Copper nanocatalysts applied in coupling reactions: a mechanistic insight

Copper-based nanocatalysts have seen great interest for use in synthetic applications since the early 20th century, as evidenced by the exponential number of contributions reported (since 2000, more than 48 000 works published out of about 81 300 since 1900; results from SciFinder using "copper nanocatalysts in organic synthesis" as keywords). These huge efforts are mainly based on two key aspects: (i) copper is an Earth-abundant metal with low toxicity, leading to inexpensive and eco-friendly catalytic materials; and (ii) copper can stabilize different oxidation states (0 to +3) for molecular and nanoparticle-based systems, which promotes different types of metal-reagent interactions. This chemical versatility allows different pathways, involving radical or ionic copper-based intermediates. Thus, copper-based nanoparticles have become convenient catalysts, in particular for couplings (both homo- and hetero-couplings), transformations that are involved in a remarkable number of processes affording organic compounds, which find interest in different fields (medicinal chemistry, natural products, drugs, materials, etc.). Clearly, this richness in reactivity makes understanding the mechanisms more complex. The present review focuses on the analysis of reported contributions using monometallic copper-based nanoparticles as catalytic precursors applied in coupling reactions, paying attention to those shedding light on the reaction mechanism.

Heterogeneous Catalytic Method for the Copper(II)-Catalysed Addition of H-Phosphinates and Secondary Phosphine Oxides to Phenylacetylene

Copper(II) on 4 Å molecular sieve was found to be an efficient heterogeneous catalyst in the addition of different H-phosphinates and secondary phosphine oxides to phenylacetylene. All hydrophosphinylation reactions were completely regioselective, as only β-isomers were formed, and the E-alkenylphosphinates and E-alkenylphosphine oxides were synthesized in moderate to excellent yields. The catalyst could be reused multiple times in the reaction.

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Selective Metal-Controlled Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated (Indolin-2-ylidene)methyl- and Quinolin-3-ylphosphonates

Metal-catalyzed (Cu, Ag, Au) reactions of alkynylphosphonates with 1-(2-aminophenyl)-2,2,2-trifluoroethan-1-ones were developed. Terminal alkyne diethyl ethynylphosphonate reacted with ketones to give different products depending on the catalyst used. With a CuI/PPh₃ catalytic system, the formation of CF₃-containing indoline derivatives was observed with good yields. The use of AgSbF₆ as a catalyst led to quinoline derivatives in high yields. The less reactive 2-substituted ethynylphosphonates required gold complexes as catalysts to provide the corresponding 2-aryl(alkyl) substituted 4-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-3-ylphosphonates with good yields.

C–P bond construction catalyzed by NiII immobilized on aminated Fe3O4@TiO2 yolk–shell NPs functionalized by (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (Fe3O4@TiO2 YS-GLYMO-UNNiII) in green media

An efficient, versatile and novel method for the C–P cross-coupling reaction with a high yield of products using Fe₃O₄@TiO₂YS-GLYMO-UNNi^II as a magnetic nanostructured catalyst in the presence of WERSA was reported.

Aerobic oxidative alkynylation of H-phosphonates and amides: an efficient route for the synthesis of alkynylphosphonates and ynamides using a recyclable Cu–MnO catalyst

We developed a straightforward, atom-economical and scalable route for the synthesis of alkynylphosphonates and ynamides using a reusable Cu–MnO catalyst.