Shiqing Xu

Pd- and Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions in the synthesis of organic electronic materials

Abstract Organic molecules and polymers with extended π-conjugation are appealing as advanced electronic materials, and have already found practical applications in thin-film transistors, light emitting diodes, and chemical sensors. Transition metal (TM)-catalyzed cross-coupling methodologies have evolved over the past four decades into one of the most powerful and versatile methods for C–C bond formation, enabling the construction of a diverse and sophisticated range of π-conjugated oligomers and polymers. In this review, we focus our discussion on recent synthetic developments of several important classes of π-conjugated systems using TM-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, with a perspective on their utility for organic electronic materials.

Widely Applicable Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure Tertiary Alkyl-Containing 1-Alkanols by Zirconium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Carboalumination of Alkenes and Palladium- or Copper-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling

A highly enantioselective and widely applicable method for the synthesis of various chiral 2-alkyl-1-alkanols, especially those of feeble chirality, has been developed. It consists of zirconium-catalyzed asymmetric carboalumination of alkenes (ZACA), lipase-catalyzed acetylation, and palladium- or copper-catalyzed cross-coupling. By virtue of the high selectivity factor (E) associated with iodine, either (S)- or (R)-enantiomer of 3-iodo-2-alkyl-1-alkanols (1), prepared by ZACA reaction of allyl alcohol, can be readily purified to the level of ≥99% ee by lipase-catalyzed acetylation. A variety of chiral tertiary alkyl-containing alcohols, including those that have been otherwise difficult to prepare, can now be synthesized in high enantiomeric purity by Pd- or Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling of (S)-1 or (R)-2 for introduction of various primary, secondary, and tertiary carbon groups with retention of all carbon skeletal features. These chiral tertiary alkyl-containing alcohols can be further converted into the corresponding acids with full retention of the stereochemistry. The synthetic utility of this method has been demonstrated in the highly enantioselective (≥99% ee) and efficient syntheses of (R)-2-methyl-1-butanol and (R)- and (S)-arundic acids.

Highly Efficient, Convergent, and Enantioselective Synthesis of Phthioceranic Acid†

A new strategy for highly concise, convergent, and enantioselective access to polydeoxypropionates has been developed. ZACA-Pd-catalyzed vinylation was used to prepare smaller deoxypropionate fragments, and then two key sequential Cu-catalyzed stereocontrolled sp(3)-sp(3) cross-coupling reactions allowed convergent assembly of smaller building blocks to build-up long polydeoxypropionate chains with excellent stereoselectivity. We employed this strategy for the synthesis of phthioceranic acid, a key constituent of the cell-wall lipid of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in just 8 longest linear steps with full stereocontrol.

Highly enantioselective synthesis of γ-, δ-, and ε-chiral 1-alkanols via Zr-catalyzed asymmetric carboalumination of alkenes (ZACA)–Cu- or Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling

Significance Chirality plays a vital role in chemical, biological, pharmaceutical, and material sciences. The preparation of enantiomerically pure compounds is a very important and challenging area. In this paper, we developed a highly enantioselective (≥99% ee) and widely applicable method for the synthesis of various γ- and more-remotely chiral alcohols, many of which cannot be satisfactorily prepared by other existing methods, via the ZACA/oxidation–lipase-catalyzed acetylation–Cu- or Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling from terminal alkenes. We also demonstrated MαNP ester analysis is a convenient and powerful method for determining the enantiomeric purities of δ- and ε-chiral primary alkanols. This finding is anticipated to shed light on the relatively undeveloped field of determination of enantiomeric purity and/or absolute configuration of remotely chiral primary alcohols. Despite recent advances of asymmetric synthesis, the preparation of enantiomerically pure (≥99% ee) compounds remains a challenge in modern organic chemistry. We report here a strategy for a highly enantioselective (≥99% ee) and catalytic synthesis of various γ- and more-remotely chiral alcohols from terminal alkenes via Zr-catalyzed asymmetric carboalumination of alkenes (ZACA reaction)–Cu- or Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling. ZACA–in situ oxidation of tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBS)-protected ω-alkene-1-ols produced both (R)- and (S)-α,ω-dioxyfunctional intermediates (3) in 80–88% ee, which were readily purified to the ≥99% ee level by lipase-catalyzed acetylation through exploitation of their high selectivity factors. These α,ω-dioxyfunctional intermediates serve as versatile synthons for the construction of various chiral compounds. Their subsequent Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling with various alkyl (primary, secondary, tertiary, cyclic) Grignard reagents and Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling with aryl and alkenyl halides proceeded smoothly with essentially complete retention of stereochemical configuration to produce a wide variety of γ-, δ-, and ε-chiral 1-alkanols of ≥99% ee. The MαNP ester analysis has been applied to the determination of the enantiomeric purities of δ- and ε-chiral primary alkanols, which sheds light on the relatively undeveloped area of determination of enantiomeric purity and/or absolute configuration of remotely chiral primary alcohols.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Isotopomers of 1‐Alkanols by a ZACA–Cu‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling Protocol

