Intermolecular Cross-Coupling Reactions

Transition metal-catalyzed allylic substitution with phenols and alcohols represents a fundamentally important cross-coupling reaction for the construction of allylic ethers, which are ubiquitous in a variety of biologically important molecules [44, 45]. While phenols have proven efficient nucleophiles for a variety of intermolecular allylic etherification reactions, alcohols have proven much more challenging nucleophiles, primarily due to their hard, more basic character. This is exemphfied with secondary and tertiary alcohols, and has undoubtedly limited the synthetic utihty of this transformation. 

Li and Yue also reported the intermolecular palladium catalyzed cross coupling reactions of bromo quinoxalines 214 and 216 with aryl boronic acids and heterocyclic stannanes, respectively <99TL4507>. The Suzuki couplings (i.e., 214 215) required the use of a... 

In 1991, Inanaga achieved Sml2-mediated intermolecular cross-coupling between C=0 (ketones or aldehydes) and C=N by using 0-benzyl formaldoxime as a C=N component7 The reaction requires HMPA as a co-solvent and a suitable proton source such as /-butyl alcohol or ethylene glycol. A cross-coupling reaction between ketones and... 

The chiral Mo-alkylidene complex derived from AROM of a cyclic olefin may also participate in an intermolecular cross metathesis reaction. As depicted in Scheme 16, treatment of meso-72a with a solution of 5 mol % 4a and 2 equivalents of styrene leads to the formation of optically pure 73 in 57% isolated yield and >98% trans olefin selectivity [26]. The Mo-catalyzed AROM/CM reaction can be carried out in the presence of vinylsilanes the derived optically pure 74 (Scheme 16) may subsequently be subjected to Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, allowing access to a wider range of optically pure cyclopentanes. 

The same group developed an interesting intermolecular palladium-catalyzed alienation of aryliodide with N-tosyl o-iodoanilines with nucleophiles in combination with two palladium-coupling reactions [69]. In this reaction, the N-allyl(2-iodopalladium)aniline intermediate 52 underwent an intramolecular Heck reaction followed by a cross-coupling reaction with phenyl boronic acid to give the 3,3-disubstituted indoline 53 in 78% yield (Scheme 8.27). 

Intermolecular Cross-Coupling Reactions Followed by Intermolecular Cycloadditions... 

Some of the most useful synthetic transformations of terminal alkynes involve intermolecular and intramolecular homo- and cross-coupling reactions between their. sp-carbon centers, leading to butadiyne or polyyne derivatives. The two most widely used and practical systems are (i) oxidative homocoupling reactions, i.e. Glaser and Eglington reactions and (ii) heterocoupling reactions, i.e. Chodkiewicz-Cadiot coupling of a terminal alkyne with a haloalkyne. 

The thiazolium-catalyzed addition of an aldehyde-derived acyl anion with a Michael acceptor (Stetter reaction) is a well-known synthetic tool leading to the synthesis of highly funtionalized products. Recent developments in this area include the thiazolylalanine-derived catalyst 191 for asymmetric intramolecular Stetter reaction of a,P-unsaturated esters <05CC195>. However, these cyclizations proceed only in moderate enantioselectivities and yields even under optimized conditions. Thiazolium salt 191 has been used successfully for enantioselective intermolecular aldehyde-imine cross coupling reactions <05JA1654>. Treatment of tosylamides 194 with aryl aldehydes in the presence of 15 mol% of 191 and 2... 

From a synthetic standpoint the intermolecular pinacolic coupling reaction is limited because only homocoupling reactions are generally practical. Cross-coupling reactions mediated by SmF are restricted to specialized, matched partners [35]. Thus a-dicarbonyl compounds can be heterocoupled with aldehydes, providing facile entry to 2,3-dihydroxy ketones. Although selectivities vary, in some cases the diastereoselectivity of the process can be quite high (Eq. 25). 

A single attempt has been made to induce asymmetry in the intermolecular cross coupling reaction by employing a chiral ligand for the samarium ketyl [56]. Utilizing 2,2 -bis(diphenylphosphinyl)-l,l -binaphthyl (BINAPO) as a chiral ligand, a modest start has been made to develop an enantioselective process. However, in the examples reported to date the method is plagued by low yields and/or moderate stereoselectivities. 

Few examples of what might be described as an intermolecular coupling reaction on inactivated alkenes has appeared [62], Thus ketyl radicals generated from aromatic aldehydes and ketones underwent intermolecular addition to the para position of another aldehyde. Cross-coupling reactions are not feasible in these systems and typically yields are quite low. 

Fig.l Cross-coupling reaction of unactivated alkyl electrophiles showing intramolecular p-hydride elimination (undesired) and intermolecular transmetalation (desired). 

After realizing that our hypotheses about oxidative cross-coupling reactions were not as unique as assumed, we quickly turned our attentirai to intermolecular oxidative amination reactions. In the carbazole example, regioselectivity was coti-trolled by the presence of a Lewis base that was attached near the C—H bmid that would be cleaved, resulting in a metallacyle intermediate. For die development of an intramolecular reaction, we chose to take advantage of the selectivity that is often observed in the selective metalation of electron-rich heteroarenes. At the time, the palladation of indoles was presumed to operate by an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism. (This has since been demonstrated to be incorrect, vide infra.) We hypothesized that regioselective palladation of an indole substrate could be followed by a subsequent C—N bond reductive elimination. At the time, the exact mechanism by which the intermediate containing Pd—C and Pd—N bonds could be formed was not clear, nor was the order of the two metalation steps, but the overall process seemed plausible. 

Compared with the aldehyde-ketone cross-benzoin reaction, intermolecular aldehyde-aldehyde coupling reactions are much more challenging, as the addition of the second aldehyde means the number of possible products is quadrupled. 

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