Tf2O/DMSO-mediated dual activation of aryl phosphinate to access various aryl phosphonates

A metal-free method for the dual activation of aryl phosphinate has been developed; the P-H and P-O bonds are sequentially activated by the Tf2O/DMSO system. Without the requirement of metals and unstable P-reagents, this one-pot procedure provides a convenient and practical access to a variety of aryl phosphonates. A mechanism involving twice generation of electrophilic P-species and two SN-processes is proposed on the basis of the control experiments.

Triflic Anhydride (Tf2O)-Activated Transformations of Amides, Sulfoxides and Phosphorus Oxides via Nucleophilic Trapping

Trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (Tf2O) is utilized as a strong electrophilic activator in a wide range of applications in synthetic organic chemistry, leading to the transient generation of a triflate intermediate. This versatile triflate intermediate undergoes nucleophilic trapping with diverse nucleophiles to yield novel compounds. In this review, we describe the features and applications of triflic anhydride in organic synthesis reported in the past decade, especially in amide, sulfoxide, and phosphorus oxide chemistry through electrophilic activation. A plausible mechanistic pathway for each important reaction is also discussed.

1 Introduction

2 Amide Chemistry

2.1 Carbon Nucleophiles

2.2 Hydrogen Nucleophiles

2.3 Nitrogen Nucleophiles

2.4 Oxygen and Sulfur Nucleophiles

2.5 hosphorus Nucleophiles

2.6 A Vilsmeier-Type Reagent

2.7 Umpolung Reactivity in Amides

3 Sulfoxide Chemistry

3.1 Oxygen Nucleophiles

3.2 Carbon Nucleophiles

3.3 Nitrogen Nucleophiles

3.4 Thionium Reagents

4 Phosphorus Chemistry

4.1 Hendrickson’s Reagent

4.2 Diaryl Phosphine Oxides

4.3 Phosphonates, Phosphates and Phosphinates

5 Conclusion and Outlook

Phosphorylation of arenes, heteroarenes, alkenes, carbonyls and imines by dehydrogenative cross-coupling of P(O)-H and P(R)-H

Organophosphorous compounds have recently emerged as a powerful class of compounds with widespread applications, such as in bioactive natural products, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and organic materials, and as ligands in catalysis. The preparation of these compounds requires synthetic techniques with novel catalytic systems varying from transition metal, photo- and electrochemical catalysis to transformations without metal catalysts. Over the past few decades, the addition of P-H bonds to alkenes, alkynes, arenes, heteroarenes and other unsaturated substrates in hydrophosphination and other related reactions via the above-mentioned catalytic processes has emerged as an atom economical approach to obtain organophosphorus compounds. In most of the catalytic cycles, the P-H bond is cleaved to yield a phosphorus-based radical, which adds onto the unsaturated substrate followed by reduction of the corresponding radical yielding the product.

Electrochemical phosphorylation of arenols and anilines leading to organophosphates and phosphoramidates

A practical phosphorylation for generating organophosphates and phosphoramidates via electrochemical dehydrogenative cross-coupling of P(O)H compounds with arenols and anilines is disclosed. This method involves using inorganic iodide salts as both redox catalysts and electrolytes in an undivided cell without the addition of oxidants or bases. A preliminary mechanistic study suggests that radicals are not involved in this process. This method is green and eco-friendly and has good functional group tolerance, high yields and broad substrate scope, with the potential for practical synthesis.

Phosphirenium Ions as Masked Phosphenium Catalysts: Mechanistic Evaluation and Application in Synthesis

The utilization of phosphirenium ions is presented; optimized and broadened three-membered ring construction is described together with the use of these ions as efficient pre-catalysts for metal-free carbonyl reduction with silanes. Full characterization of the phosphirenium ions is presented, and initial experimental and computational mechanistic studies indicate that these act as a “masked phosphenium” source that is accessed via ring opening. Catalysis proceeds via associative transfer of {Ph₂P⁺} to a carbonyl nucleophile, H–SiR₃ bond addition over the C=O group, and associative displacement of the product by a further equivalent of the carbonyl substrate, which completes the catalytic cycle. A competing off-cycle process leading to vinyl phosphine formation is detailed for the hydrosilylation of benzophenone for which an inverse order in [silane] is observed. Experimentally, the formation of side products, including off-cycle vinyl phosphine, is favored by electron-donating substituents on the phosphirenium cation, while catalytic hydrosilylation is promoted by electron-withdrawing substituents. These observations are rationalized in parallel computational studies.

Markovnikov-addition of H-phosphonates to terminal alkynes under metal- and solvent-free conditions

Synthesis of α-vinylphosphonates from terminal alkynes and H-phosphonates as only the Markovnikov-regioisomer under metal- and solvent-free conditions.

