Huanfeng Jiang

Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Sulfenylation of Indoles and Related Electron-Rich Heteroarenes with Aryl Boronic Acids and Elemental Sulfur

An efficient and convenient palladium-catalyzed C-H bond oxidative sulfenylation of indoles and related electron-rich heteroarenes with aryl boronic acids and elemental sulfur has been described. This procedure provides a useful and direct approach for the assembly of a wide range of structurally diverse 3-sulfenylheteroarenes with moderate to excellent yields from simple and readily available starting materials. Moreover, this synthetic protocol is suitable for N-protected and unprotected indoles. Notably, the construction of two C-S bonds in one step was also achieved in this transformation.

Copper-Catalyzed Coupling of Oxime Acetates with Isothiocyanates: A Strategy for 2-Aminothiazoles

A new strategy for 2-aminothiazoles is developed via the copper-catalyzed coupling of oxime acetates with isothiocyanates. Various 4-substituted and 4,5-disubstituted 2-aminothiazoles were formed smoothly under mild reaction conditions. This process involved copper-catalyzed N-O bond cleavage, activation of vinyl sp(2) C-H bonds, and C-S/C-N bond formations. It is noteworthy that the oxime acetates were used not only as a substrate but also as a single oxidant.

Assembly of 3-Sulfenylbenzofurans and 3-Sulfenylindoles by Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade Annulation/Arylthiolation Reaction.

A novel and efficient palladium-catalyzed cascade annulation/arylthiolation reaction has been developed to afford functionalized 3-sulfenylbenzofuran and 3-sulfenylindole derivatives in moderate to good yields from readily available 2-alkynylphenols and 2-alkynylamines in ionic liquids. This protocol provides a valuable synthetic tool for the assembly of a wide range of 3-sulfenylbenzofuran and 3-sulfenylindole derivatives with high atom- and step-economy and exceptional functional group tolerance. Moreover, the employment of ionic liquids under mild reaction conditions makes this transformation green and practical. Furthermore, this approach enriched current C-S bond formation chemistry, making a valuable and practical method in synthetic and medicinal chemistry.

Palladium-Catalyzed Intermolecular Aerobic Annulation of o-Alkenylanilines and Alkynes for Quinoline Synthesis

A new approach to construct 2,3-disubstituted quinolines is described via Pd-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of o-vinylanilines and alkynes with molecular oxygen. This transformation is supposed to undergo intermolecular amination of alkyne, insertion of the olefin, and oxidative cleavage of C-C bond sequence.

Palladium-Catalyzed C-H Functionalization of Aromatic Oximes: A Strategy for the Synthesis of Isoquinolines.

An efficient strategy for synthesis of isoquinolines via Pd(II)-catalyzed cyclization reaction of oximes with vinyl azides or homocoupling of oximes is reported. Oximes could serve as a directing group and an internal oxidant in the transformation. This reaction features good functional group tolerance and provides a useful protocol for the synthesis of different kinds of isoquinolines under mild conditions. Some control experiments and (15)N isotope labeling experiments were conducted for the mechanistic research.

Csp3–P versus Csp2–P Bond Formation: Catalyst-Controlled Highly Regioselective Tandem Reaction of Ene-Yne-Ketones with H-Phosphonates

Under copper-catalyzed or base-promoted conditions, a wide range of ene-yne-ketones react with H-phosphonates to afford various phosphorylated furans in good yields. A copper carbene generation or a Michael addition is proposed as the key step in the selective construction of the Csp(3)-P or Csp(2)-P bond, which is supported by carbene capture reactions and interval (31)P NMR experiments. Furthermore, this method features inexpensive metal catalysts, no usage of oxidant, and high atom economy, which make it attractive and practical.

Copper-Mediated [3 + 2] Oxidative Cyclization Reaction of N-Tosylhydrazones and β-Ketoesters: Synthesis of 2,3,5-Trisubstituted Furans

The first attempt at utilizing N-tosylhydrazones as two-carbon synthons has been successfully achieved, which underwent a copper-mediated [3 + 2] oxidative cyclization reaction to afford 2,3,5-trisubstituted furans in moderate to good yields. The features of this method include inexpensive metal catalyst, readily available substrates, high regioselectivity, and convenient operation. The studies provide important approaches for further exploration of the powerful and diverse reaction abilities of N-tosylhydrazones.

Transition-Metal-Free Cyclopropanation of 2-Aminoacrylates with N-Tosylhydrazones: A General Route to Cyclopropane α-Amino Acid with Contiguous Quaternary Carbon Centers

Cyclopropanation of 2-aminoacrylates with N-tosylhydrazones could proceed smoothly under transition-metal-free conditions via a [3 + 2] cycloaddition process. This robust protocol exhibits excellent generality, delivering a wide spectrum of cyclopropane α-amino acid esters bearing contiguous quaternary carbon centers in high yields and diastereoselectivities. With these readily available products, the steric convergence of cyclopropane α-amino acids could be readily obtained.

Copper-Catalyzed Oxysulfenylation of Enolates with Sodium Sulfinates: A Strategy To Construct Sulfenylated Cyclic Ethers

A new copper-catalyzed oxysulfenylation reaction of enolates with sodium sulfinates has been disclosed. A series of sulfenylated heterocycles including four- and seven-membered cyclic ether were obtained in mild to good yields. This reaction is proposed to go through a radical process, and the sulfur radical (RS(•)) may be a reactive species.

Iridium(III)‐Catalyzed Regioselective Intermolecular Unactivated Secondary Csp3−H Bond Amidation

For the first time, a highly regioselective intermolecular sulfonylamidation unactivated secondary Csp(3) -H bond has been achieved using Ir(III) catalysts. The introduced N,N-bichelating ligand plays a crucial role in enabling iridium-nitrene insertion into a secondary Csp(3) -H bond via an outer-sphere pathway. Mechanistic studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that a two-electron concerted nitrene insertion was involved in this Csp(3) -H amidation process. This method tolerates a broad range of linear and branched-chain N-alkylamides, and provides efficient access to diverse γ-sulfonamido-substituted aliphatic amines.