Iron- and base-catalyzed C(α)-alkylation and one-pot sequential alkylation-hydroxylation of oxindoles with secondary alcohols.

The utilization of economical and environmentally benign transition metals in crucial catalytic processes is pivotal for sustainable advancement in synthetic organic chemistry. Iron, as the most abundant transition metal in the Earth's crust, has gained significant attention for this purpose. A combination of FeCl2 (5 mol%) in the presence of phenanthroline (10 mol%) and NaOtBu (1.5 equivalent) proved effective for the C(α)-alkylation of oxindole, employing challenging secondary alcohol as a non-hazardous alkylating agent. The C(α)-alkylation of oxindole was optimized in green solvent or under neat conditions. The substrate scope encompasses a broad array of substituted oxindoles with various secondary alcohols. Further post-functionalization of the C(α)-alkylated oxindole products demonstrated the practical utility of this catalytic alkylation. One-pot C-H hydroxylation of alkylated oxindoles yielded 3-alkyl-3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles using air as the most sustainable oxidant. Low E-factors (3.61 to 4.19) and good Eco-scale scores (74 to 76) of these sustainable catalytic protocols for the alkylation and one-pot sequential alkylation-hydroxylation of oxindoles demonstrated minimum waste generation. Plausible catalytic paths are proposed on the basis of past reports and control experiments, which suggested that a borrowing hydrogen pathway is involved in this alkylation.

Chemical fixation of atmospheric CO2 in tricopper(II)-carbonato complexes with tetradentate N-donor ligands: reactive intermediates, probable mechanisms, and catalytic and magneto-structural studies.

In the present era, the fixation of atmospheric CO2 is of significant importance and plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of carbon and energy flow within ecosystems. Generally, CO2 fixation is carried out by autotrophic organisms; however, the scientific community has paid substantial attention to execute this process in laboratory. In this report, we synthesized two carbonato-bridged trinuclear copper(II) complexes, [Cu3(L1)3(µ3-CO3)](ClO4)3 (1) and [Cu3(L2)3(µ3-CO3)](ClO4)3 (2) via atmospheric fixation of CO2 starting with Cu(ClO4)2·6H2O and easily accessible pyridine/pyrazine-based N4 donor Schiff base ligands L1 and L2, respectively. Under very similar reaction conditions, the ligand framework embedded with the phenolate moiety (HL3) fails to do so because of the reduction of the Lewis acidity of the metal center, inhibiting the formation of a reactive hydroxide bound copper(II) species, which is required for the fixation of atmospheric CO2. X-ray crystal structures display that carbonate-oxygen atoms bridge three copper(II) centers in µ3syn-anti disposition in 1 and 2, whereas [Cu(HL3)(ClO4)] (3) is a mononuclear complex. Interestingly, we also isolated an important intermediate of atmospheric CO2 fixation and structurally characterized it as an anti-anti µ2 carbonato-bridged dinuclear copper(II) complex, [Cu2(L2)2(µ2-CO3)](ClO4)2·MeOH (2-I), providing an in-depth understanding of CO2 fixation in these systems. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurement suggests ferromagnetic interactions between the metal centers in both 1 and 2, and the results have been further supported by DFT calculations. The catalytic efficiency of our synthesized complexes 1-3 was checked by means of catechol oxidase and phenoxazinone synthase-like activities. While complexes 1 and 2 showed oxidase-like activity for aerobic oxidation of o-aminophenol and 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol, complex 3 was found to be feebly active. ESI mass spectrometry revealed that the oxidation reaction proceeds through the formation of complex-substrate intermediations and was further substantiated by DFT calculations. Moreover, active catalysts 1 and 2 were effectively utilized for the base-free oxidation of benzylic alcohols in the presence of air as a green and sustainable oxidant and catalytic amount of TEMPO in acetonitrile. Various substituted benzylic alcohols smoothly converted to their corresponding aldehydes under very mild conditions and ambient temperature. The present catalytic protocol showcases its environmental sustainability by producing minimal waste.

