Publications

Efficient and robust synthetic processes of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are highly desirable, and continuous flow chemistry is a critical component of this endeavor. The clinical importance of ondansetron, a World Health Organization essential medicine, prompted us to investigate continuous synthetic approaches to this API. Our efforts to improve the synthetic processes led to a continuous condensation step and a continuous Mannich reaction. A continuous work-up and purification process was also established for the former. A batch process was employed for an elimination and Michael addition step, as it not only accommodated the physical properties of the reaction mixtures, but also provided a high productivity of the desired product. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the complementary advantages of flow and batch chemistry in API synthesis.

Bedaquiline is a crucial medicine in the global fight against tuberculosis, yet its high price places it out of reach for many patients. Herein, we describe improvements to the key industrial lithiation-addition sequence that enable a higher yielding and therefore more economical synthesis of bedaquiline. Prioritization of mechanistic understanding and multi-lab reproducibility led to optimized reaction conditions that feature an unusual base-salt pairing and afford a doubling of the yield of racemic bedaquiline. We anticipate that implementation of these improvements on manufacturing scale will be facile, thereby substantially increasing the accessibility of this essential medication.

Computer-aided synthesis planning (CASP) tools can propose retrosynthetic pathways and forward reaction conditions for the synthesis of organic compounds, but the limited availability of context-specific data currently necessitates experimental development to fully specify process details. We plan and optimize a CASP-proposed and human-refined multistep synthesis route toward an exemplary small molecule, sonidegib, on a modular, robotic flow synthesis platform with integrated process analytical technology (PAT) for data-rich experimentation. Human insights address catalyst deactivation and improve yield by strategic choices of order of addition. Multi-objective Bayesian optimization identifies optimal values for categorical and continuous process variables in the multistep route involving 3 reactions (including heterogeneous hydrogenation) and 1 separation. The platform’s modularity, robotic reconfigurability, and flexibility for convergent synthesis are shown to be essential for allowing variation of downstream residence time in multistep flow processes and controlling the order of addition to minimize undesired reactivity. Overall, the work demonstrates how automation, machine learning, and robotics enhance manual experimentation through assistance with idea generation, experimental design, execution, and optimization.

By simple combination of water and sodium iodide (NaI) with chlorotrimethylsilane (TMSCl), promotion of a Vorbrüggen glycosylation en route to essential HIV drugs emtricitabine (FTC) and lamivudine (3TC) is achieved. TMSCl–NaI in wet solvent (0.1 M water) activates a 1,3-oxathiolanyl acetate donor for N-glycosylation of silylated cytosine derivatives, leading to cis-oxathiolane products with up to 95% yield and >20:1 dr. This telescoped sequence is followed by recrystallization and borohydride reduction, resulting in rapid synthesis of (±)-FTC/3TC from a tartrate diester.

Batch and continuous reactors both enable exploration of a chemical design space. The former rely on transient experiments, thus experiencing a wide variety of operating conditions over time, whereas the latter are usually operated at steady state and are representative of only one set of conditions. Operating a continuous reactor under dynamic conditions allows more efficient exploration of the underlying reaction space for extraction of kinetics and optimization of performance. We present a methodology to efficiently explore a design space using a tubular flow reactor installed on an automatic platform (equipped with FTIR and HPLC analysis) operated in a transient regime using sinusoidal variations of the parameters. This data-dense method proves to be quicker with respect to steady-state operations because of the larger amount of information collected during a single experiment. A computational analysis provides a simple criterion for the design of dynamic experiments in order for them to be representative of steady-state conditions. The methodology is applied experimentally to the synthesis of a pharmaceutical intermediate via an esterification reaction in the presence of base. In the experiments, up to three parameters (reaction time, base equivalents, and temperature) are changed simultaneously. Proper design of the trajectories in the design space allows verification of the consistency of the results by exploiting the self-crossings within each trajectory and crossings between different trajectories. The experiments further validate the developed criterion for dynamic operations.

The approach to reproductive health and safety in academic laboratories requires increased focus and a shift in paradigm. Our analysis of the current guidance from more than 100 academic institutions’ Chemical Hygiene Plans (CHPs) indicates that the burden to implement laboratory reproductive health and safety practices is often placed on those already pregnant or planning conception. We also found inconsistencies in the classification of potential reproductive toxins by resources generally considered to be authoritative, adding further confusion. In the interest of human health and safe laboratory practice, we suggest straightforward changes that institutions and individual laboratories can make to address these present deficiencies: Provide consistent and clear information to laboratory researchers about reproductive health and normalize the discussion of reproductive health among all researchers. Doing so will promote safer and more inclusive laboratory environments.

A scalable four step synthesis of molnupiravir from cytidine is described herein. The attractiveness of this approach is its fully chemical nature involving inexpensive reagents and more environmentally friendly solvents such as water, isopropanol, acetonitrile and acetone. Isolation and purification procedures are improved in comparison to our earlier report, as all intermediates can be isolated via aqueous acid treatment and recrystallization. The key steps in the synthesis, namely ester formation, hydroxamination and deprotection were done on multigram scale to afford molnupiravir in 36-41% yield with average purity of 98 wt% by q-NMR and 99 area % by HPLC.

Synthetic chemistry provides access to advanced materials that facilitate innovation in key industries such as medicine, energy, and agriculture. Automation is poised to challenge the traditional process of chemical synthesis and development. Continuous flow chemistry has recently come into maturity and provides a flexible platform amenable to automation. The merger of synthesis and automation promises to democratize access to custom complex small molecules for non-experts as well as accelerate the development of new synthetic protocols by relieving expert chemists of routine tasks. In this contribution, we discuss recent case studies that present strategies towards realizing automated synthesis with a further focus on works that leverage continuous flow chemistry as an enabling technology.

Large quantities of fluorinated gases are generated as intermediates or byproducts from fluorinated polymer production annually, and they are effective ozone depleting substances or greenhouse gases. On the other hand, the incorporation of fluoroalkyl groups into drug molecules or bioactive compounds has been shown to enhance biological properties such as the bioavailability, binding selectivity, and metabolic stability. Extraction of fluoroalkyl sources, including trifluoromethyl and difluoromethyl groups, from the fluorinated gases is highly desirable, yet challenging under regular batch reaction conditions. Flow chemistry is an emerging and promising technique to address long-standing challenges in gas–liquid batch reactions such as insufficient interfacial contact and scalability issues. In this review, we highlight recent advances in continuous flow strategies toward enabling the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases in organic synthesis.

Large quantities of fluorinated gases are generated as intermediates or byproducts from fluorinated polymer production annually, and they are effective ozone depleting substances or greenhouse gases. On the other hand, the incorporation of fluoroalkyl groups into drug molecules or bioactive compounds has been shown to enhance biological properties such as the bioavailability, binding selectivity, and metabolic stability. Extraction of fluoroalkyl sources, including trifluoromethyl and difluoromethyl groups, from the fluorinated gases is highly desirable, yet challenging under regular batch reaction conditions. Flow chemistry is an emerging and promising technique to address long-standing challenges in gas–liquid batch reactions such as insufficient interfacial contact and scalability issues. In this review, we highlight recent advances in continuous flow strategies toward enabling the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases in organic synthesis.

Molnupiravir (MK-4482, EIDD-2801) is a promising orally bioavailable drug candidate for the treatment of COVID-19. Herein, we describe a supply-centered and chromatography-free synthesis of molnupiravir from cytidine, consisting of two steps: a selective enzymatic acylation followed by transamination to yield the final drug product. Both steps have been successfully performed on a decagram scale: the first step at 200 g and the second step at 80 g. Overall, molnupiravir has been obtained in a 41% overall isolated yield compared to a maximum 17% isolated yield in the patented route. This route provides many advantages to the initial route described in the patent literature and would decrease the cost of this pharmaceutical should it prove safe and efficacious in ongoing clinical trials.

Di-tert-butyl oxymethyl phosphonates were investigated regarding their suitability for preparing the active pharmaceutical ingredient tenofovir (PMPA). First, an efficient and simple access to the crystalline di-tert-butyl(hydroxymethyl)phosphonate was developed. O-Mesylation gave high yields of the active phosphonomethylation reagent. For the synthesis of tenofovir, a two-step sequence was developed using Mg(OtBu)2 as the base for the alkylation of (R)-9-(2-hydroxypropyl)adenine. Subsequent deprotection could be achieved with aqueous acids. (Di-tert-butoxyphosphoryl)methyl methanesulfonate showed to be the most efficient electrophile tested, affording PMPA in 72% yield on a 5 g scale. The developed protocol could also be applied for the preparation of the hepatitis B drug adefovir (64% yield/1 g scale)

Post-polymerization modification of commodity polymers yields new applications for materials already produced industrially. Incorporation of small amounts of epoxides into unsaturated polymers such as polybutadiene expands their use for grafting and compatibilization applications, but controlled epoxidation of these polymers in a safe, scalable manner presents a challenge. Here in we describe the development of a reactor for the continuous flow generation and use of dimethyldioxirane (DMDO) and its application to the low-level epoxidation of unsaturated polymers. A continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) prevents reactor clogging by allowing solid precipitates to settle, enabling the pumping of a homogeneous solution of oxidant. Modification of relative concentrations, flow rates, and temperatures achieves variable epoxidation levels. This method has been demonstrated on gram scale

Herein, we demonstrate the on-demand synthesis of chloramine from aqueous ammonia and sodium hypochlorite solutions, and its subsequent utilization as an ambiphilic nitrogen source in continuous-flow synthesis. Despite its advantages in cost and atom economy, chloramine has not seen widespread use in batch synthesis due to its unstable and hazardous nature. Continuous-flow chemistry, however, provides an excellent platform for generating and handling chloramine in a safe, reliable, and inexpensive manner. Unsaturated aldehydes are converted to valuable aziridines and nitriles, and thioethers are converted to sulfoxides, in moderate to good yields and exceedingly short reaction times. In this telescoped process, chloramine is generated in situ and immediately used, providing safe and efficient conditions for reaction scale-up while mitigating the issue of its decomposition over time.

A two-step route to MK-4482 (EIDD-2801, 1) was developed consisting of an esterification and hydroxamination of cytidine. The selective acylation and direct amination eliminate the need for protecting and activating groups and proceed in overall yield of 75%, a significant advancement over the reported yield of 17%. The step count is reduced from five transformations to two, and expensive uridine is replaced with the more available cytidine.

A new route to MK-4482 was developed. The route replaces uridine with the more available and less expensive cytidine. Low-cost, simple reagents are used for the chemical transformations, and the yield is improved from 17% to 44%. A step is removed from the longest linear sequence, and these advancements are expected to expand access to MK-4482 should it become a viable drug substance.

The deuteriodifluoromethyl group (CF2D) represents a challenging functional group due to difficult deuterium incorporation and unavailability of precursor reagents. Herein, we report the use of chlorodifluoromethane (ClCF2H) gas in the continuous flow deuteriodifluoromethylation and gem-difluoroalkenylation of aldehydes. Mechanistic studies revealed that the difluorinated oxaphosphetane (OPA) intermediate can proceed via alkaline hydrolysis in the presence of D2O to provide α-deuteriodifluoromethylated benzyl alcohols or undergo a retro [2+2] cycloaddition under thermal conditions to provide the gem-difluoroalkenylated product.

