Igor B. Krylov

Cross-dehydrogenative coupling for the intermolecular C–O bond formation

Summary The present review summarizes primary publications on the cross-dehydrogenative C–O coupling, with special emphasis on the studies published after 2000. The starting compound, which donates a carbon atom for the formation of a new C–O bond, is called the CH-reagent or the C-reagent, and the compound, an oxygen atom of which is involved in the new bond, is called the OH-reagent or the O-reagent. Alcohols and carboxylic acids are most commonly used as O-reagents; hydroxylamine derivatives, hydroperoxides, and sulfonic acids are employed less often. The cross-dehydrogenative C–O coupling reactions are carried out using different C-reagents, such as compounds containing directing functional groups (amide, heteroaromatic, oxime, and so on) and compounds with activated C–H bonds (aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, ethers, amines, amides, compounds containing the benzyl, allyl, or propargyl moiety). An analysis of the published data showed that the principles at the basis of a particular cross-dehydrogenative C–O coupling reaction are dictated mainly by the nature of the C-reagent. Hence, in the present review the data are classified according to the structures of C-reagents, and, in the second place, according to the type of oxidative systems. Besides the typical cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions of CH- and OH-reagents, closely related C–H activation processes involving intermolecular C–O bond formation are discussed: acyloxylation reactions with ArI(O2CR)2 reagents and generation of O-reagents in situ from C-reagents (methylarenes, aldehydes, etc.).

Facile Synthesis of E‐Diiodoalkenes: H2O2‐Activated Reaction of Alkynes with Iodine

Abstract Hydrogen peroxide was found to activate iodine in the addition reaction with triple bonds. A facile and technologically straightforward procedure was developed for the synthesis of E‐diiodoalkenes based on the reaction of alkynes with an I2–H2O2 system in THF. Selective iodination of terminal and internal alkynes containing electron‐donating and electron‐withdrawing substituents afforded 16 E‐diiodoalkenes in yields up to 89%.

Elucidation of the in vitro and in vivo activities of bridged 1,2,4-trioxolanes, bridged 1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes, tricyclic monoperoxides, silyl peroxides, and hydroxylamine derivatives against Schistosoma mansoni

Praziquantel is currently the only drug available to treat schistosomiasis. Since drug resistance would be a major barrier for the increasing global attempts to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem, efforts should go hand in hand with the discovery of novel treatment options. Synthetic peroxides might offer a good direction since their antischistosomal activity has been demonstrated in the laboratory. We studied 19 bridged 1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes, 2 tricyclic monoperoxides, 11 bridged 1,2,4-trioxolanes, 12 silyl peroxides, and 4 hydroxylamine derivatives against newly transformed schistosomula (NTS) and adult Schistosoma mansoni in vitro. Schistosomicidal compounds were tested for cytotoxicity followed by in vivo studies of the most promising compounds. Tricyclic monoperoxides, trioxolanes, and tetraoxanes revealed the highest in vitro activity against NTS (IC50s 0.4-20.2 μM) and adult schistosomes (IC50s 1.8-22.8 μM). Tetraoxanes showed higher cytotoxicity than antischistosomal activity. Selected trioxolane and tricyclic monoperoxides were tested in mice harboring an adult S. mansoni infection. The highest activity was observed for two trioxolanes, which showed moderate worm burden reductions (WBR) of 44.3% and 42.9% (p>0.05). Complexation of the compounds with β-cyclodextrin with the aim to improve solubility and gastrointestinal absorption did not increase in vivo antischistosomal efficacy. The high in vitro antischistosomal activity of trioxolanes and tricyclic monoperoxides is a promising basis for future investigations, with the focus on improving in vivo efficacy.

Facile Method for the Synthesis of Vicinal Azidoiodides by the Reaction of the NaN3–I2 System with Unsaturated Compounds

Abstract A facile and efficient method was developed for the synthesis of vicinal azidoiodides in 62–77% yields by the reaction of sodium azide and iodine with unsaturated compounds in methanol, aqueous methanol, or the water–methanol–tetrahydrofuran solvent system. The reaction in Et2O or CHCl3 produced only vicinal diiodides.

Synthesis of dibromo ketones by the reaction of the environmentally benign H2O2-HBr system with oximes

AbstractIt was found that oximes undergo deoximation in the presence of the H2O2aq-HBraq system to form ketones and bromo ketones. This reaction provided the basis for the synthesis of dibromo ketones in yields varying from 40% to 94%. This method is environmentally friendly, sustainable, and easy to perform. The results of this investigation extend the potential of the use of oximes for the protection of carbonyl group, thus offering the ability to perform not only conventional deoximation but also the subsequent bromination of ketones. The reaction is easily scaled up and dibromo ketones can be prepared in gram amounts.

