Base-Promoted α-Alkylation of Arylacetonitriles with Alcohols

Air-Stable Coordinatively Unsaturated Ruthenium(II) Complex for Ligand Binding and Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones from Ethanol

Coordinatively unsaturated complexes are interesting from a fundamental level for their formally empty coordination site and, in particular, from a catalytic perspective as they provide opportunities for substrate binding and transformation. Here, we describe the synthesis of a novel underligated ruthenium complex [Ru(cym)(N,N')]+, 3, featuring an amide-functionalized pyridylidene amide (PYA) as the N,N'-bidentate coordinating ligand. In contrast to previously investigated underligated complexes, complex 3 offers potential for dynamic modifications, thanks to the flexible donor properties of the PYA ligand. Specifically, they allow both for stabilizing the formally underligated metal center in complex 3 through nitrogen π-donation and for facilitating through π-acidic bonding properties the coordination of a further ligand L to the ruthenium center to yield the formal 18 e- complexes [Ru(cym)(N,N')(L)]+ (4: L = P(OMe)3; 5: L = PPh3; 6: L = N-methylimidazole; 7: L = pyridine) and neutral complex [RuCl(cym)(N,N')] 8. Analysis by 1H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies reveals an increasing Ru-L bond strength along the sequence pyridine <1-methylimidazole < PPh3 < P(OMe)3 with binding constants varying over 3 orders of magnitude with log(Keq) values between 2.8 and 5.7. The flexibility of the Ru(PYA) unit and the ensuing accessibility of saturated and unsaturated species with one and the same ligand are attractive from a fundamental point of view and also for catalytic applications, as catalytic transformations rely on the availability of transiently vacant coordination sites. Thus, while complex 3 does not form stable adducts with O-donors such as ketones or alcohols, it transiently binds these species, as evidenced by the considerable catalytic activity in the transfer hydrogenation of ketones. Notably, and as one of only a few catalysts, complex 3 is compatible with EtOH as a hydrogen source. Complex 3 shows excellent performance in the transfer hydrogenation of pyridyl-containing substrates, in agreement with the poor coordination strength of this functional group to the ruthenium center in 3.

Silver Supported Nanoparticles on [Mg4 Al-LDH] as an Efficient Catalyst for the α-Alkylation of Nitriles, Oxindoles and Other Carboxylic Acid Derivatives with Alcohols

An efficient heterogeneous silver-catalyzed α-alkylation of nitriles and oxindoles using alcohols via borrowing hydrogen strategy has been developed for the first time. The active nanostructured material, namely [Ag/Mg4 Al-LDH], composed by silver nanoparticles (3-4 nm average particle size) homogeneously stabilized onto a [Mg4 Al-LDH] support with suitable Brønsted basic properties, constitutes a stable catalyst for the sustainable building of novel C-C bonds from alcohols and C-nucleophiles. By applying this catalyst, a broad range of α-functionalized nitriles and oxindoles has been accessed with good to excellent isolated yields and without the addition of external bases. Moreover, the novel silver nanocatalyst has also demonstrated its successful application to the cyclization of N-[2-(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]-2-phenylacetamides to afford 3-arylquinolin-2(1H)-ones, through a one-pot dehydrogenation and intramolecular α-alkylation. Control experiments, kinetic studies, and characterization data of a variety of [Ag/LDH]-type materials confirmed the silver role in the dehydrogenation and hydrogenation steps, while [Mg4 Al-LDH] matrix is able to catalyze condensation. Interestingly, these studies suggest as key point for the successful activity of [Ag/Mg4 Al-LDH], in comparison with other [Ag/LDH]-type nanocatalysts, the suitable acid-base properties of this material.

No Transition Metals Required - Oxygen Promoted Synthesis of Imines from Primary Alcohols and Amines under Ambient Conditions

The synthesis of imines denotes a cornerstone in organic chemistry. The use of alcohols as renewable substituents for carbonyl-functionality represents an attractive opportunity. Consequently, carbonyl moieties can be in situ generated from alcohols upon transition-metal catalysis under inert atmosphere. Alternatively, bases can be utilized under aerobic conditions. In this context, we report the synthesis of imines from benzyl alcohols and anilines, promoted by KOt Bu under aerobic conditions at room temperature, in the absence of any transition-metal catalyst. A detailed investigation of the radical mechanism of the underlying reaction is presented. This reveals a complex reaction network fully supporting the experimental findings.

