AgN3-Catalyzed Hydroazidation of Terminal Alkynes and Mechanistic Studies

Asymmetric copper-catalyzed hydrophosphinylation of ethynylazaarenes to access P-chiral 2-azaaryl-ethylphosphine oxides

We report a cost-effective approach for the enantioselective hydrophosphinylation of ethynylazaarenes utilizing a chiral copper catalytic platform. This strategy efficiently converts racemic secondary phosphine oxides (SPOs) into P-chiral tertiary phosphine oxides (TPOs) bearing functionalized olefin substituents with azaarene moieties, achieving high yields and exceptional enantioselectivities. These adducts serve as crucial intermediates in the development of valuable chiral 1,5-hybrid P,N-ligands. The facile introduction of diverse additional carbon-centered chirality through the transformation of the olefin moiety effectively enhances the enantioselectivity of asymmetric metal catalysis compared to ligands exhibiting solely P-chirality. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the interaction between the chiral Cu(i) complex and azaarenes promotes the kinetic resolution of SPOs. The robustness of this method is further demonstrated by its ability to incorporate deuterium atoms into the olefins, highlighting its potential relevance in pharmaceutical applications.

Oxyphosphorodithiolation of Vinyl Azides with P4S10 and Alcohols Leading to β-Keto Phosphorodithioates

A simple strategy for the synthesis of β-keto phosphorodithioates has been developed through the direct oxyphosphorodithiolation of vinyl azides with P4S10 and alcohols in the presence of water. The reaction is conducted at room temperature to provide a number of β-keto phosphorodithioates in moderate to good yields. This methodology has the advantages of simple operation, mild condition, broad substrate scope, and favorable group compatibility.

Metal-catalyzed Markovnikov-type selective hydrofunctionalization of terminal alkynes

Metal-catalyzed highly Markovnikov-type selective hydrofunctionalization of terminal alkynes provides a straightforward and atom-economical route to access 1,1-disubstituted alkenes, which have a wide range of applications in organic synthesis. However, the highly Markovnikov-type selective transformations are challenging due to the electronic and steric effects during the addition process. With the development of metal-catalyzed organic synthesis, different metal catalysts have been developed to solve this challenge, especially for platinum group metal catalysts. In this perspective, we review homogeneous metal-catalyzed Markovnikov-type selective hydrofunctionalization of terminal alkynes according to the classified element types as well as reaction mechanisms. Future avenues for investigation are also presented to help expand this exciting field.

Silver-Catalyzed (Z)-β-Fluoro-vinyl Iodonium Salts from Alkynes: Efficient and Selective Syntheses of Z-Monofluoroalkenes

Monofluoroalkenes are stable and lipophilic amide bioisosteres used in medicinal chemistry. However, efficient and stereoselective methods for synthesizing Z-monofluoroalkenes are underdeveloped. We envisage (Z)-β-fluoro-vinyl iodonium salts (Z-FVIs) as coupling partners for the diverse and stereoselective synthesis of Z-monofluoroalkenes. Disclosed herein is the development and application of a silver(I)-catalyzed process for accessing a broad scope of (Z)-FVIs with exclusive Z-stereoselectivity and regioselectivity from alkynes in a single step. Experimental and computational studies provide insight into the mechanism of the catalytic cycle and the role of the silver(I) catalyst, and the reactivity of (Z)-FVIs is explored through several stereospecific derivatizations.

Acid Promoted Tetrafunctionalization of Terminal Alkynes: Geminal Diazidation and Dibromination

The synthesis of complex alkanes by the tetrafunctionalization of alkynes is limited and challenging. Herein, an unprecedented efficient geminal diazidation and dibromination of terminal alkynes is developed, which provides novel access to structurally diverse organic azides. The approach has exclusive chemo- and regioselectivity and features mild reaction conditions, good tolerance of various functional groups, and more crucially, no metal involved in the reaction, thereby benefiting the late-stage decoration of medicinal molecules. A mechanistic study showed that the current geminal diazidation and dibromination proceeds via a radical pathway.

