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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.