A four-step synthesis of the dimeric pyrrole–imidazole alkaloid sceptrin is reported. The brevity of the route is based on a simple solution developed for selective assembly of the cyclobutane core of the natural product. The photochemical intermolecular [2 + 2] dimerization of a useful hymenidin surrogate enables direct entry to this enigmatic class of biologically active marine secondary metabolites.

The translation of olefin metathesis reactions from the laboratory to process scale has been challenging with traditional batch techniques. In this contribution, we describe a continuous membrane reactor design that selectively permeates the ethylene byproduct from metathetical processes, thereby overcoming the mass-transport limitations that have negatively influenced the efficiency of this transformation in batch vessels. The membrane sheet-in-frame pervaporation module yielded turnover numbers of >7500 in the case of diethyl diallylmalonate ring-closing metathesis. The preparation of more challenging, low-effective-molarity substrates, a cyclooctene and a 14-membered macrocyclic lactone, was also effective. A comparison of optimal membrane reactor conditions to a sealed tubular reactor revealed that the benefits of ethylene removal are most apparent at low reaction concentrations.

A multioperation, continuous-flow platform for the synthesis of tramadol, ranging from gram to decagram quantities, is described. The platform is segmented into two halves allowing for a single operator to modulate between preparation of the intermediate by Mannich addition or complete the fully concatenated synthesis. All purification operations are incorporated in-line for the Mannich reaction. ‘Flash’ reactivity between meta-methoxyphenyl magnesium bromide and the Mannich product was controlled with a static helical mixer and tested with a combination of flow and batch-based and factorial evaluations. These efforts culminated in a rapid production rate of tramadol (13.7 g°h–1) sustained over 56 reactor volumes. A comparison of process metrics including E-Factor, production rate, and space-time yield are used to contextualize the developed platform with respect to established engineering and synthetic methods for making tramadol.

Monolithic and packed-bed reactors featuring immobilized catalysts are well-precedented in continuous flow synthesis but can suffer from adverse pressure drops during use due to their small pore sizes and/or structural changes. Herein, we overcome this challenge with the synthesis of a structurally robust silica-based monolith featuring pore sizes on the millimeter scale. The 3-dimensional solid support structure is constructed from a polystyrene foam-based template and features a functional group handle that can be modified to display a reactive catalyst. Here we functionalize the support with palladium(0) for hydrogenation reactions and a modified proline catalyst for the alpha functionalization of aldehydes. Both reactors showed good activity and excellent catalytic longevity when utilized under continuous flow conditions.

Generation of a ketyl radical from unactivated aliphatic carbonyl compounds is an important strategy in organic synthesis. Herein, catalytic generation and use of a ketyl radical for the reductive coupling of aliphatic carbonyl compounds and styrenes by organic photoredox catalysis is described. The method is applicable to both aliphatic ketones and aldehydes to afford the corresponding tertiary and secondary alcohols in continuous flow and batch. Preliminary mechanistic investigation suggests the catalytic formation of a ketyl radical intermediate

We report the preparation of enantiomerically enriched β-thio-α-hydroxy and α-chloro carboxylic acid and ester building blocks by diazotization of S-sulfonyl-cysteines. The thiosulfonate protecting group demonstrated resistance to oxidation and attenuation of sulfur’s nucleophilicity by the anomeric effect. The key transformation was optimized by a 22 factorial design of experiment, highlighting the unique reactivity of cysteine derivatives in comparison with aliphatic amino acids.

A strategy for the continuous flow synthesis of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors is described. An optimization effort guided by in situ IR analysis resulted in a general amide coupling approach facilitated by N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) activation that was further characterized by reaction kinetics analysis in batch. The three-step continuous process was demonstrated by synthesizing 8 different ACE inhibitors in up to 88 % yield with throughputs in the range of ≈0.5 g h−1, all while avoiding both isolation of reactive intermediates and process intensive reaction conditions. The process was further developed by preparing enalapril, a World Health Organization (WHO) essential medicine, in an industrially relevant flow platform that scaled throughput to ≈1 g h−1.

Synthesis of the fused polycyclic ether motif comprising the EFG rings of the marine ladder polyethers tamulamides A and B has been achieved via two different etherification strategies. Ultimately, a reductive etherification approach proved most successful due to tolerance of the G ring substitution and provided the EFG 6,7,6 ring system in 58% yield.

The ability to synthesize complex organic molecules is essential to the discovery and manufacture of functional compounds, including small-molecule medicines. Despite advances in laboratory automation, the identification and development of synthetic routes remain a manual process and experimental synthesis platforms must be manually configured to suit the type of chemistry to be performed, requiring time and effort investment from expert chemists. The ideal automated synthesis platform would be capable of planning its own synthetic routes and executing them under conditions that facilitate scale-up to production goals. Individual elements of the chemical development process (design, route development, experimental configuration, and execution) have been streamlined in previous studies, but none has presented a path toward integration of computer-aided synthesis planning (CASP), expert refined chemical recipe generation, and robotically executed chemical synthesis.

A modular continuous flow synthesis of imatinib and analogues is reported. Structurally diverse imatinib analogues are rapidly generated using three readily available building blocks via a flow hydration/chemoselective C–N coupling sequence. The newly developed continuous flow hydration and amidation modules each exhibit a broad scope with good to excellent yields. Overall, the method described does not require solvent switches, in-line purifications, or packed-bed apparatuses due to the judicious manipulation of flow setups and solvent mixtures.

Herein, we report the first total synthesis of marine ladder polyether gymnocin B (1) based on a two-phase strategy. In Phase I, inspired by the proposed biosynthesis, epoxide-opening cascades assemble 10 out of 15 cyclic ether rings making up the molecular core. In the subsequent Phase II, coalescence elevates the molecular complexity further by coupling of these subunits. Our two-phase synthetic approach significantly improved the step efficiency of the synthesis of this class of natural products.

Skipped polyenes featuring high (E)-selectivity and varying methyl substitution patterns are synthesized using a nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between allyl trifluoroacetates and vinyl bromides. The utility of this cross-electrophile coupling is showcased in part by the synthesis of the RST fragment of the marine ladder polyether, maitotoxin. Construction of this fragment is particularly challenging due to the alternating methyl substitution pattern.

Herein, the blockbuster antibacterial drug linezolid is synthesized from simple starting blocks by a convergent continuous flow sequence involving seven (7) chemical transformations. This is the highest total number of distinct reaction steps ever performed in continuous flow without conducting solvent exchanges or intermediate purification. Linezolid was obtained in 73 % isolated yield in a total residence time of 27 minutes, corresponding to a throughput of 816 mg h−1.

The use of strong organometallic bases and nucleophiles is commonplace in modern organic synthesis. That they react with a wide range of functional groups requires accurate and precise stoichiometry in reactions that utilize them. For best results, these bases are titrated prior to use, and such titrations can be time-consuming and variable due to human error near the end point. Herein, we describe an automated method for titrations of multiple commercial organometallic reagents enabled by continuous flow. Through utilizations of continuous monitoring via UV–vis spectroscopy and a feedback loop developed within LabVIEW, titrations with enhanced reproducibility were provided over current batch procedures

We present a supervised learning approach to predict the products of organic reactions given their reactants, reagents, and solvent(s). The prediction task is factored into two stages comparable to manual expert approaches: considering possible sites of reactivity and evaluating their relative likelihoods. By training on hundreds of thousands of reaction precedents covering a broad range of reaction types from the patent literature, the neural model makes informed predictions of chemical reactivity. The model predicts the major product correctly over 85% of the time requiring around 100 ms per example, a significantly higher accuracy than achieved by previous machine learning approaches, and performs on par with expert chemists with years of formal training. We gain additional insight into predictions via the design of the neural model, revealing an understanding of chemistry qualitatively consistent with manual approaches.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an attractive building block for organic synthesis that is environmentally friendly. Continuous flow technologies have enabled C−O and C−C bond forming reactions with CO2 that previously were either low-yielding or impossible in batch to afford value-added chemicals. This review describes recent advances in continuous flow as an enabling strategy in utilizing CO2 as a C1 building block in chemical synthesis.

Synthesis of the fused tetrahydrofuran motif comprising the ABC rings of the marine ladder polyethers tamulamides A and B has been achieved via two different polyepoxide cascade strategies. Investigations into a triepoxide cascade under aqueous conditions revealed the importance of the electronic nature of the cascade end-group with this initial approach. Ultimately, a diepoxide cascade under basic conditions proved most successful, providing the ABC tetrahydropyran triad in 41% yield.

Chemical synthesis generally requires labor-intensive, sometimes tedious trial-and-error optimization of reaction conditions. Here, we describe a plug-and-play, continuous-flow chemical synthesis system that mitigates this challenge with an integrated combination of hardware, software, and analytics. The system software controls the user-selected reagents and unit operations (reactors and separators), processes reaction analytics (high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, vibrational spectroscopy), and conducts automated optimizations. The capabilities of this system are demonstrated in high-yielding implementations of C-C and C-N cross-coupling, olefination, reductive amination, nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr), photoredox catalysis, and a multistep sequence. The graphical user interface enables users to initiate optimizations, monitor progress remotely, and analyze results. Subsequent users of an optimized procedure need only download an electronic file, comparable to a smartphone application, to implement the protocol on their own apparatus.

Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a new class of air- and moisture-stable phosphine-containing nickel(II) precatalysts, which activate through a Heck-type mechanism. The activities of the precatalysts are demonstrated with a carbonyl–ene coupling reaction

This laboratory experiment leverages the pedagogical value and multidisciplinary nature of biodiesel production from vegetable oil to introduce students to continuous-flow chemistry, a modern and rapidly growing approach to chemical synthesis. An interdisciplinary approach exposes students to the practical and conceptual aspects of modern continuous-flow chemistry while simultaneously reinforcing core organic chemistry techniques and investing students in issues of sustainability. Students screen reaction conditions in flow through an inquiry guided approach and make evidence-based decisions to accomplish the sustainable conversion of waste cooking oil into biofuel. The laboratory experiment is designed to be highly modular and can be completed in two, three, five, or eight laboratory periods. By incorporating the burgeoning field of continuous-flow chemistry into the educational infrastructure, the experiments allow students to develop skills that are highly valued in the modern chemical workforce.

Chemical methods have enabled the total synthesis of protein molecules of ever-increasing size and complexity. However, methods to engineer synthetic proteins comprising noncanonical amino acids have not kept pace, even though this capability would be a distinct advantage of the total synthesis approach to protein science.

Highly functionalized 2-arylindoles were synthesized from 2-alkenylarylisocyanides and arylboronic acids using a simple, inexpensive copper catalyst. The reaction exhibits excellent functional group tolerance for both the arylisocyanide and boronic acid coupling partners. To avoid the direct handling of the pungent arylisocyanide starting materials, continuous flow chemistry is further demonstrated to provide safe and effective access to 2-arylindoles through in situ dehydration and cyclization of easy-to-handle 2-alkenyl-N-formylanilines.

An emerging and strengthening trend is that flow chemistry is much more than the adaption of batch processes to flow systems. Rather, flow chemistry offers a new paradigm in the way we think about chemical synthesis. This volume demonstrates the enabling power of continuous flow to access new reaction types and different chemistry space and, to this end, it has been compiled by a team of pioneers and leaders, who present both the practical and conceptual aspects of this rapidly growing field. Included are the principles of reactor design, automation, and separations/purifications in flow systems, applications in photochemistry, electrochemistry, gaseous systems, immobilized reagents and catalysts, and multistep processes. The synthesis of peptides, carbohydrates, and pharmaceuticals is covered and several chapters give insight into the use of flow in an industrial context.

