Catalytic dehydrogenative cross-coupling: forming carbon-carbon bonds by oxidizing two carbon-hydrogen bonds

The site-selective formation of carbon-carbon bonds through direct functionalizations of otherwise unreactive carbon-hydrogen bonds constitutes an economically attractive strategy for an overall streamlining of sustainable syntheses. In recent decades, intensive research efforts have led to the development of various reaction conditions for challenging C-H bond functionalizations, among which transition-metal-catalyzed transformations arguably constitute thus far the most valuable tool. For instance, the use of inter alia palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, copper, or iron complexes set the stage for chemo-, site-, diastereo-, and/or enantioselective C-H bond functionalizations. Key to success was generally a detailed mechanistic understanding of the elementary C-H bond metalation step, which depending on the nature of the metal fragment can proceed via several distinct reaction pathways. Traditionally, three different modes of action were primarily considered for CH bond metalations, namely, (i) oxidative addition with electronrich late transition metals, (ii) σ-bond metathesis with early transition metals, and (iii) electrophilic activation with electrondeficient late transition metals (Scheme 1). However, more recent mechanistic studies indicated the existence of a continuum of electrophilic, ambiphilic, and nucleophilic interactions. Within this continuum, detailed experimental and computational analysis provided strong evidence for novel C-H bond metalationmechanisms relying on the assistance of a bifunctional ligand bearing an additional Lewis-basic heteroatom, such as that found in (heteroatom-substituted) secondary phosphine oxides or most prominently carboxylates (Scheme 1, iv). This novel insight into the nature of stoichiometric metalations has served as stimulus for the development of novel transformations based on cocatalytic amounts of carboxylates, which significantly broadened the scope of C-H bond functionalizations in recent years, with most remarkable progress being made in palladiumor ruthenium-catalyzed direct arylations and direct alkylations. These carboxylate-assisted C-H bond transformations were mostly proposed to proceed via a mechanism in which metalation takes place via a concerted base-assisted deprotonation. To mechanistically differentiate these intramolecular metalations new acronyms have recently been introduced into the literature, such as CMD (concerted metalationdeprotonation), IES (internal electrophilic substitution), or AMLA (ambiphilic metal ligand activation), which describe related mechanisms and will be used below where appropriate. This review summarizes the development and scope of carboxylates as cocatalysts in transition-metal-catalyzed C-H functionalizations until autumn 2010. Moreover, experimental and computational studies on stoichiometric metalation reactions being of relevance to the mechanism of these catalytic processes are discussed as well. Mechanistically related C-H bond cleavage reactions with ruthenium or iridium complexes bearing monodentate ligands are, however, only covered with respect to their working mode, and transformations with stoichiometric amounts of simple acetate bases are solely included when their mechanism was suggested to proceed by acetate-assisted metalation.

Carboxylate-assisted transition-metal-catalyzed C-H bond functionalizations: mechanism and scope.

1. Setting the Scope of the Challenge 6474 1.1. The Need for Solar Energy Supply and Storage 6474 1.2. An Imperative for Discovery Research 6477 1.3. Scope of Review 6478 2. Large-Scale Centralized Energy Storage 6478 2.1. Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage (PHES) 6479 2.2. Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) 6480 3. Smaller Scale Grid and Distributed Energy Storage 6481 3.1. Flywheel Energy Storage (FES) 6481 3.2. Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage 6482 4. Chemical Energy Storage: Electrochemical 6482 4.1. Batteries 6482 4.1.1. Lead-Acid Batteries 6483 4.1.2. Alkaline Batteries 6484 4.1.3. Lithium-Ion Batteries 6484 4.1.4. High-Temperature Sodium Batteries 6484 4.1.5. Liquid Flow Batteries 6485 4.1.6. Metal-Air Batteries 6485 4.2. Capacitors 6485 5. Chemical Energy Storage: Solar Fuels 6486 5.1. Solar Fuels in Nature 6486 5.2. Artificial Photosynthesis and General Considerations of Water Splitting 6486

Solar Energy Supply and Storage for the Legacy and Nonlegacy Worlds

Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed C–H Bond Activation and Functionalization

