Synthesis of Fluorenones from Benzaldehydes and Aryl Iodides: Dual C–H Functionalizations Using a Transient Directing Group

Pure Hydrocarbon Hosts Enabling Efficient Multi-Resonance TADF Blue-Emitting Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Pure hydrocarbon (PHC) materials are a class of highly efficient and stable host materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), composed solely of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Despite recent great advancements in PHC research, their applications are still mainly limited to phosphorescent OLEDs (PHOLEDs). High-performance blue OLEDs still pose a considerable challenge. Thus, expanding PHC materials into other types of OLEDs is critical for advancing organic electronic technologies. In this study, we designed a series of original high-triplet PHC materials based on a multi-substitution approach of the 9,9'-spirobifluorene (SBF) backbone and used them, for the first time, as a host in phosphorescence-sensitized multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) OLEDs. Devices based on the 2,6-bis(3,6-di-tert-butyl-9H-carbazol-9-yl)boron (DtBuCzB) emitter, using FIrpic or fac-Ir(tpz)3 as the sensitizer, achieved high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) values ranging from 29.1 % to 33.9 %. Additionally, blue MR-TADF OLED devices based on v-DABNA with a phosphorescent sensitizer (CN-Ir), demonstrated outstanding electroluminescent performance, with an EQEmax of approximately 31 % due to an excellent molecular orientation induced by the PHC hosts. All devices exhibited narrow full-width at half-maximum spectra and minimal efficiency roll-off. This study marks the first application of PHC materials as hosts in phosphorescence-sensitized MR-TADF OLEDs, highlighting their potential as promising candidates for next-generation blue OLEDs and offering a viable pathway to achieve high-performance devices.

Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Sequential Cyclization of Enaminones with 1,3-Dienes via C-H Activation for the Synthesis of Fluorenones

An efficient method for construction of various fluorenones has been achieved via Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H activation/[4 + 2] annulation/aromatization sequences of simple and readily available enaminones and 1,3-dienes. This protocol showed good substrate compatibility as an array of structurally and electronically diverse fluorenones prepared efficiently in moderate to good yields and preparative scale utility showing very good efficiency in the late-stage functionalization of complex valuable molecules.

Synthesis of Fluoren-9-ones via Pd-Catalyzed Annulation of 2-Iodobiphenyls with Vinylene Carbonate

A palladium-catalyzed reaction for intermolecular selective C-H cyclocarbonylation of 2-iodobiphenyls is described. Intriguingly, the vinylene carbonate acts as a carbon monoxide transfer agent to enable the annulation reaction. Moreover, as a versatile synthon, fluoren-9-one can be transformed into a variety of functionalized organic molecules, such as [1,1'-biphenyl]-2-carboxylic acid, 1'H,3'H-spiro[fluorene-9,2'-perimidine] and N-tosylhydrazones.

Highly Ordered Co-Assembly of Bisurea Functionalized Molecular Switches at the Solid-Liquid Interface

Immobilization of stimulus-responsive systems on solid surfaces is beneficial for controlled signal transmission and adaptive behavior while allowing the characterization of the functional interface with high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. Positioning of the stimuli-responsive units with nanometer-scale precision across the adaptive surface remains one of the bottlenecks in the extraction of cooperative function. Nanoscale organization, cooperativity, and amplification remain key challenges in bridging the molecular and the macroscopic worlds. Here we report on the design, synthesis, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) characterization of overcrowded alkene photoswitches merged in self-assembled networks physisorbed at the solid-liquid interface. A detailed anchoring strategy that ensures appropriate orientation of the switches with respect to the solid surface through the use of bis-urea groups is presented. We implement a co-assembly strategy that enables the merging of the photoswitches within physisorbed monolayers of structurally similar 'spacer' molecules. The self-assembly of the individual components and the co-assemblies was examined in detail using (sub)molecular resolution STM which confirms the robust immobilization and controlled orientation of the photoswitches within the spacer monolayers. The experimental STM data is supported by detailed molecular mechanics (MM) simulations. Different designs of the switches and the spacers were investigated which allowed us to formulate guidelines that enable the precise organization of the photoswitches in crystalline physisorbed self-assembled molecular networks.

