Synthesis of Indolines via Base-Mediated C-H Activation and Defluorinative C-N Coupling, with no Need for Transition-Metals.

Syntheses of (partially) aromatic nitrogen heterocycles increasingly rely on transition-metal catalyzed C-C- and C-N-cross-coupling reactions. Here we describe a different approach to the synthesis of indolines by a domino C(sp3)-H activation, 1,2-addition, and defluorinative SNAr-cyclization sequence to provide the target 1,2-diarylindolines (1,2-diaryl-2,3-dihydroindoles) from ortho-fluorinated methyl-arenes and N-aryl imines (benzylidene anilines) in a cyclocondensation that is mediated by potassium hexamethyldisilazide (KHMDS) as base exclusively. This transition-metal-free process via C-H and C-F bond activation provides a one-step entry into a wide array of indoline scaffolds (43 examples, up to 96 % yield). This privileged substructure is common in natural products and pharmaceuticals alike, and cannot be accessed by traditional condensation reactions.

Rapid C-H Transformation: Addition of Diarylmethanes to Imines in Seconds by Catalytic Use of Base.

The addition of diarylmethanes or methylarenes via activation of benzylic C(sp3)-H bonds to N-aryl imines proceeds under catalysis by alkali hexamethyldisilazide (HMDS) base to give N-(1,2,2-triarylethyl)anilines or N-(1,2-diarylethyl)anilines, respectively. In the presence of 10 mol % of LiHMDS at room temperature, the diarylmethane addition equilibrates within 20-30 s and is driven to near completion by cooling the reaction mixture to -25 °C, providing N-(1,2,2-triarylethyl)aniline in a >90% yield.

Generation of Organozinc Reagents by Nickel Diazadiene Complex Catalyzed Zinc Insertion into Aryl Sulfonates.

The generation of arylzinc reagents (ArZnX) by direct insertion of zinc into the C-X bond of ArX electrophiles has typically been restricted to iodides and bromides. The insertions of zinc dust into the C-O bonds of various aryl sulfonates (tosylates, mesylates, triflates, sulfamates), or into the C-X bonds of other moderate electrophiles (X=Cl, SMe) are catalyzed by a simple NiCl2 -1,4-diazadiene catalyst system, in which 1,4-diazadiene (DAD) stands for diacetyl diimines, phenanthroline, bipyridine and related ligands. Catalytic zincation in DMF or NMP solution at room temperature now provides arylzinc sulfonates, which undergo typical catalytic cross-coupling or electrophilic substitution reactions.

Structure Elucidation of a Cryptic Condensation Product from Diacetyl and Arylamine - Then and Now.

Some 70 years ago, the reaction of diacetyl (1) and arylamines (2) in hot phosphoric acid was reported to give a new type of condensation products, but no structure was assigned to them. The case is presented to recapitulate the methods and rationales used in classical structure elucidation of organic molecules through reaction networks, before spectroscopic or crystallographic methods were generally available. The difficulties and limits of the classical approach are exemplified through this real-life problem, which could not be solved by the methodology of its time. A representative condensation product 4a has been resynthesized from 1 and p-toluidine (2a), and its structure elucidation by means of 2D NMR techniques is outlined. Keywords.

Stereochemistry of the Menthyl Grignard Reagent: Generation, Composition, Dynamics, and Reactions with Electrophiles.

Menthyl Grignard reagent 1 from either menthyl chloride (2) or neomenthyl chloride (3) consists of menthylmagnesium chloride (1a), neomenthylmagnesium chloride (1b), trans- p-menthane (4), 2-menthene (8), 3-menthene (9), and Wurtz coupling products including symmetrical bimenthyl 13. The diastereomeric ratio 1a/1b was determined in situ by 13C NMR or after D2O quenching by 2H NMR analysis. Hydrolysis of the C-Mg bond proceeds with retention of configuration at C-1. The kinetic ratio 1a/1b from Grignard reagent generation (dr 59:41 at 50 °C in THF) is close to the thermodynamic ratio (56:44 at 50 °C in THF). Carboxylation of 1 at -78 °C separates diastereomers 1a/b to give the anion of menthanecarboxylic acid (19) from 1a, which combines with unreactive 1b to give neomenthylmagnesium menthanecarboxylate (1bI). The kinetics of epimerization for the menthyl/neomenthylmagnesium system was analyzed (Δ H⧧ = 98.5 kJ/mol, Δ S⧧ = -113 J/mol·K for 1bI → 1aI). Reactions of 1 with phosphorus electrophiles proceed stereoconvergently at C-1 of 1a/b to give predominantly menthyl-configured substitution products: PCl3 and 2 equiv of 1 give Men2PCl (6), which hydrolyzes to dimenthylphosphine P-oxide (7), whereas Ph2PCl with 1 equiv of 1 gave P-menthyldiphenylphosphine oxide (27) after workup in air.