Dolutegravir (DTG), an important active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) used in combination therapy for the treatment of HIV, has been synthesized in continuous flow. By adapting the reported GlaxoSmithKline process chemistry batch route for Cabotegravir, DTG was produced in 4.5 h in sequential flow operations from commercially available mate-rials. Key features of the synthesis include rapid manufacturing time for pyridone formation, one-step direct amidation of a functionalized pyridone, and telescoping of multiple steps to avoid isolation of intermediates and enable for greater throughput

Herein, we introduce a new class of bench-stable N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) nickel-precatalysts for homogeneous nickel-catalysis. The nickel(II) complexes are readily activated to Ni0 in situ under mild conditions, via a proposed Heck-type mechanism. The precatalysts are shown to facilitate carbonyl-ene, hydroalkenylation, and amination reactions.

Shortly after the initial isolation of marine ladder polyether natural products, biomimetic epoxide-opening cascade reactions were proposed as an efficient strategy for the synthesis of these compounds. However, difficulties in assembling the cascade precursors have limited the realization of these cascades. In this report, we describe strategies that provide convergent access to cascade precursors via regioselective allylation and efficient fragment coupling. We then investigate epoxide-opening cascades promoted by strong bases for the formation of fused tetrahydropyrans. These strategies are evaluated in the context of the synthesis of rings CDEFG of brevisulcenal F.

An electrochemically driven, nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of N-hydroxyphthalimide esters with aryl halides is reported. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions in a divided electrochemical cell and employs a tertiary amine as the reductant. This decarboxylative C(sp3)−C(sp2) bond-forming transformation exhibits excellent substrate generality and functional group compatibility. An operationally simple continuous-flow version of this transformation using a commercial electrochemical flow reactor represents a robust and scalable synthesis of value added coupling process.

As a demonstration of an alternative to the challenges faced with batch pharmaceutical manufacturing including the large production footprint and lengthy time-scale, we previously reported a refrigerator-sized continuous flow system for the on-demand production of essential medicines. Building on this technology, herein we report a second-generation, reconfigurable and 25 % smaller (by volume) continuous flow pharmaceutical manufacturing platform featuring advances in reaction and purification equipment. Consisting of two compact [0.7 (L)×0.5 (D)×1.3 m (H)] stand-alone units for synthesis and purification/formulation processes, the capabilities of this automated system are demonstrated with the synthesis of nicardipine hydrochloride and the production of concentrated liquid doses of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, neostigmine methylsulfate and rufinamide that meet US Pharmacopeia standards.

Minimizing the waste stream associated with the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and commodity chemicals is of high interest within the chemical industry from an economic and environmental perspective. In exploring solutions to this area, we herein report a highly optimized and environmentally conscious continuous-flow synthesis of two APIs identified as essential medicines by the World Health Organization, namely diazepam and atropine. Notably, these approaches significantly reduced the E-factor of previously published routes through the combination of continuous-flow chemistry techniques, computational calculations and solvent minimization. The E-factor associated with the synthesis of atropine was reduced by 94-fold (about two orders of magnitude), from 2245 to 24, while the E-factor for the synthesis of diazepam was reduced by 4-fold, from 36 to 9

Selective N-monomethylation of anilines has been achieved under continuous flow conditions using dimethyl carbonate as a green methylating agent in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene. Our methodology takes advantage of the expanded process windows available in the continuous flow regime to safely induce monomethylation in superheated solvents at high pressure. We propose selective N-monomethylation is achieved via an in situ protection-deprotection pathway, which is supported by the observed reactivities of several putative reaction intermediates. The robust and scalable method was applicable to a broad range of primary aniline substrates including ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted anilines, as well as electron-rich and electron-deficient anilines. The synthetic precursor of diazepam, 5-chloro-2-(methylamino)benzophenone, was selectively synthesized under our optimized conditions.

Although carbon dioxide (CO2) is highly abundant, its low reactivity has limited its use in chemical synthesis. In particular, methods for carbon–carbon bond formation generally rely on two-electron mechanisms for CO2 activation and require highly activated reaction partners. Alternatively, radical pathways accessed via photoredox catalysis could provide new reactivity under milder conditions. Here we demonstrate the direct coupling of CO2 and amines via the single-electron reduction of CO2 for the photoredox-catalysed continuous flow synthesis of α-amino acids. By leveraging the advantages of utilizing gases and photochemistry in flow, a commercially available organic photoredox catalyst effects the selective α-carboxylation of amines that bear various functional groups and heterocycles. The preliminary mechanistic studies support CO2 activation and carbon–carbon bond formation via single-electron pathways, and we expect that this strategy will inspire new perspectives on using this feedstock chemical in organic synthesis.

The direct β-selective hydrocarboxylation of styrenes under atmospheric pressure of CO2 has been developed using photoredox catalysis in continuous flow. The scope of this methodology was demonstrated with a range of functionalized terminal styrenes, as well as αsubstituted and β-substituted styrenes.

We report a method for overcoming the low stability of nitroalkynes through the development of nitrated vinylsilyltriflate equivalents. Because of their instability, nitroalkynes have only rarely been utilized in synthesis. The reactivity of these silyltriflates, which are prepared in situ, is exemplified by dipolar cycloaddition reactions with nitrones to give highly substituted 4-nitro-4-isoxazolines in high yields. This approach has proven general for several different alkyl and aryl substituted alkynes. In order to minimize the accumulation of potentially hazardous reaction intermediates, we have also developed a continuous flow variant of this method that iscapable of carrying out the entire reaction sequence in a good yield and a short residence time.

Monodisperse oligomers are important intermediates for studying structure–property relationships in soft materials but are traditionally laborious to synthesize. A semi-automated synthetic system that combines the benefits of telescoped reactions in continuous flow with iterative exponential growth (IEG) greatly expedites this process and makes the rapid synthesis of structurally diverse oligomer libraries practical. Herein, the coupling chemistry in the Flow-IEG system has been upgraded and expanded to include both 1,4- and 1,5-triazole linkages between monomers through an improved copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and a newly-optimized ruthenium-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (RuAAC), respectively. Improvements to the Flow-IEG framework enabled the library synthesis of monodisperse oligomers with variations in triazole connectivity. These discrete oligomers allowed the systematic evaluation of the consequences of triazole sequence on material properties. The crystallization properties of these macromolecules were highly dependent on both their monomer sequence and triazole substitution pattern.

Within a total residence time of 9 min, the sodium salt of ciprofloxacin was prepared from simple building blocks via a linear sequence of six chemical reactions in five flow reactors. Sequential offline acidifications and filtrations afforded ciprofloxacin and ciprofloxacin hydrochloride. The overall yield of the eight-step sequence was 60 %. No separation of intermediates was required throughout the synthesis when a single acylation reaction was applied to remove the main byproduct, dimethylamine.

A rapid and modular continuous flow synthesis of highly functionalized fluorinated pyrazoles and pyrazolines has been developed. Flowing fluorinated amines through sequential reactor coils mediates diazoalkane formation and [3+2] cycloaddition to generate more than 30 azoles in a telescoped fashion. Pyrazole cores are then sequentially modified through additional reactor modules performing N-alkylation and arylation, deprotection, and amidation to install broad molecular diversity in short order. Continuous flow synthesis enables the safe handling of diazoalkanes at elevated temperatures, and the use of aryl alkyne dipolarphiles under catalyst-free conditions. This assembly-line synthesis provides a flexible approach for the synthesis of agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, as demonstrated by a four-step, telescoped synthesis of measles therapeutic, AS-136A, in a total residence time of 31.7 min (1.76 g h−1).

Ion-selective electrochemical systems are promising for liquid phase separations, particularly for water purification and environmental remediation, as wel as in chemical production operations. Redoxmaterials offer an attractive platform for these separations based on their remarkable ion selectivity. Water splitting, a primary parasitic reaction in aqueous-phase processes, severely limits the performance of such electrochemical processes through significant lowering of current efficiencies and harmful changes in water chemistry. We demonstrate that an asymmetric Faradaic cell with redox-functionalization of both the cathode and the anode can suppress water reduction and enhance ion separation, especially targeting organic micropollutants with current efficiencies of up to 96% towards selective ion-binding A number of organometallic redox-cathodes with electron-transfer properties matching those of a ferrocene-functionalized anode, and with potential cation selectivity, were used in the asymmetric cell, with cobalt polymers being particularly effective towards aromatic cation adsorption. We demonstrate the viability and superior performance of dual-functionalized asymmetric electrochemical cells beyond their use in energy storage systems; they can be considered as a next-generation technology for aqueous-phase separations, and we anticipate their broad applicability in other processes, including electrocatalysis and sensing.

Continuous flow reactors are enabling tools that can significantly benefit chemical reactions, especially those that are path length dependent (e.g., photochemical), mixing or transport dependent (e.g., gas-liquid), exothermic, or utilize hazardous or unstable intermediates. In this review, it is demonstrated how the nearly instantaneous mixing, exceptionally fast mass transfer, safe access to high temperatures and pressures, and high surface area to volume ratio can be leveraged to improve product yield, reaction rates and/or selectivity. By showcasing five synthetic methodologies examined by our group, it is hoped that the reader will gain an appreciation of the accessible and transformative nature of flow chemistry for improving existing transformations, enabling rapid optimization, and for developing new methodologies that depend on precise parameter controls.

Nitrosamines make up a major class of contaminants of emerging concern that are toxic, present at trace levels in aqueous environments, and challenging to destroy because of their chemical stability. We report novel redox electrodes based on hemin-functionalized carbon nanotubes showing high electrocatalytic activity for nitrosamine reduction at low potentials (−0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl or −0.27 vs the standard hydrogen electrode) and with turnover numbers of >700. The redox electrodes were tested under a range of electrolyte and pH conditions and demonstrated high conversion of nitrosamines at high reaction rates, even at parts per billion levels in secondary effluent from a wastewater treatment plant. We propose that the pathway for nitrosamine reduction involves a proton-mediated conversion of the nitroso group to hydrazines and secondary amines. These high-performance biomimetic electrocatalysts for nitrosamine reduction are based on complexes containing earth-abundant metals and, potentially, have broad applications in environmental remediation, water treatment, and industrial organo-electrochemical processes.

Technological advances have an important role in the design of greener synthetic processes. In this Personal Account, we describe a wide range of thermal, photochemical, catalytic, and biphasic chemical transformations examined by our group. Each of these demonstrate how the merits of a continuous flow synthesis platform can align with some of the goals put forth by the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry. In particular, we illustrate the potential for improved reaction efficiency in terms of atom economy, product yield and reaction rates, the ability to design synthetic process with chemical and solvent waste reduction in mind as well as highlight the benefits of the real-time monitoring capabilities in flow for highly controlled synthetic output.

We report the first practical use of SF6 as a fluorinating reagent in organic synthesis. Photoredox catalysis enables the in situ conversion of SF6, an inert gas, into an active fluorinating species by using visible light. Under these conditions, deoxyfluorination of allylic alcohols is effected with high chemoselectivity and is tolerant of a wide range of functional groups. Application of the methodology in a continuous-flow setup achieves comparable yields to those obtained with a batch setup, while providing drastically increased material throughput of valuable allylic fluoride products.