Stereo-Controlled Synthesis of Vicinal Tertiary Carbinols: Application in the Synthesis of a Diol Substructure of Zaragozic Acid, Pactamycin and Ryanodol

A novel and flexible approach for the stereo-controlled synthesis of vicinal tertiary carbinols is reported. The developed strategy featured a highly diastereoselective singlet-oxygen (O2 1 ) [4+2] cycloaddition of rationally designed cyclohexadienones (derived from oxidative dearomatization of the corresponding carboxylic-acid appended phenol precursors), followed by programmed "O-O" and "C-C" bond cleavage. In doing so, a highly functionalized and versatile intermediate was identified and prepared in synthetically useful quantity as a plausible precursor to access a variety of designed and naturally occurring vicinal tertiary carbinol containing compounds. Most notably, the developed strategy was successfully applied in the stereo-controlled synthesis of advanced core structures of zaragozic acid, pactamycin and ryanodol.

ortho-C(sp3)-H arylation of aromatic aldehydes using 2-amino-N-methyl-acetamide as a L,L-type transient directing group

Pd-catalyzed ortho-C(sp³)-H arylation of aromatic aldehydes using 2-amino-N-methyl-acetamide as a simple, efficient and commercially available L,L-type transient directing group (TDG) is reported. The reaction exhibited excellent substrate compatibility and generated the desired products in moderate-to-high yields up to 78%. Further acid-catalyzed cyclization and dehydrative aromatization were also tested, and furnished some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with excellent yields up to 96%. The X-ray crystal structure of a 2-methylbenzaldehyde ortho-C(sp³)-H palladation intermediate was obtained. Then, a plausible reaction mechanism involving the formation of a [5,6]-fused palladacycle was proposed. This approach offers valuable insights for exploiting novel L,L-type TDGs.

A new transient directing group diethoxyethyl-L-proline facilitates ortho-arylation of aryl-amines/-amino acids via Pd-catalyzed C(sp2)-H activation

Mono-ortho-arylated arylamines are constituents of various natural products but their syntheses are challenging. This report describes a new synthetic methodology for the ortho-arylation of arylamines and α-aromatic amino acids (phenylglycine and phenylalanine) through a Pd-catalyzed C(sp²)-H activation using the synthetic transient directing group diethoxyethyl-L-proline (DEP). A catalytic amount of diethoxyethyl-L-proline is sufficient to form mono-arylated arylamines as the major products using aryliodides. This method could be useful for the synthesis of various biphenyl amines and novel peptidomimetics.

Amine-Catalyzed Copper-Mediated C-H Sulfonylation of Benzaldehydes via a Transient Imine Directing Group

Transient directing groups (TDGs) can provide a powerful means for C-H functionalization without requiring additional steps for directing group introduction and removal. We report the first use of a TDG in combination with copper to effect C-H functionalization. The regioselective copper mediated β-C(sp2 )-H sulfonylation of aldehydes with sulfinate salts is accomplished using catalytic β-alanine to form a transient imine. A broad range of sulfonylated benzaldehydes are prepared using copper fluoride as both copper source and oxidant, involving a [5,6] cupracyclic intermediate. γ-(peri)-Sulfonylation of napthyl and phenanthrenyl carboxaldehydes is achieved through [6,6] cupracyclic intermediates. Further derivatisation of the aldehyde products is demonstrated. Kinetic experiments and Hammett analysis suggest the turnover limiting step to be a concerted asynchronous C-H cleavage via a dearomative Wheland-type transition state.

PdII -Catalyzed C(alkenyl)-H Activation Facilitated by a Transient Directing Group

Palladium(II)-catalyzed C(alkenyl)-H alkenylation enabled by a transient directing group (TDG) strategy is described. The dual catalytic process takes advantage of reversible condensation between an alkenyl aldehyde substrate and an amino acid TDG to facilitate coordination of the metal catalyst and subsequent C(alkenyl)-H activation by a tailored carboxylate base. The resulting palladacycle then engages an acceptor alkene, furnishing a 1,3-diene with high regio- and E/Z-selectivity. The reaction enables the synthesis of enantioenriched atropoisomeric 2-aryl-substituted 1,3-dienes, which have seldom been examined in previous literature. Catalytically relevant alkenyl palladacycles were synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography, and the energy profiles of the C(alkenyl)-H activation step and the stereoinduction model were elucidated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

MegaSyn: Integrating Generative Molecular Design, Automated Analog Designer, and Synthetic Viability Prediction

Generative machine learning models have become widely adopted in drug discovery and other fields to produce new molecules and explore molecular space, with the goal of discovering novel compounds with optimized properties. These generative models are frequently combined with transfer learning or scoring of the physicochemical properties to steer generative design, yet often, they are not capable of addressing a wide variety of potential problems, as well as converge into similar molecular space when combined with a scoring function for the desired properties. In addition, these generated compounds may not be synthetically feasible, reducing their capabilities and limiting their usefulness in real-world scenarios. Here, we introduce a suite of automated tools called MegaSyn representing three components: a new hill-climb algorithm, which makes use of SMILES-based recurrent neural network (RNN) generative models, analog generation software, and retrosynthetic analysis coupled with fragment analysis to score molecules for their synthetic feasibility. We show that by deconstructing the targeted molecules and focusing on substructures, combined with an ensemble of generative models, MegaSyn generally performs well for the specific tasks of generating new scaffolds as well as targeted analogs, which are likely synthesizable and druglike. We now describe the development, benchmarking, and testing of this suite of tools and propose how they might be used to optimize molecules or prioritize promising lead compounds using these RNN examples provided by multiple test case examples.

