in the reaction, providing the desired products in good yields. This method provides a flexible and rapid route to substituted thiazoles.

One-pot highly efficient synthesis of substituted pyrroles and N-bridgehead pyrroles by zinc-catalyzed multicomponent reaction.

A convenient zinc(II) chloride-catalyzed regioselective propargylation/amination/cycloisomerization process has been developed for the synthesis of substituted pyrrole derivatives from propargylic acetates, enoxysilanes and primary amines. Various aromatic and aliphatic propargylic acetates participate well in the reaction, providing the propargylation/amination/cycloisomerization products in good yields with complete regioselectivity. The one-pot multicomponent coupling reaction furnishes substituted pyrroles in high yields by circumventing the intermediates' isolation. Zinc(II) chloride acts as a multifunctional catalyst and catalyzes three mechanistically distinct processes in a single-pot. The protocol developed has been extended to the synthesis of N-bridgehead pyrroles containing polycyclic fragments.

A conjugated microporous polymer as a recyclable heterogeneous ligand for highly efficient regioselective hydrosilylation of allenes.

Pyridines containing adjacent C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C bonds were utilized as ligand units and integrated into the skeleton of conjugated microporous polymers. The resultant Pd-CMP-1 was first applied as a highly efficient heterogeneous catalytic system for Pd-catalyzed allene hydrosilylation towards a wide range of allenes to produce branched allylsilanes with high regioselectivity. The ligand units of the polymer, along with the confinement effect of the porous structure, jointly regulated the regioselectivity. The parts-per-million (ppm) levels of Pd, coordinated with the recyclable heterogeneous ligand, show promise for industrial applications. This work opens a new front of using CMP as an intriguing platform for developing highly efficient catalysts to control the regioselectivities in allene hydrosilylation.

Brønsted acid-catalyzed propargylation/cycloisomerization tandem reaction: one-pot synthesis of substituted oxazoles from propargylic alcohols and amides.

An efficient one-pot propargylation/cycloisomerization tandem process has been developed for the synthesis of substituted oxazole derivatives from propargylic alcohols and amides with use of p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (PTSA) as a bifunctional catalyst. This method provides a rapid and efficient access to substituted oxazoles.