Palladium nanoparticles for the synthesis of phenanthridinones and benzo[c]chromenes via C-H activation reaction.

In the present work, derivatives of phenanthridine-6(5H)-ones and benzo[c]chromenes were efficiently prepared through an intramolecular C-H bond functionalization reaction catalyzed by photochemically synthesized Pd-PVP nanoparticles. The heterocycles were obtained via intramolecular arylation of the corresponding N-methyl-N-aryl-2-halobenzamide or aryl-(2-halo)benzyl ethers using K2CO3 as base in a mixture of H2O : DMA as solvent without additives or ligands. High yields of the heterocyclic compounds were achieved (up to 95%) using a moderately low catalyst loading (1-5 mol%) under an air atmosphere at 100 °C. The reaction exhibited very good tolerance to diverse functional groups (OMe, Me, t Bu, Ph, OCF3, CF3, F, Cl, -CN, Naph), and both bromine and iodine substrates showed great reactivity. Finally, the in vitro antiproliferative activity of phenanthridine-6(5H)-ones and benzo[c]chromenes was evaluated against six human solid tumor cell lines. The more active compounds exhibit activity in the low micromolar range. 1-Isopropyl-4-methyl-6H-benzo[c]chromene was identified as the best compound with promising values of activity (GI50 range 3.9-8.6 µM). Thus, the benzochromene core was highlighted as a novel organic building block to prepare potential antitumor agents.

Visible light mediated synthesis of 6H-benzo[c]chromenes: transition-metal-free intramolecular direct C-H arylation.

A synthetic approach towards the 6H-benzo[c]chromene ring under visible light and transition-metal-free conditions has been developed. Benzochromenes are synthesized from the corresponding (2-halobenzyl) phenyl ethers or (2-halophenyl) benzyl ethers using KOtBu in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at room temperature (rt) and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the light source. This methodology replaces the use of ligands or additives, high temperatures and toxic solvents. The photostimulated reaction exhibits very good tolerance to different functional groups and 5H-dibenzo[c,f]chromenes are also effectively obtained. An electron donor-acceptor complex formed by the dimsyl anion and (2-halobenzyl) phenyl ethers was found and it induces the ET as the initial step in the photocyclization reaction. Furthermore, in order to explain the regiochemical outcome of this reaction, a theoretical analysis was performed using DFT methods.

Transition-Metal-Free and Visible-Light-Mediated Desulfonylation and Dehalogenation Reactions: Hantzsch Ester Anion as Electron and Hydrogen Atom Donor.

Novel approaches for N- and O-desulfonylation under room temperature (rt) and transition-metal-free conditions have been developed. The first methodology involves the transformation of a variety of N-sulfonyl heterocycles and phenyl benzenesulfonates to the corresponding desulfonylated products in good to excellent yields using only KOtBu in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at rt. Alternately, a visible light method has been used for deprotection of N-methyl-N-arylsulfonamides with Hantzsch ester (HE) anion serving as the visible-light-absorbing reagent and electron and hydrogen atom donor to promote the desulfonylation reaction. The HE anion can be easily prepared in situ by reaction of the corresponding HE with KOtBu in DMSO at rt. Both protocols were further explored in terms of synthetic scope as well as mechanistic aspects to rationalize key features of desulfonylation processes. Furthermore, the HE anion induces reductive dehalogenation reaction of aryl halides under visible light irradiation.

Room-Temperature and Transition-Metal-Free Intramolecular α-Arylation of Ketones: A Mild Access to Tetracyclic Indoles and 7-Azaindoles.

A novel approach for the synthesis of tetracyclic indoles and 7-azaindoles is reported. The strategy involves four steps, with a fast rt intramolecular α-arylation of ketones as key step. The reaction was inspected synthetically to achieve the synthesis of 11 novel tetracyclic structures with moderate to very good yields (39-85%). Theoretical combined with experimental studies led us to propose a probable polar mechanism (concerted SNAr).

Initiation in Photoredox C-H Functionalization Reactions. Is Dimsyl Anion a Key Ingredient?

