Iron‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reaction: Heterogeneous palladium and copper‐free Heck and Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions catalyzed by a reusable Fe(III) complex

An interesting silica‐supported iron catalyst was successfully prepared and demonstrated as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for cross‐coupling reactions of aryl halides. The as‐prepared nanocatalyst was well characterized and found to be highly efficient in Heck reaction under mild and sustainable conditions (water as solvent at 80 °C in short reaction time). Furthermore, the obtained catalyst was used as an efficient, inexpensive and green heterogeneous catalyst for Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions of various aryl iodides and provided the corresponding products with moderate to good yields. This phosphine, copper and palladium‐free catalyst was simply recovered from the reaction mixture and recycled five times without substantial decrease in its catalytic activity.     

Solvent‐free synthesis of α‐aminonitriles from aldehydes,amines and trimethylsilyl cyanide catalyzed by thallium(III) chloride tetrahydrate

A straightforward and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of α‐aminonitriles by combining aldehydes, amines and trimethylsilyl cyanide in the presence of a catalytic amount of thallium(III) chloride tetrahydrate (1 mol%) under solvent‐free conditions at room temperature. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly Efficient Microwave‐Assisted Substitution of β‐Dicarbonyl Compounds with Secondary Alcohols Using Fluoroboric Acid as the Catalyst

The microwave‐assisted substitution of β‐dicarbonyl compounds with secondary alcohols has been achieved efficiently, using very cheap fluoroboric acid (HBF₄) as the catalyst. For various β‐dicarbonyl compounds and a series of secondary alcohols, the direct substitution gives high yields after only 5 min of microwave irradiation.     

Manganese‐Catalyzed β‐Methylation of Alcohols by Methanol

We report an earth‐abundant‐metal‐catalyzed double and single methylation of alcohols. A manganese catalyst, which operates at low catalyst loadings and short reaction times, mediates these reactions efficiently. A broad scope of primary and secondary alcohols, including purely aliphatic examples, and 1,2‐aminoalcohols can be methylated. Furthermore, alcohol methylation for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals has been demonstrated. The catalyst system tolerates many functional groups among them hydrogenation‐sensitive examples and upscaling is easily achieved. Mechanistic investigations are indicative of a borrowing hydrogen or hydrogen autotransfer mechanism involving a bimetallic K‐Mn catalyst. The catalyst accepts hydrogen as a proton and a hydride from alcohols efficiently and reacts with a chalcone via hydride transfer.     

Oxidation of Tricarbonyl (η1 η2-but-3-en-1-yl)iron(0)and Tricarbonyl (η3-allyl)iron(0) Anion Complexes with Dioxygen

The addition of reactive carbanions to tricarbonyl(η⁴-1,3-diene)iron(0) complexes proceeded at ?78 °C to give putative tricarbonyl(η¹,η²-but-3-en-1-y1)iron(0) anion complexes and at 25 °C to produce postulated tricarbonyl(η³-allyl)iron(O) anion complexes; trapping of reactive intermediates with dioxygen produced γ,δ-unsaturated acids and allylic alcohols, respectively.     

A Molecularly Defined Iron‐Catalyst for the Selective Hydrogenation of α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes

A selective iron‐based catalyst system for the hydrogenation of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes to allylic alcohols is presented. Applying the defined iron–tetraphos complex [FeF(L)][BF₄] (L=P(PhPPh₂)₃) in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid a broad range of aldehydes are reduced in high yields using low catalyst loadings (0.05–1 mol %). Excellent chemoselectivity for the reduction of aldehydes in the presence of other reducible moieties, for example, ketones, olefins, esters, etc. is achieved. Based on the in situ detected hydride species [FeH(H₂)(L)]⁺ a catalytic cycle is proposed that is supported by computational calculations.     

Transition‐Metal‐Free Coupling of Alkynes with α‐Bromo Carbonyl Compounds: An Efficient Approach towards β,γ‐Alkynoates and Allenoates

A direct transition‐metal‐free coupling between alkynes and α‐bromo carbonyl compounds has been developed with ultraviolet (UV) light in aqueous media. This method represents a facile approach to synthetically useful β,γ‐alkynyl esters and amides stereoselectively from two readily available starting materials. As an example of the synthetic application of the products, the alkynyl esters were readily converted into allenoates.     

Click approach to the three‐component synthesis of novel β‐hydroxy‐1,2,3‐triazoles catalysed by new (Cu/Cu2O) nanostructure as a ligand‐free,green and regioselective nanocatalyst in water

Copper nanostructures were produced as an effective and regioselective catalyst for the synthesis of 1,2,3‐triazoles from a wide range of raw materials, such as sodium azide, epoxides and terminal alkynes, in water via a one‐pot three‐component click reaction. The new heterogeneous catalyst was prepared by a simple ball mill reduction of CuO with NaBH₄ using a ball‐to‐powder weight ratio of 50:1 under air atmosphere at room temperature. The catalyst was fully characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The copper nanostructures catalysed both ring opening and triazole cyclization steps. Products were obtained in high yields and short reaction times. The reactions were performed at ambient temperature in water as a green solvent. The Cu/Cu₂O nanostructures revealed high reusability and high stability via a simple recycling process.     

