Nickel-Catalyzed Reaction of Benzamides with Bicylic Alkenes: Cleavage of C-H and C-N Bonds.

The nickel-catalyzed reaction of aromatic amides that contain an 8-aminoquinoline as a directing group with bicyclic alkenes, such as norbornene and 1,4-dihydro-1,4-epoxynaphthalene, results in the cleavage of both the C-H bond at the ortho-position of the benzene ring and the C(O)-N bond to give methanofluoren-9-one and 1,4-epoxyfluoren-9-one derivatives. Both Ni(OTf) and Ni(cod) show a high catalytic activity. The presence of AgOAc is essential for the reaction to proceed.

Reactivity of bromoselenophenes in palladium-catalyzed direct arylations.

The reactivity of 2-bromo- and 2,5-dibromoselenophenes in Pd-catalyzed direct heteroarylation was investigated. From 2-bromoselenophene, only the most reactive heteroarenes could be employed to prepare 2-heteroarylated selenophenes; whereas, 2,5-dibromoselenophene generally gave 2,5-di(heteroarylated) selenophenes in high yields using both thiazole and thiophene derivatives. Moreover, sequential catalytic C2 heteroarylation, bromination, catalytic C5 arylation reactions allowed the synthesis of unsymmetrical 2,5-di(hetero)arylated selenophene derivatives in three steps from selenophene.

Unprecedented Access to β-Arylated Selenophenes through Palladium-Catalysed Direct Arylation.

Several reported methods allow access to α-arylated selenophenes, whereas the synthesis of β-arylated selenophenes remains very challenging. Here, the Pd-catalysed coupling of benzenesulfonyl chlorides with selenophenes affording regiospecific β-arylated selenophenes is reported. The reaction proceeds with easily accessible catalyst, base and substrates, and tolerates a variety of substituents both on the benzene and selenophene moieties.