Transition-Metal-Free Cross-Coupling of Benzothiophenes and Styrenes in a Stereoselective Synthesis of Substituted (E,Z)-1,3-Dienes.

A transition metal-free one-pot stereoselective approach to substituted (E,Z)-1,3-dienes was developed by using an interrupted Pummerer reaction/ligand-coupling strategy. Readily available benzothiophene S-oxides, which can be conveniently prepared by oxidation of the parent benzothiophenes, undergo Pummerer coupling with styrenes. Reaction of the resultant sulfonium salts with alkyllithium/magnesium reagents generates underexploited hypervalent sulfurane intermediates that undergo selective ligand coupling, resulting in dismantling of the benzothiophene motif and the formation of decorated (E,Z)-1,3-dienes.

Au-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Arenes via Double C-H Activation.

The first methodology for Au(I/III)-catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling of arenes via double C-H activation has been developed. The reaction is fully selective for the cross-coupling between electron-rich hetero-/carbocyclic arenes and electron-poor arenes bearing relatively acidic C-H bonds. The inherently high cross-selectivity of the system obviates the need for directing groups or a large excess of one of the coupling partners.

Enantioselective synthesis of alcohols and amines by iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation, transfer hydrogenation, and related processes.

The preparation of chiral alcohols and amines by using iridium catalysis is reviewed. The methods presented include the reduction of ketones or imines by using hydrogen (hydrogenations), isopropanol, formic acid, or formate (transfer hydrogenations). Also dynamic and oxidative kinetic resolutions leading to chiral alcohols and amines are included. Selected literature reports from early contributions to December 2012 are discussed.

Allylic alcohols as synthetic enolate equivalents: isomerisation and tandem reactions catalysed by transition metal complexes.

Allylic alcohols can be isomerised into carbonyl compounds by transition metal complexes. In the last few years, catalyst design and development have resulted in highly efficient isomerisations under mild reaction conditions, including enantioselective versions. In addition, the isomerisation of allylic alcohols has been combined with C-C bond forming reactions when electrophiles such as aldehydes or imines were present in the reaction mixture. Also, C-F bonds can be formed when electrophilic fluorinating reagents are used. Thus, allylic alcohols can be treated as latent enol(ate)s. In this article, we highlight the latest developments concerning the isomerisation of allylic alcohols into carbonyl compounds, focusing in particular on tandem isomerisation/C-C or C-heteroatom bond formation processes. Significant attention is given to the mechanistic aspects of the reactions.

Mechanisms and kinetics for sorption of CO2 on bicontinuous mesoporous silica modified with n-propylamine.

We studied equilibrium adsorption and uptake kinetics and identified molecular species that formed during sorption of carbon dioxide on amine-modified silica. Bicontinuous silicas (AMS-6 and MCM-48) were postsynthetically modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane or (3-aminopropyl)methyldiethoxysilane, and amine-modified AMS-6 adsorbed more CO(2) than did amine-modified MCM-48. By in situ FTIR spectroscopy, we showed that the amine groups reacted with CO(2) and formed ammonium carbamate ion pairs as well as carbamic acids under both dry and moist conditions. The carbamic acid was stabilized by hydrogen bonds, and ammonium carbamate ion pairs formed preferably on sorbents with high densities of amine groups. Under dry conditions, silylpropylcarbamate formed, slowly, by condensing carbamic acid and silanol groups. The ratio of ammonium carbamate ion pairs to silylpropylcarbamate was higher for samples with high amine contents than samples with low amine contents. Bicarbonates or carbonates did not form under dry or moist conditions. The uptake of CO(2) was enhanced in the presence of water, which was rationalized by the observed release of additional amine groups under these conditions and related formation of ammonium carbamate ion pairs. Distinct evidence for a fourth and irreversibly formed moiety was observed under sorption of CO(2) under dry conditions. Significant amounts of physisorbed, linear CO(2) were detected at relatively high partial pressures of CO(2), such that they could adsorb only after the reactive amine groups were consumed.

Ir-catalysed formation of C-F bonds. From allylic alcohols to α-fluoroketones.

A novel iridium-catalysed tandem isomerisation/C-F bond formation from allylic alcohols and Selectfluor® to prepare α-fluorinated ketones as single constitutional isomers is reported.