Organic Photoredox Catalyzed Direct Hydroamination of Ynamides with Azoles

Disclosed herein is a novel photoinduced selective hydroamination of ynamides with nitrogen heteroaromatic nucleophiles. By using an organocatalytic photoredox system, a direct method to construct a diverse of (Z)-α-azole enamides from ynamides and pyrazoles, as well as triazoles, benzotriazoles, indazoles, and tetrazoles, is developed, thus providing a concise route to heterocyclic motifs common in medicinal agents. Based on the mechanistic studies, the hydroamination is postulated to operate via a mechanism in which the single-electron oxidation of ynamide and the intermediacy of an alkyne radical cation, is responsible for the observed reactivity.

A crystalline radical cation derived from Thiele’s hydrocarbon with redox range beyond 1 V

Thiele’s hydrocarbon occupies a central role as an open-shell platform for new organic materials, however little is known about its redox behaviour. While recent synthetic approaches involving symmetrical carbene substitution of the CPh2 termini yield isolable neutral/dicationic analogues, the intervening radical cations are much more difficult to isolate, due to narrow compatible redox ranges (typically < 0.25 V). Here we show that a hybrid BN/carbene approach allows access to an unsymmetrical analogue of Thiele’s hydrocarbon 1, and that this strategy confers markedly enhanced stability on the radical cation. 1•+ is stable across an exceptionally wide redox range (> 1 V), permitting its isolation in crystalline form. Further single-electron oxidation affords borenium dication 12+, thereby establishing an organoboron redox system fully characterized in all three redox states. We perceive that this strategy can be extended to other transient organic radicals to widen their redox stability window and facilitate their isolation.

Experimental and Computational Studies on the Reactivity of Methanimine Radical Cation (H2CNH+•) and its Isomer Aminomethylene (HCNH2+•) With C2H2

Experimental and theoretical studies are presented on the reactivity of the radical cation isomers H2CNH+• (methanimine) and HCNH2+• (aminomethylene) with ethyne (C2H2). Selective isomer generation is performed via dissociative photoionization of suitable neutral precursors as well as via direct photoionization of methanimine. Reactive cross sections (in absolute scales) and product branching ratios are measured as a function of photon and collision energies. Differences between isomers’ reactivity are discussed in light of ab-initio calculations of reaction mechanisms. The major channels, for both isomers, are due to H atom elimination from covalently bound adducts to give [C3NH4]+. Theoretical calculations show that while for the reaction of HCNH2+• with acetylene any of the three lowest energy [C3NH4]+ isomers can form via barrierless and exothermic pathways, for the H2CNH+• reagent the only barrierless pathway is the one leading to the production of protonated vinyl cyanide (CH2CHCNH+), a prototypical branched nitrile species that has been proposed as a likely intermediate in star forming regions and in the atmosphere of Titan. The astrochemical implications of the results are briefly addressed.

Photocatalytic reduction of nicotinamide co-factor by perylene sensitized Rh(III) complexes

We report a catalytically active intramolecular photocatalyst, which combines a perylene photosensitizer and a Rh(III) catalyst. Spectroscopic studies reveal the formation of a charge-separated perylene radical cation-Rh(II) intermediate that results in a catalytically active species in the presence of protons.