Oxidative Addition of Aryl Halides to a Ni(I)-Bipyridine Complex

The oxidative addition of aryl halides to bipyridine- or phenanthroline-ligated nickel(I) is a commonly proposed step in nickel catalysis. However, there is a scarcity of complexes of this type that both are well-defined and undergo oxidative addition with aryl halides, hampering organometallic studies of this process. We report the synthesis of a well-defined Ni(I) complex, [(CO2Etbpy)NiCl]4 (1). Its solution-phase speciation is characterized by a significant population of monomer and a redox equilibrium that can be perturbed by π-acceptors and σ-donors. 1 reacts readily with aryl bromides, and mechanistic studies are consistent with a mechanism proceeding through an initial Ni(I) → Ni(III) oxidative addition. Such a process was demonstrated stoichiometrically for the first time, affording a structurally characterized Ni(III) aryl complex.

Photosensitized Nickel Catalysis Enabled Silyl Radical Mediated Direct Activation of Carbamoyl Chlorides to Access (Hetero)aryl Carbamides

The transformation of a readily available molecule to a medicinally relevant functionality is the heart of organic synthesis which literally unfolds new direction in the field of drug discovery and development. Accordingly, synthetic chemistry fraternity is constantly striving to introduce a range of avant-garde techniques to construct an incredibly important fundamental entity like “amide bonds” which connect the amino acids in proteins and exist as a prevalent structural motif in biomolecules. In this context, we want to introduce the concept of cross-electrophile coupling by merging the photoredox and transition metal catalysis to construct carbamides from superabundant (hetero)aryl chlorides or bromides along with commercially feasible carbamoyl chlorides. However, there is barely any report on direct activation of carbamoyl chloride so far. To circumvent the challenge, we employ the intrinsic affinity of silyl radical species towards halogen atom to harness the carbamoyl radical directly from carbamoyl chlorides which is seemingly the first of its kind. The success of this protocol relies on the prior formation of ‘aryl halides to Ni-catalyst’ oxidative addition intermediate that assists in generation of the vital carbamoyl radical. The breadth of application of this technique is significantly demonstrated by the synthesis of a plethora of (hetero)aryl carbamides with diverse functionalities. As stated earlier, we outline the direct utility of this protocol by the late-stage amidation of halide containing drug molecules and pharmacophores.

Nickel-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Coupling of Redox-Active Esters with Aliphatic Aldehydes

The addition of alkyl fragments to aliphatic aldehydes is a highly desirable transformation for fragment couplings, yet existing methods come with operational challenges related to the basicity and instability of the nucleophilic reagents commonly employed. We report herein that nickel catalysis using a readily available bioxazoline (BiOx) ligand can catalyze the reductive coupling of redox-active esters with aliphatic aldehydes using zinc metal as the reducing agent to deliver silyl-protected secondary alcohols. This protocol is operationally simple, proceeds under mild conditions, and tolerates a variety of functional groups. Initial mechanistic studies suggest a radical chain pathway. Additionally, alkyl tosylates and epoxides are suitable alkyl precursors to this transformation providing a versatile suite of catalytic reactions for the functionalization of aliphatic aldehydes.