Irina A. Boyarskaya

Difference in Energy between Two Distinct Types of Chalcogen Bonds Drives Regioisomerization of Binuclear (Diaminocarbene)PdII Complexes

The reaction of cis-[PdCl2(CNXyl)2] (Xyl = 2,6-Me2C6H3) with various 1,3-thiazol- and 1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amines in chloroform gives a mixture of two regioisomeric binuclear diaminocarbene complexes. For 1,3-thiazol-2-amines the isomeric ratio depends on the reaction conditions and kinetically (KRs) or thermodynamically (TRs) controlled regioisomers were obtained at room temperature and on heating, respectively. In CHCl3 solutions, the isomers are subject to reversible isomerization accompanied by the cleavage of Pd-N and C-N bonds in the carbene fragment XylNCN(R)Xyl. Results of DFT calculations followed by the topological analysis of the electron density distribution within the formalism of Baders theory (AIM method) reveal that in CHCl3 solution the relative stability of the regioisomers (ΔGexp = 1.2 kcal/mol; ΔGcalcd = 3.2 kcal/mol) is determined by the energy difference between two types of the intramolecular chalcogen bonds, viz. S···Cl in KRs (2.8-3.0 kcal/mol) and S···N in TRs (4.6-5.3 kcal/mol). In the case of the 1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amines, the regioisomers are formed in approximately equal amounts and, accordingly, the energy difference between these species is only 0.1 kcal/mol in terms of ΔGexp (ΔGcalcd = 2.1 kcal/mol). The regioisomers were characterized by elemental analyses (C, H, N), HRESI+-MS and FTIR, 1D (1H, 13C{1H}) and 2D (1H,1H-COSY, 1H,1H-NOESY, 1H,13C-HSQC, 1H,13C-HMBC) NMR spectroscopies, and structures of six complexes (three KRs and three TRs) were elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Steric effect of substituents in haloarenes on the rate of cross-coupling reactions

The relative reactivity of ortho- and para-methyl-substituted iodoarenes in the Sonogashira reaction and palladium-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation, as well as of similarly substituted bromoarenes in the Suzuki reactions and cobalt-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation, was studied. Introduction of a methyl group into the para position of aryl halide slows down the cross-coupling. o-Methylhaloarenes are less reactive in palladiumcatalyzed reactions as compared to both unsubstituted haloarene and para-substituted analog. The presence of a methyl group in the ortho position with respect to the reaction center accelerates cobalt-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation.

Transformations of Conjugated Enynones in the Superacid CF3SO3H. Synthesis of Butadienyl Triflates, Indanones, and Indenes

Conjugated 1,5-diarylpent-2-en-4-yn-1-ones add the superacid CF3SO3H to the acetylenic bond with formation of the corresponding butadienyl triflates. Under superacidic reaction conditions, these triflates are transformed into indanone or indene derivatives depending on which substituents on the aromatic ring are conjugated with the butadiene fragment. In a less acidic system (10% vol pyridine in CF3SO3H) only the formation of butadienyl triflates takes place. Cationic reaction intermediates were studied by means of NMR and DFT calculations.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Methoxycarbonylation of Substituted Dichlorobenzenes as an Example of a Facile Radical Anion Nucleophilic Substitution in Chloroarenes

A thorough mechanistic study on cobalt-catalysed direct methoxycarbonylation reactions of chlorobenzenes in the presence of methyl oxirane on a wide range of substrates, including poly- and monochloro derivatives with multiple substituents, is reported. The results demonstrate that the reaction is potentially useful as it proceeds under very mild conditions (t = 62 °C, PCO = 1 bar) and converts aryl chlorides to far more valuable products (especially ortho-substituted benzoic acids and esters) in high yields. This transformation also offers another opportunity for the utilization of environmentally harmful polychlorinated benzenes and biphenyls (PCBs). This study is the first to discover an unexpected universal positive ortho-effect: the proximity of any substituent (including Me, Ph, and MeO groups and halogen atoms) to the reaction centre accelerates the methoxycarbonylation in chlorobenzenes. The effect of the ortho-substituents is discussed in detail and explained in terms of a radical anion reaction mechanism. The advantages of the methoxycarbonylation as a model for the mechanistic study of radical anion reactions are also illustrated.

