Carbon-heteroatom coupling bonds

Ishiyama, T. and Hartwig, J.R (2000) A Heck-type reaction involving carbon-heteroatom double bonds. Rhodium(I)-catalyzed coupling of aryl halides with A-pyrazyl aldimines. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 122, 12043-4. 

Since this seminal report, numerous examples of C-C bond-forming reductive elimination from Pd complexes have been demonstrated [7-11]. In contrast, carbon-heteroatom bond-forming reactions from Pd species remain much rarer. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of the synthesis and reactivity of detectable Pd complexes that undergo carbon-heteroatom coupling. Furthermore, mechanistic aspects of these reductive elimination reactions are discussed in detail. 

Carbon-heteroatom double bonds can also participate in this reaction. These include both carbonyl compounds (Scheme 11.37) and imines (Scheme 11.38). Addition to aldehydes is co-catalysed by tin(II) or indium(III) salts. Under these conditions, tetrahydrofiirans are obtained. The presence or absence of the co-catalyst can also switch the reaction from one mode to another (Scheme 11.39). An indium cocatalysed cycloaddition to a 7-pyrone aldehyde 11.117 was used in a synthesis of aureothin 11.122 and A-acetylaureothamine 11.123 (Scheme 11.40). Cross-metathesis of the exo-cyc ic alkene 11.118 allowed a subsequent Suzuki coupling with a gem-dibromide 11.120 that showed the expected selectivity (Section 2.1.4.2). This reaction required the use of thallium ethoxide as the Lewis base to suppress the formation of side products. A Negishi coupling completed the synthesis of aureothin 11.122. Reduction and acylation of the nitro group yielded A-acetylaureothamine 11.123. The latter compound is active digainst Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium behind stomach ulcers. 

Cross-coupling to form carbon heteroatom bonds occurs by oxidative addition of an organic halide, generation of an aryl- or vinylpalladium amido, alkoxo, tholato, phosphido, silyl, stannyl, germyl, or boryl complex, and reductive elimination (Scheme 2). The relative rates and thermodynamics of the individual steps and the precise structure of the intermediates depend on the substrate and catalyst. A full discussion of the mechanism for each type of substrate and each catalyst is beyond the scope of this review. However, a series of reviews and primary literature has begun to provide information on the overall catalytic process.18,19,22,23,77,186... 

During the cross-couplings to form C—N, C—O, C—S, and C—P bonds, the arylpalladium halide complexes are converted to arylpalladium amide, alkoxide, thiolate, and phosphide complexes. Examples of each type of complex have now been isolated, and the reductive elimination of the organic products has been studied. Although the reductive elimination to form carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon bonds is common, reductive elimination to form carbon-heteroatom bonds has been studied only recently. This reductive elimination chemistry has been reviewed.23... 

Recently, interest in copper-catalyzed carbon-heteroatom bond-forming reactions has shifted to the use of boronic acids as reactive coupling partners [133], One example of carbon-sulfur bond formation is displayed in Scheme 6.65. Lengar and Kappe have reported that, in contrast to the palladium(0)/copper(l)-mediated process described in Scheme 6.55, which leads to carbon-carbon bond formation, reaction of the same starting materials in the presence of 1 equivalent of copper(II) acetate and 2 equivalents of phenanthroline ligand furnishes the corresponding carbon-sulfur cross-coupled product [113]. Whereas the reaction at room temperature needed 4 days to reach completion, microwave irradiation at 85 °C for 45 min in 1,2-dichloroethane provided a 72% isolated yield of the product. 

Very few transition-metal catalyzed electroreductive carbon-heteroatom bond formations have been described. The electrochemical silylation of allylic acetates was carried out in the presence of Pd-PPha [131]. The electrosynthesis of arylthioethers from thiophenol and aryl halides [132] and the coupling of bromobenzene with dichlorophenylphosphine [133] were performed with Ni-bpy as catalyst. 

Formally copper catalyzed couplings are analogous to palladium and nickel catalyzed reactions. Carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds can be formed in such transformations alike. From the mechanistic point of view there is a significant difference between nickel, palladium and copper catalyzed processes however. While in the former cases the catalyst usually oscillates between the 0 and +2 oxidation states, in copper mediated transformations the common oxidation numbers are +1, +2 and +3. 

Transition metal catalyzed insertion reactions offer a convenient route for the preparation of five membered heterocyclic rings. Besides intramolecular Heck-couplings and CO insertion, examples of the intramolecular insertion of an acetylene derivative constitute the majority of this chapter. Although some of these processes involve the formation of a carbon-heteroatom bond, they are discussed here. 

The transition metal catalyzed synthesis of seven membered and larger heterocycles attracted considerably less attention than the preparation of their five and six membered analogues. Typical examples in this chapter include the formation of heterocycles in insertion reactions, or through carbon-heteroatom bond formation. Although the formation of some macrocyclic natural products was also achieved in cross-coupling reactions they will not be discussed in detail. 

Carbon-heteroatom bond forming reactions are also efficient in introducing amines onto other five membered heterocycles. 2-, and 3-bromothiophene were both coupled with diphenylamine using the highly active palladium-PlBih catalyst system. The reactions furnished the desired products in both cases, although the yield varied significantly with the substitution pattern (6.75.),106... 

Examples of the transition metal catalyzed formation of carbon-heteroatom bonds other than carbon-nitrogen are less abundant. In a recent survey of the copper catalyzed carbon-oxygen bond formation between alcohols and organotrifluroborates the coupling of 3-thienyltrifluoroborate and 2-furfuryl alcohol gave the expected thienyl-furfuryl-ether in good yield (6.83.),113... 

For structural elucidation by means of carbon-13 coupling constants, an empirical approach is often sufficient Carbon-13 one-bond coupling constants, particularly JCH values roughly correlate with carbon hybridization and bond polarity. The latter is greatly affected by electron-withdrawing heteroatoms or substituents. These relations will be outlined in the following sections. 

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