PdII-Catalyzed Site-selective β- and γ-C(sp3)-H Arylation of Primary Aldehydes Controlled by Transient Directing Groups

Pd(II)-catalyzed site-selective β- and γ-C(sp³)-H arylation of primary aldehydes is developed by rational design of L,X-type transient directing groups (TDG). External 2-pyridone ligands are identified to be crucial for the observed reactivity. By minimizing the loading of acid additives, the ligand effect is enhanced to achieve high reactivities of the challenging primary aldehyde substrates. Site selectivity can be switched from the proximate to the relatively remote position by changing the bite angle of TDG to match the desired palladacycle size. Experimental and computational investigations support this rationale for designing TDG to potentially achieve remote site-selective C(sp³)-H functionalizations.

Application of a transient directing strategy in cyclization reactions via C–H activation

This review introduces seven types of cyclization reactions via C–H activation using a transient directing strategy.

Transient Directing Groups in Metal-Organic Cooperative Catalysis

The direct functionalization of C-H bonds is among the most fundamental chemical transformations in organic synthesis. However, when the innate reactivity of the substrate cannot be utilized for the functionalization of a given single C-H bond, this selective C-H bond functionalization mostly relies on the use of directing groups that allow bringing the catalyst in close proximity to the C-H bond to be activated and these directing groups need to be installed before and cleaved after the transformation, which involves two additional undesired synthetic operations. These additional steps dramatically reduce the overall impact and the attractiveness of C-H bond functionalization techniques since classical approaches based on substrate pre-functionalization are sometimes still more straightforward and appealing. During the past decade, a different approach involving both the in situ installation and removal of the directing group, which can then often be used in a catalytic manner, has emerged: the transient directing group strategy. In addition to its innovative character, this strategy has brought C-H bond functionalization to an unprecedented level of usefulness and has enabled the development of remarkably efficient processes for the direct and selective introduction of functional groups onto both aromatic and aliphatic substrates. The processes unlocked by the development of these transient directing groups will be comprehensively overviewed in this review article.

Pd-Catalyzed β-C-H Arylation of Aldehydes and Ketones Based on a Transient Directing Group

The direct Pd-catalyzed β-C-H arylation of aldehydes and ketones was developed by using 2-amino-N,N'-diisopropylsuccinamide as a novel transient directing group (TDG). The TDG showed good versatility in functionalizing unactivated β-C-H bonds of aldehydes and ketones. It was effective not only for aliphatic aldehydes and ketones but also for aromatic aldehydes and ketones. Besides, it was applicable to o-methylbenzaldehydes.

Iridium(III)-Catalyzed Diarylation/Annulation of Benzoic Acids: Facile Access to Multi-Aryl Spirobifluorenes as Pure Hydrocarbon Hosts for High-Performance OLEDs

Herein disclosed is the first example of diarylation/annulation of benzoic acids via an iridium catalyst system. This protocol provides a step-economic and highly efficient pathway to 1-aryl, 1,3-diaryl, 1,7-diaryl and 1,3,7-triaryl spirobifluorenes from readily available starting materials. The applications of multi-aryl spirobifluorenes as pure hydrocarbon (PHC) hosts for red, green, and blue (RGB) phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs) were explored. Due to high triplet energies, 1,3-diaryl spirobifluorenes exhibit the potential as the host material of blue PhOLEDs. 1,7-Diaryl spirobifluorene can serve as the host of green PhOLEDs. 1,3,7-Triaryl spirobifluorene is a high-performance host for red PhOLEDs, which exhibits a high external quantum efficiency (EQE) up to 27.3 %. This work not only exemplifies the great potential of multi-aryl spirobifluorenes as PHC hosts, but also offers a new approach for the synthesis of these PHC hosts.

Transient directing ligands for selective metal-catalysed C–H activation

C-H activation is a 'simple-to-complex' transformation that nature has perfected over millions of years of evolution. Transition-metal-catalysed C-H activation has emerged as an expeditious means to expand the chemical space by introducing diverse functionalities. Notably, among the strategies to selectively cleave a particular C-H bond, the catalytic use of a small molecule as co-catalyst to generate a transient directing group, which provides a balance between step economy and chemical productivity, has gained immense attention in recent years. This allows one to convert a desired C-H bond irrespective of its geometrical or stereochemical configuration. This Review describes the various transient directing groups used in C-H activation and explains their mechanistic significance.

