Oxygen transfer reactivity mediated by nickel perfluoroalkyl complexes using molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant.

Nickel perfluoroethyl and perfluoropropyl complexes supported by naphthyridine-type ligands show drastically different aerobic reactivity from their trifluoromethyl analogs resulting in facile oxygen transfer to perfluoroalkyl groups or oxygenation of external organic substrates (phosphines, sulfides, alkenes and alcohols) using O2 or air as a terminal oxidant. Such mild aerobic oxygenation occurs through the formation of spectroscopically detected transient high-valent NiIII and structurally characterized mixed-valent NiII-NiIV intermediates and radical intermediates, resembling O2 activation reported for some Pd dialkyl complexes. This reactivity is in contrast with the aerobic oxidation of naphthyridine-based Ni(CF3)2 complexes resulting in the formation of a stable NiIII product, which is attributed to the effect of greater steric congestion imposed by longer perfluoroalkyl chains.

Decarboxylative ipso Amination of Activated Benzoic Acids.

In the presence of a bimetallic Pd/Cu system with 1,10-phenanthroline as the ligand and either air or N-methylmorpholine N-oxide as the oxidant, electron-deficient benzoic acids undergo oxidative decarboxylative coupling with unprotected amines. This operationally simple aniline synthesis is widely applicable with respect to the amine and gives good yields, even on multigram scale. The orthogonality of this reaction to other Pd-catalyzed cross-couplings allows the concise synthesis of multisubstituted arenes by sequential C-C, C-Cl, and C-N functionalizations. Mechanistic investigations suggest the intermediacy of a hypervalent Pd species.

Doubly Regioselective C-H Hydroarylation of Unsymmetrical Alkynes Using Carboxylates as Deciduous Directing Groups.

A catalyst system composed of [(C6Me6)RuCl2]2, potassium carbonate/guanidine carbonate, and mesitoic acid efficiently promotes the doubly regioselective C-H hydroarylation of unsymmetrical alkynes. The process involves carboxylate-directed ortho-C-H bond activation followed by regioselective addition to the alkyne C-C triple bond with concerted decarboxylation. This action of the carboxylate as a deciduous directing group ensures exclusive monovinylation with high selectivity for the (E)-1,2-diarylalkene.

Copper-Catalyzed Hydroamination of Terminal Allenes.

The ligand-free copper-catalyzed hydroamination of allenes has been accomplished in the presence of cyclic secondary amines or anilines derivatives. This novel methodology undergoes the selective generation of (E)-allylamines under smooth conditions with total regio- and stereoselectivity.

Hydroamination of terminal alkynes with secondary amines catalyzed by copper: regioselective access to amines.

A simple and convenient copper-catalyzed hydroamination of arylacetylenes with secondary amines has been performed giving a simple access to aliphatic amines after reduction of the hydroaminated products (E-enamines). Here we described a mild catalytic system utilizing CuCN precatalyst without any additive ligands in a solvent-free system.

Copper-catalyzed hydroamination of alkynes with aliphatic amines: regioselective access to (1E,3E)-1,4-disubstituted-1,3-dienes.

Copper-catalyzed hydroamination of aromatic or heteroaromatic alkynes with cyclic secondary aliphatic amines undergoes generation of an enamine-type intermediate. The latter is transformed in situ via a coupling reaction with a second molecule of alkyne to afford regioselectively (1E,3E)-1,4-disubstituted-1,3-dienes with the formation of C-N, C-C, and C-H bonds.