Fluorination/dearomatization of C6F5 groups: An FLP route to an electrophilic borane and non-coordinating anions.

B(C6F5)3 and the corresponding anion [B(C6F5)4]- are ubiquitous in main group and transition metal chemistry. Known derivatives are generally limited to the incorporation of electron donating substituents. Herein we describe electrophilic fluorination and dearomatization of such species using XeF2 in the presence of BF3 or Lewis acidic cations. In this fashion the anions [HB(C6F5)3]-, [B(C6F5)4]- and [(C6F5)3BC≡NB(C6F5)3]-, are converted to [HB(C6F7)3]-, [B(C6F7)4]-, and [(C6F7)3BC≡NB(C6F7)3]-, respectively. Similarly, the borane adducts (L)B(C6F7)3 (L = MeCN, OPEt3) are produced. These rare examples of electrophilic attack of electron deficient rings proceed as [XeF][BF4] acts as a frustrated Lewis pair effecting fluorination and dearomatization of C6F5 rings.

Mechanism of Alkaline Earth Metal Amide Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Challenging Alkenes and Arenes.

Recently, bulky alkaline earth (Ae = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) metal amide complexes AeN"2 (N" = N[Si(iPr)3]2) are shown to be active for catalyzing the hydrogenation of unactivated alkenes and arenes, presumably via the monomer N"AeH as catalyst. In sharp contrast, our extensive DFT calculations disclose that the double Ae-H-Ae bridged dimer (N"AeH)2 is kinetically more favorable in catalytic hydrogenation with H2, although rate-limited by the initial hydrogenolysis of AeN"2 to form the monomer N"AeH.

Stereoconvergent Approach to the Enantioselective Construction of α-Quaternary Alcohols by Radical Epoxide Allylation.

We describe a highly stereoconvergent radical epoxide allylation towards diastereomerically and enantiomerically enriched α-quaternary alcohols in two steps from olefins. Our approach combines the stereospecifity and enantioselectivity of the Shi epoxidation with the unprecedented Ti(III)-promoted intramolecular radical group transfer allylation of epoxides. A directional isomerization step via configurationally labile radical intermediates enables the selective preparation of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters in a unique fashion.

Addition and NN bond cleavage of diazo-compounds by phosphino-phosphenium cations.

The phosphino-phosphenium cation (PPC) [Ph3PPPh2][GaCl4] reacts as a frustrated Lewis pair to add across the NN bond of (tBuO2CN)2. In contrast, photolytical addition [Ph2ClPPPh2][GaCl4] to (RN)2 results in cleavage of the NN bond affording [Ph2P(µ-NR)2PPh2Cl][GaCl4] (R = Ph 2, C6H4Cl3). While the chloride of 2 is replaced with N3 or CN via reaction with Me3SiN3 or tBuNC respectively, reaction with (C6F5)2BH effects ring opening to give [HN(Ph)PPh2(µ-NPh)PPh2][GaCl4] 7. This reactivity demonstrates that PPCs behave as FLPs to effect either addition or cleavage of NN double bonds.

The impact of Lewis acid variation on reactions with di-tert-butyl diazo diesters.

Reactions of (tBuO2CN)2 with Lewis acids and FLPs have previously been shown to prompt the formation of diazene compounds. In this work, we show that the reaction of (tBuO2CN)2 with 9-BBN leads to a bicyclic heterocyclic product (tBuOCO(BBN)CN)21. In contrast, the reactions of (tBuO2CN)2 with BF3 or [Et3Si][B(C6F5)4] lead to the isolation of [tBuNHNH2tBu][BF4] 2 and [tBuN(H)NtBu][B(C6F5)4] 3, respectively. The mechanism for the formation of 2 is probed computationally, demonstrating that steric and electronic considerations of the Lewis acid impact the reaction pathway.

Reactivity of Frustrated Lewis Pair: Carbocation versus Radical Intermediates.

Recent reports of radical formation within frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) suggested that single-electron transfer (SET) could play an important role in their chemistry especially for C-C coupling. In sharp contrast, our extensive dispersion-corrected DFT calculations show that although reactive benzhydryl radical along with phosphine radical cation species can be kinetically generated from bulky phosphines and benzhydryl cation, direct P-C hetero-coupling may lead to bulky phosphonium cation as reactive carbocation transfer reagents to styrene substrates, which is kinetically much more favorable than the recently proposed radical C-C coupling between benzhydryl radical and styrene. Similarly, meta-stable radical cation Mes3 P+ ⋅ salt is also kinetically accessible via SET reactions of Mes3 P and B(C6 F5 )3 with 0.5 equivalent of p-O2 C6 Cl4 .