Palladium-Catalyzed β-C(sp3)-H Arylation of Aliphatic Ketones Enabled by a Transient Directing Group

The direct arylation of aliphatic ketones has been developed via Pd-catalyzed β-C(sp³)-H bond functionalization with 2-(aminooxy)-N,N-dimethylacetamide as a novel transient directing group (TDG), which showed remarkable directing ability to generate arylated products in moderate to good yields. Furthermore, the reaction can tolerate abundant substrate of ketones and aryl iodides. This study expands the scope of applications for TDGs.

Hexafluoroisopropanol: the magical solvent for Pd-catalyzed C-H activation

Among numerous solvents available for chemical transformations, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (popularly known as HFIP) has attracted enough attention of the scientific community in recent years. Several unique features of HFIP compared to its non-fluoro analogue isopropanol have helped this solvent to make a difference in various subdomains of organic chemistry. One such area is transition metal-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization reactions. While, on one side, HFIP is emerging as a green and sustainable deep eutectic solvent (DES), on the other side, a major proportion of Pd-catalyzed C-H functionalization is heavily relying on this solvent. In particular, for distal aromatic C-H functionalizations, the exceptional impact of HFIP to elevate the yield and selectivity has made this solvent irreplaceable. Recent research studies have also highlighted the H-bond-donating ability of HFIP to enhance the chiral induction in Pd-catalyzed atroposelective C-H activation. This perspective aims to portray different shades of HFIP as a magical solvent in Pd-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions.

Pd-Catalyzed C(sp3)-H Biarylation via Transient Directing Group Strategy

Here, we describe a highly selective Pd-catalyzed C(sp³)-H biarylation of 2-methylbenzaldehydes using cyclic diaryliodonium salts as arylation reagents. The key strategy is the employment of tert-leucine as a bidentate transient directing group for the proximity-driven metalation to achieve reactivity and selectivity in C-H activation. Various functionalized biaryls bearing both aldehyde and iodine functional groups were prepared successfully, which could be further transformed into a wide range of compounds with potential applications in pharmaceutical chemistry and materials science.

N-Tosylcarboxamide in C–H Functionalization: More than a Simple Directing Group

C–H activation with transition metal catalysis has become an important tool in organic synthesis for the functionalization of low reactive bonds and the preparation of complex molecules. The choice of the directing group (DG) proves to be crucial for the selectivity in this type of reaction, and several different functional groups have been used efficiently. This review describes recent advances in C–H functionalization of aromatic rings directed by a N-tosylcarboxamide group. Results regarding alkenylation, alkoxylation, halogenation, and arylation of C–H in the ortho position to the tosylcarboxamide are presented. Moreover, the advantage of this particular directing group is that it can undergo further transformation and act as CO or CON fragment reservoir to produce, in sequential fashion or one-pot sequence, various interesting (hetero)cycles such as phenanthridinones, dihydroisoquinolinones, fluorenones, or isoindolinones.

Access to Hetero-Benzyl Scaffolds via Transient-Ligand-Enabled Direct γ-C(sp3)-H Arylation of 3-Methylheteroarene-2-Carbaldehydes

An efficient and straightforward method has been developed for the synthesis of β-benzyl-substituted 5-membered heterocyclic carbaldehydes via transient directing-group-enabled direct γ-C(sp³)-H arylation of 3-methylheteroarene-2-carbaldehydes. A wide range of 3-methylheteroarene carbaldehydes undergo coupling with a variety of aryl iodides, including less reactive iodo pyridine derivatives to provide a library of highly selective functionalized products in good to excellent yields. Some of these products have been successfully utilized in synthesizing useful synthetic intermediates.

Photocatalytic site-selective C-H difluoroalkylation of aromatic aldehydes

The direct photocatalyzed para-selective CAr-H difluoroalkylation of aromatic aldehyde derivatives has been accomplished using a newly explored catalytic system. In addition, when using para-substituted benzaldehydes as substrates, ortho-selective CAr-H difluoroalkylation was also accomplished. It is worth noting that all the above site-selectivity is opposite to traditional Friedel-Crafts reactions of aromatic aldehydes. The preliminary mechanistic investigations indicate that an electrophilic difluoroalkyl radical is involved in the catalytic cycle.

