Modification of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides by direct C-H bond activation

Transition metal-catalyzed modifications of the activated heterocyclic bases of nucleosides as well as DNA or RNA fragments employing traditional cross-coupling methods have been well-established in nucleic acid chemistry. This review covers advances in the area of cross-coupling reactions in which nucleosides are functionalized via direct activation of the C8-H bond in purine and the C5-H or C6-H bond in uracil bases. The review focuses on Pd/Cu-catalyzed couplings between unactivated nucleoside bases with aryl halides. It also discusses cross-dehydrogenative arylations and alkenylations as well as other reactions used for modification of nucleoside bases that avoid the use of organometallic precursors and involve direct C-H bond activation in at least one substrate. The scope and efficiency of these coupling reactions along with some mechanistic considerations are discussed.

Copper-catalyzed aerobic cascade cycloamination and acyloxylation: a direct approach to 4-acyloxy-1H-pyrazoles

An efficient copper-catalyzed regioselective olefinic C(sp²)–H bond cycloamination and acyloxylation was developed to give acyloxylated pyrazoles under mild conditions, which combines the formation of the pyrazole skeleton and installation of an acyloxyl group in a single step.

Dehydrogenative alkenylation of uracils via palladium-catalyzed regioselective C-H activation

A regioselective Pd-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative coupling between uracils and alkenes is reported. This protocol provides easy access to a variety of 5-alkenyluracil structural motifs.