AlCl3-Promoted Intramolecular Indolinone-Quinolone Rearrangement of Spiro[indoline-3,2'-quinoxaline]-2,3'-diones: Easy Access to Quinolino[3,4-b]quinoxalin-6-ones.

A facile and direct intramolecular indolinone-quinolone rearrangement was developed for the synthesis of quinolino[3,4-b]quinoxalin-6-ones from spiro[indoline-3,2'-quinoxaline]-2,3'-diones, which are readily available with use of isatines, malononitrile, and 1,2-phenylenediamines under quite mild conditions. This efficient approach provides excellent yields and could potentially be used for the construction of a diverse library of quinolino[3,4-b]quinoxalin-6-ones for high-throughput screening in medicinal chemistry. The reaction mechanism is explored by extensive DFT calculations.

Divergent Synthesis of 3-(Indol-2-yl)quinoxalin-2-ones and 4-(Benzimidazol-2-yl)-3-methyl(aryl)cinnolines via Polyphosphoric Acid (PPA)-Mediated Intramolecular Rearrangements of 3-(Methyl/aryl(2-phenylhydrazono)methyl)quinoxalin-2-ones.

Herein, we report a polyphosphoric acid (PPA)-mediated divergent metal-free operation to access a diverse collection of 3-(indol-2-yl)quinoxalin-2-ones and 4-(benzimidazol-2-yl)-3-methylcinnolines in moderate to excellent overall yields. The described process involves two distinct, and competing rearrangements of 3-(methyl(2-phenylhydrazono)methyl)quinoxalin-2-ones, namely [3,3]-sigmatropic Fischer rearrangement with the formation of an indole ring to produce 3-(indol-2-yl)-quinoxalin-2-ones, and Mamedov rearrangement with simultaneous construction of benzimidazole and cinnoline rings to form the new biheterocyclic system─4-(benzimidazol-2-yl)-3-methylcinnolines. The reaction mechanism of both rearrangement channels is explored by extensive dispersion-corrected DFT calculations. It is partcularly remarkable that when 3-(aryl(2-phenylhydrazono)methyl)quinoxalin-2-ones is used, instead of 3-(methyl(2-phenylhydrazono)methyl)quinoxalin-2-ones, reactions proceed regioselectively with the formation of only rearrangement products─4-(benzimidazol-2-yl)-3-arylcinnolines with high yields. This operationally simple protocol enables a rapid access to these scaffolds and is compatible with a wide scope of starting materials. In addition, the new rearrangement found features a promising approach for the design of unique compound libraries for drug design and discovery programs.

Phosphino-Phosphination Reactions: Frustrated Lewis Pair Reactivity of Phosphino-Phosphonium Cations with Alkynes.

The phosphino-phosphonium cations of the form [R3 PPR'2 ]+ are labile and provide access to the constituent Lewis acidic and Lewis basic fragments. This permits frustrated Lewis pair-type addition reactions to alkynes, affording unprecedented phosphino-phosphination reactions and giving cations of the form [cis-R3 PCHC(R'')PR'2 ]+ . This reactivity is further adapted to prepare several examples of a rare class of dissymmetric cis-olefin-linked bidentate phosphines.

PI and PIII Ions Supported by BZIMPY Ligands.

We report a class of compounds in which both PIII -X and PI forms featuring the same ligand are stable and readily cycled with each other. A series of PIII -X (X=Cl, Br, I) dicationic triflate salts supported by benzyl- and allyl-substituted 2,6-bis(benzimidazole-2-yl)pyridine (BZIMPY) ligands is synthesized. Surprisingly, treatment of these with R3 PO (R=Et, Oct) results in reduction to BZIMPY-ligated PI monocationic triflate salts while treatment with Ph3 P reduces but also substitutes the compound to produce Ph3 P-BZIMPY-ligated PI dicationic triflate salts. The mechanisms of these surprising reductions are probed experimentally and rationalized computationally. The PIII -X dications are shown to be strong Lewis acids both experimentally and computationally and to readily behave as X+ , PX, and P+ transfer agents in reactions with phosphines, NHCs, and diazabutadienes. The PI mono- and dications are shown to be very effective P+ transfer agents when treated similarly. Oxidation from a monocationic PI salt back to the dicationic PIII -X (X=Cl, Br) salt was achieved by treatment with N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS) or N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). Full characterization is reported using multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffractometry where suitable crystals were isolated.

Electron-deficient cyclopropenium cations as Lewis acids in FLP chemistry.

Cyclopropenium cations incorporating electron deficient substituents are Lewis acidic despite the presence of π-electrons. The chloride and electron affinities are examined computationally and experimentally, respectively. These cations form classic Lewis acid-base adducts with PPh3, while sterically demanding phosphines yield frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) which participate in FLP additions. Depending on the basicity of the phosphine used, addition to alkynes or alkyne deprotonation is observed. In either case, new C-C bonds are formed, thus extending the utility of the concept of FLP chemistry to these delocalized π-cations.