Redox species have been explored extensively for catalysis, energy storage, and molecular recognition. It is shown that nanostructured pseudocapacitive electrodes functionalized with ferrocene-based redox polymers are an attractive platform for the selective sorptive separation of dilute organic anions from strong aqueous and organic electrolyte solutions, and subsequent release of the sorbed ions to a stripping phase through electrochemical control of the specific binding processes. A remarkable degree of selectivity is shown for carboxylates (–COO–), sulfonates (–SO3−), and phosphonates (–PO3−2) over inorganic anions such as PF6− and ClO4− (separation factor >140 in aqueous and >3000 in organic systems), and between carboxylates with various substituents, based on differences in electronic structure and density of the adsorbates, beyond size, and charge. Our organometallic redox electrodes are a promising platform for targeting aqueous and organic systems requiring high separation factors and fast throughput, such as in the recovery of value-added products from organic synthesis and isolation of dilute yet highly toxic organic contaminants. The combination of spectroscopic experiments and quantum chemistry sheds light on a selective binding mechanism based on redox-enhanced hydrogen bonding between the cyclopentadienyl ligand and the carboxylate functional group, with broader implications for molecular design, supramolecular recognition, and metallocene catalysis.

The application of stereochemically defined acyclic fully substituted enolates of ketones to the enantioselective synthesis of quaternary carbon stereocenters would be highly valuable. Herein, we describe an approach leading to the formation of several new stereogenic centers through a combined metalation–addition of a carbonyl–carbamoyl transfer to reveal in situ stereodefined α,α-disubstituted enolates of ketone as a single stereoisomer. This approach could produce a series of aldol and Mannich products from enol carbamate with excellent diastereomeric ratios.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing typically uses batch processing at multiple locations. Disadvantages of this approach include long production times and the potential for supply chain disruptions. As a preliminary demonstration of an alternative approach, we report here the continuous-flow synthesis and formulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients in a compact, reconfigurable manufacturing platform. Continuous end-to-end synthesis in the refrigerator-sized [1.0 meter (width) × 0.7 meter (length) × 1.8 meter (height)] system produces sufficient quantities per day to supply hundreds to thousands of oral or topical liquid doses of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, lidocaine hydrochloride, diazepam, and fluoxetine hydrochloride that meet U.S. Pharmacopeia standards. Underlying this flexible plug-and-play approach are substantial enabling advances in continuous-flow synthesis, complex multistep sequence telescoping, reaction engineering equipment, and real-time formulation.

Chemists have long sought sequence-controlled synthetic polymers that mimic nature’s biopolymers, but a practical synthetic route that enables absolute control over polymer sequence and structure remains a key challenge. Here, we report an iterative exponential growth plus side-chain functionalization (IEG+) strategy that begins with enantiopure epoxides and facilitates the efficient synthesis of a family of uniform >3 kDa macromolecules of varying sequence and stereoconfiguration that are coupled to produce unimolecular polymers (>6 kDa) with sequences and structures that cannot be obtained using traditional polymerization techniques. Selective side-chain deprotection of three hexadecamers is also demonstrated, which imbues each compound with the ability to dissolve in water. We anticipate that these new macromolecules and the general IEG+ strategy will find broad application as a versatile platform for the scalable synthesis of sequence-controlled polymers.

Flow chemistry has attracted significant interest in pharmaceutical development, where substantial efforts have been directed toward the design of continuous processes. Here, we report a total synthesis of atropine in flow that features an unusual hydroxymethylation and separation of several byproducts with high structural similarity to atropine. Using a combination of careful pH control in three sequential liquid–liquid extractions and a functionalized resin, atropine is delivered by the flow system with>98% purity

We report a semiautomated synthesis of sequence and architecturally defined, unimolecular macromolecules through a marriage of multistep flow synthesis and iterative exponential growth (Flow-IEG). The Flow-IEG system performs three reactions and an in-line purification in a total residence time of under 10 min, effectively doubling the molecular weight of an oligomeric species in an uninterrupted reaction sequence. Further iterations using the Flow-IEG system enable an exponential increase in molecular weight. Incorporating a variety of monomer structures and branching units provides control over polymer sequence and architecture. The synthesis of a uniform macromolecule with a molecular weight of 4,023 g/mol is demonstrated. The user-friendly nature, scalability, and modularity of Flow-IEG provide a general strategy for the automated synthesis of sequence defined, unimolecular macromolecules. Flow-IEG is thus an enabling tool for theory validation, structure–property studies, and advanced applications in biotechnology and materials science.

Nickel/photoredox catalysis is used to synthesize indolines in one step from iodoacetanilides and alkenes. Very high regioselectivity for 3-substituted indoline products is obtained for both aliphatic and styrenyl olefins. Mechanistic investigations indicate that oxidation to Ni(III) is necessary to perform the difficult C−N bond-forming reductive elimination, producing a Ni(I) complex, which in turn is reduced to Ni(0). This process serves to further demonstrate the utility of photoredox catalysts as controlled single electron transfer agents in multioxidation state nickel catalysis

[Rh(CO)2Cl]2 is as an effective catalyst for endoselective cyclizations and cascades of epoxy-(E)-enoate alcohols, thus enabling the synthesis of oxepanes andoxepane-containing polyethers from di- and trisubstituted epoxides. Syntheses of the ABC and EF ring systems of (−)-brevisin via all endo-diepoxide-opening cascades using this method constitute a formal total synthesis and demonstrate the utility of this methodology in the context of the synthesis of marine ladder polyether natural products.

Nickel(0) catalysts have proven to be powerful tools for multicomponent coupling reactions in our laboratories over the past 15 years. This interest was originally sparked by the ubiquity of allylic alcohol motifs in natural products, such as (−)-terpestacin, which we envisioned assembling by the coupling of two π components (alkyne and aldehyde) with concomitant reduction. Mechanistic investigations allowed us to elucidate several modes of controlling the regioselectivity and stereoselectivity in the oxidative cyclization, and these insights enabled us to leverage combinations of alkenes and phosphine ligands to direct regioselective outcomes. The initial success in developing the first intermolecular reductive alkyne−aldehyde coupling reaction launched a series of methodological investigations that rapidly expanded to include coupling reactions of alkynes with other electrophilic π components, such as imines and ketones, as well as electrophilic σ components, such as epoxides. Aziridines proved to be more challenging substrates for reductive coupling, but we were recently able to demonstrate that cross-coupling of aziridines and alkylzinc reagents is smoothly catalyzed by a zero-valent nickel/phenanthroline system. Moreover, the enantioselective alkyne−aldehyde coupling and the development of novel P-chiral ferrocenyl ligands enabled the total synthesis of (−)-terpestacin, amphidinolides T1 and T4, (−)-gloeosporone, and pumiliotoxins 209F and 251D

In this communication, we report a straightforward synthesis of enantiomerically pure 2-alkyl azetidines The protocol is based on a highly regioselective nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling of aliphatic organozinc reagents with an aziridine that features a tethered thiophenyl group. Activation by methylation transforms the sulfide into an excellent leaving group and triggers the formation of the 2-substituted azetidine core structure by cyclization. In addition, we have expanded this concept to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure, terminal alkyl aziridines. Coupling of a TMS-protected aziridine alcohol, followed by acidic work-up to remove the silyl group, provides 1,2-amino alcohol products that are readily cyclized to aziridines. Both of these sequences display excellent functional group tolerance and deliver the desired azetidine and aziridine products in good to excellent yields

Described herein is a novel Lewis acid catalyzed rearrangement−coupling of oxygen heterocycles and bis (diethylamino)chlorophosphine that provides direct formation of the phosphonomethyl ether functionality found in several important antiretroviral agents. A wide range of dioxolanes and 1,3-dioxanes may be employed, furnishing the desired products in good yield. The utility of this method is demonstrated in a novel synthesis of tenofovir, an antiretroviral drug used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B.

A new and highly selective method for the synthesis of hydroxyl-substituted tetrahydropyrans is described. This method utilizes titanium(IV) isopropoxide and diethyl tartrate to perform a diastereoselective epoxidation followed by in situ epoxide activation and highly selective endocyclization to form the desired tetrahydropyran ring. The HIJ ring fragment of the marine ladder polyether yessotoxin was synthesized using this two-stage tactic that proceeds with high efficiency and excellent regioselectivity

Among the numerous approaches and reagents employed for electrophilic amination, nitrenoids have long stayed out of the limelight. Here, we systematically review the discovery, structural features and chemical reactivity of these promising reagents. We highlight advances in applying the chemistry of nitrenoids as well as outline current limitations and future directions.

In a total residence time of three minutes, ibuprofen was assembled from its elementary building blocks with an average yield of above 90 % for each step. A scale-up of this five-stage process (3 bond-forming steps, one work-up, and one in-line liquid–liquid separation) provided ibuprofen at a rate of 8.09 g h−1 (equivalent to 70.8 kg y−1) using a system with an overall footprint of half the size of a standard laboratory fume hood. Aside from the high throughput, several other aspects of this synthesis expand the capabilities of continuous-flow processing, including a Friedel–Crafts acylation run under neat conditions and promoted by AlCl3, an exothermic in-line quench of high concentrations of precipitation-prone AlCl3, liquid–liquid separations run at or above 200 psi to provide solvent-free product, and the use of highly aggressive oxidants, such as iodine monochloride. The use of simple, inexpensive, and readily available reagents thus affords a practical synthesis of this important generic pharmaceutical.

A mild and facile method for preparing highly functionalized pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines and other nitrogen-rich heterocycles, each containing a quinoxaline core or an analogue thereof, has been developed. The novel method features a visible-light-induced decarboxylative radical coupling of ortho-substituted arylisocyanides and radicals generated from phenyliodine(III) dicarboxylate reagents and exhibits excellent functional group compatibility. A wide range of quinoxaline heterocycles have been prepared. Finally, a telescoped preparation of these polycyclic compounds by integration of the in-line isocyanide formation and photochemical cyclization has been established in a three-step continuous-flow system.

E. coli cells containing overexpressed (R)-selective ω-transaminase and the cofactor PLP were immobilized on methacrylate beads suitable for continuous flow applications. The use of an organic solvent suppresses leaching of PLP from the cells; no additional cofactor was required after setting up the packed-bed reactor containing the biocatalyst (ω-TA-PLP). Non-natural ketone substrates were transformed in flow with excellent enantioselectivity (>99%ee). Features of this novel system include high-throughput (30−60 min residence time), clean production (no quench, workup, or purification required), high enzyme stability (the packedbed reactor can be continuously operated for 1−10 days), and excellent mass recovery.

