Synthesis of 2-Pyridinemethyl Ester Derivatives from Aldehydes and 2-Alkylheterocycle N-Oxides via Copper-Catalyzed Tandem Oxidative Coupling-Rearrangement.

Successful benzylic C(sp)-H acyloxylation of 2-alkylpyridine, 2-alkylpyrazine, and 2-alkylthiazole compounds was achieved using simple aldehydes. This was carried out via a copper-catalyzed tandem reaction, involving oxidative esterification followed by O-atom transfer of the resultant high yield formed Boekelheide intermediate. The method enables the preparation of functional heterocycles and the desymmetrization of 2,6-dialkylpyridines for efficient synthesis of dissymmetric pincer ligands, thus offering a new life for more practical Boekelheide rearrangement.

Synthesis of Phenanthrothiazoles and 1,2-Di(heteroaryl)benzenes through Successive Pd-Catalyzed Direct Arylations.

Palladium-catalyzed direct arylation of 4-(2-bromophenyl)-2-methylthiazole proceeds with high efficiency at the thiazolyl C5 position using aryl bromides as the aryl source. This transformation provides simple access to 4-(2-bromophenyl)-2-methyl-5-arylthiazoles, which can be further converted into phenanthrothiazoles via palladium-catalyzed intramolecular direct arylation. When the direct arylation of 4-(2-bromophenyl)-2-methyl-5-arylthiazoles is conducted in the presence of an external heteroarene such as thiazoles, thiophenes, or imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines, the intermolecular arylation of such external heteroarenes proceeds faster than the intramolecular reaction, allowing the formation of 1,2-di(heteroaryl)benzene derivatives.

Regiocontroled Pd-catalysed C5-arylation of 3-substituted thiophene derivatives using a bromo-substituent as blocking group.

The use of a bromo-substituent as blocking group at the C2-position of 3-substituted thiophenes allows the regioselective introduction of aryl substituents at C5-position via Pd-catalysed direct arylation. With 1 mol % of a phosphine-free Pd catalyst, KOAc as the base and DMA as the solvent and various electron-deficient aryl bromides as aryl sources, C5-(hetero)arylated thiophenes were synthesized in moderate to high yields, without cleavage of the thienyl C-Br bond. Moreover, sequential direct thienyl C5-arylation followed by Pd-catalysed direct arylation or Suzuki coupling at the C2-position allows to prepare 2,5-di(hetero)arylated thiophenes bearing two different (hetero)aryl units in only two steps.

Efficient Domino Hydroformylation/Benzoin Condensation: Highly Selective Synthesis of α-Hydroxy Ketones.

An improved domino hydroformylation/benzoin condensation to give α-hydroxy ketones has been developed. Easily available olefins are smoothly converted into the corresponding α-hydroxy ketones in high yields with excellent regioselectivities. Key to success is the use of a specific catalytic system consisting of a rhodium/phosphine complex and the CO2 adduct of an N-heterocyclic carbene.

Hindered aryl bromides for regioselective palladium-catalysed direct arylation at less favourable C5-carbon of 3-substituted thiophenes.

The use of the congested aryl bromide 2-bromo-1,3-dichlorobenzene as coupling partner allows to modify the regioselectivity of the arylation of 3-substituted thiophene derivatives in favour of carbon C5. The coupling of this aryl bromide with a variety of 3-substituted thiophenes gave in all cases the desired 5-arylation products in moderate to good yields using only 0.5 mol % of a phosphine-free and air-stable palladium catalyst.

Palladium-catalyzed direct arylation of 5-chloropyrazoles: a selective access to 4-aryl pyrazoles.

The use of a temporary protection by a chloro group at C5 of pyrazoles allows the synthesis of the 4-arylated pyrazoles, which were previously inaccessible by palladium-catalyzed direct arylation, with complete regioselectivity and in high yields using in most cases as little as 0.5-0.1 mol % Pd(OAc)(2) as the catalyst with electron-deficient aryl bromides.