Shuo Tong

Tuning the reactivity of isocyano group: synthesis of imidazoles and imidazoliums from propargylamines and isonitriles in the presence of multiple catalysts.

The reaction of propargyl amines with tert-butylisonitrile in the presence of a catalytic amount of both Yb(OTf)3 and AgOTf afforded imidazoles, whereas the same reaction with primary and secondary alkylisonitriles, as well as arylisonitriles, in the presence of three metal salts [Yb(OTf)3/AgOTf/KOTf] resulted in the 1,3,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoliums in excellent yields. Both chiral amines and chiral isonitriles can be used to provide corresponding chiral heterocycles without racemization. In this multiple catalytic system, Yb(OTf)3 catalyzed the insertion of isonitriles to the N-H bond of amines, AgOTf catalyzed the 5-exo-dig cyclization of the resulting amidine nitrogen to the tethered triple bond, and KOTf promoted the salt metathesis, thus providing at the same time the counterion to the imidazolium. Against common knowledge, the isocyano group acted in these reactions as a polarized triple bond instead of conventional carbene-like function.

Zinc Bromide Promoted Coupling of Isonitriles with Carboxylic Acids To Form 2,4,5‐Trisubstituted Oxazoles

Deviant behavior: In a deviation from “normal” reactivity, isocyanides underwent co-trimerization with carboxylic acids in the presence of ZnBr2 to smoothly provide oxazoles (see scheme). The reaction is thought to occur by initial nucleophilic addition of the carboxylic acid to a ligated isonitrile molecule, followed by a sequence involving double migratory insertion, metal-salt elimination, acyl migration, cyclization, and dealkylation.

Aqueous Titanium Trichloride Promoted Reductive Cyclization of o-Nitrostyrenes to Indoles: Development and Application to the Synthesis of Rizatriptan and Aspidospermidine

Treatment of o-nitrostyrenes with aqueous TiCl3 solution at room temperature afforded indoles through a formal reductive C(sp(2) )-H amination process. A range of functions such as halides (Cl, Br), carbonyl (ester, carbamate), cyano, hydroxy, and amino groups were tolerated. From β,β-disubstituted o-nitrostyrenes, 2,3-disubstituted indoles were formed by a domino reduction/cyclization/migration process. Mild conditions, simple experimental procedure, ready accessibility of the starting materials and good to excellent yields characterize the present transformation. The methodology was used as a key step in a concise synthesis of rizatriptan and a formal total synthesis of aspidospermidine.

Switchable [3+2] and [4+2] Heteroannulation of Primary Propargylamines with Isonitriles to Imidazoles and 1,6-Dihydropyrimidines: Catalyst Loading Enabled Reaction Divergence

Isonitrile 1 due to its carbene-like reactivity serves generally as a one-carbon synthon in a diverse set of organic transformations. We report in this article that the isocyano group can also act as a polarized triple bond to undergo, as a two-atom synthon, heteroannulation with primary propargylamines 15. In addition, we serendipitously discovered that the reaction pathways can be modulated by simply changing the catalyst loading. In the presence of 0.1 equiv of Yb(OTf)3 or TfOH, the reaction between 1 and 15 afforded exclusively imidazoles 16 by a formal [3+2] cycloaddition. At a higher catalyst loading (Yb(OTf)3 (0.4 equiv) or TfOH (0.5 equiv)) under otherwise identical conditions, the same reaction furnished 1,6-dihydropyrimidines 17 in good to excellent yields by way of a formal [4+2] cycloaddition process. Mechanistic investigations indicated that both annulations went through an amidine intermediate resulting from the insertion of the isocyano group to the NH bond of the primary amine. Subsequent catalyst-loading-dependent 5-exo-dig or 6-endo-dig cyclization provided selectively the two heterocycles, respectively.

Fluorophores for Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer by an Yttrium Triflate Catalyzed Reaction of Isocyanides with Thiocarboxylic Acids

Discovery of new chemical reactivity of a given functional group can often result in innovative synthesis of important chemical entities that possess unprecedented properties. We designed and developed a one-step synthesis of 5-amino-4-carboxamidothiazoles 1 by an yttrium-triflate-catalyzed reaction of thiocarboxylic acids 2 with isocyanides 3. In this reaction, both reactants 2 and 3 deviated from their normal reactivities because of metal coordination. The resulting heterocycles are novel prototypical structures for the double ESIPT process. Some of them were excited by visible light irradiation and emitted fluorescence at the NIR region with large Stokes shift, high quantum yield, and strong solvatochromism.

Catalytic Enantioselective Double Carbopalladation/C−H Functionalization with Statistical Amplification of Product Enantiopurity: A Convertible Linker Approach

Combining a catalytic enantioselective reaction with dimerization in a single operation is an efficient way to upgrade the enantiomeric excesses (ee) of the product. Palladium-catalyzed reaction of N-(2-iodophenyl)-N-methyl methacrylamide derivatives with oxadiazole afforded, by a double enantioselective carbopalladation/intermolecular heteroarene C-H alkylation sequence, homodimers in good yields with excellent ee values. The dimer was subsequently elaborated to the monomer in which the linker (oxadiazole) was incorporated into the target product.

Silver-Catalyzed Three-Component 1,1-Aminoacylation of Homopropargylamines: α-Additions for Both Terminal Alkynes and Isocyanides

The reaction of secondary homopropargylamines, isocyanides, and water in the presence of a catalytic amount of silver acetate and subsequent purification by chromatography on silica gel afforded substituted proline amides in good to excellent yields. Primary homopropargylamines underwent a cyclizative Ugi-Joullié three-component reaction with isocyanides and carboxylic acids to afford functionalized N-acyl proline amides. High diastereoselectivity was observed in the synthesis of 4-alkoxy and 4,5-disubstituted proline derivatives. This work represents the first examples of a three-component cyclizative 1,1-aminoacylation of terminal alkynes.