Lattice engineering of noble metal-based nanomaterials via metal-nonmetal interactions for catalytic applications

Noble metal-based nanomaterials possess outstanding catalytic properties in various chemical reactions. However, the increasing cost of noble metals severely hinders their large-scale applications. A cost-effective strategy is incorporating noble metals with light nonmetal elements (e.g., H, B, C, N, P and S) to form noble metal-based nanocompounds, which can not only reduce the noble metal content, but also promote their catalytic performances by tuning their crystal lattices and introducing additional active sites. In this review, we present a concise overview of the recent advancements in the preparation and application of various kinds of noble metal-light nonmetal binary nanocompounds. Besides introducing synthetic strategies, we focus on the effects of introducing light nonmetal elements on the lattice structures of noble metals and highlight notable progress in the lattice strain engineering of representative core-shell nanostructures derived from these nanocompounds. In the meantime, the catalytic applications of the light element-incorporated noble metal-based nanomaterials are discussed. Finally, we discuss current challenges and future perspectives in the development of noble metal-nonmetal based nanomaterials.

Visible-Light-Driven Unsymmetric gem-Difunctionalization of Vinyl Azides with Thiosulfonates or Selenosulfonates

Thiosulfonylation and selenosulfonylation of vinyl azides with thiosulfonates and selenosulfonates were achieved using Cu(dap)2Cl as a photosensitizer under visible-light irradiation. This reaction is the application of a vinyl azide substrate in a group transfer radical addition (GTRA) reaction, through β-difunctionalization, to obtain a variety of unsymmetric difunctionalized N-unprotected enamines.

Cu/Ag-Mediated One-Pot Enantioselective Synthesis of Fully Decorated 1,2,3-Triazolo[1,5-a]pyrazines

The synthesis of chiral triazole-fused pyrazine scaffolds from readily available substrates in a step-economical asymmetric catalytic way is highly appealing. We herein report that an efficient Cu/Ag relay catalyzed protocol employing cascade asymmetric propargylic amination, hydroazidation, and [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction with high efficiency to access the target enantioenriched 1,2,3-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrazine has been accomplished by applying a novel N,N,P-ligand. The one-pot reaction of three components exhibits high functional group tolerance, excellent enantioselectivities, and a broad substrate scope with readily available starting materials.

Mechanistic Insights into Multisilver-Mediated Synergistic Activation of Terminal Alkynes

Synergistic effect extensively exists in multimetal-involved catalytic or mediated processes of group 11 metals due to their remarkable metallophilic interactions. Herein, we present a multiple synergism model for alkynyl substrates and conduct theoretical investigations on various multimetallic bonding modes and the corresponding synergistic activations. We computationally screen nine alkynyl multisilver coordination modes and sequence their reactivity shown in an intramolecular nucleophilic addition reaction by the trend of active μ₄-η¹η¹η²η² and μ₃-η¹η¹η² to the relatively inert μ₂-η¹η². The transition-state (TS) stabilization of the high-nuclearity mode mainly comes from the significant negative interaction energies between Ag_n and the substrate based on the distortion/interaction analysis. Energy decomposition analysis-natural orbitals for chemical valence (EDA-NOCV) analysis further reveals the charge-accepting reservoir effect of the polysilver moiety and the orbital match between the alkynyl group and specific spatial arrangement of silver atoms to account for this efficient activation. In addition, tests on different ligands coordinated to silver atoms show a correlation of the ligand conformation adjustability with the reactivity of the alkynyl unit, and the accommodable η² activation unit embodies a lower deformation energy than the other homonuclear synergistic modes. Privileged multiple synergistic models have been further evidenced based on on-bench experiments by isolating trisilver and tetrasilver alkynyl complexes. This study not only systematically evaluates the multimetallic synergism of different coordination modes in alkyne activation but also provides a guidance for the future design of multimetallic catalysts.

Iron-Catalyzed Asymmetric Decarboxylative Azidation

The first iron-catalyzed asymmetric azidation of benzylic peresters has been reported with trimethylsilyl azide (TMSN₃) as the azido source. Hydrocarbon radicals that lack of strong interactions were capable to be enantioselectively azidated. The reaction features good functional group tolerance, high yields, and mild conditions. The chiral benzylic azides can further be used in click reaction, phosphoramidation, and reductive amination, which demonstrate the synthetic values of this reaction.