Nickel-catalyzed alkylation of ketones and nitriles with primary alcohols

Nickel(II)-salen or nickel(II)-salphen catalyzed α-alkylation of ketones and nitriles with primary alcohols is reported. Various α-alkylated ketones and nitriles were obtained in high yields through a borrowing hydrogen strategy by using 1-3 mol% of nickel catalyst and a catalytic amount of NaOH (5-10 mol%) under aerobic conditions.

Recent advances in C/N-alkylation with alcohols through hydride transfer strategies

This review highlights the most recent reports in three powerful and ever-growing fields of borrowing hydrogen, acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling, and base-mediated hydride transfer strategies; which pave the way for generating reactive intermediates via shuttling hydrogen (or hydride) between starting materials without any need for an external hydrogen source to easily construct more complex structures. There is a thorough focus on diversifying the utility of alcohols for C/N-alkylation leading to the synthesis of branched ketones, alcohols, amines, indols, and 6-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles such as pyridines and pyrimidines, various transformations with the focus on C-C and C-N bond-forming reactions via metal-based catalysis or metal-free approaches in this context to give a global overview in this area.

Direct Synthesis of Amides from Benzonitriles and Benzylic Alcohols via a KOt-Bu-Mediated MPV-type Hydrogen Transfer Process

Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV)-type reduction between benzonitriles and benzylic alcohols under transition-metal-free conditions has been demonstrated for the first time. Using simple KOt-Bu as the base, various benzonitriles can be efficiently reduced by benzylic alcohols via hydrogen transfer reduction, and the resultant phenyl imine can react further with benzylic alcohols to give amides as the final product in which both the alcohols and the nitriles are incorporated. Preliminary mechanistic investigations indicated that the reaction may go through multiple MPV-type hydrogen transfer processes.

Catalyst-Free α-Alkylation-α-Hydroxylation of Oxindole with Alcohols

3-Alkyl-3-hydroxyoxindoles, a subclass of oxindole products, have antioxidant, neuroprotective, anticancer, and anti-HIV activities. In this study, a green and economical protocol for the synthesis of 3-alkyl-3-hydroxyoxindoles is developed for the first time via α-alkylation-α-hydroxylation of oxindole with benzyl alcohols without using any transition-metal catalysts in yields of 29-93%.

Synthesis of N-Heteroarenemethyl Esters via C–C Bond Cleavage of Acyl Cyanides Under Transition Metal-Free Conditions

A practical method to synthesize N-heteroaryl esters from N-heteroaryl methanols with acyl cyanides via C–C bond cleavage without using any transition metal is demonstrated here. The use of Na₂CO₃/15-crown-5 couple enables access to a series of N-heteroaryl esters in high efficiency. This protocol is operationally simple and highly environmentally benign producing only cyanides as byproducts.

First-Row Transition-Metal Catalyzed Acceptorless Dehydrogenation and Related Reactions: A Personal Account

The development of sustainable catalytic protocols that circumvent the use of expensive and precious metal catalysts and avoid toxic reagents plays a crucial role in organic synthesis. Indeed, the direct employment of simple and abundantly available feedstock chemicals as the starting materials broadens their synthetic application in contemporary research. In particular, the transition metal-catalyzed diversification of alcohols with various nucleophilic partners to construct a wide range of building blocks is a powerful and highly desirable methodology. Moreover, the replacement of precious metal catalysts by non-precious and less toxic metals for selective transformations is one of the main goals and has been paid significant attention to in modern chemistry. In view of this, the first-row transition metal catalysts find extensive applications in various synthetic transformations such as catalytic hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and related reactions. Herein, we have disclosed our recent developments on the base-metal catalysis such as Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni for the acceptorless dehydrogenation reactions and its application in the C-C and C-N bond formation via hydrogen auto-transfer (HA) and acceptorless dehydrogenation coupling (ADC) reactions. These HA/ADC protocols employ alcohol as alkylating agents and eliminate water and/or hydrogen gas as by-products, representing highly atom-efficient and environmentally benign reactions. Furthermore, diverse simple to complex organic molecules synthesis by C-C and C-N bond formation using feedstock alcohols are also overviewed. Overall, this account deals with the contribution and development of efficient and novel homogeneous as well as heterogeneous base-metal catalysts for sustainable chemical synthesis.