Is the tungsten(IV) complex (NEt4)2[WO(mnt)2] a functional analogue of acetylene hydratase?

The tungsten(IV) complex (Et4N)2[W(O)(mnt)2] (1; mnt = maleonitriledithiolate) was proposed (Sarkar et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc.1997, 119, 4315) to be a functional analogue of the active center of the enzyme acetylene hydratase from Pelobacter acetylenicus, which hydrates acetylene (ethyne; 2) to acetaldehyde (ethanal; 3). In the absence of a satisfactory mechanistic proposal for the hydration reaction, we considered the possibility of a metal-vinylidene type activation mode, as it is well established for ruthenium-based alkyne hydration catalysts with anti-Markovnikov regioselectivity. To validate the hypothesis, the regioselectivity of tungsten-catalyzed alkyne hydration of a terminal, higher alkyne had to be determined. However, complex 1 was not a competent catalyst for the hydration of 1-octyne under the conditions tested. Furthermore, we could not observe the earlier reported hydration activity of complex 1 towards acetylene. A critical assessment of, and a possible explanation for the earlier reported results are offered. The title question is answered with "no".

A Sequential Homologation of Alkynes and Aldehydes for Chain Elongation with Optional (13)C-Labeling.

Terminal alkynes (RCCH) are homologated by a sequence of ruthenium-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydration of alkyne to aldehyde (RCH2CHO), followed by Bestmann-Ohira alkynylation of aldehyde to chain-elongated alkyne (RCH2CCH). Inverting the sequence by starting from aldehyde brings about the reciprocal homologation of aldehydes instead. The use of (13)C-labeled Bestmann-Ohira reagent (dimethyl ((1-(13)C)-1-diazo-2-oxopropyl)phosphonate) for alkynylation provides straightforward access to singly or, through additional homologation, multiply (13) C-labeled alkynes. The labeled alkynes serve as synthetic platform for accessing a multitude of specifically (13)C-labeled products. Terminal alkynes with one or two (13)C-labels in the alkyne unit have been submitted to alkyne-azide click reactions; the copper-catalyzed version (CuAAC) was found to display a regioselectivity of >50,000:1 for the 1,4- over the 1,5-triazine isomer, as shown analytically by (13)C NMR spectroscopy.

Structure of the Dioxygenase AsqJ: Mechanistic Insights into a One-Pot Multistep Quinolone Antibiotic Biosynthesis.

Multienzymatic cascades are responsible for the biosynthesis of natural products and represent a source of inspiration for synthetic chemists. The Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase AsqJ from Aspergillus nidulans is outstanding because it stereoselectively catalyzes both a ferryl-induced desaturation reaction and epoxidation on a benzodiazepinedione. Interestingly, the enzymatically formed spiro epoxide spring-loads the 6,7-bicyclic skeleton for non-enzymatic rearrangement into the 6,6-bicyclic scaffold of the quinolone alkaloid 4'-methoxyviridicatin. Herein, we report different crystal structures of the protein in the absence and presence of synthesized substrates, surrogates, and intermediates that mimic the various stages of the reaction cycle of this exceptional dioxygenase.

Asymmetric hydroalkoxylation of non-activated alkenes: titanium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of allylphenols at high temperatures.

The asymmetric catalytic addition of alcohols (phenols) to non-activated alkenes has been realized through the cycloisomerization of 2-allylphenols to 2-methyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans (2-methylcoumarans). The reaction was catalyzed by a chiral titanium-carboxylate complex at uncommonly high temperatures for asymmetric catalytic reactions. The catalyst was generated by mixing titanium isopropoxide, the chiral ligand (aS)-1-(2-methoxy-1-naphthyl)-2-naphthoic acid or its derivatives, and a co-catalytic amount of water in a ratio of 1:1:1 (5 mol % each). This homogeneous thermal catalysis (HOT-CAT) gave various (S)-2-methylcoumarans with yields of up to 90 % and in up to 85 % ee at 240 °C, and in 87 % ee at 220 °C.

Vibrational spectra of chemical and isotopic variants of oxyluciferin, the light emitter of firefly bioluminescence.

