Shannon S. Stahl

Copper‐Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative CH Functionalizations: Trends and Mechanistic Insights

The selective oxidation of C-H bonds and the use of O(2) as a stoichiometric oxidant represent two prominent challenges in organic chemistry. Copper(II) is a versatile oxidant, capable of promoting a wide range of oxidative coupling reactions initiated by single-electron transfer (SET) from electron-rich organic molecules. Many of these reactions can be rendered catalytic in Cu by employing molecular oxygen as a stoichiometric oxidant to regenerate the active copper(II) catalyst. Meanwhile, numerous other recently reported Cu-catalyzed C-H oxidation reactions feature substrates that are electron-deficient or appear unlikely to undergo single-electron transfer to copper(II). In some of these cases, evidence has been obtained for the involvement of organocopper(III) intermediates in the reaction mechanism. Organometallic C-H oxidation reactions of this type represent important new opportunities for the field of Cu-catalyzed aerobic oxidations.

Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Alkene Functionalization via Nucleopalladation: Stereochemical Pathways and Enantioselective Catalytic Applications

The development of catalytic reactions of alkenes transformed the chemical industry in the mid-20th century. Representative reactions included hydrogenation, oxidation, hydroformylation, oligomerization and polymerization. In 1959, researchers at Wacker Chemie developed a Pd-catalyzed method for the aerobic oxidative coupling of ethylene and water to produce acetaldehyde (eq 1, Scheme 1).1,2,3 This reaction represented the starting point for the development of numerous other Pd-catalyzed reactions in subsequent decades, ranging from alkene and diene oxidation reactions to cross-coupling reactions of aryl halides. (1) Scheme 1 The Wacker Reaction. The stoichiometric oxidation of ethylene by aqueous PdII salts had been known since the 19th century;4 however, the industrial Wacker Process owes its success to the recognition that the oxidized catalyst could be regenerated by molecular oxygen in the presence of cocatalytic CuCl2 (Scheme 1). The reaction proceeds through a β-hydroxyethyl-PdII intermediate that forms via the net addition of hydroxide and Pd across the C–C double bond of ethylene. This seemingly straightforward “hydroxypalladation” step has been the subject of extensive mechanistic research and controversy over the past five decades. A major focus of this debate has centered on whether the reaction proceeds by a cis-hydroxypalladation pathway, involving migration of a coordinated water or hydroxide to the ethylene molecule (eq 2), or a trans-hydroxypalladation pathway, involving nucleophilic attack of exogenous water or hydroxide on the coordinated ethylene molecule (eq 3). The current mechanistic understanding of the hydroxypalladation step in the Wacker Process is the subject of an excellent recent review by Keith and Henry.3 (2) (3) Soon after the discovery of the Wacker process, a number of research groups demonstrated that PdII could facilitate the addition of several different nucleophiles to alkenes, and a variety of oxidative and non-oxidative C–O, C–N, and C–C bond-forming transformations have been developed, including intra- and intermolecular reactions.5 The PdII-alkyl intermediate formed in the nucleopalladation step can participate in a number of subsequent transformations (e.g., see Scheme 2). Such opportunities, together with the broad functional-group compatibility and air- and moisture-tolerance of the PdII-catalysts, enable the preparation of important organic building blocks as well as useful hetero- and carbocyclic molecules. Scheme 2 Versatility of the PdII-Alkyl Intermediate Arising from Alkene Nucleopalladation. Nucleopalladation of an alkene often generates a new stereogenic center, and the synthetic utility of the catalytic reactions is enhanced significantly if the stereochemical course of C–Nu bond formation can be controlled. Enantioselective PdII-catalyzed functionalization of alkenes has experienced considerably less success than have many other classes of enantioselective transformations, despite the extensive history of the Wacker process and related oxidation reactions. The former reactions face several challenges. Phosphine ligands, which have been highly successful in other enantioselective processes, are often incompatible with the oxidants used in these reactions (such as O2), and their σ-donating ability can attenuate the electrophilicity and/or oxidizing ability of the PdII salts. A mechanistic basis for the difficulty in achieving effective enantioselective catalysis is that nucleopalladation reactions are capable of proceeding by two stereochemically different pathways: cis- or trans-nucleopalladation (Scheme 3). Experimental results obtained over the past 40 years, especially in the last decade, demonstrate that the energy barriers associated with these different pathways can be very similar, in some cases similar enough that both pathways operate in parallel. This mechanistic scenario can increase the difficulty of achieving high levels of enantioinduction. Scheme 3 Stereochemical Pathways of Nucleopalladation. In the present review, we summarize recent progress in two synergistic areas: (1) mechanistic studies of the stereochemical pathway of nucleopalladation reactions of alkenes (i.e., cis- vs. trans-nucleopalladation) under catalytically relevant reaction conditions and (2) advances in the development of enantioselective Pd-catalyzed reactions that proceed via nucleopalladation of an alkene substrate. The results summarized in the first portion of this review highlight the mechanistic complexity of these reactions and illustrate how subtle changes to the catalyst, substrate, and/or the reaction conditions can alter the stereochemical course of the reaction. Despite the challenges associated with enantioselective PdII-catalyzed reactions of alkenes, important progress has been made over the past 10–15 years. These advances are surveyed in the second portion of this review. The comprehensive coverage of this review begins with results from the late 1990s and early 2000s, when several important advances were made, including the first examples of highly enantioselective reactions proceeding via nucleopalladation6,7,8,9 and the development of ligand-supported Pd-catalysts for aerobic Wacker-type cyclization reactions.10,11 It is hoped that the collective presentation of mechanistic insights and empirical reaction-discovery efforts in this review will provide a foundation for accelerated progress in this important field.