Small molecules bearing 1,2,3-triazole functionalities are important intermediates and pharmaceuticals. Common methods to access the triazole moiety generally require the generation and isolation of organic azide intermediates. Continuous flow synthesis provides the opportunity to synthesize and consume the energetic organoazides, without accumulation thereof. In this report, we described a continuous synthesis of the antiseizure medication rufinamide. This route is convergent and features copper tubing reactor-catalyzed cycloaddition reaction. Each of the three chemical steps enjoys significant benefits and has several advantages by being conducted in flow. The total average residence time of the synthesis is approximately 11 min, and rufinamide is obtained in 92% overall yield

Herein, we report the first ligand-controlled, nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling of aliphatic N-tosylaziridines with aliphatic organozinc reagents. The reaction protocol displays complete regioselectivity for reaction at the less hindered C−N bond, and the products are furnished in good to excellent yield for a broad selection of substrates. Moreover, we have developed an air-stable nickel(II) chloride/ligand precatalyst that can be handled and stored outside a glovebox. In addition to increasing the activity of this catalyst system, this also greatly improves the practicality of this reaction, as the use of the very air-sensitive Ni(cod)2 is avoided. Finally, mechanistic investigations, including deuterium-labeling studies, show that the reaction proceeds with overall inversion of configuration at the terminal position of the aziridine by way of aziridine ring opening by Ni (inversion), transmetalation (retention), and reductive elimination (retention)

We describe an efficient continuous flow synthesis of ketones from CO2 and organolithium or Grignard reagents that exhibits significant advantages over conventional batch conditions in suppressing undesired symmetric ketone and tertiary alcohol byproducts. We observed an unprecedented solvent-dependence of the organolithium reactivity, the key factor in governing selectivity during the flow process. A facile, telescoped three-step–one-flow process for the preparation of ketones in a modular fashion through the in-line generation of organometallic reagents is also established.

Tremendous advances have been made in nickel catalysis over the past decade. Several key properties of nickel, such as facile oxidative addition and ready access to multiple oxidation states, have allowed the development of a broad range of innovative reactions. In recent years, these properties have been increasingly understood and used to perform transformations long considered exceptionally challenging. Here we discuss some of the most recent and significant developments in homogeneous nickel catalysis, with an emphasis on both synthetic outcome and mechanism.

A series of air-stable nickel complexes of the form L2Ni(aryl) X (L = monodentate phosphine, X = Cl, Br) and LNi(aryl)X (L = bis-phosphine) have been synthesized and are presented as a library of precatalysts suitable for a wide variety of nickel-catalyzed transformations. These complexes are easily synthesized from low-cost NiCl2·6H2O or NiBr2·3H2O and the desired ligand followed by addition of 1 equiv of Grignard reagent. A selection of these complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and an analysis of their structural features is provided. A case study of their use as precatalysts for the nickel-catalyzed carbonyl-ene reaction is presented, showing superior reactivity in comparison to reactions using Ni(cod)2. Furthermore, as the precatalysts are all stable to air, no glovebox or inert-atmosphere techniques are required to make use of these complexes for nickel-catalyzed reactions.

Phenols are important compounds in chemical industry. An economical and green approach to phenol preparation by the direct oxidation of aryl Grignard reagents using compressed air in continuous gas-liquid segmented flow systems is described. The process tolerates a broad range of functional groups, including oxidation-sensitive functionalities such as alkenes, amines, and thioethers. By integrating a benzyne-mediated in-line generation of arylmagnesium intermediates with the aerobic oxidation, a facile three-step, one-flow process, capable of preparing 2-functionalized phenols in a modular fashion, is established.

An effective transformation of alkenes into cyclic carbonates has been achieved using NaHCO3 as the C1 source in acetone–water under microwave heating, with selectivities and yields significantly surpassing those obtained using conventional heating.

The development and operation of the synthesis and workup steps of a fully integrated, continuous manufacturing plant for synthesizing aliskiren, a small molecule pharmaceutical, are presented. The plant started with advanced intermediates, two synthetic steps away from the final active pharmaceutical ingredient, and ended with finished tablets. The entire process was run on several occasions, with the data presented herein corresponding to a 240 h run at a nominal throughput of 41 g h−1 of aliskiren. The first reaction was performed solvent-free in a molten condition at a high temperature, achieving high yields (90%) and avoiding solid handling and a long residence time (due to higher concentrations compared to dilute conditions when run at lower temperatures in a solvent). The resulting stream was worked-up inline using liquid−liquid extraction with membrane-based separators that were scaled-up from microfluidic designs. The second reaction involved a Boc deprotection, using aqueous HCl that was rapidly quenched with aqueous NaOH using an inline pH measurement to control NaOH addition. The reaction maintained high yields (90−95%) under closed-loop control despite process disturbances.

A mechanism-guided design of a multi-step flow system enabled an efficient general process for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from alkenes and CO2. The flow system proved to be an ideal platform for multicomponent reactions because it was straightforward to introduce reagents at specific stages without their interacting with each other or with reaction intermediates prone to destruction by them. This system exhibited superior reactivity, increased yield, and broader substrate scope relative to conventional batch conditions and suppressed the formation of undesired byproducts, such as, epoxides and 1,2-dibromoalkanes.

Achieving high selectivity in the Heck reaction of electronically unbiased alkenes has been a longstanding challenge. Using a nickel-catalyzed cationic Heck reaction, we were able to achieve excellent selectivity for branched products (19:1 in all cases) over a wide range of aryl electrophiles and aliphatic olefins. A bidentate ligand with a suitable bite angle and steric profile was key to obtaining high branched/linear selectivity, whereas the appropriate base suppressed alkene isomerization of the product. Although aryl triflates are traditionally used to access the cationic Heck pathway, we have shown that, by using triethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate, we can effect a counterion exchange of the catalytic nickel complex, such that cheaper and more stable aryl chlorides, mesylates, tosylates, and sulfamates can be used to yield the same branched products with high selectivity

A continuous method for the formation of cyclic carbonates from epoxides andcarbon dioxide (CO2) isdescribed. The catalysts used are inexpensive and effective in converting the reagents to the products in a residence time (tR) of 30 min. The cyclic carbonate products are obtained in good to excellent yield (51−92%). On the basis of a series of kinetics experiments, we propose a reaction mechanism involving epoxide activation by electrophilic bromine and CO2 activation by an amide.

A series of tubes: The continuous manufacture of a finished drug product starting from chemical intermediates is reported. The continuous pilot-scale plant used a novel route that incorporated many advantages of continuous-flow processes to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients and the drug product in one integrated system.

Despite the myriad of selective enzymatic reactions that occur in water, chemists have rarely capitalized on the unique properties of this medium to govern selectivity in reactions. Here we report detailed mechanistic investigations of a water-promoted reaction that displays high selectivity for what is generally a disfavored product. A combination of structural and kinetic data indicates not only that synergy between substrate and water suppresses undesired pathways but also that water promotes the desired pathway by stabilizing charge in the transition state, facilitating proton transfer, doubly activating the substrate for reaction, and perhaps most remarkably, reorganizing the substrate into a reactive conformation that leads to the observed product. This approach serves as an outline for a general strategy of exploiting solvent-solute interactions to achieve unusual reactivity in chemical reactions. These findings may also have implications in the biosynthesis of the ladder polyether natural products, such as the brevetoxins and ciguatoxins.

Synthetic studies on the antibiotic natural product ripostatin A have been carried out with the aim to construct the C9−C10 bond by a nickel(0)-catalyzed coupling reaction of an enyne and an epoxide, followed by rearrangement of the resulting dienylcyclopropane intermediate to afford the skipped 1,4,7-triene. A cyclopropyl enyne fragment corresponding to C1−C9 has been synthesized in high yield and demonstrated to be a competent substrate for the nickel(0)-catalyzed coupling with a model epoxide. Several synthetic approaches toward the C10−C26 epoxide have been pursued. The C13 stereocenter can be set by allylation and reductive decyanation of a cyanohydrin acetonide. A mild, fluoride-promoted decarboxylation enables construction of the C15−C16 bond by an aldol reaction. The product of this transformation is of the correct oxidation state and potentially three steps removed from the targeted epoxide fragment.

Herein we describe in full our investigations leading to the first total syntheses of ent-dioxepandehydrothyrsiferol and armatol A. Discovery of a bromonium-initiated epoxide-opening cascade enabled novel tactics for constructing key fragments found in both natural products and have led us to revise the proposed biogeneses. Other common features found in the routes include convergent fragment coupling strategies to assemble the natural products' backbones and the use of epoxide-opening cascades for rapid constructions of the fused polyether subunits. Through de novo synthesis of armatol A, we elucidate the absolute and relative configuration of this natural product.

Reversed selectivity: 1,3-Dioxan-5-ol templated epoxy alcohols undergo a remarkably selective cyclization, which occurs with near complete endo selectivity that is opposite to that predicted by Baldwin’s rules. This endo preference in water near pH 7.0 is an order of magnitude larger relative to that of a previously disclosed THP-templated cyclization (see scheme), suggesting that “templates” may be important in the biosynthesis of marine ladder polyethers.

A continuous end-to-end synthesis and purification of diphenhydramine hydrochloride featuring atom economy and waste minimization is described. Combining a 1 : 1 molar ratio of the two starting material streams (chlorodiphenylmethane and N,N-dimethylaminoethanol) in the absence of additional solvent at high temperature gives the target compound directly as a molten salt (ionic liquid above 168 °C) in high yield.

Go with the flow: A general approach for amide bond formation by way of a continuous-flow photochemical rearrangement of nitrones was described (see scheme). Simple aryl-alkyl amide bonds as well as complex peptide bonds were constructed efficiently with a residence time less than 20 minutes. A tetrapeptide was synthesized in this way and the method could be applied to peptide fragment coupling.

The first continuous hydrogenation that requires neither H2 nor metal catalysis generates diimide by a novel reagent combination. The simple flow reactor employed minimizes residence time by enabling safe operation at elevated temperature.

The synthesis and characterization of the air-stable nickel(II) complex trans-(PCy2Ph)2Ni(o-tolyl)Cl is described in conjunction with an investigation of its use for the Mizoroki–Heck-type, room temperature, internally selective coupling of substituted benzyl chlorides with terminal alkenes. This reaction, which employs a terminal alkene as an alkenylmetal equivalent, provides rapid, convergent access to substituted allylbenzene derivatives in high yield and with regioselectivity greater than 95:5 in nearly all cases. The reaction is operationally simple, can be carried out on the benchtop with no purification or degassing of solvents or reagents, and requires no exclusion of air or water during setup. Synthesis of the precatalyst is accomplished through a straightforward procedure that employs inexpensive, commercially available reagents, requires no purification steps, and proceeds in high yield.

We report a method for the oxidation of a range of alcohols and aldehydes utilizing a simple flow system of alcohols in EtOAc with a stream of 12.5% NaOCl and catalytic Bu4NBr. Secondary alcohols are oxidized to ketones, aldehydes are oxidized directly to methyl esters in the presence of methanol, and benzylic alcohols are oxidized to either benzaldehydes or methyl esters, depending on the conditions used. The reaction conditions are mild and generally provide complete conversion in 5–30 min.

A new photochemical flow reactor has been developed for the photo-induced electron-transfer deoxygenation reaction to produce 2′-deoxy and 2′,3′-dideoxynucleosides. The continuous flow format significantly improved both the efficiency and selectivity of the reaction, with the streamlined multi-step sequence directly furnishing the highly desired unprotected deoxynucleosides.

Many deoxynucleosides have potent effects against viruses and tumors.1 Several have been approved as antiviral and/or anti-cancer drugs, including zidovudine, stavudine, trifluridine, idoxuridine, cladribine and didanosine (Fig. 1). Extraction from natural sources and fermentation processes provide only a limited number of naturally occurring 2′-deoxynucleosides; therefore, chemical approaches for the general synthesis of deoxynucleosides are highly desired.2 A common strategy is the direct SN2 reaction between a 1-chloro-2-deoxyribose derivative and a metalated or silylated nitrogenous base. Drawbacks of this strategy are the costs and stereochemical lability of 1-chloro sugars. Furthermore, the substitution reaction tends to generate a mixture of anomers that are difficult to separate

A general, green, and efficient Brønsted acid-catalyzed glycosylation serves as a key step in the one-flow, multistep syntheses of several important 5′-deoxyribonucleoside pharmaceuticals.

