One-Step Catalyst-Transfer Macrocyclization: Expanding the Chemical Space of Azaparacyclophanes.

In this paper, we report on a one-step catalyst-transfer macrocyclization (CTM) reaction, based on the Pd-catalyzed Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reaction, selectively affording only cyclic structures. This route offers a versatile and efficient approach to synthesize aza[1n]paracyclophanes (APCs) featuring diverse functionalities and lumens. The method operates at mild reaction temperatures (40 °C) and short reaction times (∼2 h), delivering excellent isolated yields (>75% macrocycles) and up to 30% of a 6-membered cyclophane, all under nonhigh-dilution concentrations (35-350 mM). Structural insights into APCs reveal variations in product distribution based on different endocyclic substituents, with steric properties of exocyclic substituents having minimal influence on the macrocyclization. Aryl-type endocyclic substituents predominantly yield 6-membered macrocycles, while polycyclic aromatic units such as fluorene and carbazole favor 4-membered species. Experimental and computational studies support a proposed mechanism of ring-walking catalyst transfer that promotes the macrocycle formation. It has been found that the macrocyclization is driven by the formation of cyclic conformers during the oligomerization step favoring an intramolecular C-N bond formation that, depending on the cycle size, hinges on either preorganization effect or kinetic increase of the reductive elimination step or a combination of the two. The CTM process exhibits a "living" behavior, facilitating sequential synthesis of other macrocycles by introducing relevant monomers, thus providing a practical synthetic platform for chemical libraries. Notably, CTM operates both under diluted and concentrated regimes, offering scalability potential, unlike typical macrocyclization reactions usually operating in the 0.1-1 mM range.

Chain-Growth Polymerization of Benzotriazole Using Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling and Dialkylbiarylphosphine Palladium Catalysts.

Electron-deficient (n-type) conjugated materials are commonly prepared via step-growth methods with limited control over the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the resulting polymers. In this communication, we demonstrate that Pd-dialkylbiarylphosphine catalysts enable the chain-growth polymerization of benzo[1,2,3]triazole using Suzuki-Miyaura coupling with molecular weight control and modest molecular weight distributions (D ∼ 1.2-1.6). The importance of a free ligand in the reaction mixture during polymerization was established by analysis of polymer samples using GPC and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. A block copolymer with poly(3-hexylthiophene) was also synthesized by sequential monomer addition. The success of these commercially available catalysts for polymerization of benzotriazole highlights their potential for chain-growth reactions with other bicyclic arenes in the future.

Use of N-methyliminodiacetic acid boronate esters in suzuki-miyaura cross-coupling polymerizations of triarylamine and fluorene monomers.

Polytriarylamine copolymers can be prepared by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of bis N-methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA) boronate ester substituted arylamines with dibromo arenes. The roles of solvent composition, temperature, reaction time, and co-monomer structure were examined and (co)polymers prepared containing 9, 9-dioctylfluorene (F8), 4-sec-butyl or 4-octylphenyl diphenyl amine (TFB), and N, N'-bis(4-octylphenyl)-N, N'-diphenyl phenylenediamine (PTB) units, using a Pd(OAc)2/2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2',6'-dimethoxybiphenyl (SPhos) catalyst system. The performance of a di-functionalized MIDA boronate ester monomer was compared with that of an equivalent pinacol boronate ester. Higher molar mass polymers were produced from reactions starting with a difunctionalized pinacol boronate ester monomer than the equivalent difunctionalized MIDA boronate ester monomer in biphase solvent mixtures (toluene/dioxane/water). Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectroscopic analysis revealed that polymeric structures rich in residues associated with the starting MIDA monomer were present, suggesting that homo-coupling of the boronate ester must be occurring to the detriment of cross-coupling in the step-growth polymerization. However, when comparable reactions of the two boronate monomers with a dibromo fluorene monomer were completed in a single phase solvent mixture (dioxane + water), high molar mass polymers with relatively narrow distribution ranges were obtained after only 4 h of reaction. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 2798-2806.

Regioselective electrophilic borylation of haloarenes.

Haloarenes undergo direct borylation using amine : BCl3 : AlCl3 in the ratio of 1 : 1 : 2. After esterification the pinacol boronate esters are isolated in good yield with regioselectivity controlled by steric and electronic effects.