Antibiotic induced adipose tissue browning in C57BL/6 mice: An association with the metabolic profile and the gut microbiota.

AIMS: The use of antibiotics affects health. The gut microbial dysbiosis by antibiotics is thought to be an essential pathway to influence health. It is important to have optimized energy utilization, in which adipose tissues (AT) play crucial roles in maintaining health. Adipocytes regulate the balance between energy expenditure and storage. While it is known that white adipose tissue (WAT) stores energy and brown adipose tissue (BAT) produces energy by thermogenesis, the role of an intermediate AT plays an important role in balancing host internal energy. In the current study, we tried to understand how treating an antibiotic cocktail transforms WAT into BAT or, more precisely, into beige adipose tissue (BeAT). METHODS: Since antibiotic treatment perturbs the host microbiota, we wanted to understand the role of gut microbial dysbiosis in transforming WAT into BeAT in C57BL/6 mice. We further correlated the metabolic profile at the systemic level with this BeAT transformation and gut microbiota profile. KEY FINDINGS: In the present study, we have reported that the antibiotic cocktail treatment increases the Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria while reducing the Bacteroidetes phylum. We observed that prolonged antibiotic treatment could induce the formation of BeAT in the inguinal and perigonadal AT. The correlation analysis showed an association between the gut microbiota phyla, beige adipose tissue markers, and serum metabolites. SIGNIFICANCE: Our study revealed that the gut microbiota has a significant role in regulating the metabolic health of the host via microbiota-adipose axis communication.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Chemodivergent Synthesis of Cyclic Amines and Lactams from Ketoacids and Anilines Using Hydrosilylation.

Here, commercially available Co2(CO)8 was utilized as an efficient catalyst for chemodivergent synthesis of pyrrolidines and pyrrolidones from levulinic acid and aromatic amines under slightly different hydrosilylation conditions. 1.5 and 3 equiv of phenylsilane selectively yielded pyrrolidone and pyrrolidine, respectively. Various ketoacids and amines were successfully tested. Plausible mechanism involves the condensation of levulinic acid and amine to form an imine, which cyclizes to 3-pyrrolidin-2-one followed by reduction to pyrrolidone. The final reduction of pyrrolidone gave pyrrolidine.

Hydrosilylation of Terminal Alkynes Catalyzed by an Air-Stable Manganese-NHC Complex.

In recent years, catalysis with base metal manganese has received a significant amount of interest. Catalysis with manganese complexes having N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) is relatively underdeveloped in comparison to the extensively investigated manganese catalysts possessing pincer ligands (particularly phosphine-based ligands). Herein, we describe the synthesis of two imidazolium salts decorated with picolyl arms (L1 and L2) as NHC precursors. Facile coordination of L1 and L2 with MnBr(CO)5 in the presence of a base resulted in the formation manganese(I)-NHC complexes (1 and 2) as an air-stable solid in good isolated yield. Single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed the structure of the cationic complexes [Mn(CO)3(NHC)][PF6] with tridentate N,C,N binding of the NHC ligand in a facile fashion. Along with a few known manganese(I) complexes, these Mn(I)-NHC complexes 1 and 2 were tested for the hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes. Complex 1 was proved to be an effective catalyst for the hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes with good selectivity toward the less thermodynamically stable ß-(Z)-vinylsilanes. This method provided good regioselectivity (anti-Markovnikov addition) and stereoselectivity (ß-(Z)-product). Experimental evidence suggested that the present hydrosilylation pathway involved an organometallic mechanism with manganese(I)-silyl species as a possible reactive intermediate.

Copper(i)-catalyzed click chemistry in deep eutectic solvent for the syntheses of ß-d-glucopyranosyltriazoles.

