Oxidative arene cross-coupling

Stuart DR, Villemure E, Fagnou K (2007) Elements of regiocontrol in palladium-catalyzed oxidative arene cross-coupling. J Am Chem Soc 129 12072-12073... 

The formation of a C-C bond resulting from the coupling of two C-H bonds is a particularly attractive target, since the only formal by-product would be hydrogen, or water in an oxidative system. However, substantial hurdles impede the conception of a catalytic arene cross-coupling process that does not involve any substrate pre-activation at all. Aside from issues of reactivity and regioselectivity, the prevention of homo-coupling is a key factor for the development of this important class of reaction. The catalyst must be able to react with one arene in the first step of the catalytic cycle and then invert its selectivity in the second step to react exclusively with a different arene (Scheme 29). 

DeBoef and co-workers have reported a similar reaction, wherein direct C-H to C-H indole-arene cross-coupling can be controlled through the use of a particular oxidant (Scheme 34) [53,54], The basis of their selectivity concept is the formation of different polyvalent clusters between the Pd(OAc)2 and the AgOAc or Cu(0 Ac)2 oxidants respectively, and the subsequent reactivity of these complex in the aryla-tion reaction. The same group also demonstrated the utility of an intermolecular C-H to C-H coupling reaction. 

The selective electrochemical oxidation of one reaction partner gave rise to the first anodic phenol-arene cross-coupling (Scheme 4) [4]. The presence of additional water or methanol in the electrolyte turned out to be beneficial for the yield as well as selectivity [18]. In many cases, the ratio for the mixed biaryl (AB) vs. biphenyl (BB) exceeded 100 1. Since no leaving functionalities are required, simple starting materials can be employed, and the 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol is almost quantitatively recovered. Biaryls 8-10 with different substitution patterns are feasible in good isolated yields. The transformation is compatible with a variety of functional groups and tolerates sulfide and tertiary alkyl moieties in the substrates. Compound 11 and 12 were the only observed mixed biaryls in the reaction mixture. Products originating... 

The oxidative coupling of thiophene, furan[338] and pyrrole[339,340] is also possible. The following order of reactivity was observed in the coupling of substituted furans[338] R = H > Me > CHO > CO Me > CH(OAc)i > CO2H. The cross-coupling of furans and thiophenes with arene is possible, and 4-phenylfurfural (397) is the main product of the cross-coupling of furfural and benzene[341]. 

Cycloalkanes R R R H and chelating arenes ArH were oxidatively cross-conpled to Ar R R R by [RuClj(p-cymene)]2/TBHP/135°C (the reactants were the solvent) thus 2-phenylpyridine and cyclo-octane were cross-coupled cf. mech. Ch. 1. Other complexes (Ru(acac)3, [RuCl CCOD)] and RuHj(CO)(PPh3)3) also catalysed the reaction [78]. 

Palladium(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl halides and alkenes (i.e., the Heck reaction) is widely used in organic chemistry. Oxidative Heck reactions can be achieved by forming the Pd -aryl intermediate via direct palladation of an arene C - H bond. Intramolecular reactions of this type were described in Sect. 4.1.2, but considerable effort has also been directed toward the development of intermolecular reactions. Early examples by Fu-jiwara and others used organic peroxides and related oxidants to promote catalytic turnover [182-184]. This section will highlight several recent examples that use BQ or dioxygen as the stoichiometric oxidant. 

Direct palladation of C-H bonds can be achieved by treatment of, for example, electron-rich arenes with Pd(II) salts (see also Section8.11). After cross-coupling via reductive elimination the resulting Pd(0) must be reoxidized to Pd(II) if Pd-catalysis is the aim [85], Reoxidation of Pd(0) with Cu or Ag salts (as in the Wacker process) is not always well suited for C-C bond-forming reactions [86], but other oxidants, for example peroxides, have been used with success (Scheme8.9). The required presence of oxidants in the reaction mixture limits the scope of these reactions to oxidation-resistant starting materials. 