A continuous protocol for the two-carbon homologation of esters to α,β-unsaturated esters is described. This multireactor homologation telescopes an ester reduction, phosphonate deprotonation, and Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons olefination, thus converting a three-operation procedure into a single, uninterrupted system that eliminates the need for isolation or purification of the aldehyde intermediates. The homologated products are obtained in high yield and selectivity.

Photoredox catalysts have recently been used as powerful tools for synthetic chemists to exploit the energy gained by the absorption of low-energy light within the visible spectrum to initiate a variety of organic transformations.1 The development of methods based on the single-electron transfer properties of photoredox catalysts, particularly in the last several years, has represented a shift in models with respect to the way synthetic chemists consider both photochemistry and redox manipulations of organic molecules.2–4In addition, the advent of new technologies has enabled chemists to conduct reactions with greater efficiency than ever before. Among these new technologies is the development and wide implementation of flow reactors.5, 6 Conducting transformations in flow has many advantages compared to the more traditional batch reactions, in particular: a more predictable reaction scale-up, decreased safety hazards, and improved reproducibility. In addition, for photochemical transformations, the high surface-area-to-volume ratios typical of flow reactors allow for more efficient irradiation of a reaction mixture.7 Due to this feature, we reasoned that a mesofluidic photochemical flow reactor would be amenable to our group’s ongoing study of visible-light-induced organic transformations mediated by photoredox catalysts.

The preparation of CpRu(MeCN)3PF6 using an easily assembled continuous flow reactor is described. This scalable, reproducible method provides the title compound in excellent yield and purity, and eliminates the need for any purification steps. Under our optimized conditions, the residence time required for complete conversion was only 5 min at an initial substrate concentration of 0.06 M, as compared to a reaction time of 12–36 h for the batch process at 0.02 M. This threefold increase in concentration and significant decrease in reaction time increases the throughput and efficiency of the synthesis. Using the simple laboratory equipment described herein, ruthenium catalyst of >99% purity was produced with a throughput of 1.56 g/h (5 mL reactor), which is 10 times the highest reported throughput for the batch process.

A continuous flow system for the multiparameter (flow rate, temperature, residence time, stoichiometry) optimization of the DIBALH reduction of esters to aldehydes is described. Incorporating an in-line quench (MeOH), these transformations are generally complete in fewer than 60 s. Mixing of the DIBALH and ester solutions was observed to be an exceptionally critical parameter for optimum results. This system thus provides general guidelines based on the structure of the ester for selective reduction of an ester without overreduction.

Continuous flow chemistry is being used increasingly; however, without detailed knowledge of reaction engineering, it can be difficult to judge whether dispersion and mixing are important factors on reaction outcome. Understanding these effects can result in improved choices of reactor dimensions and give insight for reactor scale-up. We provide an overview of both dispersive and mixing effects in flow systems and present simple relationships for determining whether mixing or dispersion is important for a given flow system. These results are summarized in convenient charts to enable the experimentalist to identify conditions with potential mixing or dispersion problems. The information also expedites design changes, such as inclusion or changes of mixers and changes in reaction tube diameters. As a case study, application of the principles to a glycosylation reaction results in increased throughput and cleaner product profiles compared to previously reported results.

A continuous-flow microreactor is applied for a kinetic study of a model β-amino alcohol formation by epoxide aminolysis. A large number of experiments are performed in a short time with minimal reagent consumption. The kinetics of formation of secondary aminolysis between starting epoxide and product are decoupled from the primary synthesis, constructing a complete model for desired product formation. The activation energy for the formation of desired product is observed to be higher than those for regioisomer formation and for secondary aminolysis, indicating that increasing temperature improves selectivity in addition to accelerating the reaction. A set of optimized conditions is then selected for best reaction performance, and the process is scaled up to a 100-fold larger reactor volume with model predictions in good agreement with measured process performance.

Inter- and intramolecular ene–yne coupling reactions catalyzed by a species generated in situ via photolysis of CpRu(η6-C6H6)PF6—an inexpensive, readily available, and shelf-stable complex—have been demonstrated under conditions of continuous flow. Importantly, the catalyst can be recovered quantitatively at the end of the reaction. Various functional groups are tolerated by the reaction, which affords skipped diene products in high yields.

Nickel-catalyzed intermolecular benzylation and heterobenzylation of unactivated alkenes to provide functionalized allylbenzene derivatives are described. A wide range of both the benzyl chloride and alkene coupling partners are tolerated. In contrast to analogous palladium-catalyzed variants of this process, all reactions described herein employ electronically unbiased aliphatic olefins (including ethylene), proceed at room temperature, and provide 1,1-disubstituted olefins over the more commonly observed 1,2-disubstituted olefins with very high selectivity.

A Ni-catalyzed reductive coupling of alkynes and epoxides using Ni(II) salts and simple alcohol reducing agents is described. Whereas previously reported conditions relied on Ni(cod)2 and Et3B, this system has several advantages including the use of air-stable and inexpensive Ni(II) precatalysts (e.g., NiBr2·3H2O) as the source of Ni(0) and simple alcohols (e.g., 2-propanol) as the reducing agent. Deuterium-labeling experiments are consistent with oxidative addition of an epoxide C–O bond that occurs with inversion of configuration.

This report describes a nickel-catalyzed allylic substitution process of simple alkenes whereby an important structural motif, a 1,4-diene, was prepared. The key to success is the use of an appropriate nickel–phosphine complex and a stoichiometric amount of silyl triflate. Reactions of 1-alkyl-substituted alkenes consistently provided 1,1-disubstituted alkenes with high selectivity. Insight into the reaction mechanism as well as miscellaneous application of the developed catalytic process is also documented.

The synthesis of 5-substituted tetrazoles in flow (see scheme) is safe, efficient, scalable, requires no metal promoter, and uses a near-equimolar amount of NaN3, yet nonetheless displays a broad substrate scope. The hazards associated with HN3 are essentially eliminated, shock-sensitive metal azides such as Zn(N3)2 are avoided, and residual NaN3 is quenched in-line with NaNO2.

Nucleosides in flow: A general, scalable method of Brønsted acid-catalyzed nucleoside formation is described. Because of the high reaction temperatures readily available to the flow reaction format, mild Brønsted acids, particularly pyridinium triflates, can be used. A one-flow multistep synthesis of unprotected nucleosides is also reported (see scheme).

A detailed kinetic study of the endo-selective epoxide-opening cascade reaction of a diepoxy alcohol in neutral water was undertaken using 1H NMR spectroscopy. The observation of monoepoxide intermediates resulting from initial endo and exo cyclization indicated that the cascade proceeds via a stepwise mechanism rather than through a concerted one. Independent synthesis and cyclization of these monoepoxide intermediates demonstrated that they are chemically and kinetically competent intermediates in the cascade. Analysis of each step of the reaction revealed that both the rate and regioselectivity of cyclization improve as the cascade reaction proceeds. In the second step, cyclization of an epoxy alcohol substrate templated by a fused diad of two tetrahydropyran rings proceeds with exceptionally high regioselectivity (endo:exo = 19:1), the highest we have measured in the opening of a simple trans-disubstituted epoxide. The origins of these observations are discussed.

A convenient and efficient flow method for Ullmann condensations, Sonogashira couplings, and decarboxylation reactions using a commercially available copper tube flow reactor (CTFR) is described. The heated CTFR effects these transformations without added metals (e.g., Pd), ligands, or reagents, and in greater than 90% yield in most cases examined.

Using continuous flow techniques for multi-step synthesis enables multiple reaction steps to be combined into a single continuous operation. In this mini-review we discuss the current state of the art in this field and highlight recent progress and current challenges facing this emerging area.

A rapid carboxylic acid-promoted lactone aminolysis is reported. A number of carboxylic acids were found to promote this amide bond-forming transformation, with aliphatic acids being the most efficient. This reaction is an equilibrium process (Keq ≈ 1.8), and mechanistic investigations are consistent with mediation of a kinetically important proton-transfer step by the carboxylate, i.e., the conjugate base of the acid employed.

The proposed biosynthetic pathways to ladder polyethers of polyketide origin and oxasqualenoids of terpenoid origin share a dramatic epoxide-opening cascade as a key step. Polycyclic structures generated in these biosynthetic pathways display biological effects ranging from potentially therapeutic properties to extreme lethality. Much of the structural complexity of ladder polyether and oxasqualenoid natural products can be traced to these hypothesized cascades. In this review we summarize how such epoxide-opening cascade reactions have been used in the synthesis of ladder polyethers and oxasqualenoid natural products.

Epoxide-opening cascades offer the potential to construct complex polyether natural products expeditiously and in a manner that emulates the biogenesis proposed for these compounds. Herein we provide a full account of our development of a strategy that addresses several important challenges of such cascades. The centerpiece of the method is a trimethylsilyl (SiMe3) group that serves several purposes and leaves no trace of itself by the time the cascade has come to an end. The main function of the SiMe3 group is to dictate the regioselectivity of epoxide opening. This strategy is the only general method of effecting endo-selective cascades under basic conditions.

The use of a continuous flow microreactor for β-amino alcohol formation by epoxide aminolysis is evaluated. Comparison to microwave batch reactions reveals that conditions obtainable in the microreactor can match or improve yields in many cases. By increasing the pressure of the system, maximum temperatures can also exceed those accessible using a microwave unit. The use of a microreactor for epoxide aminolysis reactions in the synthesis of two pharmaceutical relevant compounds is described.

The origins of reactivity and regioselectivity in nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reactions of alkynes and aldehydes were investigated with density functional calculations. The regioselectivities of reactions of simple alkynes are controlled by steric effects, while conjugated enynes and diynes are predicted to have increased reactivity and very high regioselectivities, placing alkenyl or alkynyl groups distal to the forming C−C bond. The reactions of enynes and diynes involve 1,4-attack of the Ni−carbonyl complex on the conjugated enyne or diyne. The consequences of these conclusions on reaction design are discussed.

A rhodium-catalyzed dehydrogenative borylation of cyclic alkenes is described. This reaction provides direct access to cyclic 1-alkenylboronic acid pinacol esters, useful intermediates in organic synthesis. Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling applications are also presented.

This tutorial review traces the development of endo-regioselective epoxide-opening reactions in water. Templated, water-promoted epoxide-opening cyclization reactions can offer rapid access to subunits of the ladder polyethers, a fascinating and complex family of natural products. This review may be of interest to those curious about the ladder polyethers and their hypothesized biogenesis, about organic reactions in water, and about the development and application of cascade reactions in organic synthesis.

Recent advances using nickel complexes in the activation of unactivated monosubstituted olefins for catalytic intermolecular carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions with carbonyl compounds, such as simple aldehydes, isocyanates, and conjugated aldehydes and ketones, are discussed. In these reactions, the olefins function as vinyl- and allylmetal equivalents, providing a new strategy for organic synthesis. Current limitations and the outlook for this new strategy are also discussed.

This report describes a number of new synthetic approaches toward methyl-substituted mono- and diepoxy alcohols that serve as substrates for endo-selective epoxide-opening cascades. The key transformations involve the manipulation of alkynes. Highlighted are the directed methylmetalation of bishomopropargylic alcohols, the bromoallylation of alkynes, and Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling between an alkenyl boronate ester and allylic bromides.

