Enantioselective C-H Arylation for Axially Chiral Heterobiaryls.

An enantioselective palladium-catalyzed C-H arylation of functionalized pyrazoles/triazoles/imidazoles is developed, affording a variety of axially chiral -nitro/formyl-substituted heterobiaryls with excellent enantioselectivities and good yields. The method features a deuterated P-chiral phosphorus ligand CD-AntPhos, a broad substrate scope of functionalized heterobiaryls, mild reaction conditions, and low palladium loadings.

Parahydrogen-induced polarization study of imine hydrogenations mediated by a metal-free catalyst.

Parahydrogen-induced polarization is a nuclear spin hyperpolarization technique that can provide strongly enhanced NMR signals for catalytic hydrogenation reaction products and intermediates. Among other matters, this can be employed to study the mechanisms of the corresponding chemical transformations. Commonly, noble metal complexes are used for reactions with parahydrogen.

Heck Reaction of 2-Oxyacrylates with Aryl Bromides: A Common Route to Monoaryl Pyruvates and Ortho Ester-Protected Monoaryl Pyruvates.

A palladium-catalyzed Heck reaction between 2-oxyacrylates and aryl bromides was developed, where DavePhos was a unique ligand that efficiently promoted the reaction. The products, 2-oxycinnamates, served as excellent precursors, providing synthetically useful monoaryl pyruvates or ortho ester-protected monoaryl pyruvates depending on the nature of the 2-oxy group. The formation of such ortho esters via alkoxide addition is novel, and computational studies identified a plausible mechanism with an oxyallyl zwitterion as the key intermediate.

Water Reduction and Dihydrogen Addition in Aqueous Conditions With ansa-Phosphinoborane.

Ortho-phenylene-bridged phosphinoborane (2,6-Cl Ph) B-C H -PCy 1 was synthesized in three steps from commercially available starting materials. 1 reacts with H or H O under mild conditions to form corresponding zwitterionic phosphonium borates 1-H or 1-H O. NMR studies revealed both reactions to be remarkably reversible.

Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization in Hydrogenation Reactions Mediated by a Metal-Free Catalyst.

We report nuclear spin hyperpolarization of various alkenes achieved in alkyne hydrogenations with parahydrogen over a metal-free hydroborane catalyst (HCAT). Being an intramolecular frustrated Lewis pair aminoborane, HCAT utilizes a non-pairwise mechanism of H transfer to alkynes that normally prevents parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) from being observed. Nevertheless, the specific spin dynamics in catalytic intermediates leads to the hyperpolarization of predominantly one hydrogen in alkene.

Heterolytic Scission of Hydrogen Within a Crystalline Frustrated Lewis Pair.

We report the heterolysis of molecular hydrogen under ambient conditions by the crystalline frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) 1-{2-[bis(pentafluorophenyl)boryl]phenyl}-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (KCAT). The gas-solid reaction provides an approach to prepare the solvent-free, polycrystalline ion pair KCATH2 through a single crystal to single crystal transformation. The crystal lattice of KCATH2 increases in size relative to the parent KCAT by approximately 2%.

Metal-Free C-H Borylation of N-Heteroarenes by Boron Trifluoride.

Organoboron compounds are essential reagents in modern C-C coupling reactions. Their synthesis via catalytic C-H borylation by main group elements is emerging as a powerful tool alternative to transition metal based catalysis. Herein, a straightforward metal-free synthesis of aryldifluoroboranes from BF and heteroarenes is reported.

Spontaneous N Nuclear Spin Hyperpolarization in Metal-Free Activation of Parahydrogen by Molecular Tweezers.

The ability of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) to activate H is of significant interest for metal-free catalysis. The activation of H is also the key element of parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP), one of the nuclear spin hyperpolarization techniques. It is demonstrated that o-phenylene-based ansa-aminoboranes (AABs) can produce H nuclear spin hyperpolarization through a reversible interaction with parahydrogen at ambient temperatures.

Atom-Efficient Synthesis of Alkynylfluoroborates Using BF -Based Frustrated Lewis Pairs.

A sterically demanding amine, 1,2,2,6,6-pentamethylpiperidine (PMP), forms a highly reactive Lewis acid-base pair with boron trifluoride. This pair reacts with terminal acetylenes to give the products of C(sp)-H borylation, previously unknown tri- and tetraalkynylboron compounds. Trialkynylfluoroborates can serve as surrogates of alkynyltrifluoroborates for C-C coupling reactions.

Nuclear spin hyperpolarization with ansa-aminoboranes: a metal-free perspective for parahydrogen-induced polarization.

The parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) phenomenon, observed when parahydrogen is used in H addition processes, provides a means for substantial NMR signal enhancements and mechanistic studies of chemical reactions. Commonly, noble metal complexes are used for parahydrogen activation, whereas metal-free activation is rare. Herein, we report a series of unimolecular metal-free frustrated Lewis pairs based on an ansa-aminoborane (AAB) moiety in the context of PHIP.

Metal-Free sp(2)-C-H Borylation as a Common Reactivity Pattern of Frustrated 2-Aminophenylboranes.