Pd-Iminocarboxylate Complexes and Their Behavior in Ethylene Polymerization

Designing co-catalyst-free late transition metal complexes for ethylene polymerization is a challenging task at the interface of organometallic and polymer chemistry. Herein, a set of new, co-catalyst-free, single-component catalytic systems for ethylene polymerization have been unraveled. Treatment of anthranilic acid with various aldehydes produced four iminocarboxylate ligands (L1-L4) in very good to excellent yield (75-92 %). The existence of 2-((2-methoxybenzylidene)amino) benzoic acid (L1) has been unambiguously demonstrated using NMR spectroscopy, MS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A neutral Pd-iminocarboxylate complex [{N O}PdMe(L1)] (N O=κ² -N,O-ArCHNC₆ H₄ CO₂ with Ar=2-MeOC₆ H₄ ) C1 was prepared by treating stoichiometric amount of L1.Na with palladium precursor. The identity of C1 was confirmed by 1-2D NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Along the same lines, palladium complexes C2-C4 were prepared from ligands L2-L4 respectively. In-situ high-pressure NMR investigations revealed that these Pd complexes are amenable to ethylene insertion and undergo facile β-H elimination to produce propylene. These palladium complexes were then evaluated in ethylene polymerization reaction and various reaction parameters were screened. When C1-C4 were exposed to ethylene pressures of 10-50 bar, formation of low-molecular-weight polyethylene was observed.

Bidentate Directing Groups: An Efficient Tool in C-H Bond Functionalization Chemistry for the Expedient Construction of C-C Bonds

During the past decades, synthetic organic chemistry discovered that directing group assisted C-H activation is a key tool for the expedient and siteselective construction of C-C bonds. Among the various directing group strategies, bidentate directing groups are now recognized as one of the most efficient devices for the selective functionalization of certain positions due to fact that its metal center permits fine, tunable, and reversible coordination. The family of bidentate directing groups permit various types of assistance to be achieved, such as N,N-dentate, N,O-dentate, and N,S-dentate auxiliaries, which are categorized based on the coordination site. In this review, we broadly discuss various C-H bond functionalization reactions for the formation of C-C bonds with the aid of bidentate directing groups.

Expeditious synthesis of phenanthridines through a Pd/MnO2-mediated C–H arylation/oxidative annulation cascade from aldehydes, aryl iodides and amino acids

The expeditious access to phenanthridines through a Pd/MnO₂-mediated arylation/oxidative annulation cascade from aldehydes, aryl iodides and amino acids is described.

Palladium-Catalyzed Site-Selective C(sp3)-H Arylation of Phenylacetaldehydes

We describe a Pd-catalyzed selective C-H arylation reaction of phenylacetaldehydes using l-valine as the transient directing group. This process showed a broad substrate scope and excellent selectivity in which a ligand-controlled functionalization of the unactivated β-C(sp³)-H bond. In addition, enantioselective arylation of phenylacetaldehydes was preliminarily explored by utilizing a bulky chiral transient directing group.

Palladium-Catalyzed Direct Ortho-C-H Selenylation of Benzaldehydes Using Benzidine as a Transient Directing Group

Benzidine was found to be a novel transient directing group to enable Pd-catalyzed direct selenylation of inert C(sp²)-H bonds of benzaldehydes. Diverse diarylselenides were readily constructed in high efficiency and satisfactory yields with good functional group tolerance. The practical usage of the method was further demonstrated by enlarged reaction to gram scale and application in the facile access to two selenoxanthenes and one fluorescent probe.

Transient Ligand-Enabled Transition Metal-Catalyzed C-H Functionalization

Transition metal-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization is among the most efficient and powerful strategies in synthetic organic chemistry to derivatize otherwise inert sites of organic molecules for the construction of C-C and C-heteroatom bonds. However, additional steps are often required to install the directing groups to realize selective C-H bond functionalization of the substrates. These tedious steps run counter to the step-economical nature of the C-H activation. In contrast, direct functionalization of the substrate by using transient ligands avoids the unnecessary steps for the pre-functionalization of the substrates. This Minireview provides a short overview of the major progress made in this field for C-H functionalization at sp² and sp³ carbon centers with different transient working modes, including covalent, hydrogen, and ionic bonds.

Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Intramolecular Olefin Hydroarylation of Aromatic Aldehydes Using a Transient Directing Group

A Rh(III)-catalyzed intramolecular olefin hydroarylation of aromatic aldehydes with a transient directing group has been described. The bidentate directing groups in situ generated from aromatic aldehydes and β-alanine could enable the subsequent C-H activation and hydroarylation with excellent site selectivities and high functional group compatibility. The further conversion of the aldehyde group showcased the broad application prospects of this methodology.