Tandem Olefin Isomerization/Cyclization Catalyzed by Complex Nickel Hydride and Brønsted Acid

N2 Dissociation vs Reversible 1,2-Methyl Migration in PCNHCP Cobalt(I) Complexes in the Stereoselective Isomerization (E/Z) of Allyl Ethers

With growing efforts pushing toward sustainable catalysis, using earth-abundant metals has become increasingly important. Here, we present the first examples of cobalt PCNHCP pincer complexes that demonstrate dual stereoselectivity for allyl ether isomerization. While the cationic cobalt complex [((PCNHCP)Co)2-μ-N2][BAr4 F]2 (3) mainly favors the Z-isomer of the enol ether, the corresponding methyl complex [(PCNHCP)CoMe] (4) mostly gives the E-isomer. The dichotomy in selectivity was investigated computationally, revealing important contributions from the substituents on the metal (N2 vs Me), including a 1,2-alkyl migration from cobalt to the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) of the methyl substituent, which is further explored in this report.

Lewis base promoted [4 + 2] annulation of o-acylamino-aryl MBH carbonates with isatin

The first example of Lewis base promoted [4 + 2] annulation between o-acylamino-aryl MBH carbonates and isatin has been developed. This methodology exhibits excellent substrate applicability and has synthesized 1,4-dihydrospiro benzo[d][1,3]oxazine-oxindoles with yields up to 98%. The practical value of this method is underscored by its successful application in a 50-fold scale-up.

Alkene Isomerization Using a Heterogeneous Nickel-Hydride Catalyst

Transition metal-catalyzed alkene isomerization is an enabling technology used to install an alkene distal to its original site. Due to their well-defined structure, homogeneous catalysts can be fine-tuned to optimize reactivity, stereoselectivity, and positional selectivity, but they often suffer from instability and nonrecyclability. Heterogeneous catalysts are generally highly robust but continue to lack active-site specificity and are challenging to rationally improve through structural modification. Known single-site heterogeneous catalysts for alkene isomerization utilize precious metals and bespoke, expensive, and synthetically intense supports. Additionally, they generally have mediocre reactivity, inspiring us to develop a heterogeneous catalyst with an active site made from readily available compounds made of Earth-abundant elements. Previous work demonstrated that a very active homogeneous catalyst is formed upon protonation of Ni[P(OEt)3]4 by H2SO4, generating a [Ni-H]+ active site. This catalyst is incredibly active, but also decomposes readily, which severely limits its utility. Herein we show that by using a solid acid (sulfated zirconia, SZO300), not only is this decomposition prevented, but high activity is maintained, improved selectivity is achieved, and a broader scope of functional groups is tolerated. Preliminary mechanistic experiments suggest that the catalytic reaction likely goes through an intermolecular, two-electron pathway. A detailed kinetic study comparing the state-of-the-art Ni and Pd isomerization catalysts reveals that the highest activity and selectivity is seen with the Ni/SZO300 system. The reactivity of Ni/SZO300, is not limited to alkene isomerization; it is also a competent catalyst for hydroalkenylation, hydroboration, and hydrosilylation, demonstrating the broad application of this heterogeneous catalyst.

Simple Tandem Olefin Isomerization/Intramolecular Hydroamination of Alkenyl Amines with Various Allylic Tethers

A simple and efficient AgOTf-promoted tandem olefin isomerization/intramolecular hydroamination of 1,1-disubstituted alkenyl amines has been developed. This one-pot process represents a facile and attractive route for the synthesis of diverse 2-alkyl-substituted 1,3-X,N-heterocycles through chemo- and regioselective C(sp³)-N bond formation with atom economy. Advantages such as the operationally simple and practical procedure that uses a readily available catalyst under aerobic conditions, good to excellent chemical yields, the high functional group tolerance, the broad substrate scope, and high efficiency and selectivity are noteworthy.

Chain-walking reactions of transition metals for remote C-H bond functionalization of olefinic substrates

Past several decades have witnessed the great evolution of inert C-H bond functionalization reactions as an emerging technique for synthesizing drug molecules, agrochemicals, and functional materials with intricate three-dimensional architectures. Although most activation of "unreactive" C-H bonds was accomplished by exploiting the power of transition metal catalysts, the distant and selective activation of unreactive C-H bonds in an undirected fashion remains one of the critical challenges to this rapidly growing field of organic chemistry. In this context, to meet all these concerns, much more attractive and challenging transition metal catalytic transformations have begun to blossom in recent years with the aid of the chain-walking process. The chain-walking strategy is one of the state-of-the-art techniques in organic synthesis to functionalize the unreactive C-H bonds by allowing the movement of a metal complex along the hydrocarbon chain of the substrate to recognize preferable bond-forming sites. The essential advantage of this strategy is that the bonds are formed only at the places where the catalyst selects for the specific C-H bonds to be cleaved, which not only avoids tedious synthetic procedures for prefunctionalization and the emission of undesirable wastes but also inspires chemists to plan novel synthetic strategies in a completely different manner. Consequently, various C-H bond functionalization reactions have been reported in recent years, employing the vast opportunity provided by this growing field mainly for the acyclic olefinic systems with flexible alkyl chains. Thus, chain-walking reactions allow the reactivity of the reaction centers within the substrates that cannot be realized via the classical mode of reactivity of the substrates. Applying this approach, inexpensive feedstock materials and simple hydrocarbons as an isomeric mixture can be converted to a single isomeric product in a regioconvergent scenario. Simultaneously, the site-selectivity of these reactions can also be switched using a regiodivergent strategy via appropriate tuning of ligands or a slight modification of reaction conditions. Herein, we have provided a comprehensive overview of the chain-walking reactions involving a variety of catalytic systems ranging from the first-row transition metal catalysts to the third-row transition metal catalysts for C-H activation in a concise fashion with the hope for further developments in this area through the appropriate application of the chain-walking reactions.

Pd-Catalyzed Tandem Isomerization/Cyclization for the Synthesis of Aromatic Oxazaheterocycles and Pyrido[3,4-b]indoles

An effient tandem process consisting of palladium-catalyzed double-bond isomerization of long-chain olefins and subsequent intramolecular cyclization promoted by B₂(OH)₂ for the synthesis of aromatic oxazaheterocycles is disclosed. This strategy can also provide rapid access to pyrido[3,4-b]indoles, trans-2-olefins, and eneamides bearing various functional groups with high regio- and stereoselectivity.

Nickel Hydride Catalyzed Cleavage of Allyl Ethers Induced by Isomerization

This report discloses the deallylation of O- and N-allyl functional groups by using a combination of a Ni-H precatalyst and excess Brønsted acid. Key steps are the isomerization of the O- or N-allyl group through Ni-catalyzed double-bond migration followed by Brønsted acid induced O/N–C bond hydrolysis. A variety of functional groups are tolerated in this protocol, highlighting its synthetic value.