Iridium-catalyzed enantioselective intramolecular hydroarylation of allylic aryl ethers devoid of a directing group on the aryl group.

Although intramolecular hydroarylation is an attractive transformation of allylic aryl ethers, it has suffered from narrow substrate scope. We herein describe Ir/(S)-DTBM-SEGPHOS-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation of allylic aryl ethers. The reaction eliminates the structural requirement from the aryl group, affording 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans bearing a stereogenic carbon center at the C3 position with up to 99% enantiomeric excess.

Copper-catalyzed regioselective trans-silaboration of internal arylalkynes with stereochemical switch to cis-addition mode.

Copper-catalyzed silafunctionalization of alkynes using a silylboronic ester as a silicon source has recently progressed rapidly. Generally, the reaction affords a product with cis-stereoselectivity. We herein describe trans-selective 1,2-addition of silylboronic esters to internal arylalkynes, which was promoted efficiently by the CuOt-Bu/RCy2P/NaOt-Bu catalysts. Moreover, we report a stereochemical switch to cis-addition in the reactions of Me2(i-PrO)Si-B(pin) in hydrocarbon solvents including cyclohexane.

Construction of Silicon-Containing Seven-Membered Rings by Catalytic [4 + 2 + 1] Cycloaddition through Rhodium Silylenoid.

A rhodium-catalyzed [4 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition involving 1,3-diene, alkyne, and silylene to afford silicon-containing seven-membered rings was established. In the presence of a rhodium catalyst bearing bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (DPPM), nona-1,3-dien-8-yne derivatives reacted efficiently at 80-110 °C with boryl(isopropoxy)silane or boryl(diethyamino)silane, which reacts as the synthetic equivalent of silylene, to afford 1-silacyclohepta-2,5-dienes (2,5-dihydro-1H-silepines). Regiodivergent and chemo- and stereoselective functionalization of the seven-membered nonconjugated diene was achieved by hydroboration mediated by Cs2CO3 or an iridium catalyst.

4,4'-Bipyridyl-Catalyzed Reduction of Nitroarenes by Bis(neopentylglycolato)diboron.

4,4'-Bipyridyl worked as an organocatalyst for the reduction of nitroarenes by bis(neopentylglycolato)diboron (B2nep2), followed by hydrolysis to give the corresponding anilines. This reduction proceeded under aerobic conditions without any prepurification of substrates and reagents. We found broad functional group tolerance and compatibility for O- and N-protecting groups under the reaction conditions. The key in this catalytic system was the addition of B2nep2 to 4,4'-bipyridyl to form N,N'-bis[(neopentylglycolato)boryl]-4,4'-bipyridinylidene as a deoxygenating reagent of nitroarenes.

Catalytic Generation of Rhodium Silylenoid for Alkene-Alkyne-Silylene [2 + 2 + 1] Cycloaddition.

An alkene-alkyne-silylene [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition takes place in the rhodium-catalyzed reaction of 1,6-enynes with borylsilanes bearing an alkoxy group on the silicon atoms, which react as synthetic equivalents of silylene. The reaction proceeds efficiently in 1,2-dichloroethane at 80-110 °C in the presence of a rhodium catalyst bearing bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (DPPM) as a ligand to afford 1-silacyclopent-2-enes in good to high yields.

Enantiospecific Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling of Nonbenzylic α-(Acylamino)alkylboronic Acid Derivatives.

Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of nonbenzylic α-(acylamino)alkylboron compounds with aryl halides is established. A Pd/PCy2 Ph catalyst promotes the reaction efficiently at 145 °C. The reaction of enantioenriched α-(acylamino)alkylboron compounds affords chiral 1-arylalkylamides in high enantiospecificity and inversion of configuration.

Asymmetric Cycloisomerization of o-Alkenyl-N-Methylanilines to Indolines by Iridium-Catalyzed C(sp3 )-H Addition to Carbon-Carbon Double Bonds.

Highly enantioselective cycloisomerization of N-methylanilines, bearing o-alkenyl groups, into indolines is established. An iridium catalyst bearing a bidentate chiral diphosphine effectively promotes the intramolecular addition of the C(sp3 )-H bond across a carbon-carbon double bond in a highly enantioselective fashion. The reaction gives indolines bearing a quaternary stereogenic carbon center at the 3-position. The reaction mechanism involves rate-determining oxidative addition of the N-methyl C-H bond, followed by intramolecular carboiridation and subsequent reductive elimination.

Utilization of a Trimethylsilyl Group as a Synthetic Equivalent of a Hydroxyl Group via Chemoselective C(sp3)-H Borylation at the Methyl Group on Silicon.

A conversion of trimethylsilylalkanes into the corresponding alcohols is established based on an iridium-catalyzed, chemoselective C(sp3)-H borylation of the methyl group on silicon. The (borylmethyl)silyl group formed by C(sp3)-H borylation is treated with H2O2/NaOH, and the resulting (hydroxymethyl)silyl group is converted into a hydroxyl group by Brook rearrangement, followed by oxidation of the resulting methoxysilyl group under Tamao conditions. An alternative route proceeding through the formylsilyl group formed from a (hydroxymethyl)silyl group by Swern oxidation is also established. The method is applicable to substituted trimethylsilylcycloalkanes and 1,1-dimethyl-1-silacyclopentane for conversion into the corresponding stereodefined cycloalkyl alcohols and 1,4-butanediol.

Iridium-Catalyzed Intramolecular Methoxy C-H Addition to Carbon-Carbon Triple Bonds: Direct Synthesis of 3-Substituted Benzofurans from o-Methoxyphenylalkynes.