In the last two decades, click chemistry has progressed as a powerful tool in joining two different molecular units to generate fascinating structures with a widespread application in various branch of sciences. copper(i)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction, also known as click chemistry, has been extensively utilized as a versatile strategy for the rapid and selective formation of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. The successful use of CuAAC reaction for the preparation of biologically active triazole-attached carbohydrate-containing molecular architectures is an emerging area of glycoscience. In this regard, a well-defined copper(i)-iodide complex (1) with a tridentate NNO ligand (L1) was synthesized and effectively utilized as an active catalyst. Instead of using potentially hazardous reaction media such as DCM or toluene, the use of deep eutectic solvent (DES), an emerging class of green solvent, is advantageous for the syntheses of triazole-glycohybrids. The present work shows, for the first time, the successful use of DES as a reaction medium to click various glycosides and terminal alkynes in the presence of sodium azide. Various 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-glucopyranosyltriazoles were synthesized and the pure products were isolated by using a very simple work-up process (filtration). The reaction media was recovered and recycled in five consecutive runs. The presented catalytic protocol generated very minimum waste as reflected by a low E-factor (2.21-3.12). Finally, the optimized reaction conditions were evaluated with the CHEM21 green metrics toolkit.

Cobalt catalyzed chemoselective reduction of nitroarenes: hydrosilylation under thermal and photochemical reaction conditions.

Commercially available Co2(CO)8 was used as an effective catalyst for the hydrosilylation of nitroarenes under both thermal and photochemical conditions. A wide variety of nitroarenes with various functionalities were selectively reduced to aromatic amines. Syntheses of drug molecules expand the potential utility of this protocol. Experimental evidence suggested a radical pathway.

Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition Catalyzed by Copper(I) Coordination Polymers in PPM Levels Using Deep Eutectic Solvents as Reusable Reaction Media: A Waste-Minimized Sustainable Approach.

Two air-stable copper(I)-halide coordination polymers 1 and 2 with NNS and NNO ligand frameworks were synthesized and successfully utilized as efficient catalysts in an important organic reaction, namely, copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, which is generally conducted in a mixture of water and organic solvents. The azide-alkyne "click" reaction was successfully conducted in pure water at r.t. under aerobic conditions. Other green solvents, including ethanol and glycerol, were also effectively used. Finally, deep eutectic solvents as green and sustainable reaction media were successfully utilized. In deep eutectic solvents, complete conversion with excellent isolated yield was achieved in a short period of time (1 h) with low catalyst loading (1 mol %) at r.t. Full conversion could also be achieved within 24 h with ppm-level (50 ppm) catalyst loading at 70 °C. Optimized reaction conditions were used for the syntheses of a large number of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles with various functionalities. Triazole products were easily isolated by simple filtration. The reaction media, such as water and deep eutectic solvents, were recovered and recycled in three consecutive runs. The limited waste production is reflected in a very low E-factor (0.3-2.8). Finally, the CHEM21 green metrics toolkit was employed to evaluate the sustainability credentials of different optimized protocols in various green solvents such as water, ethanol, glycerol, and deep eutectic solvents.

Nickel-Catalyzed α-Alkylation of Arylacetonitriles with Challenging Secondary Alcohols.

Nickel(II) complex 1 was utilized as a sustainable catalyst for α-alkylation of arylacetonitriles with challenging secondary alcohols. Arylacetonitriles with a wide range of functional groups were tolerated, and various cyclic and acyclic secondary alcohols were utilized to yield a large number of α-alkylated products. The plausible mechanism involves the base-promoted activation of precatalyst 1 to an active catalyst 2 (dehydrochlorinated product) which activates the O-H and C-H bonds of the secondary alcohol in a dehydrogenative pathway.

Manganese-Catalyzed Chemoselective Hydrosilylation of Nitroarenes: Sustainable Route to Aromatic Amines.

Herein we report efficient catalytic hydrosilylations of nitroarenes to form the corresponding aromatic amines using a well-defined manganese(II)-NNO pincer complex with a low catalyst loading (1 mol %) under solvent-free conditions. This base-metal-catalyzed hydrosilylation is an easy and sustainable alternative to classical hydrogenation. A large variety of nitroarenes bearing various functionalities were selectively transformed into the corresponding aromatic amines in good yields. The potential utility of the present catalytic protocol was demonstrated by the preparation of commercial drug molecules.

