Francois Nicks

Microwave-Assisted Ruthenium-Catalyzed Reactions

Since the first reports on the use of microwave irradiation to accelerate organic chemical transformations, a plethora of papers has been published in this field. In most examples, microwave heating has been shown to dramatically reduce reaction times, increase product yields, and enhance product purity by reducing unwanted side reactions compared with conventional heating methods. The present contribution aims at illustrating the advantages of this technology in homogeneous catalysis by ruthenium complexes and, when data are available, at comparing microwave-heated and conventionally heated experiments. Selected examples refer to olefin metathesis, isomerization reactions, 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, atom transfer radical reactions, transfer hydrogenation reactions, and H/D exchange reactions.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Vinyl Esters through Ruthenium-Catalyzed Addition of Carboxylic Acids to Alkynes

A rapid and efficient method is described for the selective synthesis of enol esters via the microwave-accelerated addition of carboxylic acids to terminal alkynes. The method employs the readily available [RuCl2(p-cymene)(PPh3)] complex as catalyst without the need of bases, and reactions are complete in 20 min.

Recent Applications of Alkene Metathesis in Fine Chemical Synthesis

During the last decade or so, the emergence of the metathesis reaction in organic synthesis has revolutionised the strategies used for the construction of complex molecular structures. Olefin metathesis is indeed particularly suited for the construction of small open-chain molecules and macrocycles using crossmetathesis and ring-closing metathesis, respectively. These reactions serve, inter alia, as key steps in the synthesis of various agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals such as macrocyclic peptides, cyclic sulfonamides, novel macrolides, or insect pheromones. The present chapter is aiming at illustrating the great synthetic potential of metathesis reactions. Shortcomings, such as the control of olefin geometry and the unpredictable effect of substituents on the reacting olefins, will also be addressed. Examples to be presented include epothilones, amphidinolides, spirofungin A, and archazolid. Synthetic approaches involving silicon-tethered ring-closing metathesis, relay ring-closing metathesis, sequential reactions, domino as well as tandem metathesis reactions will also be illustrated.

Efficient microwave-promoted synthesis of glucuronic and galacturonic acid derivatives using sulfuric acid impregnated on silica

Monomode microwave-assisted syntheses of d-glucuronic and d-galacturonic acid derivatives are reported in the presence of a solid acid catalyst, consisting of sulfuric acid loaded onto silica. This approach affords a variety of surface-active monoglycosylated glucofuranosidurono-6,3-lactones and disubstituted galacturonic adducts in excellent yields in less than 10 min at 85°C. This study illustrates the application of microwave heating mode, in combination with a cost-effective solid catalyst, as an efficient, selective, and eco-friendly methodology in carbohydrate chemistry.

Microwave-Assisted Olefin Metathesis

Since the first reports on the use of microwave irradiation to accelerate organic chemical transformations, a plethora of papers have been published in this field. In most examples, microwave heating has been shown to dramatically reduce reaction times, increase product yields, and enhance product purity by reducing unwanted side reactions compared to conventional heating methods. The present contribution aims at illustrating the advantages of this technology in olefin metathesis and, when data are available, at comparing microwave-heated and conventionally heated experiments