Synthesis of Conjugated Dienes in Natural Compounds

This review describes the various synthetic methods commonly used to obtain molecules possessing conjugated dienes. We focus on methods involving cross-coupling reactions using various metals such as nickel, palladium, ruthenium, cobalt, cobalt/zinc, manganese, zirconium, or iron, mainly through examples that aimed to access natural molecules or their analogues. Among the natural molecules covered in this review, we discuss the total synthesis of a phytohormone, Acid Abscisic (ABA), carried out by our team involving the development of a conjugated diene chain.

Synthesis of pyrethroids and jasmonoids by palladium-catalyzed cross coupling reactions

The synthesis of jasmone and related jasmonoids and pyrethroids is described. These types of compounds play a defensive role in plants, and share a cyclopentenone common core, with variations in its side chains. Jasmone, cinerone, allylrethrone and derivatives are synthesized through π-allyl palladium cross coupling of stannane derivatives. By selective hydrogenation dihydrojasmone and dihydrocinerone are also synthesized.

Efficient room temperature catalytic synthesis of alternating conjugated copolymers via C-S bond activation

Structural defects in conjugated copolymers are severely detrimental to the optoelectronic properties and the performance of the resulting electronic devices fabricated from them. Therefore, the much-desired precision synthesis of conjugated copolymers with highly regular repeat units is important, but presents a significant challenge to synthetic materials chemists. To this end, aryl sulfides are naturally abundant substances and offer unrealized potential in cross-coupling reactions. Here we report an efficient room temperature polycondensation protocol which implements aryl disulfide C-S activation to produce defect-minimized semiconducting conjugated copolymers with broad scope and applicability. Thus, a broad series of arylstannanes and thioethers are employed via the present protocol to afford copolymers with number-average molecular weights (Mns) of 10.0–45.0 kDa. MALDI and NMR analysis of selected copolymers reveals minimal structural defects. Moreover, the polymer trap density here is smaller and the field effect mobility higher than that in the analogous polymer synthesized through thermal-activation Stille coupling.

How Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Phosphorus(III)-Directed C–H Bond Functionalizations Can Improve the Catalytic Activities of Phosphines

Trivalent-phosphorus-containing molecules are widely used in fields ranging from catalysis to materials science. Efficient catalytic methods for their modifications, providing straightforward access to novel hybrid structures with superior catalytic activities, are highly desired to facilitate reaction improvement or discovery. We have recently developed new methods for synthesizing polyfunctional phosphines by C–C cross-couplings through rhodium-catalyzed C–H bond activation. These methods use a native P(III) atom as a directing group, and can be used in regioselective late-stage functionalization of phosphine ligands. Interestingly, some of the modified phosphines outperform their parents in Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.1 Introduction2 Early Examples of Transition-Metal-Catalyzed P(III)-Directed C–H Bond Activation/Functionalizations3 Synthesis of Polyfunctional Biarylphosphines by Late-Stage Alkylation: Application in Carboxylation Reactions4 Synthesis of Polyfunctional Biarylphosphines by Late-Stage Alkenylation: Application in Amidation Reactions5 Conclusion

Architecture engineering of nanostructured catalyst via layer-by-layer adornment of multiple nanocatalysts on silica nanorod arrays for hydrogenation of nitroarenes

Direct consideration for both, the catalytically active species and the host materials provides highly efficient strategies for the architecture design of nanostructured catalysts. The conventional wet chemical methods have limitations in achieving such unique layer-by-layer design possessing one body framework with many catalyst parts. Herein, an innovative physical method is presented that allows the well-regulated architecture design for an array of functional nanocatalysts as exemplified by layer-by-layer adornment of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) on the highly arrayed silica nanorods. This spatially confined catalyst exhibits excellent efficiency for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes and widely deployed Suzuki cross-coupling reactions; their facile separation from the reaction mixtures is easily accomplished due to the monolithic structure. The generality of this method for the introduction of other metal source has also been demonstrated with Au NPs. This pioneering effort highlights the feasibility of physically controlled architecture design of nanostructured catalysts which may stimulate further studies in the general domain of the heterogeneous catalytic transformations.

The syntheses, structures and spectroelectrochemical properties of 6-oxo-verdazyl derivatives bearing surface anchoring groups

A series of 6-oxo verdazyl radicals functionalised at the 1- and 5-positions by methyl, thiomethyl and iodo groups were synthesised using conventional strategies. Facile Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions of terminal alkynes...

A Nickel/Organoboron Catalyzed Metallaphotoredox Platform for C(sp2)–P and C(sp2)–S Bond Construction

Herein, an organoboron photocatalyst, aminoquinolate diarylboron (AQDAB), is utilized collaboratively with nickel catalyst in metallaphotoredox catalyzed C(sp2)–P and C(sp2)–S cross-coupling reactions. This strategy effectively couples aryl halides with diarylphosphine oxides...

Highly selective Suzuki reaction catalysed by a molecular Pd-P-MOF catalyst under mild conditions: role of ligands and palladium speciation

Cross-coupling reactions are a fundamental tool in the large scale synthesis of pharma-, agro- and fine chemicals. Homogeneous palladium complexes remain the state-of-the-art catalysts even though the use of heterogeneous...