Combined quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics (QM/MM) approaches have become the method of choice for modeling reactions in biomolecular systems. Quantum-mechanical (QM) methods are required for describing chemical reactions and other electronic processes, such as charge transfer or electronic excitation. However, QM methods are restricted to systems of up to a few hundred atoms. However, the size and conformational complexity of biopolymers calls for methods capable of treating up to several 100,000 atoms and allowing for simulations over time scales of tens of nanoseconds. This is achieved by highly efficient, force-field-based molecular mechanics (MM) methods. Thus to model large biomolecules the logical approach is to combine the two techniques and to use a QM method for the chemically active region (e.g., substrates and co-factors in an enzymatic reaction) and an MM treatment for the surroundings (e.g., protein and solvent). The resulting schemes are commonly referred to as combined or hybrid QM/MM methods. They enable the modeling of reactive biomolecular systems at a reasonable computational effort while providing the necessary accuracy.

QM/MM Methods for Biomolecular Systems

ion step. The reactivity of pMMO has been also explored by Chan,525 by means of DFT calculations on small models of Figure 116. Nonradical mechanism proposed in the Yoshizawa model of sMMO. Figure 117. Mononuclear and dinuclear models of the copper active sites of pMMO. CsH Bond Activation in Transition Metal Species Chemical Reviews, 2010, Vol. 110, No. 2 813

C-H bond activation in transition metal species from a computational perspective

A series of Cp*Ir catalysts are the most active known by over an order of magnitude for water oxidation with Ce(IV). DFT calculations support a Cp*Ir═O complex as an active species.

Highly Active and Robust Cp* Iridium Complexes for Catalytic Water Oxidation

Iridium half-sandwich complexes of the types Cp*Ir(N−C)X, [Cp*Ir(N−N)X]X, and [CpIr(N−N)X]X are catalyst precursors for the homogeneous oxidation of water to dioxygen. Kinetic studies with cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate as primary oxidant show that oxygen evolution is rapid and continues over many hours. In addition, [Cp*Ir(H2O)3]SO4 and [(Cp*Ir)2(μ-OH)3]OH can show even higher turnover frequencies (up to 20 min−1 at pH 0.89). Aqueous electrochemical studies on the cationic complexes having chelate ligands show catalytic oxidation at pH > 7; conversely, at low pH, there are no oxidation waves up to 1.5 V vs NHE for the complexes. H218O isotope incorporation studies demonstrate that water is the source of oxygen atoms during cerium(IV)-driven catalysis. DFT calculations and kinetic experiments, including kinetic-isotope-effect studies, suggest a mechanism for homogeneous iridium-catalyzed water oxidation and contribute to the determination of the rate-determining step. The kinetic experiments also help distin...

Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes for Homogeneous Water-Oxidation Catalysis

Mechanism of Homogeneous Iridium-Catalyzed Alkylation of Amines with Alcohols from a DFT Study

We describe the development of (η3-1-tBu-indenyl)2(μ-Cl)2Pd2, a versatile precatalyst scaffold for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling. Our new system is more active than commercially available (η3-cinnamyl)2(μ-Cl)2Pd2 and is compatible with a range of NHC and phosphine ligands. Precatalysts of the type (η3-1-tBu-indenyl)Pd(Cl)(L) can either be isolated through the reaction of (η3-1-tBu-indenyl)2(μ-Cl)2Pd2 with the appropriate ligand or generated in situ, which offers advantages for ligand screening. We show that the (η3-1-tBu-indenyl)2(μ-Cl)2Pd2 scaffold generates highly active systems for a number of challenging cross-coupling reactions. The reason for the improved catalytic activity of systems generated from the (η3-1-tBu-indenyl)2(μ-Cl)2Pd2 scaffold compared to (η3-cinnamyl)2(μ-Cl)2Pd2 is that inactive PdI dimers are not formed during catalysis.

David Balcells

Papers

C-H bond activation in transition metal species from a computational perspective

Highly Active and Robust Cp* Iridium Complexes for Catalytic Water Oxidation

Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes for Homogeneous Water-Oxidation Catalysis

Mechanism of Homogeneous Iridium-Catalyzed Alkylation of Amines with Alcohols from a DFT Study

Design of a Versatile and Improved Precatalyst Scaffold for Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling: (η3-1-tBu-indenyl)2(μ-Cl)2Pd2