María E. Budén

Room-Temperature Photoinduced Direct C–H-Arylation via Base-Promoted Homolytic Aromatic Substitution

Conceptually different approach toward biaryl syntheses by photoinduced direct C-H arylation of benzene and thiophene in the presence of t-BuOK is reported. The reaction proceeds through photo- and base-promoted homolytic aromatic substitution. The o-, m- and p- substituted ArI, as well as the electron-donating and electron-withdrawing nature of the substituents were found be good to excellent substrates. Heteroaryl, ArBr, ArCl and double C-H arylation were successfully achieved.

Electron-Transfer-Mediated Synthesis of Phenanthridines by Intramolecular Arylation of Anions from N-(ortho-Halobenzyl)arylamines: Regiochemical and Mechanistic Analysis

The synthesis of a series of substituted phenanthridines by photostimulated C-C cyclization of anions from N-(ortho-halobenzyl)arylamines has been found to proceed in very good to excellent yields (79-95%) in liquid ammonia and in DMSO. The N-(ortho-halobenzyl)arylamines are obtained in good to very good isolated yields (44-85%) by nucleophilic substitution of ortho-halobenzylchlorides with different arylamines. The reaction of the anions of a diverse set of N-(ortho-halobenzyl)arylamines was studied, and the methodology was extended to the synthesis of trispheridine, a natural product, in very good yield. In order to explain the regiochemical outcome of these reactions, a theoretical analysis was performed with DFT methods and the B3LYP functional.

Room-temperature and transition-metal-free Mizoroki-Heck-type reaction. Synthesis of E-stilbenes by photoinduced C-H functionalization.

We report a conceptually different approach toward E-stilbene syntheses by photoinduced direct C-H arylation of alkenes at rt without the addition of transition metals, with a broad range of aryl halides, including ArI, ArBr, and even ArCl. This is the first time that this reaction has been produced without extra solvent but with 18-crown-6 ether and t-BuOK in only 15 min of reaction.

Synthesis of 6-Substituted 2-Pyrrolyl and Indolyl Benzoxazoles by Intramolecular O-Arylation in Photostimulated Reactions

The synthesis of a series of 6-substituted 2-pyrrolyl and 2-indolyl benzoxazoles by photostimulated C-O cyclization of anions from 2-pyrrole carboxamides, 2-indole carboxamides, or 3-indole carboxamides has been found to proceed in good to excellent yields (41-100%) in DMSO and liquid ammonia. The pyrrole and indole carboxamides are obtained in good to very good isolated yields by an amidation reaction of different 2-haloanilines with 2-carboxylic acid of pyrrole and 2- or 3-carboxylic acid of indole. To explain the regiochemical outcome of these reactions (C-O arylation vs C-N or C-C arylation), a theoretical analysis was performed using DFT methods and the B3LYP functional.

Initiation in Photoredox C–H Functionalization Reactions. Is Dimsyl Anion a Key Ingredient?

Previous studies have reported the arylation of unactivated arenes with ArX, base (KOtBu or NaOtBu), and an organic additive at high temperatures. Recently, we showed that this reaction proceeds in the absence of additives at rt but employs UV-vis light. However, details of mechanisms that can use a photoinduced base-promoted homolytic aromatic substitution reaction (photo-BHAS) have remained elusive until now. This work examines different mechanistic routes of the essential electron-transfer step (ET) of this reaction in order to identify a possible path for the formation of 1-adamantyl radicals from 1-haloadamantanes (initiation step). On the basis of photochemical and photophysical experiments and computational studies, we propose an unprecedented initiation step that could also be applied to other ET reactions performed in DMSO. For the first time, it is reported that dimsyl anion, formed from a strong base and DMSO (solvent), is responsible for inducing the initiation by a photo-BHAS process on alkyl halides.

Iterative double cyclization reaction by SRN1 mechanism. A theoretical interpretation of the regiochemical outcome of diazaheterocycles

In this report, we present a synthetic and mechanistic study of novel iterative double cyclization intramolecular SRN1 reactions from diamides bearing two aryl iodide moieties. This cyclization affords aromatic diazaheterocyclic compounds in good yields. Two synthetic strategies were employed for their preparation: intramolecular SRN1 and Homolytic Aromatic Substitution. The mechanism is non-trivial and we propose that radicals are intermediates. The regiochemistry was studied using computational calculations, employing the DFT method and the B3LYP functional. It was found that the distribution of products depends on the cyclization activation energies, proportion of neutral conformers, and the type of the electron transfer reaction.

Synthesis of γ-disubstituted nitroalkyl compounds through a new solvomercuration-SRN1 reaction sequence

The synthesis of γ-disubstituted nitroalkanes using alkenes as starting materials is described. The synthetic strategy involves a first step of solvomercuration followed by an SRN1 substitution reaction in DMSO as solvent under photoinitiation. The target compounds are obtained in good yields and the factors governing the distribution of substitution products are discussed.