Photoinduced, copper-catalysed direct perfluoroalkylation of heteroarenes

Continuous Flow Decarboxylative Monofluoroalkylation Enabled by Photoredox Catalysis

Herein, we report a scalable and mild strategy for the monofluoroalkylation of a wide array of Giese acceptors via visible-light-mediated photoredox catalysis in continuous flow. The use of flow technology significantly enhances productivity and scalability, whereas mildness of conditions and functional group tolerance are ensured by leveraging 4CzIPN, a transition-metal-free organic photocatalyst. Structurally diverse secondary and tertiary monofluoroalkyl radicals can thus be accessed from readily available α-monofluorocarboxylic acids. Given the mild reaction conditions, this protocol is also amenable to the late-stage functionalization of biologically relevant molecules such as menthol, amantadine, bepotastine, and estrone derivatives, rendering it suitable for application to drug discovery programs, for which the introduction of fluorinated fragments is highly sought after. This method was also extended to enable a reductive multicomponent radical-polar crossover transformation to rapidly increase the complexity of the assembled fluorinated architectures in a single synthetic operation.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Direct ortho-Arylation of Anilines

An efficient and broadly applicable rhodium-catalyzed direct ortho-arylation of anilines with aryl iodides relying on readily available aminophosphines as traceless directing groups is reported. Its scope and functional group compatibility were both found to be quite broad as a large variety of both aminophosphines and (hetero)aryl iodides, including complex ones, could be utilized. The ortho-arylated anilines could be obtained in high average yields, without any competing diarylation and with full regioselectivity, which constitutes a major step forward compared to other processes. The reaction is moreover not limited to aryl iodides, as an aryl bromide and a triflate could be successfully used, and could be extended to diarylation. Mechanistic studies revealed the key and unique role of the aminophosphine, acting not only as a substrate but also as a ligand for the rhodium catalyst.

Photocatalytic C2-trifluoroethylation and perfluoroalkylation of 3-substituted indoles using fluoroalkyl halides

A photocatalytic reactivity platform for the C2-trifluoroethylation and perfluoroalkylation of 3-substituted indoles has been developed. A range of fluoroalkyl halides have been employed as radical precursors under mild, transition-metal-free conditions to access new (per)fluorinated chemical space featuring the indole substructure. This general protocol is also applicable to indole-containing peptides.

Copper-Catalyzed Coupling between ortho-Haloanilines and Lactams/Amides: Synthesis of Benzimidazoles and Telmisartan

An efficient copper-catalyzed synthesis of (annelated) benzimidazoles is reported. This transformation is based on a simple and straightforward one-pot sequence involving a copper-catalyzed cross coupling between o-haloanilines and lactams/amides followed by a subsequent cyclization under acidic conditions. A variety of (annelated) benzimidazoles could be easily obtained in high yields from readily available starting materials, and this procedure could be further applied to the synthesis of the antihypertensive blockbuster drug telmisartan.

Recent advances on non-precious metal-catalysed fluorination, difluoromethylation, trifluoromethylation, and perfluoroalkylation of N-heteroarenes

This review highlights the recent advances, from 2015 to 2023, on the introduction of organo-fluorine derivatives at the N-heteroarene core. Notable features considering new technologies based on organofluorine compounds such as: (i) approaches based on non-precious metal catalysis (Fe, Co, Mn, Ni, etc.), (ii) the development of new strategies using non-precious metal-catalysts for the introduction of organo-fluorinine derivatives using N-heterocycles with one or more heteroatoms, (iii) newer reagents for fluorination, difluoromethylation, trifluoromethylation, or perfluoroalkylation of N-heteroarenes using different approaches, (iv) mechanistic studies on various catalytic transformations, as and when required, and (v) the synthetic applications of various bio-active organo-fluorine compounds, including post-synthetic drug derivatization, are discussed.

Synthesis of Tetrahydrofurans and Pyrrolidines by Copper-Catalyzed Oxy/Aminoarylation of Alkenes

An efficient copper-catalyzed inter/intramolecular oxy/aminoarylation of γ-hydroxy/aminoalkenes with diaryliodonium triflates is reported. Simple activation of these arylating agents with copper(II) triflate in dichloromethane triggers a smooth activation of the alkene, which is simultaneously trapped by the internal nucleophile, yielding, depending upon its nature, a range of highly substituted tetrahydrofurans and pyrrolidines. The cyclization was moreover found to be stereospecific, with diastereoisomeric alkenes yielding diastereoisomers of the cyclized product, and could be extended to oxyalkynylation.

Three-Component Perfluoroalkylvinylation of Alkenes Enabled by Dual DBU/Fe Catalysis

Herein, a simple and efficient strategy that involves dual 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU)/iron-catalyzed alkene perfluoroalkylvinylation by using perfluoroalkyl iodides and 2-aminonaphthalene-1,4-diones as coupling partners is demonstrated. In terms of the developed catalytic system, various styrenes and aliphatic alkenes are well-tolerated, leading to the accurate preparation of perfluoroalkyl-containing 2-aminonaphthalene-1,4-diones in excellent regioselectivity. Moreover, the protocol can be readily applied in late-stage modifications of natural products and pharmaceuticals. The title reactions are featured by easily accessible and inexpensive catalysts and substrates, broad substrate applicability, and mild reaction conditions. Mechanistic investigations reveal a tandem C-I cleavable alkylation and C-C vinylation enabled by cooperative DBU/iron catalysis.

Photoactive Copper Complexes: Properties and Applications

Photocatalyzed and photosensitized chemical processes have seen growing interest recently and have become among the most active areas of chemical research, notably due to their applications in fields such as medicine, chemical synthesis, material science or environmental chemistry. Among all homogeneous catalytic systems reported to date, photoactive copper(I) complexes have been shown to be especially attractive, not only as alternative to noble metal complexes, and have been extensively studied and utilized recently. They are at the core of this review article which is divided into two main sections. The first one focuses on an exhaustive and comprehensive overview of the structural, photophysical and electrochemical properties of mononuclear copper(I) complexes, typical examples highlighting the most critical structural parameters and their impact on the properties being presented to enlighten future design of photoactive copper(I) complexes. The second section is devoted to their main areas of application (photoredox catalysis of organic reactions and polymerization, hydrogen production, photoreduction of carbon dioxide and dye-sensitized solar cells), illustrating their progression from early systems to the current state-of-the-art and showcasing how some limitations of photoactive copper(I) complexes can be overcome with their high versatility.