A Nuclearity-Dependent Enantiodivergent Epoxide Opening via Enthalpy-Controlled Mononuclear and Entropy-Controlled Dinuclear (Salen)Titanium Catalysis.

A nuclearity-dependent enantiodivergent epoxide opening reaction has been developed, in which both antipodes of chiral alcohol products are selectively accessed by mononuclear (salen)TiIII complex and its self-assembled oxygen-bridged dinuclear counterparts within the same stereogenic ligand scaffold. Kinetic studies based on the Eyring equation revealed an enthalpy-controlled enantio-differentiation mode in mononuclear catalysis, whereas an entropy-controlled one in dinuclear catalysis. DFT calculations outline the origin of the enantiocontrol of the mononuclear catalysis and indicate the actual catalyst species in the dinuclear catalytic system. The mechanistic insights may shed a light on a strategy for stereoswichable asymmetric catalysis utilizing nuclearity-distinct transition-metal complexes.

Discrimination of the Enantiotopic Faces of Structurally Unbiased Carbenium Ions Employing a Cyclohexadiene-Based Chiral Hydride Source.

An enantioselective reduction of simple carbenium ions with cyclohexadienes containing a hydridic C-H bond at an asymmetrically substituted carbon atom is disclosed. The net reaction is a transfer hydrogenation of alkenes (styrenes) only employing chiral cyclohexadienes as dihydrogen surrogates. The trityl cation is used to initiate a Brønsted acid-promoted process, in which a delicate intermolecular capture of a carbenium-ion intermediate by the aforementioned chiral hydride source is enantioselectivity determining. Exclusively non-covalent interactions are rendering one of the transition states energetically more favored, giving the reduction products in good enantiomeric ratios. The computed reaction mechanism supports the present findings as well as previous results obtained from studies on other transfer-hydrogenation methods involving the cyclohexadiene platform.

Reactivity of frustrated Lewis pairs with BOC protected diazocarboxylates: FLP capture of diazene.

Reactions of (tBuO2CN)2 with FLPs are examined. B(C6F5)3 interacts with the carbonyl oxygen atoms inducing loss of CH2CMe2; however, in the presence of basic donors, the protons are intercepted affording the salts [Hbase]2 [((C6F5)3BO2CN)2] (base = tBu3P 1, NC5H2Ph32, HNC5H6Me43). In contrast, in the presence of (o-Tol)3P, a proton transfers to the diazo-N atom affording (o-Tol)3PN(CO2tBu)NHB(C6F5)34. Further addition of B(C6F5)3 to 4 prompts loss of olefin CH2CMe2 and CO2 affording (o-Tol)3PNHNHB(C6F5)35. The course of these reactions is examined by extensive DFT calculations. The nature of 5 is consistent with the FLP reduction of a diazene fragment.

Diazene Chemistry: Metal-Free Models of N2 Reduction Intermediates.

Interest in main group chemistry related to the Haber-Bosch process has drawn less attention than that of transition metal species. Herein, we show that the steric demands in (tBuO2CN)2 block initial interaction of B(C6F5)3 with nitrogen and prompt loss of methylpropene and CO2 to diazene (N2H2) borane adduct 1 and the analogous hydrazine (N2H4) adduct 2. These species react with basic phosphines to give anions of 3 and 5 containing N2H and N2H3 fragments, respectively. While these species are not derived directly from N2, they represent metal-free species containing N2Hn (n = 1-4) fragments, which model plausible intermediates in the reduction of N2.

[4+1] cyclization of α-diazo esters and mesoionic N-heterocyclic olefins.

Prompted by the recent stepwise mechanistic proposal for the Huisgen [3+2] cycloaddition reaction between enamine and α-diazo ester, where the nucleophilic addition of the enamine carbon onto the terminal nitrogen of diazo ester is crucial, we examined the possible use of N-heterocyclic olefins (NHOs) as highly electron-rich dipolarophiles in these reactions. The mesoionic NHOs derived from 1,2,3-triazoles undergo fast [4+1] cycloaddition to give 3-(triazolium-4-yl)-(3H)-pyrazol-4-olates at room temperature. The reaction mechanism has been explored through experimental and DFT computational studies.

Design of transition metal complexes containing a P-E radical motif.

