Iron-Catalyzed Esterification of Benzyl CH Bonds to Form α-Keto Benzyl Esters

Photoredox/Copper Dual-Catalyzed Benzylic C-H Esterification via Radical-Polar Crossover

Herein, we report a distinctive photoredox/copper dual-catalyzed esterification of benzylic C-H bonds through the combination of photoredox-mediated hydrogen atom transfer and Cu(II)-mediated radical-polar crossover. This methodology demonstrates a high functional group tolerance (>40 examples) and moderate to good yields with structurally diverse benzylic C-H substrates. Notably, stoichiometric amounts of carboxylic acids are used as coupling partners, which allows the synthesis of structurally diverse benzylic esters and the late-stage functionalization of pharmaceuticals.

Organic synthesis with the most abundant transition metal–iron: from rust to multitasking catalysts

The promising aspects of iron in synthetic chemistry are being explored for three-four decades as a green and eco-friendly alternative to late transition metals. This present review unveils these rich iron-chemistry towards different transformations.

Directing activator-assisted regio- and oxidation state-selective aerobic oxidation of secondary C(sp(3))-H bonds in aliphatic alcohols

The regioselective conversion of an unactivated C(sp(3))-H bond of a methylene carbon (CH2) into a C-O single bond is an attractive reaction in organic synthesis. Herein, we present a strategy for a regio- and oxidation state-selective aerobic C-H oxidation based on an N-hydroxyamide-derived directing activator (DA), which is attached to a hydroxy group in alcohol substrates. The DA reacts with NOx species generated in situ from NaNO2, a Brønsted acid, and aerobic oxygen, and effectively generates an amidoxyl radical from the N-hydroxy moiety of the DA. Then, the amidoxyl radical promotes site-selective intramolecular C-H abstraction from methylenes with γ- (or δ-) selectivity. The thus-generated methylene radicals are trapped by molecular oxygen and NO. This process results in the predominant formation of nitrate esters as products, which suppresses undesired overoxidation. The products can be easily converted into alcohols after hydrogenolysis.

Copper(II)-Catalyzed Benzylic C(sp3)-H Aerobic Oxidation of (Hetero)Aryl Acetimidates: Synthesis of Aryl-α-ketoesters

A straightforward method is developed in this paper for the synthesis of α-ketoesters through copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of (hetero)aryl acetimidates using molecular oxygen as a sustainable oxidant. The reaction represents the first example of the direct synthesis of aryl-α-ketoesters from arylacetimidates through the aerobic oxidation of a benzylic C(sp3)-H (C═O) bond in moderate to good yield. This transformation occurs under mild reaction conditions with a wide range of substrates and utilizes a readily available oxidant and catalyst. The synthetic utility of this transformation is demonstrated through scaled-up synthesis. A plausible reaction mechanism is also proposed.