Computational investigations on base-catalyzed diaryl ether formation.

We report investigations with the dispersion-corrected B3LYP density functional method on mechanisms and energetics for reactions of group I metal phenoxides with halobenzenes as models for polyether formation. Calculated barriers for ether formation from para-substituted fluorobenzenes are well correlated with the electron-donating or -withdrawing properties of the substituent at the para position. These trends have also been explained with the distortion/interaction energy theory model which show that the major component of the activation energy is the energy required to distort the arylfluoride reactant into the geometry that it adopts at the transition state. Resonance-stabilized aryl anion intermediates (Meisenheimer complexes) are predicted to be energetically disfavored in reactions involving fluorobenzenes with a single electron-withdrawing group at the para position of the arene, but are formed when the fluorobenzenes are very electron-deficient, or when chelating substituents at the ortho position of the aryl ring are capable of binding with the metal cation, or both. Our results suggest that the presence of the metal cation does not increase the rate of reaction, but plays an important role in these reactions by binding the fluoride or nitrite leaving group and facilitating displacement. We have found that the barrier to reaction decreases as the size of the metal cation increases among a series of group I metal phenoxides due to the fact that the phenoxide becomes less distorted in the transition state as the size of the metal increases.

Metal-free catalytic enantioselective C-B bond formation: (pinacolato)boron conjugate additions to α,ß-unsaturated ketones, esters, Weinreb amides, and aldehydes promoted by chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes.

The first broadly applicable metal-free enantioselective method for boron conjugate addition (BCA) to α,ß-unsaturated carbonyls is presented. The C-B bond forming reactions are promoted in the presence of 2.5-7.5 mol % of a readily accessible C(1)-symmetric chiral imidazolinium salt, which is converted, in situ, to the catalytically active diastereo- and enantiomerically pure N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) by the common organic base 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (dbu). In addition to the commercially available bis(pinacolato)diboron [B(2)(pin)(2)], and in contrast to reactions with the less sterically demanding achiral NHCs, the presence of MeOH is required for high efficiency. Acyclic and cyclic α,ß-unsaturated ketones, as well as acyclic esters, Weinreb amides, and aldehydes, can serve as suitable substrates; the desired ß-boryl carbonyls are isolated in up to 94% yield and >98:2 enantiomer ratio (er). Transformations are often carried out at ambient temperature. In certain cases, such as when the relatively less reactive unsaturated amides are used, elevated temperatures are required (50-66 °C); nonetheless, reactions remain highly enantioselective. The utility of the NHC-catalyzed method is demonstrated through comparison with the alternative Cu-catalyzed protocols; in cases involving a polyfunctional substrate, unique profiles in chemoselectivity are exhibited by the metal-free approach (e.g., conjugate addition vs reaction with an alkyne, allene, or aldehyde).

Metal-free catalytic C-Si bond formation in an aqueous medium. Enantioselective NHC-catalyzed silyl conjugate additions to cyclic and acyclic α,ß-unsaturated carbonyls.

A metal-free method for enantioselective conjugate addition of a dimethylphenylsilyl group to α,ß-unsaturated carbonyls is reported. Transformations are catalyzed by a chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), performed in an aqueous solution (3:1 mixture of water and tetrahydrofuran) and are operationally simpler to perform than the NHC-Cu-catalyzed variant. The chiral catalyst is generated from an enantiomerically pure imidazolinium salt (prepared in three steps) and a common organic amine base (dbu). NHC-catalyzed processes proceed with 5.0-12.5 mol % catalyst loading at 22 °C within 1-12 h, affording the desired ß-silyl carbonyls in 85:15 to >98:2 enantiomeric ratio and in 50% to >98% yield. Cyclic enones or lactones and acyclic α,ß-unsaturated ketones, esters, and aldehydes can be used as substrates.

A practical synthesis of 3-acyl cyclobutanones by [2 + 2] annulation. Mechanism and utility of the Zn(II)-catalyzed condensation of α-chloroenamines with electron-deficient alkenes.

New conditions for the conversion of simple tertiary amides to α-chloroenamines and their use in Zn(II)-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions with commercial α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds allows rapid, regiocontrolled access to 3-acyl cyclobutanones. Reactions take place at ambient temperature without solvent, giving strained [2 + 2] adducts with all-carbon-substituted quaternary carbon atoms. Ab initio calculations of the putative keteniminium intermediate and studies with styrenyl olefins suggest a dual role for Zn(OTf)(2) during catalysis.

Enantioselective synthesis of boron-substituted quaternary carbons by NHC-Cu-catalyzed boronate conjugate additions to unsaturated carboxylic esters, ketones, or thioesters.

A Cu-catalyzed method for enantioselective boronate conjugate additions to trisubstituted alkenes of acyclic alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic esters, ketones, and thioesters is disclosed. All transformations are promoted by 5 mol % of a chiral monodentate NHC-Cu complex, derived from a readily available C(1)-symmetric imidazolinium salt, and in the presence of commercially available bis(pinacolato)diboron. Reactions are efficient (typically, 60% to >98% yield after purification) and deliver the desired beta-boryl carbonyls in up to >98:2 enantiomer ratio (er). Processes involving unsaturated thioesters proceed with higher enantioselectivity (vs carboxylic esters or ketones), and the resulting products can be functionalized by Ag-mediated or Pd-catalyzed reactions that furnish the derived carboxylic ester or various ketones. Routine oxidation affords beta-hydroxy ketones or carboxylic esters, ketone aldol products that cannot be otherwise prepared efficiently by an alternative catalytic enantioselective protocol.

Sustainable synthetic methods: domino construction of dihydropyridin-4-ones and beta-amino esters in aqueous ethanol.

Domino reactions were designed to allow the byproduct of an upstream reaction to be internally recycled to catalyze a downstream reaction in a one-pot tandem sequence. Nitroarene reduction by In(0) generates an amine and In (III) byproducts. Addition of aldehyde followed by Danishefsky's diene or silyl ketene acetal provides access to dihydropyridin-4-ones or beta-amino esters, respectively, in yields that are comparable or superior to the reported stepwise reactions.