Rhodium-Catalyzed Deuterated Tsuji-Wilkinson Decarbonylation of Aldehydes with Deuterium Oxide

Dehomologative C-C Borylation of Aldehydes and Alcohols via a Rh-Catalyzed Dehydroformylation-Borylation Relay

The dehomologative conversion of linear or α-methyl aldehydes to vinyl boronates is achieved via a one-pot sequence of rhodium-catalyzed transfer dehydroformylation and transfer borylation of the resulting alkenes. Similarly, allylic or aliphatic alcohols are converted to vinyl boronates through a sequence involving, respectively, rhodium-catalyzed isomerization or transfer dehydrogenation to aldehyde intermediates, followed by dehydroformylation-borylation. The vinyl boronates can be further hydrogenated to alkyl boronates using the same rhodium precatalyst, enabling all five catalytic steps with a single catalyst system.

Selectively Deoxygenative Deuteration of Aldehydes by Superwetting Porous Carbon-Supported Palladium Catalysts

We present a method of deoxygenative deuteration of aldehydes (DDA) over heterogeneously superwetting porous carbon-supported palladium catalyst (Pd/SPC), which is efficient for the synthesis of deuterated aromatic compounds with -CD3 group. Exemplified by the DDA reaction of 2-naphthaldehyde (2-NAL) to 2-methylnaphthalene (2-MNE), the total deuterium incorporation radio in the resultant aromatic hydrocarbons was higher than 95% and the selectivity toward 2-MNE-d3 reached 87%. The impressed catalytic activity was found relevant to the combined effect of surface wettability and the electron-rich properties of Pd species of this kind of heterogeneous Pd/SPC catalyst. Mechanistic studies suggest a successive deuteration pathway, that is, hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE), deuterium addition, and ultimate deoxygenative deuteration over Pd/SPC in the cost-effective D2O/H2 reaction conditions. The in situ-formed D2 from the first step HIE between H2 and D2O can be readily captured by the electron-rich Pd centers, which then boost the subsequent deuterogenolysis of C─O bonds through deuterated alcohol intermediates toward the formation of 2-MNE-d3. This work provides a design principle of heterogeneous catalysts for targeted deuterium labeling from aldehyde substrates and may inspire the development of alternative deuterium labeling techniques beyond dominated homogeneous catalysis.

Metal-Free Multicatalytic Decarbonylation of Aldehydes Driven by Light

A metal-free dual photo- and organocatalytic decarbonylation of aliphatic aldehydes is described for the first time. On the one hand, a wide range of tertiary aldehydes are smoothly decarbonylated thanks to the combination of thioxanthone as photocatalyst and diphenyl disulfide as organocatalyst. On the other hand, by simply using 4-CzIPN as photocatalyst instead of thioxanthone, various secondary aldehydes readily undergo decarbonylation in an orthogonal manner, via the in situ formation of 1,4-dihydropyridines. Both methodologies are compatible with various functional groups and are readily applied to the decarbonylation of complex molecules.

Energy-transfer-enabled photocatalytic transformations of aryl thianthrenium salts

Aryl thianthrenium salts are valuable in photocatalysis but traditionally require external electron donors for activation. This study introduces an energy transfer (EnT) strategy for the activation of aryl thianthrenium salts using 2,3,4,5,6-penta(carbazol-9-yl)benzonitrile (5CzBN) as a metal-free photocatalyst, eliminating the need for external donors. Utilizing this EnT approach, we achieve C-H deuteration of arenes under visible light with CDCl3 as a deuterium source to synthesize various deuterated aromatic compounds, including important natural products and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, this strategy enables diverse functionalizations including borylation, arylation, cyanation, and selenylation, enhancing the applicability of aryl sulfonium salts in environmentally friendly photocatalysis.

Photoinduced Catalyst-Free Deuterodefunctionalization of Aryltriazenes with CDCl3

A photoinduced deuterodetriazenation of aryltriazenes with CDCl3 under catalyst-free conditions is reported. The reactions featured simple operation, ecofriendly conditions, readily available reagents, inexpensive D sources, precise site selectivity, and a wide range of substrates. Since aryltriazenes could be readily synthesized from arylamine, this protocol can be used as a general method for easily and accurately incorporating deuterium into aromatic systems by using CDCl3 as a D source.

Highly effective and selective FeBr3-promoted deuterium bromination/cyclization of 1,n-enynes

A highly effective and selective FeBr3-promoted deuterium bromination/cyclization of 1,n-enynes is reported. On the one hand, the Lewis acid FeBr3 as a catalyst promotes cyclization of 1,n-enynes to afford deuterium heterocyclic frameworks with high efficiency. On the other hand, FeBr3 serves as the bromine source (with D2O as the deuterium source) to promote the formation of the desired deuterated pyrrole derivatives containing alkenyl bromide groups. This protocol provides an effective pathway to afford deuterated alkenyl brominative compounds as (Z)-isomers with high yields and selectivity, offering a new method for introducing 2H into organic compounds.

Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage for Late-Stage Functionalization

Late-stage functionalization (LSF) introduces functional group or structural modification at the final stage of the synthesis of natural products, drugs, and complex compounds. It is anticipated that late-stage functionalization would improve drug discovery's effectiveness and efficiency and hasten the creation of various chemical libraries. Consequently, late-stage functionalization of natural products is a productive technique to produce natural product derivatives, which significantly impacts chemical biology and drug development. Carbon-carbon bonds make up the fundamental framework of organic molecules. Compared with the carbon-carbon bond construction, the carbon-carbon bond activation can directly enable molecular editing (deletion, insertion, or modification of atoms or groups of atoms) and provide a more efficient and accurate synthetic strategy. However, the efficient and selective activation of unstrained carbon-carbon bonds is still one of the most challenging projects in organic synthesis. This review encompasses the strategies employed in recent years for carbon-carbon bond cleavage by explicitly focusing on their applicability in late-stage functionalization. This review expands the current discourse on carbon-carbon bond cleavage in late-stage functionalization reactions by providing a comprehensive overview of the selective cleavage of various types of carbon-carbon bonds. This includes C-C(sp), C-C(sp2), and C-C(sp3) single bonds; carbon-carbon double bonds; and carbon-carbon triple bonds, with a focus on catalysis by transition metals or organocatalysts. Additionally, specific topics, such as ring-opening processes involving carbon-carbon bond cleavage in three-, four-, five-, and six-membered rings, are discussed, and exemplar applications of these techniques are showcased in the context of complex bioactive molecules or drug discovery. This review aims to shed light on recent advancements in the field and propose potential avenues for future research in the realm of late-stage carbon-carbon bond functionalization.

Catalytic asymmetric deuterosilylation of exocyclic olefins with mannose-derived thiols and deuterium oxide

Metal-free, photoinduced asymmetric deuterosilylation of exocyclic olefins has been achieved using a mannose-derived thiol catalyst.