Mechanistic details of metal-free cyclization reaction of organophosphorus oxide with alkynes mediated by 2,6-lutidine and Tf2 O

Theoretical investigations have elucidated the mechanism of metal-free electrophilic phosphinative cyclization of alkynes reaction reported by Miura and coworkers. Two competitive mechanisms I and II were explored without or with 2,6-lutidine. Both of I and II involve transformation of P(V) to P(III), electrophilic addition, ring opening and cyclization/cyclization, hydrogen-transfer, and oxidation. The rate-determining step of mechanism I and competitive less-step II is electrophilic [2 + 1] cycloaddition and electrophilic addition via single CP bond formation with activation barrier of 13.5 and 10.6 kcal/mol, respectively. Our calculation results suggested that the cumulative effect of the isomer of 2,6-lutidine and Tf₂ O as well as TfO^- affects the title reaction to some extent, and simultaneously activates key reaction sites and reverses the polarities of them via the formation of abundant noncovalent interactions to decrease activation barriers of TSs. In addition, the effects of two series substituents on reactivity of phosphine oxide were investigated. Therefore, our study will serve as useful guidance for more efficient metal-free synthesis of organophosphorus compounds mediated by pyridine reagents.

Facile Synthesis of Nitrogen-Containing Six-Membered Benzofuzed Phenophosphazinine Oxides and Studies of the Photophysical Properties

A facile synthesis of nitrogen-containing six-membered benzofuzed phosphacycles has been described. This cyclization reaction triggered by Tf₂O provides an expedient protocol of phosphacycles with a simple operation at mild conditions. The preliminary photophysical studies of these novel materials reveal that the fluorescence intensity enhances with the molecular aggregation in the solid state and that the introduction of the sterically bulky phenanthrene group into the phosphacycles allows a significant increase in the fluorescence quantum yield.

Manganese-Catalyzed and Mediated Synthesis of Arylphosphinates and Related Compounds

The free-radical arylation of H-phosphinates and related compounds was examined. A practical catalytic process with the air as the oxidant could not be found. However, an inexpensive and robust methodology was developed, using catalytic Mn(II) as the radical initiator and excess Mn(IV) as the stoichiometric oxidant. Using these conditions, the inter- and intramolecular arylation of phosphinylidene compounds has a broad scope, including application to the synthesis of P-heterocycles. A full account of this methodology is presented including a discussion of its limitations.

Highly selective C–H bond activation of N-arylbenzimidamide and divergent couplings with diazophosphonate compounds: a catalyst-controlled selective synthetic strategy for 3-phosphorylindoles and 4-phosphorylisoquinolines

A highly efficient synthetic strategy to construct 3-phosphorylindole and 4-phosphorylisoquinoline was achieved.

Chemoselective Activation of Diethyl Phosphonates: Modular Synthesis of Biologically Relevant Phosphonylated Scaffolds

Phosphonates have garnered considerable attention for years owing to both their singular biological properties and their synthetic potential. State-of-the-art methods for the preparation of mixed phosphonates, phosphonamidates, phosphonothioates, and phosphinates rely on harsh and poorly selective reaction conditions. We report herein a mild method for the modular preparation of phosphonylated derivatives, several of which exhibit interesting biological activities, that is based on chemoselective activation with triflic anhydride. This procedure enables flexible and even iterative substitution with a broad range of O, S, N, and C nucleophiles.

Direct Aryloxylation/Alkyloxylation of Dialkyl Phosphonates for the Synthesis of Mixed Phosphonates

A strategy for the direct functionalization strategy of inertial dialkyl phosphonates with hydroxy compounds to afford diverse mixed phosphonates with good yields and functional-group tolerance has been developed. Mechanistic investigations involving both NMR studies and DFT studies suggest that an unprecedented highly reactive P^V species (phosphoryl pyridin-1-ium salt), a key intermediate for this new synthetic transformation, is generated in situ from dialkyl phosphonate in the presence of Tf₂ O/pyridine.

Lewis Acid-Controlled Regioselective Phosphorylation of 2-Indolylmethanols with Diarylphosphine Oxides: Synthesis of Highly Substituted Indoles

The Lewis acid-promoted phosphorylation of 2-indolylmethanols with diarylphosphine oxides is described. The regioselectivity of the reaction can be modulated by the choice of rare earth metal Lewis acid, offering a highly selective approach to structurally diverse indole derivatives in up to 97% yield for over 50 examples. This strategy features high selectivity, good functional group tolerance, and easy scalability. The utility of this method is further highlighted by facile modification of the products to access novel indole-based phosphine ligand.

Direct synthesis of alkynylphosphonates from alkynes and phosphite esters catalyzed by Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles supported on Nb2O5

A new, recyclable and efficient copper catalyst for cross-couplings of alkynes and phosphite esters has been disclosed, in which the synergistic effects of Nb₂O₅ on the catalyst are found owing to its strong Lewis acid sites.

Recent progress in the synthesis of phosphorus-containing indole derivatives

Phosphorus-containing indole derivatives represent a special class of phosphorus-containing nitrogen heterocycles. This review summarizes the recent progress in the synthesis of such compounds, briefly discusses the reaction mechanisms and challenges, and outlines the synthetic opportunities still open.

Brønsted acid-catalysed regiodivergent phosphorylation of 2-indolylmethanols to synthesize benzylic site or C3-phosphorylated indole derivatives

A Brønsted acid catalyzed highly regiodivergent phosphorylation of 2-indolylmethanols with diarylphosphine oxides has been established, which provides an efficient protocol for accessing benzylic site or C3-phosphorylated indole derivatives with structural diversity.