Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Arylation of Redox Active Esters for the Synthesis of α-Aryl Nitriles: Investigation of a Chlorosilane Additive.

A nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling of redox active N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHP) esters and iodoarenes for the synthesis of α-aryl nitriles is described. The NHP ester substrate is derived from cyanoacetic acid, which allows for a modular synthesis of substituted α-aryl nitriles, an important scaffold in the pharmaceutical sciences. The reaction exhibits a broad scope, and many functional groups are compatible under the reaction conditions, including complex highly functionalized medicinal agents. Mechanistic studies reveal that reduction and decarboxylation of the NHP ester to the reactive radical intermediate are accomplished by a combination of a chlorosilane additive and Zn dust. We demonstrate that stoichiometric chlorosilane is essential for product formation and that chlorosilane plays a role beyond activation of the metal reductant.

Nickel-Catalyzed Cyanation of Benzylic and Allylic Pivalate Esters.

A nickel-catalyzed cyanation reaction of benzylic and allylic pivalate esters is reported using an air-stable Ni(II) precatalyst and substoichiometric quantities of Zn(CN)2. Alkene additives were found to inhibit catalysis, suggesting that avoiding ß-hydride elimination side reactions is essential for productive catalysis. An enantioenriched allylic ester undergoes enantiospecific cross-coupling to produce an enantioenriched allylic nitrile. This method was applied to an efficient synthesis of (±)-naproxen from commercially available starting materials.

DABO Boronate Promoted Conjugate Allylation of α,ß-Unsaturated Aldehydes Using Copper(II) Catalysis.

The first catalytic method for the selective 1,4-conjugate allylation of α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes is reported. The method employs an air-stable diethanolamine-complexed boronic acid (DABO boronate) as the allyl transfer reagent and promotes conjugate addition over 1,2-addition. A variety of aryl- and alkyl-substituted enals are tolerated, providing δ,ε-unsaturated aldehyde products in good yields and selectivities under mild conditions.

Synthesis of α-Aryl Secondary Amides via Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling of Redox-Active Esters.

The transition-metal-catalyzed α-arylation of secondary amides remains a synthetic challenge due to the presence of a free N-H bond. We report a strategy to synthesize secondary α-aryl amides via a Ni-catalyzed reductive arylation of redox-active N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHP) esters of malonic acid half amides. This transformation proceeds under mild conditions and displays excellent chemoselectivity for amide α-arylation in the presence of other enolizable carbonyls. The NHP ester substrates are readily prepared from Meldrum's acid.