Cobalt-Catalyzed Intermolecular Hydrofunctionalization of Alkenes: Evidence for a Bimetallic Pathway.

A functional group tolerant cobalt-catalyzed method for the intermolecular hydrofunctionalization of alkenes with oxygen- and nitrogen-based nucleophiles is reported. This protocol features a strategic use of hypervalent iodine(III) reagents that enables a mechanistic shift from conventional cobalt-hydride catalysis. Key evidence was found supporting a unique bimetallic-mediated rate-limiting step involving two distinct cobalt(III) species, from which a new carbon-heteroatom bond is formed.

Asymmetric α-Allylation of Aldehydes with Alkynes by Integrating Chiral Hydridopalladium and Enamine Catalysis.

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric α-allylation of aldehydes with alkynes has been established by integrating the catalysis of enamine and chiral hydridopalladium complex that is reversibly formed from the oxidative addition of Pd(0) to chiral phosphoric acid. The ternary catalyst system, consisting of an achiral palladium complex, a primary amine, and a chiral phosphoric acid allows the reaction to tolerate a wide scope of α,α-disubstituted aldehydes and alkynes, affording the corresponding allylation products in high yields and with excellent levels of enantioselectivity.

Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Deacylative Allylic C-H Alkylation.

The first deacylative allylic C-H alkylation has been established by employing the palladium-catalyzed allylic C-H activation and decarboxylative nucleophile generation. A wide scope of nucleophiles are tolerated and densely functionalized alkylation products turn out to be furnished in moderate to good yield. More importantly, this strategy provides an alternative method for the allylic C-H alkylation with less stabilized carbon nucleophiles, and can be further expanded to the synthesis of unconjugated enynes.

Enantioselective Functionalization of Inactive sp(3) C-H Bonds Remote to Functional Group by Metal/Organo Cooperative Catalysis.

A metal/organo cooperative catalysis to enable the enantioselective functionalization of inactive C-H bonds γ to the formyl group in aliphatic aldehydes has been established. Instead of using enals as substrates in traditional organocatalytic cyclization reactions, the aliphatic aldehydes directly participated in [4 + 2] cyclization with quinone derivatives exploiting molecular oxygen as oxidants to afford optically active cyclic molecules with excellent levels of enantioselectivity. This method features a combination of pot, step, and atom economy.

Palladium(II)/Lewis acid synergistically catalyzed allylic C-H olefination.

The first allylic C-H olefination with α-diazo esters synergistically catalyzed by a palladium(II) complex and (salen)CrCl has been established to directly generate conjugated polyene derivatives in moderate to high yields and with excellent stereoselectivities.

Asymmetric organocatalysis combined with metal catalysis: concept, proof of concept, and beyond.

Asymmetric catalysis has been considered to be the most intriguing means for building collections of functionalized optically active compounds. In particular, metal and organocatalysis have been well established to allow many fundamentally different reactions. Metal catalysis has enabled the participation of a much broader scope of chemical bonds in organic transformations than are allowed by organocatalysis, while organocatalysis permits a broader scope of functional groups to undergo a diverse range of enantioselective transformations, individually, simultaneously, or sequentially.

An organocatalytic asymmetric allylic alkylation allows enantioselective total synthesis of hydroxymetasequirin-A and metasequirin-B tetramethyl ether diacetates.

The first highly stereoselective organocatalytic intermolecular allylic alkylation of allylic alcohols with 1,3-dicarbonyls has been developed to allow the first enantioselective total synthesis of hydroxymetasequirin-A and metasequirin-B tetramethyl ether diacetates.

Enantioselective relay catalytic cascade intramolecular hydrosiloxylation and Mukaiyama aldol reaction.

Cascading chemistry! The first practical relay catalytic cascade intramolecular hydrosiloxylation of arylacetylene and asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reaction has been established to give synthetically useful products in high yields and with excellent ee (see scheme).