Design, DFT studies, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of Binuclear N-heterocyclic Carbene (NHCs) complexes, Probing the aspect of DNA interaction through In-vitro and In-silico approach

N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) adducts have shown remarkable biological potential for numerous medical applications. With an aim to improve biological potential of benzimidazolium salts, newer analogues of benzimidazole and their silver complexes were synthesized and characterized. Synthesized salts (L₁-L₂) and silver complexes (C₁-C₂) were confirmed through elemental analysis, UV-visible spectroscopy, FTIR, ¹H NMR & ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The compounds C1 & C2 were found stable in solution form for studied time period when examined spectroscopically and showed optimum lipophilicity when measured for their partition coefficient through flask shake method. Synthesized compounds showed good antimicrobial potential against gram positive bacterial strain S. Aureus with IC₅₀ 2.02±0.12 and 2.11±0.13 µM respectively while 2.11±0.1 and 2.28±0.17 µM against gram negative bacterial strain E. Coli for C1 and C2 respectively. The interaction study of the related compounds with DNA was predicted by molecular docking study, which confirmed that the studied compound C1 (-8.04 kcal/mol) has a higher binding energy than compound C2 (-4.23 kcal/mol); Also, the compound C1 exhibits a better affinity against to DNA than Ethidium bromide (-7.68 kcal/mol) and cisplatin (-6.21 kcal/mol).The claim was practically assured through spectroscopic and viscometeric method which confirmed that compounds have good affinity for DNA with binding constant kb, 5.78×10⁴ M^-1 and 6.84×10⁴ M^-1 for C1 and C2 respectively.

Solvent-Dependent Cyclization of 2-Alkynylanilines and ClCF2COONa for the Divergent Assembly of N-(Quinolin-2-yl)amides and Quinolin-2(1H)-ones

Herein, we present an expedient Cu-catalyzed [5 + 1] cyclization of 2-alkynylanilines and ClCF₂COONa to divergent construction of N-(quinolin-2-yl)amides and quinolin-2(1H)-ones by regulating the reaction solvents. Notably, nitrile acts as a solvent and performs the Ritter reactions. ClCF₂COONa is used as a C1 synthon in this transformation, which also represents the first example for utilization of ClCF₂COONa as an efficient desiliconization reagent. The current protocol involves in situ generation of isocyanide, copper-activated alkyne, Ritter reaction and protonation.

Computational study of silver-catalyzed stereoselective hydroalkylation of alkynes: Pauli repulsion controlled Z/E selectivity

The mechanism and origin of stereoselectivity of silver-catalyzed hydroalkylation of alkynes were computationally investigated at the B3LYP-D3BJ/6-311+G(d,p)-SDD//B3LYP/6-31G(d)-LANL2DZ level. The complex of alkynyl trialkylboronate with cationic silver is a key intermediate, which triggers the rate- and stereoselectivity-determining 1,2-migration step. Energy decomposition analysis indicates that the difference of Pauli repulsion dominates the stereoselectivity.

Ni-Catalyzed asymmetric hetero-Diels–Alder reactions of conjugated vinyl azides: synthesis of chiral azido polycycles

We report herein an efficient Ni(ii)/Feng ligand-catalyzed asymmetric hetero-Diels–Alder reaction between conjugated vinyl azides with carbonyl groups, providing a synthesis of complicated chiral azido polycycles in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities.

Access to Cycloalkeno[c]-Fused Pyridines via Pd-Catalyzed C(sp2)-H Activation and Cyclization of N-Acetyl Hydrazones of Acylcycloalkenes with Vinyl Azides

A novel Pd(II)-catalyzed vinylic C-H activation and cyclization has been developed, reacting a series of small, medium, and large N-acetyl hydrazones of acylcycloalkenes with vinyl azides to access diverse cycloalkeno[c]-fused pyridine scaffolds. This protocol provides progress in C(sp2)-H bond activation of medium to large cycloalkenes, and the target products can be obtained in a specific regioselectivity with good functional group tolerance and a broad substrate scope.