Catalytic hydroalkylation of an alkyne with methyl ether was accomplished. Intramolecular addition of the C-H bond of a methoxy group in 1-methoxy-2-(arylethynyl)benzenes across a carbon-carbon triple bond took place efficiently either in toluene at 110 °C or in p-xylene at 135 °C in the presence of an iridium catalyst. The initial 5-exo cyclization products underwent double-bond migration during the reaction to give 3-(arylmethyl)benzofurans in high yields.

Organocatalytic diboration involving "reductive addition" of a boron-boron σ-bond to 4,4'-bipyridine.

A 4,4'-bipyridine-based catalyst system for diboration of pyrazine derivatives was established. The catalyst cycle consists of the following two steps: (1) reductive addition of the boron-boron bond of bis(pinacolato)diboron to 4,4'-bipyridine to form N,N'-diboryl-4,4'-bipyridinylidene and (2) oxidative boryl transfer from the intermediate to pyrazine to give N,N'-diboryl-1,4-dihydropyrazine with regeneration of 4,4'-bipyridine.

Iridium-catalysed borylation of sterically hindered C(sp³)-H bonds: remarkable rate acceleration by a catalytic amount of potassium tert-butoxide.

The C(sp(3))-H bonds located on the methyl groups of an isopropyl group participate in iridium-catalysed C-H borylation with bis(pinacolato)diboron via a significant rate acceleration caused by a catalytic amount of t-BuOK.

Cycloaddition-based formal C-H alkynylation of isoindoles leading to the synthesis of air-stable fluorescent 1,3-dialkynylisoindoles.

Reaction of N-alkylisoindoles with (bromoethynyl)triisopropylsilane afforded 1,3-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) isoindoles in high yields. The formal C-H alkynylation proceeds under transition-metal-free conditions through [4 + 2] cycloaddition of the pyrrole ring of isoindole with bromoalkyne followed by ring-opening of the product.

Catalytic functionalization of methyl group on silicon: iridium-catalyzed C(sp3)-H borylation of methylchlorosilanes.

A methyl group of methylchlorosilanes undergoes C-H borylation in an iridium-catalyzed reaction with bis(pinacolato)diboron in cyclohexane at 80 °C, giving (borylmethyl)chlorosilanes selectively.

Dearomatizing conversion of pyrazines to 1,4-dihydropyrazine derivatives via transition-metal-free diboration, silaboration, and hydroboration.

Pyrazines and substituted pyrazines undergo addition of boron reagents having B-B, Si-B, and H-B bonds under transition-metal-free conditions, leading to high-yield synthesis of N-borylated 1,4-dihydropyrazines and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazine.

Enhanced catalyst activity and enantioselectivity with chirality-switchable polymer ligand PQXphos in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric silaborative cleavage of meso-methylenecyclopropanes.

The poly(quinoxaline-2,3-diyl)-based helically chiral phosphine ligands PQXphos exhibited high enantioselectivities up to 97% ee in palladium-catalyzed desymmetrization of meso-1,2-dialkylsubstituted-3-methylenecyclopropanes through silaborative cleavage of the C-C bond. The observed enantioselectivities were higher than those obtained with 2-diarylphosphino-1,1'-binaphthyl in our original report. Remarkable rate enhancement was also observed with a series of PQXphos in comparison with the corresponding low-molecular weight ligands.

Regioselective synthesis of 1,2-dihydropyridines by rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of pyridines.

Pyridine undergoes addition of pinacolborane at 50 °C in the presence of a rhodium catalyst, giving N-boryl-1,2-dihydropyridine in a high yield. The selective 1,2-hydroboration also takes place in the reactions of substituted pyridines. In the reaction of 3-substituted pyridines, 3-substituted N-boryl-1,2-dihydropyridines are formed regioselectively.

Inversion or retention? Effects of acidic additives on the stereochemical course in enantiospecific Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of α-(acetylamino)benzylboronic esters.

The stereochemical course of the stereospecific Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of enantioenriched α-(acetylamino)benzylboronic esters with aryl bromides can be switched by the choice of acidic additives in the presence of a Pd/XPhos catalyst system. Highly enantiospecific, invertive C-C bond formation takes place with the use of phenol as an additive. In contrast, high enantiospecificity for retention of configuration is attained in the presence of Zr(Oi-Pr)(4)·i-PrOH as an additive.

(E)- and (Z)-ß-borylallylsilanes by alkyne silaboration followed by regio- and stereoselective double-bond migration.

Double take: ß-Borylallylsilanes have been synthesized by the regioselective silaboration of terminal alkynes followed by palladium-catalyzed double-bond migration of the resulting ß-borylalkenylsilanes. The stereoselectivity of the double-bond migration can be controlled by additives, thus leading to the stereocomplementary synthesis of (E)- and (Z)-ß-borylallylsilanes.

Palladium-catalyzed regioselective silaboration of pyridines leading to the synthesis of silylated dihydropyridines.

The addition of silylboronic esters to pyridine takes place in toluene at 50 °C in the presence of a palladium catalyst to give N-boryl-4-silyl-1,4-dihydropyridines in high yield. The regioselective 1,4-silaboration also proceeds in the reaction of 2-picoline and 3-substituted pyridines, whereas 4-substituted pyridines undergo 1,2-silaboration to give N-boryl-2-silyl-1,2-dihydropyridines regioselectively.

Integrated catalytic C-H transformations for one-pot synthesis of 1-arylisoindoles from isoindolines via palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation followed by C-H arylation.

A one-pot conversion of isoindolines to 1-arylisoindoles was established from palladium-catalyzed cascade C-H transformations, that is, the dehydrogenation of isoindolines to give isoindoles, with subsequent C-H arylation of the isoindoles.