Solar and Visible Light Assisted Peptide Coupling.

Amino acid and peptide couplings are widely used in fields related to pharma and materials. Still, current peptide synthesis continues to rely on the use of expensive, water sensitive, and waste-generating coupling reagents, which are often prepared in multi-step sequences and used in excess. Herein is described a peptide coupling reaction design that relies mechanistically on sun-light activation of a 4-dimethylamino-pyridine-alkyl halide charge-transfer complex to generate a novel coupling reagent in situ.

Visible-Spectrum Solar-Light-Mediated Benzylic C-H Oxygenation Using 9,10-Dibromoanthracene As an Initiator.

We report a visible-light-mediated benzylic C-H oxygenation reaction. The reaction is initiated by solar light or the blue LED activation of 9,10-dibromoanthracene in a reaction with oxygen and takes place at ambient temperature and air pressure. Secondary benzylic positions are oxygenated to ketones, while tertiary benzylic carbons are oxygenated to give hydroperoxides.

Direct Umpolung Morita-Baylis-Hillman like α-Functionalization of Enones via Enolonium Species.

Herein we report on the umpolung of Morita-Baylis-Hillman type intermediates and application to the α-functionalization of enone C-H bonds. This reaction gives direct access to α-chloro-enones, 1,2-diketones and α-tosyloxy-enones. The latter are important intermediates for cross-coupling reaction and, to the best of our knowledge, cannot be made in a single step from enones in any other way.

Azido-Enolonium Species in C-C and C-N Bond-Forming Coupling Reactions.

Vinyl azides react with boron trifluoride activated Koser's hypervalent iodine reagent to afford azido-enolonium species. These previously unknown azido-enolonium species react efficiently with aromatic compounds, allyltrimethylsilane, and azoles under mild conditions, with no need for a transition-metal catalyst, forming C-C and C-N bonds to give a variety of α-functionalized ketones. The intermediacy of the proposed azido-enolonium species is supported by spectroscopic studies.

tert-Butyl Nitrite-Mediated Domino Synthesis of Isoxazolines and Isoxazoles from Terminal Aryl Alkenes and Alkynes.

A sequential construction of C-C, C-O, C═N, and C═O bonds from alkenes leading to the direct synthesis of isoxazolines in the presence of tert-butyl nitrite, quinoline, and the Sc(OTf) catalyst in DCE at 80 °C has been accomplished. An unprecedented three consecutive C-H functionalizations of two styrenes are involved in this isoxazoline synthesis. In this radical-mediated reaction, one-half of the aryl alkene is converted into an intermediate 2-nitroketone, which serves as a 1,3-dipolarophile and undergoes cycloaddition with the other half of the unreacted aromatic terminal alkene.

Peroxide-Free Pd(II)-Catalyzed Ortho Aroylation and Ortho Halogenation of Directing Arenes.

A Pd(II)-catalyzed peroxide-free ortho aroylation of directing arenes has been developed via cross dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) in the presence of the terminal oxidant Cu(OAc)2·H2O. Ortho aroylation of directing arenes proceeds via decarbonylation of the in situ generated phenyl glyoxal, which is obtained from 2-acetoxyacetophenone in the presence of the oxidant Cu(OAc)2·H2O. However, changing the oxidant to CuX2 (X = Cl, Br) provided exclusive di-ortho-halogenated 2-arylbenzothiazoles.

Pd(II)/CuBr2 catalysed keto α-C(sp3)-H benzoxylation of N,N-dialkylamides directed by o-hydroxy groups.

A hydroxy group directed keto α-C(sp3)-H benzoxylation of amides, including N,N-dialkylamides and cyclic amides, has been accomplished involving ortho-hydroxy substrates possessing either an aldehydic or a keto methyl (-COCH3) group with a Pd(II)/CuBr2 catalytic combination. The carboxy group obtained via the in situ oxidation of -CHO or -COCH3 groups of ortho-hydroxy substrates then undergoes a cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) with amides to furnish an α-benzoxylation product with concurrent aromatic ring bromination.

Bu4NI Catalyzed C-N Bond Formation via Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling of Aryl Ethers (Csp3-H) and Tetrazoles (N-H).

Intermolecular C-N bond formations via cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) of aryl ethers and tetrazoles have been developed under a metal-free condition. In the presence of catalytic amount of tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI) and aqueous TBHP, aryl ethers coupled efficiently with tetrazoles to afford hemiaminal ethers. This strategy showed high level of regioselectivity for substrates possessing multiple sp(3) C-H bonds adjacent to the ethereal oxygen.

Oxidant controlled regioselective mono- and di-functionalization reactions of coumarins.

C-3 alkylation of coumarins has been accomplished using cycloalkanes or alkylbenzenes in the presence of di-tert-butylperoxide (DTBP) and Fe(III) catalyst. Under metal free conditions and just by switching the oxidant from DTBP to TBHP, an exclusive C-4 cycloalkylation-C-3 peroxidation reaction takes place. During C-3 alkylation, the C-C bond formation occurs at the expense of an existing C-C bond, while the C-4 alkylation is associated with the formation of new C-C and C-O bonds.

Generation of bis-acyl ketals from esters and benzyl amines under oxidative conditions.

Treatment of benzylamines with esters at an elevated temperature are expected to give amides. However, in the presence of TBAI/TBHP, esters possessing a methylene carbon α-to oxygen with benzylamines provide bis-esters rather than the expected amides. Benzylamines under oxidative conditions generate less nucleophilic carboxylates, which couples at the sp(3) C-H bonds of esters and cyclic ethers to give bis-acyl ketals and α-acyloxy ethers, respectively.

Copper(I)-promoted cycloalkylation-peroxidation of unactivated alkenes via sp(3) C-H functionalisation.

A copper(I)-promoted cycloalkylation-peroxidation strategy has been developed via a three-component reaction involving cycloalkanes, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) and internal conjugated alkenes possessing electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs). This process installs C-O and C-C bonds via sp(3) C-H functionalisation with concomitant generation of two stereocentres. This regioselective radical addition of coumarin system is opposite to that of styrene.