Elwira Bisz

Iron-Catalyzed C−O Bond Activation: Opportunity for Sustainable Catalysis

Oxygen-based electrophiles have emerged as some of the most valuable cross-coupling partners in organic synthesis due to several major strategic and environmental benefits, such as abundance and potential to avoid toxic halide waste. In this context, iron-catalyzed C-O activation/cross-coupling holds particular promise to achieve sustainable catalytic protocols due to its natural abundance, inherent low toxicity, and excellent economic and ecological profile. Recently, tremendous progress has been achieved in the development of new methods for functional-group-tolerant iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions by selective C-O cleavage. These methods establish highly attractive alternatives to traditional cross-coupling reactions by using halides as electrophilic partners. In particular, new easily accessible oxygen-based electrophiles have emerged as substrates in iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, which significantly broaden the scope of this catalysis platform. New mechanistic manifolds involving iron catalysis have been established; thus opening up vistas for the development of a wide range of unprecedented reactions. The synthetic potential of this sustainable mode of reactivity has been highlighted by the development of new strategies in the construction of complex motifs, including in target synthesis. The most recent advances in sustainable iron-catalyzed cross-coupling of C-O-based electrophiles are reviewed, with a focus on both mechanistic aspects and synthetic utility. It should be noted that this catalytic manifold provides access to motifs that are often not easily available by other methods, such as the assembly of stereodefined dienes or C(sp2 )-C(sp3 ) cross-couplings, thus emphasizing the synthetic importance of this mode of reactivity.

Cyclic ureas (DMI, DMPU) as efficient, sustainable ligands in iron-catalyzed C(sp2)–C(sp3) coupling of aryl chlorides and tosylates

Iron-catalyzed cross-coupling has emerged as a powerful tool for sustainable catalysis. However, by far the most common ligand in iron-catalyzed cross-couplings for preparative and industrial applications is reprotoxic NMP. Herein, we report that cyclic ureas (DMI, DMPU) are efficient and sustainable alternatives to NMP in iron-catalyzed alkylations of aryl chlorides and tosylates with alkyl Grignard reagents. This environmentally benign method accomplishes traditionally challenging C(sp2)–C(sp3) cross-coupling with organometallics possessing β-hydrogens with efficiency matching or superseding NMP. The reaction is compatible with a variety of electrophilic functional handles. Applications to double and site-specific alkylations are described. The potential of this method is highlighted in the key coupling in the synthesis of a dual NK1/serotonin receptor antagonist. Considering the pivotal importance of sustainable iron-catalysis, we believe that the method will find wide application in green chemistry.

2-Methyltetrahydrofuran: A Green Solvent for Iron-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions

Iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions allow sustainable formation of C-C bonds using cost-effective, earth-abundant base-metal catalysis for complex syntheses of pharmaceuticals, natural products, and fine chemicals. The major challenge to maintain full sustainability of the process is the identification of green and renewable solvents that can be harnessed to replace the conventional solvents for this highly attractive reaction. Herein, iron-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl chlorides and tosylates with challenging organometallic reagents possessing β-hydrogens is found to proceed in good to excellent yields with the green, sustainable, and eco-friendly 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) as solvent. The reaction operates with excellent functional group tolerance under very mild conditions. Furthermore, large-scale cross-coupling, cross-coupling of heteroaromatic substrates, and cross-coupling of challenging aryl tosylates and carbamates mediated by Fe-N-heterocyclic carbene catalytic systems in eco-friendly 2-MeTHF were also carried out. The developed method was applied to the key cross-coupling in the synthesis of a fibrinolysis inhibitor, further highlighting the potential of 2-MeTHF as a general solvent for sustainable iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.

Barriers to Rotation in ortho-Substituted Tertiary Aromatic Amides: Effect of Chloro-Substitution on Resonance and Distortion

Planarity of the amide bond represents one of the most widely recognized properties of amides. Herein, we report a combined structural and computational study on the effect of ortho-substitution on resonance and barriers to rotation in tertiary aromatic amides. We demonstrate that ortho-chloro substitution in a class of benzamides that are important from the reactivity and medicinal chemistry perspective results in increased barriers to rotation around both the N-C(O) and C-C(O) axes. The effect of steric hindrance on structures, resonance energies, barriers to rotation, and proton affinities is discussed. The present study strongly supports the use of ortho-substitution in common benzamides to strengthen amidic resonance.

Iron-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings in the Synthesis of Pharmaceuticals: In Pursuit of Sustainability

The scarcity of precious metals has led to the development of sustainable strategies for metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The establishment of new catalytic methods using iron is attractive owing to the low cost, abundance, ready availability, and very low toxicity of iron. In the last few years, sustainable methods for iron-catalyzed cross-couplings have entered the critical area of pharmaceutical research. Most notably, iron is one of the very few metals that have been successfully field-tested as highly effective base-metal catalysts in practical, kilogram-scale industrial cross-couplings. In this Minireview, we critically discuss the strategic benefits of using iron catalysts as green and sustainable alternatives to precious metals in cross-coupling applications for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. The Minireview provides an essential introduction to the fundamental aspects of practical iron catalysis, highlights areas for improvement, and identifies new fields to be explored.

2,4-Di-tert-butyl-6-({[2-(di-methyl-amino)-eth-yl](2-hy-droxy-benz-yl)amino}-meth-yl)phenol.

The title compound, C26H40N2O2, has both its N atoms in trigonal-pyramidal geometries. The molecular structure is stabilized by O—H⋯N and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. In the crystal, C—H⋯π interactions lead to the formation of a supramolecular helical chain along the b-axis direction.