Synthesis of the C(1)-C(13) Fragment of Leiodermatolide via Hydrogen-Mediated C-C Bond Formation.

The C(1)-C(13) fragment of the antimitotic marine macrolide leiodermatolide is prepared in seven steps via hydrogenative and transfer-hydrogenative reductive C-C couplings. A hydrogen-mediated reductive coupling of acetylene with a Roche-type aldehyde is used to construct C(7)-C(13). A 2-propanol-mediated reductive coupling of allyl acetate with (E)-2-methylbut-2-enal at a low loading of iridium (1 mol %) is used to construct C(1)-C(6), which is converted to an allylsilane using Oestereich's copper-catalyzed allylic substitution of Si-Zn reagents. The union of the C(1)-C(6) and C(7)-C(13) fragments is achieved via stereoselective Sakurai allylation.

Reductive Cyclization of Halo-Ketones to Form 3-Hydroxy-2-Oxindoles via Palladium Catalyzed Hydrogenation: A Hydrogen-Mediated Grignard Addition.

The reductive cyclization of N-oxoacyl ortho-bromoanilides to form 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles under the conditions of palladium catalyzed hydrogenation is described. This work may be viewed as a prelude to intermolecular hydrogen-mediated Grignard-type reductive couplings of organic halides with carbonyl compounds.

Palladium-catalyzed acetylation of arenes.

A simple method for the preparation of aryl methyl ketones is reported. The transformation involves the Pd-catalyzed coupling of an acyl anion equivalent, acetyltrimethylsilane, with aryl bromides to afford the corresponding acetylated arenes in synthetically useful yields. The methodology is tolerant of heterocycles and provides a new method for arene functionalization.

Nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura couplings in green solvents.

The nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of aryl halides and phenol-derived substrates with aryl boronic acids using green solvents, such as 2-Me-THF and tert-amyl alcohol, is reported. This methodology employs the commercially available and air-stable precatalyst, NiCl2(PCy3)2, and gives biaryl products in synthetically useful to excellent yields. Using this protocol, bis(heterocyclic) frameworks can be assembled efficiently.

Nickel-catalyzed amination of aryl sulfamates and carbamates using an air-stable precatalyst.

A facile nickel-catalyzed method to achieve the amination of synthetically useful aryl sulfamates and carbamates is reported. Contrary to most Ni-catalyzed amination reactions, this user-friendly approach relies on an air-stable Ni(II) precatalyst, which, when employed with a mild reducing agent, efficiently delivers aminated products in good to excellent yields. The scope of the method is broad with respect to both coupling partners and includes heterocyclic substrates.

Iron-catalyzed alkylations of aryl sulfamates and carbamates.

The alkylation of aryl sulfamates and carbamates using iron catalysis is reported. The method constructs sp(2)-sp(3) carbon-carbon bonds and provides synthetically useful yields across a range of substrates (>35 examples). The directing group ability of sulfamates and carbamates, accompanied by their low reactivity toward conventional cross-couplings, renders these substrates useful for the synthesis of polyfunctionalized arenes.

Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of aryl carbamates and sulfamates: experimental and computational studies.

The first Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of the synthetically versatile aryl O-carbamate and O-sulfamate groups are described. The transformations utilize the inexpensive, bench-stable catalyst NiCl(2)(PCy(3))(2) to furnish biaryls in good to excellent yields. A broad scope for this methodology has been demonstrated. Substrates with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups are tolerated, in addition to those that possess ortho substituents. Furthermore, heteroaryl substrates may be employed as coupling partners. A computational study providing the full catalytic cycles for these cross-coupling reactions is described. The oxidative addition with carbamates or sulfamates occurs via a five-centered transition state, resulting in the exclusive cleavage of the aryl C-O bond. Water is found to stabilize the Ni-carbamate catalyst resting state, which thus provides rationalization of the relative decreased rate of coupling of carbamates. Several synthetic applications are presented to showcase the utility of the methodology in the synthesis of polysubstituted aromatic compounds of natural product and bioactive molecule interest.

Nickel-catalyzed amination of aryl carbamates and sequential site-selective cross-couplings.

We report the amination of aryl carbamates using nickel-catalysis. The methodology is broad in scope with respect to both coupling partners and delivers aminated products in synthetically useful yields. Computational studies provide the full catalytic cycle of this transformation, and suggest that reductive elimination is the rate-determining step. Given that carbamates are easy to prepare, robust, inert to Pd-catalysis, and useful for arene functionalization, these substrates are particularly attractive partners for use in synthesis. The sequential use of carbamate functionalization/site-selective cross-coupling processes highlights the utility of this methodology.

Catalyzed catalysis using carbophilic Lewis acidic gold and Lewis basic palladium: synthesis of substituted butenolides and isocoumarins.

A new strategy for gold and palladium dual-catalytic reactivity and turnover, called catalyzed catalysis, enhanced the synthetic usefulness of vinylgold intermediates by providing dual-catalytic carbon-carbon cross-coupling as an alternative to protodemetalation. This protocol enabled the synthesis of substituted butenolides and isocoumarins from allyl esters. Kinetic and spectroscopic experiments support a mechanism in which the Lewis acidic gold complex catalyzes both an initial rearrangement step and a subsequent Lewis basic palladium oxidative-addition step.