C-H borylation is a powerful and atom-efficient method for converting affordable and abundant chemicals into versatile organic reagents used in the production of fine chemicals and functional materials. Herein we report a facile C-H borylation of aromatic and olefinic C-H bonds with 2-aminophenylboranes. Computational and experimental studies reveal that the metal-free C-H insertion proceeds via a frustrated Lewis pair mechanism involving heterolytic splitting of the C-H bond by cooperative action of the amine and boryl groups.

Intramolecular frustrated Lewis pair with the smallest boryl site: reversible H2 addition and kinetic analysis.

Ansa-aminoborane 1 (ortho-TMP-C6H4-BH2; TMP = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperid-1-yl), a frustrated Lewis pair with the smallest possible Lewis acidic boryl site (-BH2), is prepared. Although it is present in quenched forms in solution, and BH2 represents an acidic site with reduced hydride affinity, 1 reacts with H2 under mild conditions producing ansa-ammonium trihydroborate 2. The thermodynamic and kinetic features as well as the mechanism of this reaction are studied by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy, spin-saturation transfer experiments, and DFT calculations, which provide comprehensive insight into the nature of 1.

Tweezers for parahydrogen: a metal-free probe of nonequilibrium nuclear spin states of H₂ molecules.

To date, only metal-containing hydrogenation catalysts have been utilized for producing substantial NMR signal enhancements by means of parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP). Herein, we show that metal-free compounds known as molecular tweezers are useful in this respect. It is shown that ansa-aminoborane tweezers QCAT provided (20-30)-fold signal enhancements of parahydrogen-originating hydrogens in (1)H NMR spectra.

A frustrated-Lewis-pair approach to catalytic reduction of alkynes to cis-alkenes.

Frustrated Lewis pairs are compounds containing both Lewis acidic and Lewis basic moieties, where the formation of an adduct is prevented by steric hindrance. They are therefore highly reactive, and have been shown to be capable of heterolysis of molecular hydrogen, a property that has led to their use in hydrogenation reactions of polarized multiple bonds. Here, we describe a general approach to the hydrogenation of alkynes to cis-alkenes under mild conditions using the unique ansa-aminohydroborane as a catalyst.

Amine-borane mediated metal-free hydrogen activation and catalytic hydrogenation.

The use of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) as hydrogenation catalysts is attracting increasing attention as one of the most modern and rapidly growing areas of organic chemistry, with many research groups around the world working on this subject. Since the pioneering studies of the groups of Stephan and Piers on the Lewis acid-base pairs, which do not react irreversibly with each other and act as a trap for small molecules, numerous FLPs for hydrogen activation have been reported. Among others, intra- and intermolecular systems based on phosphines, organic carbenes, amines as Lewis bases, and boranes or alanes as Lewis acids were studied.

Hydrogen activation by 2-boryl-N,N-dialkylanilines: a revision of Piers' ansa-aminoborane.

Two 2-[bis(pentafluorophenyl)boryl]-N,N-dialkylanilines reported here exemplify a new class of intramolecular frustrated B/N Lewis pairs. A structure closely related to this class structure was synthesized in 2003 by Piers et al. but was unable to activate H(2).

Heterolytic dihydrogen activation by B(C6F5)3 and carbonyl compounds.

Aromatic carbonyl compounds in combination with B(C(6)F(5))(3) are able to activate H(2) heterolytically. The reactivity of the carbonyl-B(C(6)F(5))(3) adduct is initiated by its thermal dissociation into components. After H(2) addition, aromatic carbonyl compounds convert into aryl-substituted methanes or alcohols.

Supramolecular assembly of heterocirculenes in 2D and 3D.

The results of a high-resolution ambient STM study of 'sulflower' (octathio[8]circulene) and 'selenosulflower' (sym-tetraselena-tetrathio[8]circulene) molecules, immobilized in a hydrogen-bonded matrix of trimesic acid (TMA) at the solid-liquid interface, are compared with the STM and X-ray structure of separate host and guest 2D and 3D crystals, respectively.

Heterocirculenes as a new class of organic semiconductors.

We report a fabrication of field-effect transistors using the new organic semiconductors octathio[8]circulene and tetrathiotetraseleno[8]circulene . The maximum hole mobility of 9 x 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) is, most likely, limited by one-dimensional growth of and in thin films.

Two modifications formed by "sulflower" C16S8 molecules, their study by XRD and optical spectroscopy (Raman, IR, UV-Vis) methods.

Sublimation of sulflower, octathio[8]circulene C 16S 8 ( 1), on heating under high vacuum ( approximately 10 (-5) Torr) leads to successive formation of two modifications: a white film ( 1W) and a red polycrystalline solid ( 1R). When kept at room temperature for several weeks, 1W spontaneously turns pink, reflecting the monotropic phase transition 1W --> 1R. The accurate molecular and crystal structure of 1R has been studied using low-temperature (100 K) high-resolution single crystal X-ray analysis.

A new route to annulated oligothiophenes.

[reaction: see text] A new convenient method for the construction of thiophene-annulated thieno[2,3-b]thiophenes has been proposed. The key step of the method is ring closure of 10H-bisthienodithiocin-10-one by strong bases. The syntheses of two previously unknown annulated oligothiophenes, thieno[2,3-b]thieno[3',2':4,5]thieno[3,2-d]thiophene (1a) and thieno[3,2-b]thieno[2',3':4,5]thieno[3,2-d]thiophene (1b), have been described to illustrate the success of the method.