Efficient α-Alkylation of Arylacetonitriles with Secondary Alcohols Catalyzed by a Phosphine-Free Air-Stable Iridium(III) Complex.

A well-defined and readily available air-stable dimeric iridium(III) complex catalyzed α-alkylation of arylacetonitriles using secondary alcohols with the liberation of water as the only byproduct is reported. The α-alkylations were efficiently performed at 120 °C under solvent-free conditions with very low (0.1-0.01 mol %) catalyst loading. Various secondary alcohols including cyclic and acyclic alcohols and a wide variety of arylacetonitriles bearing different functional groups were converted into the corresponding α-alkylated products in good yields. Mechanistic study revealed that the reaction proceeds via alcohol activation by metal-ligand cooperation with the formation of reactive iridium-hydride species.

Hydrosilylation of Esters Catalyzed by Bisphosphine Manganese(I) Complex: Selective Transformation of Esters to Alcohols.

Selective and efficient hydrosilylations of esters to alcohols by a well-defined manganese(I) complex with a commercially available bisphosphine ligand are described. These reactions are easy alternatives for stoichiometric hydride reduction or hydrogenation, and employing cheap, abundant, and nonprecious metal is attractive. The hydrosilylations were performed at 100 °C under solvent-free conditions with low catalyst loading. A large variety of aromatic, aliphatic, and cyclic esters bearing different functional groups were selectively converted into the corresponding alcohols in good yields.

Synthesis and oxidation of phosphine cations.

Cationic phosphines of the form [(L)PPh2]+ are prepared by reaction of Ph2PCl with carbenes (L) including a chiral bis(oxazoline)-based carbene, a cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene (cAAC), and a 1,2,3-triazolium-derived carbene, affording the products, [(IBox-iPr2)PPh2][OSO2CF3] 1, [(cAAC)PPh2][OSO2CF3] 2 and [((TripCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)PPh2)2(AgCl)2][Cl]23. Using PhPCl2, the related dication [CH2(NC3H2NDipp)2PPh]2+4 was also prepared. Crystallographically-determined metric parameters and computational data indicate that these species are best described as cationic phosphines rather than phosphenium cations. The oxidation of these cations with XeF2 afforded [(IBox-iPr2)PF2Ph2][OSO2CF3] 5, [(cAAC)PF2Ph2][OSO2CF3] 6 and [(TripCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)PF2Ph2][Cl] 7; 4 was not oxidized. These observations are understood by a computational assessment of the average local ionisation potentials at valence shell charge concentrations identified via topological analysis of the electron density.

Catalytic Synthesis of N-Heterocycles via Direct C(sp3)-H Amination Using an Air-Stable Iron(III) Species with a Redox-Active Ligand.

Coordination of FeCl3 to the redox-active pyridine-aminophenol ligand NNOH2 in the presence of base and under aerobic conditions generates FeCl2(NNOISQ) (1), featuring high-spin FeIII and an NNOISQ radical ligand. The complex has an overall S = 2 spin state, as deduced from experimental and computational data. The ligand-centered radical couples antiferromagnetically with the Fe center. Readily available, well-defined, and air-stable 1 catalyzes the challenging intramolecular direct C(sp3)-H amination of unactivated organic azides to generate a range of saturated N-heterocycles with the highest turnover number (TON) (1 mol% of 1, 12 h, TON = 62; 0.1 mol% of 1, 7 days, TON = 620) reported to date. The catalyst is easily recycled without noticeable loss of catalytic activity. A detailed kinetic study for C(sp3)-H amination of 1-azido-4-phenylbutane (S1) revealed zero order in the azide substrate and first order in both the catalyst and Boc2O. A cationic iron complex, generated from the neutral precatalyst upon reaction with Boc2O, is proposed as the catalytically active species.