Previous studies have reported the arylation of unactivated arenes with ArX, base (KOtBu or NaOtBu), and an organic additive at high temperatures. Recently, we showed that this reaction proceeds in the absence of additives at rt but employs UV-vis light. However, details of mechanisms that can use a photoinduced base-promoted homolytic aromatic substitution reaction (photo-BHAS) have remained elusive until now. This work examines different mechanistic routes of the essential electron-transfer step (ET) of this reaction in order to identify a possible path for the formation of 1-adamantyl radicals from 1-haloadamantanes (initiation step). On the basis of photochemical and photophysical experiments and computational studies, we propose an unprecedented initiation step that could also be applied to other ET reactions performed in DMSO. For the first time, it is reported that dimsyl anion, formed from a strong base and DMSO (solvent), is responsible for inducing the initiation by a photo-BHAS process on alkyl halides.

Room-temperature and transition-metal-free Mizoroki-Heck-type reaction. Synthesis of E-stilbenes by photoinduced C-H functionalization.

We report a conceptually different approach toward E-stilbene syntheses by photoinduced direct C-H arylation of alkenes at rt without the addition of transition metals, with a broad range of aryl halides, including ArI, ArBr, and even ArCl. This is the first time that this reaction has been produced without extra solvent but with 18-crown-6 ether and t-BuOK in only 15 min of reaction.

Room-temperature photoinduced direct C-H-arylation via base-promoted homolytic aromatic substitution.

Conceptually different approach toward biaryl syntheses by photoinduced direct C-H arylation of benzene and thiophene in the presence of t-BuOK is reported. The reaction proceeds through photo- and base-promoted homolytic aromatic substitution. The o-, m- and p- substituted ArI, as well as the electron-donating and electron-withdrawing nature of the substituents were found be good to excellent substrates. Heteroaryl, ArBr, ArCl and double C-H arylation were successfully achieved.

Synthesis of 6-substituted 2-pyrrolyl and indolyl benzoxazoles by intramolecular O-arylation in photostimulated reactions.

The synthesis of a series of 6-substituted 2-pyrrolyl and 2-indolyl benzoxazoles by photostimulated C-O cyclization of anions from 2-pyrrole carboxamides, 2-indole carboxamides, or 3-indole carboxamides has been found to proceed in good to excellent yields (41-100%) in DMSO and liquid ammonia. The pyrrole and indole carboxamides are obtained in good to very good isolated yields by an amidation reaction of different 2-haloanilines with 2-carboxylic acid of pyrrole and 2- or 3-carboxylic acid of indole. To explain the regiochemical outcome of these reactions (C-O arylation vs C-N or C-C arylation), a theoretical analysis was performed using DFT methods and the B3LYP functional.

Electron-transfer-mediated synthesis of phenanthridines by intramolecular arylation of anions from N-(ortho-halobenzyl)arylamines: regiochemical and mechanistic analysis.

The synthesis of a series of substituted phenanthridines by photostimulated C-C cyclization of anions from N-(ortho-halobenzyl)arylamines has been found to proceed in very good to excellent yields (79-95%) in liquid ammonia and in DMSO. The N-(ortho-halobenzyl)arylamines are obtained in good to very good isolated yields (44-85%) by nucleophilic substitution of ortho-halobenzylchlorides with different arylamines. The reaction of the anions of a diverse set of N-(ortho-halobenzyl)arylamines was studied, and the methodology was extended to the synthesis of trispheridine, a natural product, in very good yield. In order to explain the regiochemical outcome of these reactions, a theoretical analysis was performed with DFT methods and the B3LYP functional.

Synthesis of carbazoles by intramolecular arylation of diarylamide anions.

The synthesis of a series of substituted 9H-carbazoles by the photostimulated S(RN)1 substitution reaction with diarylamines as starting substrate was performed. The diarylamines were obtained by two approaches, the Pd-catalyzed reactions (Buchwald-Hartwig) or Cu-catalyzed reactions of 2-haloanilines with aryl halides, or 2-bromoiodobenzene with anilines, with moderate to very good isolated yields (45-89%). Through an intramolecular C-C bond formation of diarylamines by the S(RN)1 mechanism, carbazoles were achieved. These reactions proceeded synthetically in very good to excellent yields (81-99%) in liquid ammonia and DMSO. The reaction of N-(2-bromophenyl)-2-phenylbenzenamine gave 1-phenyl-9H-carbazole (38%) and the isomer 9H-tribenz[b,d,f]azepine (58%). By using this methodology, 9H-carbazoles, substituted 9H-carbazoles, benzocarbazoles, and even 3,3'-bi(9H-carbazole) were obtained by a double S(RN)1 reaction with benzidine.