Electrochemical Water Oxidation with Cobalt-Based Electrocatalysts from pH 0–14: The Thermodynamic Basis for Catalyst Structure, Stability, and Activity

Building upon recent study of cobalt-oxide electrocatalysts in fluoride-buffered electrolyte at pH 3.4, we have undertaken a mechanistic investigation of cobalt-catalyzed water oxidation in aqueous buffering electrolytes from pH 0-14. This work includes electrokinetic studies, cyclic voltammetric analysis, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic studies. The results illuminate a set of interrelated mechanisms for electrochemical water oxidation in alkaline, neutral, and acidic media with electrodeposited Co-oxide catalyst films (CoO(x)(cf)s) as well as for a homogeneous Co-catalyzed electrochemical water oxidation reaction. Analysis of the pH dependence of quasi-reversible features in cyclic voltammograms of the CoO(x)(cf)s provides the basis for a Pourbaix diagram that closely resembles a Pourbaix diagram derived from thermodynamic free energies of formation for a family of Co-based layered materials. Below pH 3, a shift from heterogeneous catalysis producing O(2) to homogeneous catalysis yielding H(2)O(2) is observed. Collectively, the results reported here provide a foundation for understanding the structure, stability, and catalytic activity of aqueous cobalt electrocatalysts for water oxidation.

Highly Practical Copper(I)/TEMPO Catalyst System for Chemoselective Aerobic Oxidation of Primary Alcohols

Aerobic oxidation reactions have been the focus of considerable attention, but their use in mainstream organic chemistry has been constrained by limitations in their synthetic scope and by practical factors, such as the use of pure O(2) as the oxidant or complex catalyst synthesis. Here, we report a new (bpy)Cu(I)/TEMPO catalyst system that enables efficient and selective aerobic oxidation of a broad range of primary alcohols, including allylic, benzylic, and aliphatic derivatives, to the corresponding aldehydes using readily available reagents, at room temperature with ambient air as the oxidant. The catalyst system is compatible with a wide range of functional groups and the high selectivity for 1° alcohols enables selective oxidation of diols that lack protecting groups.