Recently, we have synthesized phosphane W(CO)5 complexes containing a P-O-TEMP ligand motif as bench-stable precursors of thermally accessible phosphanoxyl complex radicals possessing a ligand with a P-O˙ group. In this work, extensive dispersion-corrected DFT calculations are used to explore both W(CO)5 and Fe(CO)4 phosphane complexes containing the P-E-TEMP ligands (E = O, S, NMe, and PMe) in order to reach thermally accessible radicals with a P-E˙ motif. Moreover, a more general single-electron transfer (SET) oxidation approach to synthesize such P-E˙ radicals via anionic precursors is disclosed. Furthermore, the tendencies for self-trapping and prototropic reactions of such radical complexes have been studied for the first time. Electronic structures and potential conversions of such P-E˙ radicals are discussed, thus paving the way to a broad range of transition metal radical complexes, including potential thermal radical initiators.

Photoredox Catalyzed Single C-F Bond Activation of Trifluoromethyl Ketones: A Solvent Controlled Divergent Access of gem-Difluoromethylene Containing Scaffolds.

Selective defluorinative functionalization of trifluoromethyl ketones is a long-standing challenge owing to the exhaustive mode of the process. To meet the demands for the installation of the gem-difluoromethylene unit for the construction of the molecular architectures of well-known pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, a distinct pathway is thereby highly desirable. Here, a protocol is introduced that allows the divergent synthesis of gem-difluoromethylene group containing tetrahydrofuran derivatives and linear ketones via single C-F bond activation of trifluoromethyl ketones using visible-light photoredox catalysis in the presence of suitable olefins as trapping partner. The choice of appropriate solvent and catalyst plays a significant role in controlling the divergent behavior of this protocol. Highly reducing photo-excited catalysts are found to be responsible for the generation of α,α-difluoromethyl ketone (DFMK) radicals as the key intermediate via a SET process. This protocol also results in a high diastereoselectivity towards the formation of partially fluorinated cyclic ketal derivatives with simultaneous construction of one C-C and two C-O bonds. State-of-the-art DFT calculations are performed to address the origin of diastereoselectivity as well as the divergence of this protocol.

Calcium Hydride Cation Dimer Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Unactivated 1-Alkenes and H2 Isotope Exchange: Competitive Ca-H-Ca Bridges and Terminal Ca-H Bonds.

Recently, it was shown that the double Ca-H-Ca bridged calcium hydride cation dimer complex [LCaH2 CaL]2+ (macrocyclic ligand L=NNNN-tetradentate Me4 TACD) exhibited remarkable activity in catalyzing the hydrogenation of unactivated 1-alkenes as well as the H2 isotope exchange under mild conditions, tentatively via the terminal Ca-H bond of cation monomer LCaH+ . In this DFT mechanistic work, a novel substrate-dependent catalytic mechanism is disclosed involving cooperative Ca-H-Ca bridges for H2 isotope exchange, competitive Ca-H-Ca bridges and terminal Ca-H bonds for anti-Markovnikov addition of unactivated 1-alkenes, and terminal Ca-H bonds for Markovnikov addition of conjugation-activated styrene. THF-coordination plays a key role in favoring the anti-Markovnikov addition while strong cation-π interactions direct the Markovnikov addition to terminal Ca-H bonds.

Synthesis of phosphiranes via organoiron-catalyzed phosphinidene transfer to electron-deficient olefins.

Herein is reported the structural characterization and scalable preparation of the elusive iron-phosphido complex FpP( t Bu)(F) (2-F, Fp = (Fe(η5-C5H5)(CO)2)) and its precursor FpP( t Bu)(Cl) (2-Cl) in 51% and 71% yields, respectively. These phosphide complexes are proposed to be relevant to an organoiron catalytic cycle for phosphinidene transfer to electron-deficient alkenes. Examination of their properties led to the discovery of a more efficient catalytic system involving the simple, commercially available organoiron catalyst Fp2. This improved catalysis also enabled the preparation of new phosphiranes with high yields ( t BuPCH2CHR; R = CO2Me, 41%; R = CN, 83%; R = 4-biphenyl, 73%; R = SO2Ph, 71%; R = POPh2, 70%; R = 4-pyridyl, 82%; R = 2-pyridyl, 67%; R = PPh3 +, 64%) and good diastereoselectivity, demonstrating the feasibility of the phosphinidene group-transfer strategy in synthetic chemistry. Experimental and theoretical studies suggest that the original catalysis involves 2-X as the nucleophile, while for the new Fp2-catalyzed reaction they implicate a diiron-phosphido complex Fp2(P t Bu), 4, as the nucleophile which attacks the electron-deficient olefin in the key first P-C bond-forming step. In both systems, the initial nucleophilic attack may be accompanied by favorable five-membered ring formation involving a carbonyl ligand, a (reversible) pathway competitive with formation of the three-membered ring found in the phosphirane product. A novel radical mechanism is suggested for the new Fp2-catalyzed system.