A new property of geminal bishydroperoxides: Hydrolysis with the removal of hydroperoxide groups to form a ketone

A new property of geminal bishydroperoxide was discovered: the ability to hydrolyze in acid medium in the presence of hydrogen peroxide with the formation of ketones. The most resistant to hydrolysis are the cyclic C6-bishydroperoxydes: at room temperature within one day they are practically not hydrolyzed; less stable is bishydroperoxycycloheptane (C7): in a day its one fifth part is hydrolyzed. Bishydroperoxydes with the cycles of C8 and C12 for the same time hydrolyzed to 80 and 90% respectively. Of the two linear bishydroperoxydes, 2,2-dihydroperoxydecane, with sterically unhindered center, is more resistant to hydrolysis than 6,6-dihydroperoxyundecane.

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of geminal bis-hydroperoxides

A series of six new geminal bis-hydroperoxides were synthesized based on cyclic ketones. Experiments in vitro show that the synthesized compounds exhibit pronounced antimicrobial properties that are comparable with the effect of some antiseptics and, to a lesser extent, antibiotics. Tests on B. cereus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, C. albicans, and A. niger showed that bis-hydroperoxides were similar to hydrogen peroxide with respect to both the spectrum of action and the MIC level (0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/mL), which is evidence for a similar mechanism of antimicrobial action.

Oxidative C-O coupling of benzylmalononitrile with 3-(hydroxyimino)pentane-2,4-dione

Oxidative C-O coupling of benzylmalononitrile with 3-(hydroxyimino)pentane-2,4-dione has been accomplished. This reaction is the first example of oxidative C-O coupling of a malononitrile with an oxime. The best yield (65%) of the coupling product, 2-benzyl-2-[(2,4-dioxopent-3-ylidene)aminooxy]malononitrile, has been achieved with the use of Cu(ClO4)2 · 6 H2O as oxidant. It is believed that the reaction involves intermediate formation of oxygen-centered aminoxyl radical.

Well-Known Mediators of Selective Oxidation with Unknown Electronic Structure: Metal-Free Generation and EPR Study of Imide-N-oxyl Radicals.

Nitroxyl radicals are widely used in chemistry, materials sciences, and biology. Imide-N-oxyl radicals are subclass of unique nitroxyl radicals that proved to be useful catalysts and mediators of selective oxidation and CH-functionalization. An efficient metal-free method was developed for the generation of imide-N-oxyl radicals from N-hydroxyimides at room temperature by the reaction with (diacetoxyiodo)benzene. The method allows for the production of high concentrations of free radicals and provides high resolution of their EPR spectra exhibiting the superhyperfine structure from benzene ring protons distant from the radical center. An analysis of the spectra shows that, regardless of the electronic effects of the substituents in the benzene ring, the superhyperfine coupling constant of an unpaired electron with the distant protons at positions 4 and 5 of the aromatic system is substantially greater than that with the protons at positions 3 and 6 that are closer to the N-oxyl radical center. This is indicative of an unusual character of the spin density distribution of the unpaired electron in substituted phthalimide-N-oxyl radicals. Understanding of the nature of the electron density distribution in imide-N-oxyl radicals may be useful for the development of commercial mediators of oxidation based on N-hydroxyimides.

Selective cross-dehydrogenative C–O coupling of N-hydroxy compounds with pyrazolones. Introduction of the diacetyliminoxyl radical into the practice of organic synthesis

Oxidative C–O coupling of pyrazolones with N-hydroxy compounds of different classes (N-hydroxyphthalimide, N-hydroxybenzotriazole, oximes) was achieved; both one-electron oxidants (Fe(ClO4)3, (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6) and two-electron oxidants (PhI(OAc)2, Pb(OAc)4) are applicable, and the yields reach 91%. Apparently, the coupling proceeds via the formation of N-oxyl radicals from N-hydroxy compounds. One of the N-oxyl intermediates, the diacetyliminoxyl radical, was found to be exclusively stable in solution in spite of being sterically unhindered; it was isolated from an oxidant and used as a new reagent for the synthesis and mechanism study. The products of C–O coupling of pyrazolones with N-hydroxyphthalimide can be easily transformed into aminooxy compounds, valuable substances for combinatorial chemistry.