High‐temperature catalysts for the production of α‐olefins based on iron(II) and iron(III) tridentate bis(imino)pyridine complexes modified by nitrilo group

Series of Fe(II) and Fe(III) tridentate bis(imino)pyridine complexes without nitrilo groups 2–6 and with nitrilo groups 7–13 were synthesized. According to X‐ray analysis, the introduction of nitrilo groups in para‐ and ortho‐positions tends to result in shorter axial Fe? N bonds. Both types of complexes, 2–6 and 9–13 , afforded very productive catalysts for the production of α‐olefins with higher K values and better linearity of Schultz–Flory distribution α‐olefins than the parent methyl substituted Fe(II) complex 1 . Noticeably, the complexes functionalized with a para‐nitrilo group 9–13 tend to make α‐olefins with higher K values of the Schultz–Flory distribution, more ideal distributions, and less of the heavier insoluble fractions of α‐olefins than corresponding nonsymmetrically substituted complexes without para‐nitrilo groups 2–6 . Statistically significant correlations were obtained between % solids of total α‐olefins and the blocked solid angle fraction in the +z hemisphere ( = 51.3%, p = 0.012) and between catalyst productivity and total blocked solid angle fraction ( = 43.5%, p = 0.023). The modest values of show that, while steric effects are significant, they are not the sole factor determining catalyst performance. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 585–611, 2008     

Oxidation of alkanes and alcohols with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by complex Os3(CO)10(µ‐H)2

Trinuclear carbonyl hydride cluster, Os₃(CO)₁₀(µ‐H)₂, catalyzes oxidation of cyclooctane to cyclooctyl hydroperoxide by hydrogen peroxide in acetonitrile solution. The hydroperoxide partly decomposes in the course of the reaction to afford cyclooctanone and cyclooctanol. Selectivity parameters obtained in oxidations of various linear and branched alkanes as well as kinetic features of the reaction indicated that the alkane oxidation occurs with the participation of hydroxyl radicals. A similar mechanism operates in transformation of benzene into phenol and styrene into benzaldehyde. The system also oxidizes 1‐phenylethanol to acetophenone. The kinetic study led to a conclusion that oxidation of alcohols does not involve hydroxyl radicals as main oxidizing species and apparently proceeds with the participation of osmyl species, ‘Os?O’. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

μ‐Oxo‐Dinuclear‐Iron(III)‐Catalyzed O‐Selective Acylation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Amino Alcohols and Transesterification of Tertiary Alcohols

A highly chemoselective and reactive μ‐oxo‐dinuclear iron(III) salen catalyst for transesterification was developed. The developed iron complex catalyzed acylation of aliphatic amino alcohols with nearly perfect O‐selectivity, even when using activated esters, for which chemoselectivity is more difficult to control. In addition, O‐selective transesterification of aromatic amino alcohols was achieved for the first time. The high activity of the iron complex enabled the use of sterically congested tertiary alcohols, including unprecedented tert‐butanol.     

Enantioselective copper(II)‐catalyzed Henry reaction utilizing chiral aziridinyl alcohols

A family of enantiopure β‐aminoalcohols based on aziridine backbones were synthesized, and examined as chiral ligands for the copper(II)‐catalyzed asymmetric Henry reaction of aromatic aldehydes with nitromethane, giving β‐nitroalcohols in excellent yields (up to 93%) and moderate to good enantioselectivities (up to 82%). Moreover, possible transition states of the reaction are proposed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solvent‐free ring‐opening polymerization of cyclohexene oxide catalyzed by palladium chloride

In this study, we have for the first time demonstrated that palladium chloride (PdCl₂) is an efficient catalyst for ring‐opening polymerization of cyclohexene oxide in a solvent‐free condition. The polymerization product was in atactic structure, and reaction conditions, such as reaction temperature, time, and catalyst amount, showed effects on polymerization conversion yield, turnover number, and number‐average molecular weight of the resulting poly(cyclohexene oxide). PdCl₂ catalysis follows a cationic ring‐opening mechanism. The polymerization result is highly determined by the chemical structure of the monomers.     

Solvent‐free cyanosilylation of aldehydes catalyzed by SmI2

A novel method to obtain racemic cyanohydrin silylethers by reaction of trimethylsilyl cyanide with a variety of aldehydes promoted by catalysis of SmI₂ is reported. The corresponding cyanosilylethers were obtained in high yields (up to 99%) in solvent‐ free conditions at room temperature within a relatively short time using 0.01–0.5 mol% catalyst loadings. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solvent‐free cyanosilylation of ketones with (CH3)3SiCN (TMSCN) catalyzed by NbF5

The addition of TMSCN to ketones catalyzed by dispersed NbF₅ gave corresponding cyanohydrin trimethylsilylethers with excellent yield (>90%). Cyano transfer occurs within 30 min at room temperature in the presence of 1 mol% of NbF₅ under solvent‐free conditions. These conditions are extremely mild, simple, and tolerate various functional groups. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.