Redox-Active-Ligand-Mediated Formation of an Acyclic Trinuclear Ruthenium Complex with Bridging Nitrido Ligands.

Coordination of a redox-active pyridine aminophenol ligand to Ru(II) followed by aerobic oxidation generates two diamagnetic Ru(III) species [1 a (cis) and 1 b (trans)] with ligand-centered radicals. The reaction of 1 a/1 b with excess NaN3 under inert atmosphere resulted in the formation of a rare bis(nitrido)-bridged trinuclear ruthenium complex with two nonlinear asymmetrical Ru-N-Ru fragments. The spontaneous reduction of the ligand centered radical in the parent 1 a/1 b supports the oxidation of a nitride (N(3-) ) to half an equivalent of N2 . The trinuclear omplex is reactive toward TEMPO-H, tin hydrides, thiols, and dihydrogen.

1,2,3-Triazolylidene ruthenium(II)-cyclometalated complexes and olefin selective hydrogenation catalysis.

Silver(i) 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidenes [(RCH(2)C(2)N(2)(NMe)Ph)(2)Ag][AgCl(2)] (R = Ph 3a, C(6)H(2)iPr(3) 3b, C(6)H(2)Me(3) 3c) and [(PhCH(2)C(2)N(2)(NMe)R)(2)Ag][AgCl(2)] (R = C(6)H(4)Me 3d, C(6)H(4)CF(3) 3e) were synthesized and subsequently treated with RuHCl(PPh(3))(3) and RuHCl(H(2))(PCy(3))(2). The reaction 3a of with RuHCl(PPh(3))(3) gave RuHCl(PPh(3))(2)(PhCH(2)C(2)N(2)(NMe)Ph) (4a1) as the minor product and the cyclometalated complex RuCl(PPh(3))(2)(PhCH(2)C(2)N(2)(NMe)C(6)H(4)) (4a2) as the major product. However, similar reaction with 3b selectively formed the cyclometalated complex RuCl(PPh(3))(2)((C(6)H(2)iPr(3))CH(2)C(2)N(2)(NMe)C(6)H(4)) (4b2). Similarly the silver(i) triazolylidenes 3a and 3b were reacted with RuHCl(H(2))(PCy(3))(2); gave RuHCl(PCy(3))(2)(PhCH(2)C(2)N(2)(NMe)Ph) (5a2), RuCl(PCy(3))(2)(PhCH(2)C(2)N(2)(NMe)C(6)H(4)) (5a2) and RuCl(PCy(3))(2)((C(6)H(2)iPr(3))CH(2)C(2)N(2)(NMe)C(6)H(4)) (5b2), respectively. Species 3c, 3d and 3e resulted in the cyclometalated complexes (5c2, 5d2 and 5e2) as the major products as well as the ruthenium-hydride complexes (5c1, 5d1 and 5e1) as the minor products. The cyclometalated species are derived from the ruthenium-hydride complexes via C(sp(2))-H activation. These Ru-complexes were shown to act as hydrogenation catalyst precursors for olefinic substrates including those containing a variety of functional groups.

Half sandwich ruthenium(II) hydrides: hydrogenation of terminal, internal, cyclic and functionalized olefins.

