Takuji Hatakeyama

Highly selective biaryl cross-coupling reactions between aryl halides and aryl Grignard reagents: a new catalyst combination of N-heterocyclic carbenes and iron, cobalt, and nickel fluorides.

Combinations of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) and fluoride salts of the iron-group metals (Fe, Co, and Ni) have been shown to be excellent catalysts for the cross-coupling reactions of aryl Grignard reagents (Ar(1)MgBr) with aryl and heteroaryl halides (Ar(2)X) to give unsymmetrical biaryls (Ar(1)-Ar(2)). Iron fluorides in combination with SIPr, a saturated NHC ligand, catalyze the biaryl cross-coupling between various aryl chlorides and aryl Grignard reagents in high yield and high selectivity. On the other hand, cobalt and nickel fluorides in combination with IPr, an unsaturated NHC ligand, exhibit interesting complementary reactivity in the coupling of aryl bromides or iodides; in contrast, with these substrates the iron catalysts show a lower selectivity. The formation of homocoupling byproducts is suppressed markedly to less than 5% in most cases by choosing the appropriate metal fluoride/NHC combination. The present catalyst combinations offer several synthetic advantages over existing methods: practical synthesis of a broad range of unsymmetrical biaryls without the use of palladium catalysts and phosphine ligands. On the basis of stoichiometric control experiments and theoretical studies, the origin of the unique catalytic effect of the fluoride counterion can be ascribed to the formation of a higher-valent heteroleptic metalate [Ar(1)MF(2)]MgBr as the key intermediate in our proposed catalytic cycle. First, stoichiometric control experiments revealed the stark differences in chemical reactivity between the metal fluorides and metal chlorides. Second, DFT calculations indicate that the initial reduction of di- or trivalent metal fluoride in the wake of transmetalation with PhMgCl is energetically unfavorable and that formation of a divalent heteroleptic metalate complex, [PhMF(2)]MgCl (M = Fe, Co, Ni), is dominant in the metal fluoride system. The heteroleptic ate-complex serves as a key reactive intermediate, which undergoes oxidative addition with PhCl and releases the biaryl cross-coupling product Ph-Ph with reasonable energy barriers. The present cross-coupling reaction catalyzed by iron-group metal fluorides and an NHC ligand provides a highly selective and practical method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical biaryls as well as the opportunity to gain new mechanistic insights into the metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.

Effect of TMEDA on Iron-Catalyzed Coupling Reactions of ArMgX with Alkyl Halides

A new reaction mechanism for the iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of ArMgX with alkyl halides using (TMEDA)FeAr(2) and (TMEDA)Fe(Ar)Br is proposed on the basis of the isolation and reaction of these organoiron intermediates.

Iron-Catalyzed Suzuki−Miyaura Coupling of Alkyl Halides

In the presence of novel iron(II) chloride-diphosphine complexes and magnesium bromide, lithium arylborates react with primary and secondary alkyl halides to give the corresponding coupling products in good to excellent yields. High functional group compatibility is also demonstrated in the reactions of substrates possessing reactive substituents, such as alkoxycarbonyl, cyano, and carbonyl groups.

Synthesis of BN-Fused Polycyclic Aromatics via Tandem Intramolecular Electrophilic Arene Borylation

A tandem intramolecular electrophilic arene borylation reaction has been developed for the synthesis of BN-fused polycyclic aromatic compounds such as 4b-aza-12b-boradibenzo[g,p]chrysene (A) and 8b,11b-diaza-19b,22b-diborahexabenzo[a,c,fg,j,l,op]tetracene. These compounds adopt a twisted conformation, which results in a tight and offset face-to-face stacking array in the solid state. Time-resolved microwave conductivity measurements prove that the intrinsic hole mobility of A is comparable to that of rubrene, one of the most commonly used organic semiconductors, indicating that BN-substituted PAHs are potential candidates for organic electronic materials.

Ultrapure Blue Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Molecules: Efficient HOMO–LUMO Separation by the Multiple Resonance Effect

Ultrapure blue-fluorescent molecules based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence are developed. Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices employing the new emitters exhibit a deep blue emission at 467 nm with a full-width at half-maximum of 28 nm, CIE coordinates of (0.12, 0.13), and an internal quantum efficiency of ≈100%, which represent record-setting performance for blue OLED devices.

Azaboradibenzo[6]helicene: carrier inversion induced by helical homochirality.

Azaboradibenzo[6]helicene, a new semiconductor material possessing helical chirality, has been synthesized via a tandem bora-Friedel-Crafts-type reaction. Unprecedented carrier inversion between the racemate (displaying p-type semiconductivity) and the single enantiomer (displaying n-type semiconductivity) was observed and can be explained by changes in the molecular packing induced by helical homochirality.

Cross-Coupling of Non-activated Chloroalkanes with Aryl Grignard Reagents in the Presence of Iron/N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysts

An efficient and high-yielding cross-coupling reaction of various primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl chlorides with aryl Grignard reagents was achieved by using catalytic amounts of N-heterocyclic carbene ligands and iron salts. This reaction is a simple and efficient arylation method having applicability to a wide range of industrially abundant chloroalkanes, including polychloroalkanes, which are challenging substrates under conventional cross-coupling conditions.

One‐Step Borylation of 1,3‐Diaryloxybenzenes Towards Efficient Materials for Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes

The development of a one-step borylation of 1,3-diaryloxybenzenes, yielding novel boron-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds, is reported. The resulting boron-containing compounds possess high singlet-triplet excitation energies as a result of localized frontier molecular orbitals induced by boron and oxygen. Using these compounds as a host material, we successfully prepared phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes exhibiting high efficiency and adequate lifetimes. Moreover, using the present one-step borylation, we succeeded in the synthesis of an efficient, thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter and boron-fused benzo[6]helicene.

Iron-catalysed fluoroaromatic coupling reactions under catalytic modulation with 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene

A catalytic amount of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene (DPPBz) achieves selective cleavage of sp(3)-carbon-halogen bond in the iron-catalysed cross-coupling between polyfluorinated arylzinc reagents and alkyl halides, which was unachievable with a stoichiometric modifier such as TMEDA; the selective iron-catalysed fluoroaromatic coupling provides easy and practical access to polyfluorinated aromatic compounds.

Iron-Catalyzed Enyne Cross-Coupling Reaction

In the presence of 0.5-1 mol % of FeCl(3) with lithium bromide as a crucial additive, alkynyl Grignard reagents, prepared from the corresponding alkynes and methylmagnesium bromide, react with alkenyl bromides or triflates to give the corresponding conjugated enynes in high to excellent yields. The reaction shows wide applicability to various terminal alkynes and alkenyl electrophiles.