The one-pot Stille cross-coupling reaction of compound 256 produced all four isomeric thieno[3,2-c]naphthyridines (1994JHC11). The stepwise formation of the C(7)-C(7a) and C(4)-N(5) bonds of the thieno[3,2-c]pyridine system can be considered as a modification of the above-described approaches. For example, aldehyde 256 reacts with arene 265 to give 266 reduction of its nitro group is accompanied by cyclization to form thieno[3,2-c]isoquinoline A-oxide (267) (1990JHC1127). 

Dohi T, Ito M, Morimoto K, Wata M, Kita Y (2008) Oxidative cross-coupling of arenes induced by single-electron transfer leading to biaryls by use of organoiodine(III) oxidants. Angew Chem Int Ed 47 1301-1304... 

Multiple arylations of polybromobenzenes have been conducted to generate electron-rich arylamines. Tribromotriphenylamine and 1,3,5-tribromobenzene all react cleanly with A-aryl piperazines using either P(o-tolyl)3 or BINAP-ligated catalysts to form hexamine products [107]. Reactions of other polyhalogenated arenes have also been reported [108]. Competition between aryl bromides and iodides or aryl bromides and chlorides has been investigated for the formation of aryl ethers [109], and presumably similar selectivity is observed for the amination. In this case bro-mo, chloroarenes reacted preferentially at the aryl bromide position. This selectivity results from the faster oxidative addition of aryl bromides and is a common selectivity observed in cross-coupling. Sowa showed complete selectivity for amination of the aryl chloro, bromo, or iodo over aryl-fluoro linkages [110]. This chemistry produces fluoroanilines, whereas the uncatalyzed chemistry typically leads to substitution for fluoride. 

Whether the reaction is inter- or intramolecular, the Heck reaction generates vinyl(hetero)arenes or dienes from an alkene and a (hetero)aryl or alkenyl halide [130]. This reaction has great versatility and is applicable to a wide range of aryl and alkene species. Mechanistically, the Heck reaction varies from that depicted in Fig. 4.3. While the oxidative addition of the halogen species occurs, the transmetalation step is replaced by the coordination of the alkene. This is followed by a migratory insertion which essentially substitutes for the cross-coupling step. The product is released not by a reductive elimination, but by a 3-hydride elimination sequence (Fig. 4.5). 

Because of the extraordinary strength of the carbon-fluorine bond, transition metal-mediated activation of fluoroalkanes and arenes is not easy to achieve. Nevertheless, activation of the C-F bond in highly electron-deficient compounds such as 2,4,6-trifluoropyrimidine, pentafluoropyridine, or hexafluorobenzene is possible with stoichiometric amounts of bis(triethylphosphano) nickel(O) [101] (Scheme 2.45). More recently Herrmann and coworkers [102] have described a variant of the Kumada-Corriu cross-coupling reaction [103] between fluorobenzene and aryl Grignard compounds which uses catalytic amounts of nickel carbene complexes. Hammett analysis of the relative kinetic rate constants indicated that the reaction proceeds via initial oxidative addition of the fluoroaromatic reactant to the nickel(O) species. 

Palladium-catalyzed dimerization of 2-arylpyridines by employing oxone as the terminal oxidant has been reported [75], The reaction was shown to proceed via a Pd(II)-Pd(TV) pathway. A method for cross-coupling of simple arenes with 2-arylpyridine derivatives by using catalytic palladium acetate in the presence of two equivalents of silver carbonate requires use of a large excess of the less reactive arene [76],... 

Although not directly relevant to this review, it should be noted that Sanford, Shi and Buchwald have also reported a palladium-catalyzed reaction for the chemo-and regioselective oxidative cross-coupling between ligand coordinated L-Cat-H substrates and simple arenes (Ar-H) [55-57]. 

In the cross-coupling reaction, starting from the simple arene (with directing group), palladation by a Pd(II) salt would lead to the formation of the palladacyclic complex (Ar1Pd(II)L) (Scheme 3). After the transmetallation and reductive elimination processes, the biaryl product is obtained together with Pd(0). If the Pd(0) can be further oxidized to Pd(II) catalyst, a catalytic cycle will be formed. By accomplishing this, arenes (C-H) are used to replace the aryl halides (C-X). Similarly, arenes (C-H) can be used to replace the aryl metals (C-M). 

Scheme 15 Pd-catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling between simple arenes...

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