Enabling Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of Lewis-basic arylboronic esters with a nonprecious metal catalyst.

The high cost and negative environmental impact of precious metal catalysts has led to increased demand for nonprecious alternatives for widely practiced reactions such as the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling (SMC). Ni-catalyzed versions of this reaction have failed to achieve high reactivity with Lewis-basic arylboron nucleophiles, especially pinacolboron esters. We describe the development of (PPh2Me)2NiCl2 as an inexpensive and air-stable precatalyst that addresses this challenge. Under activation by n-BuMgCl, this complex can catalyze the coupling of synthetically important heteroaryl pinacolborons with heteroaryl halides. Mildly basic conditions (aqueous K3PO4) allow the reaction to tolerate sensitive functional groups that were incompatible with other Ni-SMC methods. Experimental and computational studies suggest that catalyst inhibition by substitution of PPh2Me from Ni(ii) intermediates by Lewis basic reactants and products is disfavored relative to more commonly employed ligands in the Ni-SMC, which allows it to operate efficiently in the presence of Lewis bases such as unhindered pyridines.

Cu-Catalyzed C-N Coupling with Sterically Hindered Partners.

Copper, an earth-abundant metal, has reemerged as a viable alternative to the versatile Pd-catalyzed C-N coupling. Coupling sterically hindered reaction partners, however, remains challenging. Herein, we disclose the discovery and development of a pyrrole-ol ligand to facilitate the coupling of ortho-substituted aryl iodides with sterically hindered amines. The ligand was discovered through a library screening approach and highlights the value of mining heteroatom-rich pharmaceutical libraries for useful ligand motifs. Further evaluation revealed that this ligand is uniquely effective in these challenging transformations. The reaction enables the coupling of sterically hindered primary and secondary amines, anilines, and amides with broad functional group tolerance.

Catalytic Reduction of Alkyl and Aryl Bromides Using Propan-2-ol.

Milstein's complex, (PNN)RuHCl(CO), catalyzes the efficient reduction of aryl and alkyl halides under relatively mild conditions by using propan-2-ol and a base. Sterically hindered tertiary and neopentyl substrates are reduced efficiently, as well as more functionalized aryl and alkyl bromides. The reduction process is proposed to occur by radical abstraction/hydrodehalogenation steps at ruthenium. Our research represents a safer and more sustainable alternative to typical silane, lithium aluminium hydride, and tin-based conditions for these reductions.

Sodium Hydroxide Catalyzed Dehydrocoupling of Alcohols with Hydrosilanes.

An O-Si bond construction protocol employing abundantly available and inexpensive NaOH as the catalyst is described. The method enables the cross-dehydrogenative coupling of an alcohol and hydrosilane to directly generate the corresponding silyl ether under mild conditions and without the production of stoichiometric salt byproducts. The scope of both coupling partners is excellent, positioning the method for use in complex molecule and materials science applications. A novel Si-based cross-coupling reagent is also reported.

Assessment of the Electronic Factors Determining the Thermodynamics of "Oxidative Addition" of C-H and N-H Bonds to Ir(I) Complexes.

A study of electronic factors governing the thermodynamics of C-H and N-H bond addition to Ir(I) complexes was conducted. DFT calculations were performed on an extensive series of trans-(PH3)2IrXL complexes (L = NH3 and CO; X = various monodentate ligands) to parametrize the relative σ- and π-donating/withdrawing properties of the various ligands, X. Computed energies of oxidative addition of methane to a series of three- and four-coordinate Ir(I) complexes bearing an ancillary ligand, X, were correlated with the resulting (σ(X), π(X)) parameter set. Regression analysis indicates that the thermodynamics of addition of methane to trans-(PH3)2IrX are generally strongly disfavored by increased σ-donation from the ligand X, in contradiction to widely held views on oxidative addition. The trend for oxidative addition of methane to four-coordinate Ir(I) was closely related to that observed for the three-coordinate complexes, albeit slightly more complicated. The computational analysis was found to be consistent with the rates of reductive elimination of benzene from a series of isoelectronic Ir(III) phenyl hydride complexes, measured experimentally in this work and previously reported. Extending the analysis of ancillary ligand energetic effects to the oxidative addition of ammonia to three-coordinate Ir(I) complexes leads to the conclusion that increasing σ-donation by X also disfavors oxidative addition of N-H bonds to trans-(PH3)2IrX. However, coordination of NH3 to the Ir(I) center is disfavored even more strongly by increasing σ-donation by X, which explains why the few documented examples of H-NH2 oxidative addition to transition metals involve complexes with strongly σ-donating ligands situated trans to the site of addition. An orbital-based rationale for the observed results is presented.

Catalytic cleavage of ether C-O bonds by pincer iridium complexes.

