Shunsuke Tamba

C–H Functionalization Polycondensation of Chlorothiophenes in the Presence of Nickel Catalyst with Stoichiometric or Catalytically Generated Magnesium Amide

Polymerization of 2-chloro-3-substituted thiophenes proceeded with a stoichiometric amount of magnesium amide, TMPMgCl·LiCl, or a combination of a Grignard reagent and a catalytic amount of secondary amine in the presence of a nickel catalyst. Although the nickel-catalyzed polymerization with NiCl(2)dppe, which exhibited high catalytic activity in the reaction of bromothiophenes, was less effective, use of a nickel catalyst bearing N-heterocyclic carbene as a ligand was found to induce polymerization with controlled molecular weight and molecular weight distribution.

Palladium-catalyzed C-H functionalization of heteroarenes with aryl bromides and chlorides.

Palladium-catalyzed C-H arylation of electron-enriched heteroarenes with aryl bromides and aryl chlorides proceeds in the presence of LiO-t-Bu as a base. The reaction allows one-pot synthesis of differently substituted 2,5-diarylthiazole with the same catalyst system by switching the solvent and the amount of base.

Synthesis of Well-Defined Head-to-Tail-Type Oligothiophenes by Regioselective Deprotonation of 3-Substituted Thiophenes and Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reaction

Iterative growth of thiophene oligomers by single-step extensions has been realized by regioselective metalation of 3-substituted thiophenes with the Knochel-Hauser base (TMPMgCl·LiCl) and coupling with bromothiophene using a nickel catalyst. Treatment of 3-hexylthiophene with TMPMgCl·LiCl induces metalation at the 5-position selectively. Subsequent addition of 2-bromo-3-hexylthiophene and a nickel catalyst leads to the corresponding bithiophene. The obtained bithiophene is converted to the terthiophene and then to the quaterthiophene by repeating the similar protocol. A concise synthesis of MK-1 and MK-2, which are organic dye molecules bearing an oligothiophene moiety that are used in photovoltaic cells, has been achieved.

Murahashi coupling polymerization: nickel(II)-N-heterocyclic carbene complex-catalyzed polycondensation of organolithium species of (hetero)arenes.

Revisiting Murahashi coupling, we found that it effectively allows polymerization of lithiated (hetero)arenes by nickel(II)-catalyzed polycondensation. Deprotonative polymerization of 2-chloro-3-substituted thiophene with n-butyllithium gave head-to-tail-type poly(3-substituted thiophene). Poly(1,4-arylene)s were obtained by the reaction of the corresponding dibromides through lithium-bromine exchange. A lithiated thiophene derivative obtained via deprotonative halogen dance also underwent polymerization to afford a bromo-substituted polythiophene.

Concise Synthesis of Well-Defined Linear and Branched Oligothiophenes with Nickel-Catalyzed Regiocontrolled Cross-Coupling of 3-Substituted Thiophenes by Catalytically Generated Magnesium Amide

The synthesis of linear and branched oligothiophenes of well-defined structures is performed with regioselective deprotonation of 3-substituted thiophenes and nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling of the thus formed metalated species with a bromothiophene. The reaction of 3-hexylthiophene with EtMgCl and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TMP-H, 10 mol%) induces the metalation selectively at the 5-position by use of the catalytically generated hindered magnesium amide (TMPMgCl) and the subsequent reaction of a 2-halo-3-hexylthiophene (bromide or chloride) in the presence of a nickel catalyst affords a head-to-tail (HT)-type dimer. By repeating the same sequence, the linear oligothiophene up to a 4-mer is synthesized in good yield. The reaction of 3-hexylthiophene with 2,3-dibromothiophene also takes place to afford a branched oligothiophene 3-mer in quantitative yield. The obtained 3-mer is also metalated at the sterically less-hindered position in a regioselective manner furnishing a 7-mer in >99% yield after a further coupling reaction with 2,3-dibromothiophene. These dendrimers react with several multifunctionalized organic electrophiles, leading to a variety of branched oligothiophenes.

C-H ARYLATION OF 3-SUBSTITUTED THIOPHENE WITH REGIOSELECTIVE DEPROTONATION BY TMPMgCl·LiCl AND TRANSITION METAL CATALYZED CROSS COUPLING ‡

Abstract – The reaction of 3-hexylthiophene with Knochel-Hauser base (TMPMgCl·LiCl) induced the metalation at the 5-position of the thiophene ring selectively. Following addition of several aryl halides in the presence of a nickel or palladium catalyst afforded regioselectively arylated thiophene in good to excellent yields. INTRODUCTION CH functionalization of heteroaromatic compounds recently attracts much attention 1,2 since a variety of organic compounds bearing heteroaromatic moiety in the structure are found in a wide range of advanced organic materials 3 as well as biologically active molecules. 4 Therefore, development of a practical synthetic strategy for such molecules is an important issue in organic synthesis. We have been engaged in the development of synthetic methodologies to afford functionalized heteroaromotics via transition metal catalyzed CH functionalization. 5 Several functionalization reactions, which take place at a carbon atom of an electron-deficient 6 and enriched

Polythiophene synthesis via halogen dance

Polymerization of 2,4-dibromo-3-hexyl-5-lithiated thiophene that is formed by deprotonation of 2,5-dibromo-3-hexylthiophene with LDA and following halogen dance takes place in the presence of a nickel(II) or palladium(II) catalyst to afford poly(3-bromo-4-hexylthiophen-2,5-diyl).