Chiral compounds arising from the replacement of hydrogen atoms by deuterium are very important in organic chemistry and biochemistry. Some of these chiral compounds have a non-measurable specific rotation, owing to very small differences between the isotopomeric groups, and exhibit cryptochirality. This particular class of compounds is difficult to synthesize and characterize. Herein, we present a catalytic and highly enantioselective conversion of terminal alkenes to various β and more remote chiral isotopomers of 1-alkanols, with ≥99 % enantiomeric excess (ee), by the Zr-catalyzed asymmetric carboalumination of alkenes (ZACA) and Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. ZACA-in situ iodinolysis of allyl alcohol and ZACA-in situ oxidation of TBS-protected ω-alkene-1-ols protocols were applied to the synthesis of both (R)- and (S)-difunctional intermediates with 80-90 % ee. These intermediates were readily purified to provide enantiomerically pure (≥99 % ee) compounds by lipase-catalyzed acetylation. These functionally rich intermediates serve as very useful synthons for the construction of various chiral isotopomers of 1-alkanols in excellent enantiomeric purity (≥99 % ee) by introducing deuterium-labeled groups by Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions without epimerization.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Cyclopentanes Bearing an All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenter by Zirconium-Catalyzed Double Carboalumination

Herein, we report a zirconium-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective inter/intramolecular double carboalumination of unactivated 2-substituted 1,5-dienes, which provides efficient and direct access to chiral cyclopentanes through the generation of two stereocenters, including one all-carbon quaternary stereocenter, generally with excellent diastereo- and high enantioselectivity. This tandem carboalumination process creates two new C-C bonds as well as one C-Al bond, which can be oxidized in situ with O2 or hydrolyzed. Furthermore, the obtained chiral cyclopentanes can be readily functionalized to provide various chiral compounds.

One-Step Homologation for the Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Deoxypropionates

A one-step homologation protocol for the synthesis of natural products containing deoxypropionate motif is described by the combination of Zr-catalyzed asymmetric carboalumination of alkenes (ZACA)-Pd-catalyzed vinylation and ZACA-oxidation reaction. In contrast to most other synthetic strategies used to date that typically require three steps per deoxypropionate unit due to the functional-group interconversions, our one-step homologation strategy promises to provide a general and more efficient synthetic route toward deoxypropionate natural products as exemplified by significant improvements in the syntheses of intermediates and/or final products of mycolipenic acid 1 and its analogue 2, (-)-rasfonin, and syn- and anti-dicarboxylic acids 5 and 6.

Search for Highly Efficient, Stereoselective, and Practical Synthesis of Complex Organic Compounds of Medicinal Importance as Exemplified by the Synthesis of the C21C37 Fragment of Amphotericin B

Highly stereoselective: A highly efficient, stereoselective and practical synthesis of the C21-C37 fragment of amphotericin B was realized in 25 % overall yield in eight longest linear steps from commercially available ethyl (S)-3-hydroxybutyrate by using Fráter-Seebach alkylation, Brown crotylboration, Negishi coupling, Heck reaction, and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) olefination as key steps (see diagram).