Pd-catalyzed domino synthesis of internal alkynes using triarylbismuths as multicoupling organometallic nucleophiles

The domino coupling reaction of 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes with triarylbismuth nucleophiles has been demonstrated to furnish disubstituted alkynes directly under catalytic palladium conditions. The couplings of triarylbismuths as multicoupling nucleophiles with 3 equiv of 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes are very fast, affording high yields of alkynes in a short reaction time. Thus, an efficient domino process has been accomplished using 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes as surrogates for internal alkyne synthesis in couplings with triarylbismuths in a one-pot operation.

New chiral phosphoramidite complexes of iron as catalytic precursors in the oxidation of activated methylene groups

New phosphoramidite complexes of iron were synthesized and structurally characterized. Reaction of the known chiral phosphoramidites (RO)2PNR'2 (R = binaphthyl, R' = CH3, 1a; R = binaphthyl, R' = benzyl, 1b) with [FeBr(Cp)(CO)2] afforded the title compounds [FeBr(Cp)(CO)(1a,b)] (4a,b) in 34 and 65 % isolated yields as mixtures of diastereomers, since both the metal and the ligand are stereogenic. Similarly, reaction of 1b with [Fe(Cp)I(CO)2] in the presence of catalytic [Fe(Cp)(CO)2]2 afforded [Fe(Cp)I(CO)(1b)] (5b) in 81% yield as a mixture of diastereomers. The molecular structures of 4a, 4b and 5 were determined, revealing a pseudo octahedral coordination geometry about the iron center. The new metal complexes are catalytically active in the oxidation of benzylic methylene groups to the corresponding ketones, utilizing t-BuOOH as oxidant (2 mol% catalyst, 36 h, room temperature, 31-80% yield).