Selective 1,2-Hydroarylation(Alkenylation) of gem-Difluoroalkenes to Access (-CF H) Motifs.

An emerging class of C-C coupling transformations that furnish drug-like building blocks involves catalytic hydrocarbonation of alkenes. However, despite notable advances in the field, hydrocarbon addition to gem-difluoroalkenes without additional electronic activation remains largely unsuccessful. This owes partly to poor reactivity and the propensity of difluoroalkenes to undergo defluorinative side reactions.

Recent Advances in First-Row Transition Metal-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling Reactions for π-Bond Functionalization and C-Glycosylation.

ConspectusEfficient construction of ubiquitous carbon-carbon bonds between two electrophiles has garnered interest in recent decades, particularly if it is mediated by nonprecious, first-row transition metals. Reductive coupling has advantages over traditional cross-coupling by obviating the need for stoichiometric air- and moisture-sensitive organometallic reagents. By harnessing transition metal-catalyzed reductive coupling as a powerful tool, intricate molecular architectures can be readily assembled through the installation of two C-C bonds across π systems (alkenes/alkynes) via reaction with two appropriate electrophiles.

N-Heterocyclic carbenes as privileged ligands for nickel-catalysed alkene functionalisation.

Alkene functionalisation is a powerful strategy that has enabled access to a wide array of compounds including valuable pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. The reactivity of the alkene π-bond has allowed incorporation of a diverse range of atoms and functional groups through a wide variety of reaction pathways. N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are a class of persistent carbenes that are widely employed as ancillary ligands due to their ability to act as strong σ-donors compared to widely-applied conventional phosphine-based ligands.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Trisubstituted Alkenes by Nickel-Catalyzed Benzylation and Alkene Isomerization.

Catalytic strategies that provide stereoselective access to highly substituted alkenes from abundant monosubstituted substrates are exceedingly sought-after but rare. Here, we show that a N-heterocyclic carbene-Ni catalytic species mediates efficient union of electronically polarized terminal olefins with benzyl chlorides, in the presence of trimethylsilyl triflate and trimethylamine additives, to generate trisubstituted boron- and arene-containing trans alkenes in excellent regio- and stereoselectivities. Control experiments provide evidence for a mechanism involving branched-selective Heck-type benzylation that overrides substrate control, followed by trans-selective 1,3-hydrogen shift.