In the first total synthesis of ent-dioxepandehydrothyrsiferol, the signature trans-anti-trans 7,7,6-fused tricyclic polyether framework was constructed in a single bromonium-initiated epoxide-opening cascade that incorporates both endo- and exo-selective epoxide openings, each directed by the substitution pattern of the epoxide (methyl groups).

The structural features of polycyclic polyether natural products can, in some cases, be traced to their biosynthetic origin. However in case that are less well understood, only biosynthetic pathways that feature dramatic, yet speculative, epoxide-opening cascades are proposed. We summarize how such epoxide-opening cascade reactions have been used in the synthesis of polycyclic polyethers (see scheme) and related natural products.

Ringing the changes: The total synthesis of the title compound centers around a novel strategy that employs a nickel(0)–phosphine complex and triethyl borane in an efficient closure of a 14-membered ring through CC bond formation (see scheme; cod=cyclooctadiene). The synthesis was accomplished in 10 steps and in approximately 9 % overall yield.

Extension ladder: The successful application of epoxide-opening strategies towards the synthesis of ladder-type polyethers is contingent upon further elaboration of the product. By employing two different functionalized templates, a fragment of gymnocin A that bears four sites for subsequent fragment coupling has been prepared (see scheme; Bn=benzyl).

Water is an effective promoter of the endo-selective opening of trisubstituted epoxides, enabling related cascades leading to a variety of substituted ladder polyether structures. When used in conjunction with a tetrahydropyran-templated nucleophile, water can overcome the powerful electronic directing effect of a methyl substituent at either site of the epoxide, making water a uniquely versatile medium and promoter of epoxide opening.

The mechanism of nickel-catalyzed reductive alkyne−aldehyde coupling reactions has been investigated using density functional theory. The preferred mechanism involves oxidative cyclization to form the nickeladihydrofuran intermediate followed by transmetalation and reductive elimination. The rate-and selectivity-determining oxidative cyclization transition state is analyzed in detail. The d → π* back-donation stabilizes the transition state and leads to higher reactivity for alkynes than alkenes. Strong Lewis acids accelerate the couplings with both alkynes and alkenes by coordinating with the aldehyde oxygen in the transition state.

A regioselective epoxy alcohol cyclization promoted by the combination of neutral water and a tetrahydropyran template was investigated through a series of mechanistic experiments carried out on an epoxy alcohol containing a tetrahydropyran ring (1a) and its carbocyclic congener (1b). In contrast to 1a, cyclizations of 1b were unselective and displayed significantly faster reaction rates suggesting that the tetrahydropyran oxygen in 1a is requisite for regioselective cyclization. Reactions for both substrates were shown to occur in solution and under kinetic control without significant influence from hydrophobic effects. Kinetic measurements carried out in water/dimethyl sulfoxide mixtures suggest that 1b reacts exclusively through an unselective pathway requiring one water molecule more than what is required to solvate the epoxy alcohol. Similar experiments for 1a suggest a competition between an unselective and a selective pathway requiring one and two water molecules in excess of those required to solvate 1a, respectively. The selective pathway observed for 1a but not in 1b is rationalized by electronic and conformational differences between the two compounds.

Various situations are explored in which the nickel(0)-catalyzed enyne–epoxide reductive coupling was utilized to access key intermediates toward the total synthesis of (−)-cyatha-3,12-diene (1). Enantioenriched 3,5-dien-1-ols with a variety of functionality were obtained in a straightforward manner from easily accessible 1,3-enynes and terminal epoxides.

Highly substituted, very hindered enones were synthesized using a two-step procedure that utilizes a diiodosamarium-promoted Reformatsky-type coupling and dehydration using Martin sulfurane. Both α-chloro- and α-bromoketones were coupled with a variety of carbonyl nucleophiles to form the intermediate β-hydroxyketones, occurring with excellent diastereoselectivity, favoring the syn isomer (R1 = Me). This technique complements other methods and enables the preparation of enones outside of the scope of current olefination methodology.

In the presence of a silyl triflate and an amine base, a nickel–phosphine complex catalyzes the direct conjugate addition of ethylene, α-olefins, and aryl alkenes to unsaturated aldehydes and ketones. The enolsilane products are isolated in good to very high yield, and in very high stereoselectivity for some cases. The alkene is a functional equivalent of an alkenylmetal reagent in the transformation.

Several reactions of simple, unactivated alkenes with electrophiles under nickel(0) catalysis are discussed. The coupling of olefins with aldehydes and silyl triflates provides allylic or homoallylic alcohol derivatives, depending on the supporting ligands and, to a lesser extent, the substrates employed. Reaction of alkenes with isocyanates yields N-alkyl acrylamides. In these methods, alkenes act as the functional equivalents of alkenyl- and allylmetal reagents.

Synthetic studies toward the total synthesis of (+)-acutiphycin (1) resulted in the discovery of additive-free, highly regioselective nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reactions of aldehydes and 1,6-enynes and the construction of an advanced intermediate in studies directed toward the synthesis of 1. Ultimately, although not employing the nickel-catalyzed reaction, a highly convergent total synthesis of (+)-acutiphycin featuring an intermolecular SmI2-mediated Reformatsky coupling reaction and macrolactonization initiated by a retro-ene reaction of an alkoxyalkyne was achieved. The resulting synthesis was 18 steps in the longest linear sequence from either methyl acetoacetate or isobutyraldehyde.

Selectivity rules in organic chemistry have been inferred largely from nonaqueous environments. In contrast, enzymes operate in water, and the chemical effect of the medium change remains only partially understood. Structural characterization of the “ladder” polyether marine natural products raised a puzzle that persisted for 20 years: Although the stereochemistry of adjacent tetrahydropyran (THP) cycles would seem to arise from a biosynthetic cascade of epoxide-opening reactions, experience in organic solvents argued consistently that such a pathway would be kinetically disfavored. We report that neutral water acts as an optimal promoter for the requisite ring-opening selectivity, once a single templating THP is appended to a chain of epoxides. This strategy offers a high-yielding route to the naturally occurring ladder core and highlights the likely importance of aqueous-medium effects in underpinning certain noteworthy enzymatic selectivities.

Pumiliotoxins 209F and 251D were synthesized using highly selective nickel-catalyzed epoxide−alkyne reductive cyclizations as the final step. The exocyclic (Z)-alkene found in the majority of the pumiliotoxins was formed stereospecifically and regioselectively, without the use of a directing group on the alkyne, and the epoxide underwent ring opening exclusively at the less hindered carbon to provide the requisite tertiary alcohol. The epoxides were prepared using diastereoselective addition of a sulfoxonium anion to a proline-derived methyl ketone.

Nickel-catalysed reductive coupling reactions of alkynes have emerged as powerful synthetic tools for the selective preparation of functionalized alkenes. One of the greatest challenges associated with these transformations is control of regioselectivity. Recent work from our laboratory has provided an improved understanding of several of the factors governing regioselectivity in these reactions, and related studies have revealed that the reaction mechanism can differ substantially depending on the ligand employed. A discussion of stereoselective transformations and novel applications of nickel catalysis in coupling reactions of alkynes is also included.

The nickel(0)-catalyzed coupling of α-olefins and isocyanates proceeds in the presence of the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand IPr to provide α,β-unsaturated amides. Carbon−carbon bond formation occurs preferentially at the 2-position of the olefin. The N-tert-butyl amide products can be converted to the corresponding primary amides under acidic conditions.

Give and take: Both a strong electron donor (1) and a strong electron acceptor (P(OPh)3) are necessary for a highly selective, nickel-catalyzed coupling reaction between alkenes, aldehydes, and silyl triflates (see scheme; cod=cycloocta-1,5-diene, Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl). This synergistic effect may also be useful in other transformations catalyzed by NHC–metal complexes (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene).

The development of a nickel-catalyzed coupling of terminal allenes, aldehydes, and silanes is described. This transformation selectively provides 1,1-disubstituted allylic alcohols, protected as a silyl ether. The choice of the reducing agent is essential for achieving selectivity in this coupling process. A trialkylphosphine (Cyp3P) and an N-heterocyclic carbene (IPr) are complementary in this reaction.

An enantioselective, convergent, total synthesis of (+)-acutiphycin (18 steps, longest linear sequence from commercial materials) features the first application of an alkynyl ether as a macrolactone precursor in total synthesis, as well as the first example of an intermolecular, SmI2-mediated, Reformatsky fragment coupling reaction.

Lewis acid promoted cascades of a tris(disubstituted epoxide) triggered by silver-promoted abstraction of a bromide ion favors trans-dioxabicyclo[4.3.0]nonanes, rather than diads or triads of tetrahydropyrans (trans-dioxabicylco[4.4.0]decanes, for example). These results suggest that an epoxide-attacking-epoxonium mechanism is not operativein this system.

A full account of two recently developed nickel-catalyzed coupling reactions of alkenes, aldehydes, and silyl triflates is presented. These reactions provide either allylic alcohol or homoallylic alcohol derivatives selectively, depending on the ligand employed. These processes are believed to be mechanistically distinct from Lewis acid-catalyzed carbonyl-ene reactions, and several lines of evidence supporting this hypothesis are discussed.

Nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reactions of aldehydes and 1,6-enynes proceed in excellent regioselectivity in the absence of a phosphine, and the use of a monodentate phosphine additive leads to the formation of the opposite regioisomer with equally high selectivity. Both products are the result of the same fundamental mechanism, with the inversion of regioselectivity being the result of stereospecific ligand substitution at the metal center.

Described herein is a method of stereoselective synthesis of trisubstituted allylic alcohols by alkylation of alkenyl alanates, formed in situ through treatment of propargyl alcohols with Vitride (Red-Al). This technique represents the first of its kind to feature a trans-hydrometalation, and is particularly effective for the formation of 1,4-dienes. Applications involving primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols are discussed, as well as limitations regarding both alkyne and electrophile components.

Described are several classes of unusual or unprecedented carbonyl-ene-type reactions, including those between alpha olefins and aromatic aldehydes. Catalyzed by nickel, these processes complement existing Lewis acid-catalyzed methods in several respects. Not only are monosubstituted alkenes, aromatic aldehydes, and tert-alkyl aldehydes effective substrates, but monosubstituted olefins also react faster than those that are more substituted, and large or electron-rich aldehydes are more effective than small or electron-poor ones. Conceptually, in the presence of a nickel−phosphine catalyst, the combination of off-the-shelf alkenes, silyl triflates, and triethylamine functions as a replacement for an allylmetal reagent.

A study of nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reactions of aldehydes and chiral 1,6-enynes has provided evidence for three distinct mechanistic pathways that govern regioselectivity in this transformation. In the absence of a phosphine additive, high regioselectivity and high diastereoselectivity are obtained as a direct result of coordination of both the alkyne and the olefin to the metal center during the C−C bond-forming step.

Nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reactions of 1,3-enynes and aromatic aldehydes efficiently afford conjugated dienols in excellent regioselectivity and modest enantioselectivity when conducted in the presence of catalytic amounts of a monodentate, P-chiral ferrocenyl phosphine ligand. 1-(Trimethylsilyl)-substituted enynes are shown to be effective coupling partners in these reactions, and the dienol products thus formed readily undergo protiodesilylation under mild conditions.

A nickel-catalyzed method for the three-component coupling of alkenes(ethylene and alpha olefins), aldehydes, and silyl triflates is described, and this process represents the first catalytic method for coupling aldehydes and alkenes to give allylic alcohol derivatives. Conceptually, the alkene functions as a replacement for an alkenylmetal reagent.