α-Alkylation of arylacetonitriles with primary alcohols catalyzed by backbone modified N-heterocyclic carbene iridium(i) complexes

α-Alkylation of arylacetonitriles with primary alcohols was achieved by using backbone-modified NHC–Ir^I complexes as catalysts with turnover numbers of up to 960.

NaOH-Mediated Direct Synthesis of Quinoxalines from o-Nitroanilines and Alcohols via a Hydrogen-Transfer Strategy

A NaOH-mediated sustainable synthesis of functionalized quinoxalines is disclosed via redox condensation of o-nitroamines with diols and α-hydroxy ketones. Under optimized conditions, various o-nitroamines and alcohols are well tolerated to generate the desired products in 44-99% yields without transition metals and external redox additives.

α-Alkylation of Nitriles with Primary Alcohols by a Well-Defined Molecular Cobalt Catalyst

The α-alkylation of nitriles with primary alcohols to selectively synthesize nitriles by a well-defined molecular homogeneous cobalt catalyst is presented. Thirty-two examples with up to 95% yield are reported. Remarkably, this transformation is environmentally friendly and atom economical with water as the only byproduct.

Copper(i)-catalyzed intermolecular cyanoarylation of alkenes: convenient access to α-alkylated arylacetonitriles

A novel Cu(i)-catalyzed intermolecular cyanoarylation of alkenes with diaryliodonium salts as a radical arylating reagent and tetra-butylammonium cyanide as an electrophilic cyanating reagent was established. A broad range of α-alkylated arylacetonitriles were efficiently constructed in good to excellent yields under base- and oxidant-free and mild conditions.

A Vinyl Cyclopropane Ring Expansion and Iridium-Catalyzed Hydrogen Borrowing Cascade

A vinyl cyclopropane rearrangement embedded in an iridium-catalyzed hydrogen borrowing reaction enabled the formation of substituted stereo-defined cyclopentanes from Ph* methyl ketone and cyclopropyl alcohols. Mechanistic studies provide evidence for the ring-expansion reaction being the result of a cascade based on oxidation of the cyclopropyl alcohols, followed by aldol condensation with the pentamethyl phenyl-substituted ketone to form an enone containing the vinyl cyclopropane. Subsequent single electron transfer (SET) to this system initiates a rearrangement, and the catalytic cycle is completed by reduction of the new enone. This process allows for the efficient formation of diversely substituted cyclopentanes as well as the construction of complex bicyclic carbon skeletons containing up to four contiguous stereocentres, all with high diastereoselectivity.

Radical condensation between benzylic alcohols and acetamides to form 3-arylpropanamides

A new radical condensation reaction is developed where benzylic alcohols and acetamides are coupled to generate 3-arylpropanamides with water as the only byproduct. The transformation is performed with potassium tert-butoxide as the only additive and gives rise to a variety of 3-arylpropanamides in good yields. The mechanism has been investigated experimentally with labelled substrates, trapping experiments and spectroscopic measurements. The findings indicate a radical pathway where potassium tert-butoxide is believed to serve a dual role as both base and radical initiator. The radical anion of the benzylic alcohol is proposed as the key intermediate, which undergoes coupling with the enolate of the amide to form the new C–C bond. Subsequent elimination to the corresponding cinnamamide and olefin reduction then affords the 3-arylpropanamides.

Benzylic alcohols and acetamides are coupled into 3-arylpropanamides by a new radical condensation through the radical anion of the alcohol.