Enantioselective N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed nucleophilic dearomatization of alkyl pyridiniums.

NHC-catalyzed nucleophilic dearomatization of alkyl pyridiniums has been achieved to generate 1,4-dihydropyridines with high enantioselectivity. This is a rare example of catalytic, asymmetric addition of a nucleophile to the activated pyridinium that prefers C-4 functionalization leading to the 1,4-dihydropyridine with high selectivity.

Influence of Electronic Effects on the Reactivity of Triazolylidene-Boryl Radicals: Consequences for the use of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Boranes in Organic and Polymer Synthesis.

A small library of triazolylidene-boranes that differ only in the nature of the aryl group on the external nitrogen atom was prepared. Their reactivity as hydrogen-atom donors, as well as that of the corresponding N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-boryl radicals toward methyl acrylate and oxygen, was investigated by laser flash photolysis, molecular orbital calculations, and ESR spin-trapping experiments, and benchmarked relative to the already known dimethyltriazolylidene-borane. The new NHC-boranes were also used as co-initiators for the Type I photopolymerization of acrylates. This allowed a structure-reactivity relationship with regard to the substitution pattern of the NHC to be established and the role of electronic effects in the reactivity of NHC-boryl radicals to be probed. Although their rate of addition to methyl acrylate depends on their electronegativity, the radicals are all nucleophilic and good initiators for photopolymerization reactions.

Rapid Construction of (-)-Paroxetine and (-)-Femoxetine via N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed Homoenolate Addition to Nitroalkenes.

A concise enantioselective synthesis of (-)-paroxetine (Paxil) and (-)-femoxetine has been achieved. Key to these syntheses is a N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed homoenolate addition to a nitroalkene followed by in situ reduction of the nitro-group to rapidly access δ-lactams.

Synthesis of 7,7'-dihydroxy-8,8'-biquinolyl (azaBINOL) via Pd-catalyzed directed double C-H functionalization of 8,8'-biquinolyl: emergence of an atropos from a tropos state.

7,7'-Dihydroxy-8,8'-biquinolyl (azaBINOL) was prepared from 2-chloroaniline in four steps: (1) the Skraup reaction, (2) Ni-catalyzed reductive coupling of 8-chloroquinoline, (3) Pd(II)-catalyzed double C-H functionalization of 8,8'-biquinolyl mediated by PhI(OAc)(2), and (4) saponification. During the third step, an axially chiral (atropos type) biaryl molecule was directly generated from an essentially achiral (tropos type) biaryl starting material.