In this article we compare and contrast the strategies and tactics used in the syntheses of the amphidinolide T family of natural products that have been reported by Fürstner, Ghosh and ourselves. Similar approaches to the trisubstituted THF ring present in the targets are utilized in all of the syntheses, but each strategy showcases a different means of macrocyclization.

Several stereoselective routes to the synthesis of (1S,3R)-t-butyldimethyl-(1-methyl-3-oxiranyl-propoxy)-silane (13a) were explored, and the use of Jacobsen’s hydrolytic kinetic resolution to separate a mixture of diastereomeric epoxides was a key step in the shortest of these. As part of an approach to the total synthesis of amphidinolide T2 (2), this epoxide, corresponding to C17–C22 of the natural product, was successfully joined with an alkyne (C13–C16) by way of a nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reaction.

Highly regioselective, catalytic asymmetric reductive coupling reactions of 1,3-enynes and ketones have been achieved using catalytic amounts of Ni(cod)2 and a P-chiral, monodentate ferrocenyl phosphine ligand. These couplings represent the first examples of catalytic, intermolecular reductive coupling of alkynes and ketones, enantioselective or otherwise, and afford synthetically useful 1,3-dienes possessing a quaternary carbinol stereogenic center in up to 70% ee.

Ni-catalyzed reductive coupling of aryl alkynes (1) and enantiomerically enriched α-oxyaldehydes (2) afford differentiated anti-1,2-diols (3) with high diastereoselectivity and regioselectivity, despite the fact that the methoxymethyl (MOM) and para-methoxybenzyl (PMB) protective groups typically favor syn-1,2-diol formation in carbonyl addition reactions of this family of aldehydes.

A complex derived from Ni(cod)2 and NHC−IPr catalyzes a three-component coupling reaction involving allenes, aldehydes, and organosilanes and transfers the axial chirality of the allene to a stereogenic center in the product with very high fidelity. An unexpected regioselectivity is observed; favored are allylic rather than homoallylic alcohol derivatives, corresponding to the unusual process of coupling two electrophilic atoms: the allene sp and aldehyde carbon atoms. In all cases, high enantioselectivity, high Z/E selectivity, and, with differentially substituted allenes, high site selectivity are observed. This transformation represents the first enantioselective multicomponent coupling process of allenes.

A complex derived from Ni(cod)2 and NHC−IPr catalyzes a three-component coupling reaction involving allenes, aldehydes, and organosilanes and transfers the axial chirality of the allene to a stereogenic center in the product with very high fidelity. An unexpected regioselectivity is observed; favored are allylic rather than homoallylic alcohol derivatives, corresponding to the unusual process of coupling two electrophilic atoms:  the allene sp and aldehyde carbon atoms. In all cases, high enantioselectivity, high Z/E selectivity, and, with differentially substituted allenes, high site selectivity are observed. This transformation represents the first enantioselective multicomponent coupling process of allenes.

Described in this work are total syntheses of amphidinolides T1 and T4 using two nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reactions of alkynes, with an epoxide in one case (intermolecular) and with an aldehyde in another (intramolecular). The latter was used to effect a macrocyclization, form a C−C bond, and install a stereogenic center with >10:1 selectivity in both natural product syntheses. Alternative approaches in which intermolecular alkyne−aldehyde reductive coupling reactions would serve to join key fragments were investigated and are also discussed; it was found that macrocyclization (i.e. intramolecular alkyne−aldehyde coupling) was superior in several respects (diastereoselectivity, yield, and length of syntheses). Alkyne−epoxide reductive couplings were instrumental in the construction of key fragments corresponding to approximately half of the molecule of both natural products. In one case (T4 series), the alkyne−epoxide coupling exhibited very high site selectivity in a coupling of a diyne. A model for the stereoselectivity observed in the macrocyclizations is also proposed.

Several lines of evidence suggest that reduction of the carbonyl group occurs after epoxide-ring opening in the first examples of catalytic, reductive coupling of epoxides and aldehydes (see scheme). The hydroxyether products are obtained with >95:5 regioselectivity in all cases, independent of the steric and electronic nature of R1 and R2.

Nickel-catalyzed reductive couplings of aldehydes with alkynes that contain tethered olefins are described, in which the degree and sense of regioselectivity are controlled by the length of the tether and the presence or absence of an additive. When the alkyne and alkene are separated by four bonds, very high (>95:5) regioselectivities are observed. Use of a monodentate phosphine as an additive leads to formation of the opposite regioisomer in equal and opposite selectivity (5: >95). These results provide strong evidence for an interaction between the remote alkene and the metal center during the regioselectivity-determining step and suggest that reactions with and without an additive proceed via fundamentally distinct mechanisms.

(−)-Terpestacin (1, naturally occurring enantiomer) and (+)-11-epi-terpestacin (2) were prepared using catalyst-controlled, stereoselective, intermolecular reductive coupling reactions of alkyne 9 and aldehyde 10, affording allylic alcohols 42 or 11-epi-42 in a 3:1 ratio (or 1:3 depending on the enantiomer of ligand 41a used). These stereoselective fragment couplings were instrumental in confirming that “siccanol” is not 11-epi-terpestacin but, in fact, is (−)-terpestacin itself. Several intramolecular alkyne−aldehyde reductive coupling approaches to 1 and 2 were also investigated and are discussed herein.

The aryl substituent on the catalyst is central to the success of the title reaction (see scheme) which affords allylic amines in up to 89 % ee and 91 % yield with a catalyst derived from [Ni(cod)2] and a P-chiral ferrocenyl phosphane (e.g. 1). The coupling products are easily deprotected to enantiomerically enriched, tetrasubstituted primary allylic amines, which can be recrystallized to optical purity.

In alkene-directed, nickel-catalyzed coupling reactions of 1,3-enynes with aldehydes and epoxides, the conjugated alkene dramatically enhances reactivity and uniformly directs regioselectivity, independent of the nature of the other alkyne substituent (aryl, alkyl (1°, 2°, 3°)) or the degree of alkene substitution (mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted). These observations are best explained by a temporary interaction between the alkene and the transition metal center during the regioselectivity-determining step. The highly substituted 1,3-diene products are useful in organic synthesis and, in conjunction with a Rh-catalyzed, site-selective hydrogenation, afford allylic and homoallylic alcohols that previously could not be prepared in high regioselectivity (or at all) with related Ni-catalyzed alkyne coupling reactions.

Two nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reactions of alkynes were instrumental in a modular, stereoselective synthesis of amphidinolide T1 (1). The C13−C21 fragment was prepared from two simple starting materials that were joined in a catalytic alkyne−epoxide fragment coupling operation, whereas an intramolecular aldehyde−alkyne reductive coupling simultaneously formed the final carbon−carbon bond of the macrocycle and established the C13 carbinol configuration with complete selectivity in the desired fashion.

Enantioselective nickel/phosphine-catalyzed reductive coupling of alkynes and aldehydes provides rapid access to synthetically useful allylic alcohols with high enantiomeric excess. A related reaction involving epoxides is enantiospecific, transforming alkynes and chiral terminal epoxides into enantiomerically pure homoallylic alcohols containing a trisubstituted olefin of defined geometry. A gram-scale example of each of these processes is described.

(−)-Terpestacin (1a, naturally occurring enantiomer) and (+)-11-epi-terpestacin (1b) were prepared using catalyst-controlled, stereoselective intermolecular reductive couplings of alkyne 4 and aldehyde 5. Related to enantioselective methods developed in our laboratory, these stereoselective fragment couplings were instrumental in confirming that “siccanol” is not 11-epi-terpestacin, but in fact is (−)-terpestacin itself.

Nickel-catalyzed, intramolecular and intermolecular reductive coupling of alkynes and epoxides affords synthetically useful homoallylic alcohols of defined alkene geometry. Very high regioselectivity is generally observed, and cyclizations proceed with complete selectivity for endo epoxide opening. This catalytic reaction represents the first use of a non-π-based electrophile in a growing class of nickel-catalyzed, multicomponent coupling reactions, and is the first catalytic method of reductive coupling of alkynes and epoxides that is effective for both intermolecular and intramolecular cases, and mechanistically distinct from these, possibly involving a nickella(II)oxetane.

A trimethylsilyl (SiMe3) group is the basis of a strategy that emulates the three fundamental proposed processes in ladder polyether biosynthesis:  chain homologation, stereoselective epoxidation (>95% ee or >95:5 dr), and endo-selective, stereospecific (inversion) hydroxyepoxide cyclization (>95:5 endo:exo, >95% dr). A tris-THP was synthesized in 18 total operations from commercial materials using this approach.

An unusual degree of functional group compatibility for imine addition reactions was observed in the assembly of allylic amines from alkynes, imines, and organoboron reagents (boronic acids or boranes) by using a catalyst derived from [Ni(cod)2] and (c-C5H9)3P—this catalytic three-component process (see scheme) is tolerant of ketones, esters, and hydroxylic solvents.

A highly enantioselective method for catalytic reductive coupling of alkynes and aldehydes is described. Allylic alcohols are afforded with complete E/Z selectivity, generally >95:5 regioselectivity, and in up to 96% ee. In conjunction with ozonolysis, this process is complementary to existing methods of enantioselective α-hydroxy ketone synthesis.

An electron-rich phosphine additive is critical and sufficient for propargyl-selective couplings of propargylcopper reagents and alkenyl halides. This method is complementary to those previously described, in which high allenyl selectivity is observed in analogous coupling reactions. While the basis of the phosphine effect requires further investigation, the information gained in these studies enables the synthesis of complex molecules by way of skipped enyne intermediates.

Eight P-chiral monodentate ferrocenyl phosphines (1a−h) were prepared in high enantiomeric excess (>95% ee in most cases) by way of an ephedrine-based oxazaphospholidine borane complex. Primary alkyl, secondary alkyl, and substituted aromatic substituents were successfully introduced at the phosphorus center, along with ferrocenyl and phenyl groups, generating phosphines of the general structure FcP(Ph)(R) (Fc = ferrocenyl, R = aryl, alkyl). The synthetic route employed provides facile access to a previously undeveloped class of chiral monophosphines. These compounds were evaluated as ligands in asymmetric catalytic reductive coupling of alkynes and aldehydes and were found to provide the desired chiral allylic alcohols with good regioselectivity and ee in many cases and with complete (E)-selectivity (>98:2) in all cases.

A dicobalt hexacarbonyl (Co2(CO)6) cluster is essential for the unusually broad dipolarophile scope and for the sense and degree of diastereoselection in a catalytic, three-component synthesis of tetrahydrofurans and dihydrofurans. Likely involving a new class of carbonyl ylide, these cycloadditions are stereospecific with respect to the dipolarophile and exhibit high diastereoselectivity and regioselectivity in most cases. Differentiation of all four positions of the tetrahydrofuran can thus be accomplished in a triply convergent manner.

Alkynes (internal and terminal) and aldehydes (aromatic and aliphatic) are reductively coupled in a single catalytic reaction to yield di- and trisubstituted allylic alcohols with high stereoselectivity and regioselectivity. In most cases, a 1:1 ratio of alkyne to aldehyde is sufficient for efficient coupling. The yield and regioselectivity are strongly dependent on the phosphine ligand, but the allylic alcohols formed are invariably the products of cis addition to the alkyne.