Formic-acid-induced depolymerization of oxidized lignin to aromatics

Lignin is a heterogeneous aromatic biopolymer that accounts for nearly 30% of the organic carbon on Earth and is one of the few renewable sources of aromatic chemicals. As the most recalcitrant of the three components of lignocellulosic biomass (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin), lignin has been treated as a waste product in the pulp and paper industry, where it is burned to supply energy and recover pulping chemicals in the operation of paper mills. Extraction of higher value from lignin is increasingly recognized as being crucial to the economic viability of integrated biorefineries. Depolymerization is an important starting point for many lignin valorization strategies, because it could generate valuable aromatic chemicals and/or provide a source of low-molecular-mass feedstocks suitable for downstream processing. Commercial precedents show that certain types of lignin (lignosulphonates) may be converted into vanillin and other marketable products, but new technologies are needed to enhance the lignin value chain. The complex, irregular structure of lignin complicates chemical conversion efforts, and known depolymerization methods typically afford ill-defined products in low yields (that is, less than 10–20wt%). Here we describe a method for the depolymerization of oxidized lignin under mild conditions in aqueous formic acid that results in more than 60wt% yield of low-molecular-mass aromatics. We present the discovery of this facile C–O cleavage method, its application to aspen lignin depolymerization, and mechanistic insights into the reaction. The broader implications of these results for lignin conversion and biomass refining are also considered.

HOMOGENEOUS OXIDATION OF ALKANES BY ELECTROPHILIC LATE TRANSITION METALS

The selective oxidation of alkanes is a topic of considerable interest to both industrial and academic chemists. While the initial discovery occurred more than 25 years ago, new developments in alkane oxidation catalyzed by electrophilic late transition metals have provided important mechanistic insights as well as potentially practical methods for alkane transformations.

Copper-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Amidation of Terminal Alkynes: Efficient Synthesis of Ynamides

A copper-catalyzed method for the preparation of ynamides has been identified that proceeds via aerobic oxidative coupling of terminal alkynes with various nitrogen nucleophiles, including cyclic carbamates, amides and ureas, and N-alkyl-arylsulfonamides and indoles.

Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative functionalization of an arene C-H bond: evidence for an aryl-copper(III) intermediate.

Recent studies have highlighted the ability of Cu(II) to catalyze the aerobic oxidative functionalization of C-H bonds; however, very little is known about the mechanisms of these reactions. Here, we describe the Cu(II)-catalyzed C-H methoxylation and amidation of a macrocylic arene substrate with O(2) as the stoichiometric oxidant. Kinetic and in situ spectroscopic studies demonstrate the involvement of three different oxidation states of Cu in the catalytic mechanism, including an aryl-Cu(III) intermediate. These observations establish a novel mechanistic pathway that has implications for numerous other Cu-catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions.

Divergence between organometallic and single-electron-transfer mechanisms in copper(II)-mediated aerobic C-H oxidation.

Copper(II)-mediated C-H oxidation is the subject of extensive interest in synthetic chemistry, but the mechanisms of many of these reactions are poorly understood. Here, we observe different products from Cu(II)-mediated oxidation of N-(8-quinolinyl)benzamide, depending on the reaction conditions. Under basic conditions, the benzamide group undergoes directed C-H methoxylation or chlorination. Under acidic conditions, the quinoline group undergoes nondirected chlorination. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies implicate an organometallic C-H activation/functionalization mechanism under the former conditions and a single-electron-transfer mechanism under the latter conditions. This rare observation of divergent, condition-dependent mechanisms for oxidation of a single substrate provides a valuable foundation for understanding Cu(II)-mediated C-H oxidation reactions.

Carbon−Nitrogen Bond Formation Involving Well-Defined Aryl−Copper(III) Complexes

Carbon-heteroatom bond formation from copper(III) is commonly invoked as a key step in catalytic reactions, including the century-old Ullmann reactions. Well-defined examples of such reactions have never been observed. Here, we demonstrate that a well-defined Cu(III)-aryl species reacts with a variety nitrogen nucleophiles to undergo facile carbon-nitrogen bond formation.