The chemical complexity of oxyluciferin (OxyLH2), the light-emitting molecule in the bioluminescence of fireflies, originates from the possibility of keto/enol tautomerism and single or double deprotonation. Herein, we present detailed infrared spectroscopic analysis of OxyLH2 and several of its chemical isomers and isotopomers. To facilitate the future characterization of its biogenic forms, we provide accurate assignments of the solid-state and solution FTIR spectra of OxyLH2 based on comparison to six isotopically labeled variants ([2-(13)C]-OxyLH2, [3-(15)N]-OxyLH2, [4-(13)C]-OxyLH2, [5-(13)C]-OxyLH2, [2'-(13)C]-OxyLH2, [3'-(15)N]-OxyLH2), five closely related structural analogues, and theoretically computed spectra. The computed DFT harmonic vibrational force fields (B3LYP and M06 functionals with basis sets of varying flexibility up to 6-311++G**) reproduce well the observed shifts in the IR spectra of both isotopically labeled and structurally related analogues.

Why is firefly oxyluciferin a notoriously labile substance?

The chemistry of firefly bioluminescence is important for numerous applications in biochemistry and analytical chemistry. The emitter of this bioluminescent system, firefly oxyluciferin, is difficult to handle. The cause of its lability was clarified while its synthesis was reinvestigated. A side product was identified and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The reason for the lability of oxyluciferin is now ascribed to autodimerization of the coexisting enol and keto forms in a Mannich-type reaction.

On the influence of water on the electronic structure of firefly oxyluciferin anions from absorption spectroscopy of bare and monohydrated ions in vacuo.

A complete understanding of the physics underlying the varied colors of firefly bioluminescence remains elusive because it is difficult to disentangle different enzyme-lumophore interactions. Experiments on isolated ions are useful to establish a proper reference when there are no microenvironmental perturbations. Here, we use action spectroscopy to compare the absorption by the firefly oxyluciferin lumophore isolated in vacuo and complexed with a single water molecule. While the process relevant to bioluminescence within the luciferase cavity is light emission, the absorption data presented here provide a unique insight into how the electronic states of oxyluciferin are altered by microenvironmental perturbations. For the bare ion we observe broad absorption with a maximum at 548 ± 10 nm, and addition of a water molecule is found to blue-shift the absorption by approximately 50 nm (0.23 eV). Test calculations at various levels of theory uniformly predict a blue-shift in absorption caused by a single water molecule, but are only qualitatively in agreement with experiment highlighting limitations in what can be expected from methods commonly used in studies on oxyluciferin. Combined molecular dynamics simulations and time-dependent density functional theory calculations closely reproduce the broad experimental peaks and also indicate that the preferred binding site for the water molecule is the phenolate oxygen of the anion. Predicting the effects of microenvironmental interactions on the electronic structure of the oxyluciferin anion with high accuracy is a nontrivial task for theory, and our experimental results therefore serve as important benchmarks for future calculations.

Inner workings of a cinchona alkaloid catalyzed oxa-Michael cyclization: evidence for a concerted hydrogen-bond-network mechanism.

Cinchona alkaloids catalyze the oxa-Michael cyclization of 4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butenoates to benzo-2,3-dihydrofuran-2-yl acetates and related substrates in up to 99% yield and 91% ee (ee = enantiomeric excess). Catalyst and substrate variation studies reveal an important role of the alkaloid hydroxy group in the reaction mechanism, but not in the sense of a hydrogen-bonding activation of the carbonyl group of the substrate as assumed by the Hiemstra-Wynberg mechanism of bifunctional catalysis. Deuterium labeling at C-2 of the substrate shows that addition of RO-H to the alkenoate occurs with syn diastereoselectivity of ≥99:1, suggesting a mechanism-based specificity. A concerted hydrogen-bond network mechanism is proposed, in which the alkaloid hydroxy group acts as a general acid in the protonation of the α-carbanionic center of the product enolate. The importance of concerted hydrogen-bond network mechanisms in organocatalytic reactions is discussed. The relative stereochemistry of protonation is proposed as analytical tool for detecting concerted addition mechanisms, as opposed to ionic 1,4-additions.

Reversible generation of metastable enols in the 1,4-addition of thioacetic acid to α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds.

Addition of thioacetic acid to reactive α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds like acrolein or crotonaldehyde in acetone-d(6) generates metastable (E)- and (Z)-1-alkenols, which tautomerize slowly at ambient temperature. The 1,4-addition of thioacetic acid and crotonaldehyde to (Z)-3-(acetylsulfanyl)-1-propen-1-ol is reversible with K(eq) = 5.5 ± 0.5 L/mol. A concerted, cyclic 1,4-addition mode is proposed to explain the preferred (Z)-stereoselectivity in lower polarity, nonprotic solvents.

Cyclization of ortho-hydroxycinnamates to coumarins under mild conditions: A nucleophilic organocatalysis approach.

(E)-Alkyl ortho-hydroxycinnamates cyclize to coumarins at elevated temperatures of 140-250 °C. We find that the use of tri-n-butylphosphane (20 mol %) as a nucleophilic organocatalyst in MeOH solution allows cyclization to take place under much milder conditions (60-70 °C). Several coumarins were prepared, starting from ortho-hydroxyarylaldehydes, by Wittig reaction with Ph(3)P=CHCO(2)Me to (E)-methyl ortho-hydroxycinnamates, followed by the phosphane catalyzed cyclization.

