ABSTRACT
Employment of sulfoxides as electrophiles in cross-coupling reactions remains underexplored. Herein we report a transition-metal-free cross-coupling strategy utilizing aryl(heteroaryl) methyl sulfoxides and alcohols to afford alkyl aryl(heteroaryl) ethers. Two drug molecules were successfully prepared using this protocol as a key step, emphasizing its potential utility in medicinal chemistry. A DFT computational study suggests that the reaction proceeds via initial addition of the alkoxide to the sulfoxide. This adduct facilitates further intramolecular addition of the alkoxide to the aromatic ring wherein charge on the aromatic system is stabilized by the nearby potassium cation. Rate-determining fragmentation then delivers methyl sulfenate and the aryl or heteroaryl ether. This study establishes the feasibility of nucleophilic addition to an appended sulfoxide as a means to form a bond to aryl(heteroaryl) systems and this modality is expected to find use with many other electrophiles and nucleophiles leading to new cross-coupling processes.
Subject(s)
Alcohols/chemistry , Ethers/chemistry , Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/chemistry , Sulfoxides/chemistry , Transition Elements/chemistry , Carbon/chemistry , Catalysis , Chemistry, Pharmaceutical/methods , Heterocyclic Compounds/chemistry , Hydrocarbons, Aromatic/chemistry , Metals/chemistry , Models, Chemical , Molecular Structure , Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/chemical synthesis , Sulfur/chemistryABSTRACT
Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes (BCPs) have sparked the interest of medicinal chemists due to their recent discovery as bioisosteres of aromatic rings. To study the biological activity of this relatively new class of bioisosteres, reliable methods to incorporate BCPs into target molecules are in high demand, as reflected by a flurry of methods for BCP synthesis in recent years. In this work, we disclose a general method for the synthesis of BCP-containing dithianes which, upon deprotection, provide access to BCP analogues of medicinally abundant diarylketones. A broad scope of 2-aryl-1,3-dithianes, including several heterocyclic derivatives, react with [1.1.1]propellane to afford 26 new derivatives in good to excellent yields. Further transformation of the dithiane portion into a variety of functional groups demonstrates the robustness of the products. A computational study indicates that the reaction of 2-aryl-1,3-dithianes and [1.1.1]propellane proceeds via a two-electron pathway.
Subject(s)
Heterocyclic Compounds/chemistry , Molecular StructureABSTRACT
A highly chemoselective phenol cross-coupling reaction catalyzed by a Cr-salen catalyst was developed. Kinetic studies showed that the oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(V) is the rate-determining step of the reaction. In addition, experimental stoichiometric analysis showed that a high valent Cr(V) species is the active catalyst for this process. The selectivity of the reaction was found to be determined by the cross-coupling carbon-carbon bond forming reaction, rather than any precoordination species. It appears that the lowest energy cross-coupling pathway requires a lesser degree of electronic reorganization in its transition state vs the lowest energy homocoupling pathway. This result was supported by stoichiometric Cr(V) kinetics, 13C kinetic isotope effects, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The understanding of the full landscape of this reaction allowed us to develop a general analysis to predict the regioselectivity of the cross-coupling reaction.
Subject(s)
Biphenyl Compounds/chemical synthesis , Chromium/chemistry , Coordination Complexes/chemistry , Cross-Linking Reagents/chemistry , Phenols/chemistry , Carbon Isotopes/chemistry , Catalysis , Density Functional Theory , Deuterium/chemistry , Kinetics , Models, Chemical , Oxidation-ReductionABSTRACT
The regiochemistry of the nitration of toluene by NO2+BF4- in dichloromethane is accurately predicted from trajectories in explicit solvent. Simpler models and approaches based on transition state theory fail to account for the selectivity. Potential of mean force calculations find no free-energy barrier for reaction of the toluene/NO2+BF4- encounter complex, yet the trajectories require an extraordinary 3 ps to descend an exergonic slope. The selectivity is decided late in long trajectories because their completion requires solvent and counterion reorganization. The normal descriptive understanding of the regiochemistry based on transition-state energies is unsupported.
Subject(s)
Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Nitro Compounds/chemistry , Toluene/chemistry , Molecular Structure , Monte Carlo Method , Nitro Compounds/chemical synthesis , Quantum Theory , StereoisomerismABSTRACT
The mechanism of the Wittig reaction of anisaldehyde with a stabilized ylide was studied by a combination of (13)C kinetic isotope effects, conventional calculations, and molecular dynamics calculations in a cluster of 53 THF molecules. The isotope effects support a cycloaddition mechanism involving two sequential transition states associated with separate C-C and P-O bond formations. However, the betaine structure in between the two transition states is bypassed as an equilibrated intermediate in most trajectories. The role of the dynamics of solvent equilibration in the nature of mechanistic intermediates is discussed.