The development of efficient catalytic methods to cleave the relatively unreactive C-O bonds of ethers remains an important challenge in catalysis. Building on our group's recent work, we report the dehydroaryloxylation of aryl alkyl ethers using pincer iridium catalysts. This method represents a rare fully atom-economical method for ether C-O bond cleavage.

C-H bond functionalization through intramolecular hydride transfer.

Known for over a century, reactions that involve intramolecular hydride-transfer events have experienced a recent resurgence. Undoubtedly responsible for the increased interest in this research area is the realization that hydride shifts represent an attractive avenue for C-H bond functionalization. The redox-neutral nature of these complexity-enhancing transformations makes them ideal for sustainable reaction development. This Review summarizes recent progress in this field while highlighting key historical contributions.

Olefin hydroaryloxylation catalyzed by pincer-iridium complexes.

Aryl alkyl ethers, which are widely used throughout the chemical industry, are typically produced via the Williamson ether synthesis. Olefin hydroaryloxylation potentially offers a much more atom-economical alternative. Known acidic catalysts for hydroaryloxylation, however, afford very poor selectivity. We report the organometallic-catalyzed intermolecular hydroaryloxylation of unactivated olefins by iridium "pincer" complexes. These catalysts do not operate via the hidden Brønsted acid pathway common to previously developed transition-metal-based catalysts. The reaction is proposed to proceed via olefin insertion into an iridium-alkoxide bond, followed by rate-determining C-H reductive elimination to yield the ether product. The reaction is highly chemo- and regioselective and offers a new approach to the atom-economical synthesis of industrially important ethers and, potentially, a wide range of other oxygenates.

Alkane metathesis by tandem alkane-dehydrogenation-olefin-metathesis catalysis and related chemistry.

Methods for the conversion of both renewable and non-petroleum fossil carbon sources to transportation fuels that are both efficient and economically viable could greatly enhance global security and prosperity. Currently, the major route to convert natural gas and coal to liquids is Fischer-Tropsch catalysis, which is potentially applicable to any source of synthesis gas including biomass and nonconventional fossil carbon sources. The major desired products of Fischer-Tropsch catalysis are n-alkanes that contain 9-19 carbons; they comprise a clean-burning and high combustion quality diesel, jet, and marine fuel. However, Fischer-Tropsch catalysis also results in significant yields of the much less valuable C(3) to C(8)n-alkanes; these are also present in large quantities in oil and gas reserves (natural gas liquids) and can be produced from the direct reduction of carbohydrates. Therefore, methods that could disproportionate medium-weight (C(3)-C(8)) n-alkanes into heavy and light n-alkanes offer great potential value as global demand for fuel increases and petroleum reserves decrease. This Account describes systems that we have developed for alkane metathesis based on the tandem operation of catalysts for alkane dehydrogenation and olefin metathesis. As dehydrogenation catalysts, we used pincer-ligated iridium complexes, and we initially investigated Schrock-type Mo or W alkylidene complexes as olefin metathesis catalysts. The interoperability of the catalysts typically represents a major challenge in tandem catalysis. In our systems, the rate of alkane dehydrogenation generally limits the overall reaction rate, whereas the lifetime of the alkylidene complexes at the relatively high temperatures required to obtain practical dehydrogenation rates (ca. 125 -200 °C) limits the total turnover numbers. Accordingly, we have focused on the development and use of more active dehydrogenation catalysts and more stable olefin-metathesis catalysts. We have used thermally stable solid metal oxides as the olefin-metathesis catalysts. Both the pincer complexes and the alkylidene complexes have been supported on alumina via adsorption through basic para-substituents. This process does not significantly affect catalyst activity, and in some cases it increases both the catalyst lifetime and the compatibility of the co-catalysts. These molecular catalysts are the first systems that effect alkane metathesis with molecular-weight selectivity, particularly for the conversion of C(n)n-alkanes to C(2n-2)n-alkanes plus ethane. This molecular-weight selectivity offers a critical advantage over the few previously reported alkane metathesis systems. We have studied the factors that determine molecular-weight selectivity in depth, including the isomerization of the olefinic intermediates and the regioselectivity of the pincer-iridium catalyst for dehydrogenation at the terminal position of the n-alkane. Our continuing work centers on the development of co-catalysts with improved interoperability, particularly olefin-metathesis catalysts that are more robust at high temperature and dehydrogenation catalysts that are more active at low temperature. We are also designing dehydrogenation catalysts based on metals other than iridium. Our ongoing mechanistic studies are focused on the apparently complex combination of factors that determine molecular-weight selectivity.

Redox-neutral indole annulation cascades.

Aminobenzaldehydes react with indoles in an unprecedented cascade reaction. This acid-catalyzed redox-neutral annulation proceeds via a condensation/1,5-hydride shift/ring-closure sequence. Polycyclic azepinoindoles and related compounds are obtained in a single step with good to excellent yields.