Mixed phosphane η5-CpRuCl(PR3)2 complexes as ambifunctional catalysts for anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes.

The catalytic activity of [CpRu(L)(2)(MeCN)]PF(6) (L = 2-diphenylphosphinopyridine with bulky groups at C-6) for anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes to aldehydes is retained when one heterocyclic ligand L is replaced by L' = PPh(3). Equal amounts of CpRuCl(PPh(3))(2) (1) and phosphane L in acetone solution equilibrate to a mixture of 1, CpRuCl(L)(PPh(3)) (2), and CpRuCl(L)(2) (3), which acts as highly active in situ catalyst for preparative anti-Markovnikov hydration of alkynes in water-rich media (2 mol % [Ru], 60 °C, 3-18 h in 4:1 (v/v) acetone/water). Reactions were completed in <15 min at 160 °C.

Hidden Brønsted acid catalysis: pathways of accidental or deliberate generation of triflic acid from metal triflates.

The generation of a hidden Brønsted acid as a true catalytic species in hydroalkoxylation reactions from metal precatalysts has been clarified in case studies. The mechanism of triflic acid (CF(3)SO(3)H or HOTf) generation starting either from AgOTf in 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) or from a Cp*RuCl(2)/AgOTf/phosphane combination in toluene has been elucidated. The deliberate and controlled generation of HOTf from AgOTf and cocatalytic amounts of tert-butyl chloride in the cold or from AgOTf in DCE at elevated temperatures results in a hidden Brønsted acid catalyst useful for mechanistic control experiments or for synthetic applications.

Development of the titanium-TADDOLate-catalyzed asymmetric fluorination of ß-ketoesters.

Titanium-based Lewis acids catalyze the α-fluorination of ß-ketoesters by electrophilic N-F-fluorinating reagents. Asymmetric catalysis with TADDOLato-titanium(IV) dichloride (TADDOL = α,α,α',α'-tetraaryl-(1,3-dioxolane-4,5-diyl)-dimethanol) Lewis acids produces enantiomerically enriched α-fluorinated ß-ketoesters in up to 91% enantiomeric excess, with either F-TEDA (1-chloromethyl-4-fluoro-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bis(tetrafluoroborate)) in acetonitrile solution or NFSI (N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide) in dichloromethane solution as fluorinating reagents. The effects of various reaction parameters and of the TADDOL ligand structure on the catalytic activity and enantioselectivity were investigated. The absolute configuration of several fluorination products was assigned through correlation. Evidence for ionization of the catalyst complex by chloride dissociation, followed by generation of titanium ß-ketoenolates as key reaction intermediates, was obtained. Based on the experimental findings, a general mechanistic sketch and a steric model of induction are proposed.

The AZARYPHOS family of ligands for ambifunctional catalysis: syntheses and use in ruthenium-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes.

The family of AZARYPHOS (aza-aryl-phosphane) phosphane ligands, containing a phosphine unit and sterically shielded nitrogen lone pairs in the ligand periphery, is introduced as a tool for developing ambifunctional catalysis by the metal center and nitrogen lone pairs in the ligand sphere. General synthetic strategies have been developed to synthesize over 25 examples of structurally diverse (6-aryl-2-pyridyl)phosphanes (ARPYPHOS), (6-alkyl-2-pyridyl)phosphanes (ALPYPHOS), 4,6-disubsituted 1,3-diazin-2-ylphosphanes or 1,3,5-triazin-2-ylphosphanes, quinazolinylphosphanes, quinolinylphosphanes, and others. The scalable syntheses proceed in a few steps. The incorporation of AZARYPHOS ligands (L) into complexes [RuCp(L)(2)(MeCN)][PF(6)] (Cp = cyclopentadienyl) gives catalysts for the anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes of the highest known activities. Electronic and steric ligand effects modulate the reaction kinetics over a range of two orders of magnitude. These results highlight the importance of using structurally diverse ligand families in the process of developing cooperative ambifunctional catalysis by a metal and its ligand.

First stereoselective total synthesis of FD-594 aglycon.

Stereocontrolled access to the hexacyclic core of FD-594 has been achieved. The key steps include the intramolecular S(N)Ar reaction for construction of the densely functionalized xanthone skeleton, the stereoselective lactone cleavage using a chiral nucleophile to induce the axial stereochemistry, and the SmI(2)-mediated pinacol cyclization for the stereocontrolled conversion of axially chiral biaryl dialdehyde into the corresponding trans diol.