Bis(1,2,3-triazolylidene) silver(I) complex 1a was reacted with [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 to give the ruthenium complex [PhCH2N2(NMe)C2(C6H4CF3)]RuCl2(p-cymene) (2a) as major product in addition to the minor C(sp(2))-H activated product [PhCH2N2(NMe)C2(C6H3CF3)]RuCl(p-cymene) (2a'). Similar ruthenium complexes 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e with general formula RuCl2(p-cymene)(NHC) (NHC = MesCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph 2b, PhCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph 2c, TripCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph 2d, IMes 2e) were also synthesized. Subsequent reaction of Me3SiOSO2CF3 with 2a and 2b resulted in cationic ruthenium species [(PhCH2N2(NMe)C2(C6H4CF3))RuCl(p-cymene)][OSO2CF3] (3a) and [(MesCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)RuCl(p-cymene)][OSO2CF3] (3b), respectively. Complexes 3a and 3b dissolved in CD3CN to give [(PhCH2N2(NMe)C2(C6H4CF3))RuCl(CD3CN)(p-cymene)][OSO2CF3] (4a) and [(MesCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)RuCl(CD3CN)(p-cymene)][OSO2CF3] (4b), respectively. Cationic ruthenium species 4a and 4b failed to show catalytic activity towards hydrogenation of olefins. Ruthenium(II) complexes 2b-e with the general formula RuCl2(p-cymene)(NHC) were reacted with Et3SiH to generate a series of ruthenium(II) hydrides 5b-e. These compounds 5b-e are effective catalysts for the hydrogenation of terminal, internal and cyclic and functionalized olefins.

1,2,3-Triazolylidene ruthenium(II)(η6-arene) complexes: synthesis, metallation and reactivity.

Three bis(1,2,3-triazolylidene) silver(I) complexes were synthesized, and the ruthenium complexes ([RCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)]RuCl2(p-cymene) (R = C6H2Me3 4a1, C6H2iPr3 4b1) were isolated as major products with the minor C(sp(2))-H activated products ([RCH2N2(NMe)C2C6H4)]RuCl(p-cymene) (R = C6H2Me3 4a2, C6H2iPr3 4b2). In the related case where R = Ph, the species ([PhCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)]RuCl2(p-cymene) 4c1 was obtained with two C(sp(2))-H activated products [PhCH2N2(NMe)C2C6H4)]RuCl(p-cymene) 4c2 and [(C6H4)CH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)]RuCl(p-cymene) 4c3 derived from metallation of the N and C-bound arene rings. Heating a solution of 4a1 at 45 °C over three weeks resulted in a ruthenium(II)(1,2,3-triazolylidene) complex [(C6H2Me3)CH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)]RuCl2 5a, where the pendant mesityl group on the triazolylidene moiety displaced the p-cymene ligand. The complexes 4a1, 4b1, 4c1 and 5a displayed moderate catalytic activities in base-free oxidation of benzyl alcohols to benzaldehydes and oxidative homocoupling of benzyl amines to imines using oxygen as oxidant.

Indium-bridged [1]ferrocenophanes.

Indium-bridged [1]ferrocenophanes ([1]FCPs) and [1.1]ferrocenophanes ([1.1]FCPs) were synthesized from dilithioferrocene species and indium dichlorides. The reaction of Li2fc⋅tmeda (fc = (H4C5)2Fe) and (Mamx)InCl2 (Mamx = 6-(Me2NCH2)-2,4-tBu2C6H2) gave a mixture of the [1]FCP (Mamx)Infc (4(1)), the [1.1]FCP [(Mamx)Infc]2 (4(2)), and oligomers [(Mamx)Infc]n (4(n)). In a similar reaction, employing the enantiomerically pure, planar-chiral (Sp,Sp)-1,1'-dibromo-2,2'-diisopropylferrocene (1) as a precursor for the dilithioferrocene derivative Li2fc(iPr2), equipped with two iPr groups in the α position, gave the inda[1]ferrocenophane 5(1) [(Mamx)Infc(iPr2)] selectively. Species 5(1) underwent ring-opening polymerization to give the polymer 5(n). The reaction between Li2fc(iPr2) and Ar'InCl2 (Ar' = 2-(Me2NCH2)C6H4) gave an inseparable mixture of the [1]FCP Ar'Infc(iPr2) (6(1)) and the [1.1]FCP [Ar'Infc(iPr2)]2 (6(2)). Hydrogenolysis reactions (BP86/TZ2P) of the four inda[1]ferrocenophanes revealed that the structurally most distorted species (5(1)) is also the most strained [1]FCP.