Reversible chelating in acyclic diaminocarbene palladium complex containing hydrazide fragment

Study of molar conductivity of several palladium(II) complexes has revealed that cationic acyclic diaminocarbene complexes of palladium(II) containing carbohydrazide fragment in the carbene ligand are capable of reversible cyclization to form a six-membered C,O-chelate. This process is favored by factors enhancing dissociation of the anionic ligand in the starting neutral compound. DFT simulation of cationic carbene complexes of palladium has confirmed possibility of such chelating.

Theoretical study of the structure of acyclic diaminocarbene ligands in Pd(II) complexes

The electronic and steric features of acyclic aminohydrazinocarbene ligands in palladium(II) complexes are studied by the DFT method. It was found that most of the studied complexes prefer an amphi-2 conformation over all the other possible conformations. At the same time, in the ligand containing a hydrazide fragment more stable is a syn conformation. The basicity and nucleophilicity of the title ligands are much higher compared to the respective characteristics of the triphenylphosphine ligand and close to those of bis-(diisopropylamino)carbene.

Reduction of mono- and dichlorobiphenyls with sodium-naphthalene complex

Reactivity of low-chlorinated congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls in relation to sodiumnaphthalene complex in THF was studied. It was shown that the rate of reduction of these substrates weakly depended on their structure. The regioselectivity of the first stage of reduction of dichlorobiphenyls may be caused by relative stability of the intermediately formed aryl radicals. Kinetic analysis of the processes taking place in the system showed that sodium-naphthalene complex alongside with one-electron reduction of dichlorobiphenyls is involved also in the multi-electron reduction leading directly to biphenyl avoiding the stage of formation of monochlorobiphenyl.

Brominated CF3-allyl alcohols as multicentered electrophiles in TfOH promoted reactions with arenes

Superacidic activation of CF3-substituted allyl alcohols, bearing one or two bromine atoms at the CC double bond, with TfOH was studied. These brominated alcohols were found to behave as highly reactive multicentered electrophiles. The obtained cationic intermediates were studied by means of NMR and DFT calculations. The protonation of dibromo derivatives with TfOH resulted in cyclization to form trifluoromethylated 1H-indenes and/or indan-1-ones in yields up to 90%. The reaction of dibromosubstituted CF3-allyl alcohols with arenes in the presence of TfOH gave rise to either CF3-alkenes (formal substitution of hydroxyl with an aryl group) or CF3-indenes, depending on the nucleophilicity and bulkiness of the starting arenes. The reaction of monobrominated CF3-substituted allyl alcohols with arenes in TfOH afforded two regioisomeric CF3-alkenes, as a result of arylation of both terminal carbons of the allyl system, in yields up to 95%. The obtained brominated CF3-alkenes can be converted efficiently into trifluoromethylated allenes by treatment with KOH in ethanol in yields up to 92%.

Metal-free hydroarylation of the side chain carbon–carbon double bond of 5-(2-arylethenyl)-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles in triflic acid

The metal-free reaction of 5-(2-arylethenyl)-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with arenes in neat triflic acid (TfOH, CF3SO3H), both under thermal and microwave conditions, leads to 5-(2,2-diarylethyl)-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles. The products are formed through the regioselective hydroarylation of the side chain carbon–carbon double bond of the starting oxadiazoles in yields up to 97%. According to NMR data and DFT calculations, N4,C-diprotonated forms of oxadiazoles are the electrophilic intermediates in this reaction.

Reactions of N,3-diarylpropiolamides with arenes under superelectrophilic activation: synthesis of 4,4-diaryl-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-ones and their derivatives

Summary The reaction of 3-aryl-N-(aryl)propiolamides with arenes in TfOH at room temperature for 0.5 h led to 4,4-diaryl-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-(1H)-ones in yields of 44–98%. The obtained dihydroquinolinones were further transformed into the corresponding N-acyl or N-formyl derivatives. For the latter, the superelectrophilic activation of the N-formyl group by TfOH in the reaction with benzene resulted in the formation of N-(diphenylmethyl)-substituted dihydroquinolinones.