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.

The direct functionalization of C-H bonds in organic compounds has recently emerged as a powerful and ideal method for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. This Review provides an overview of C-H bond functionalization strategies for the rapid synthesis of biologically active compounds such as natural products and pharmaceutical targets.

C-H bond functionalization: emerging synthetic tools for natural products and pharmaceuticals

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

A number of studies were conducted to demonstrate C-H activation for the construction of C-B bonds. Investigations revealed that the conversion of C-H bonds to C-B bonds was both thermodynamically and kinetically favorable. The reaction at a primary C-H bond of methane or a higher alkene B 2(OR)4 formed an alkylboronate ester R' -B(OR)2 and the accompanying borane H-B(OR2. The ester and the borane were formed on the basis of calculated bond energies for methylboronates and dioaborolanes. The rates of key steps along the reaction pathway for the conversion of a C-H bond in an alkane or arene to the C-B bond in an alkyl or arylboronate ester were favorable. These studies also highlighted the accessible barriers for C-H bond cleavage and B-C bond formation during the borylation of alkanes and arenes.

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C−H Activation for the Construction of C−B Bonds

The direct functionalization of heterocyclic compounds has emerged as one of the most important topics in the field of metal-catalyzed C–H bond activation due to the fact that products are an important synthetic motif in organic synthesis, the pharmaceutical industry, and materials science. This critical review covers the recent progresses on the regioselective dehydrogenative direct coupling reaction of heteroarenes, including arylation, olefination, alkynylation, and amination/amidation mainly utilizing transition metal catalysts (113 references).

Recent advances in the transition metal-catalyzed twofold oxidative C–H bond activation strategy for C–C and C–N bond formation

This paper describes mechanistic studies on the functionalization of arenes with the diboron reagent B2pin2 (bis-pinacolato diborane(4)) catalyzed by the combination of 4,4‘-di-tert-butylbipyridine (dtbpy) and olefin-ligated iridium halide or olefin-ligated iridium alkoxide complexes. This work identifies the catalyst resting state as [Ir(dtbpy)(COE)(Bpin)3] (COE = cyclooctene, Bpin = 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolanyl). [Ir(dtbpy)(COE)(Bpin)3] was prepared by independent synthesis in high yield from [Ir(COD)(OMe)]2, dtbpy, COE, and HBpin. This complex is formed in low yield from [Ir(COD)(OMe)]2, dtbpy, COE, and B2pin2. Kinetic studies show that this complex reacts with arenes after reversible dissociation of COE. An alternative mechanism in which the arene reacts with the Ir(I) complex [Ir(dtbpy)Bpin] after dissociation of COE and reductive elimination of B2pin2 does not occur to a measurable extent. The reaction of [Ir(dtbpy)(COE)(Bpin)3] with arenes and the catalytic reaction of B2pin2 with arene...

Mechanism of the mild functionalization of arenes by diboron reagents catalyzed by iridium complexes. Intermediacy and chemistry of bipyridine-ligated iridium trisboryl complexes.

We report the meta halogenation of 1,3-disubstituted arenes to form 3,5-disubstituted aryl bromides and chlorides by using iridium-catalyzed arene borylation chemistry. Iridium-catalyzed borylation of arenes with B2pin2, followed by reaction of the boronic ester with copper(II) bromide or chloride converts arylboronic esters to the corresponding aryl halides. A variety of arenes containing alkoxy, alkyl, halogen, nitrile, ester, amide, and pivaloyl and TIPS-protected alcohols were converted to the corresponding 3,5-disubstituted aryl bromides and chlorides in yields ranging from 46% to 85%. In addition, 2,6-disubstituted and 3-substituted pyridines were converted to the 4-halo and 5-halopyridines, respectively. The utility of this methodology was demonstrated by the formal conversion of nicotine to Altinicline in three steps with an overall yield of 61% using meta bromination of nicotine as the first step.

Meta halogenation of 1,3-disubstituted arenes via iridium-catalyzed arene borylation.

We report the regiospecific, ruthenium-catalyzed borylation of saturated terminal C−H bonds. Alkylboronates were obtained in 78−98% yields. The borylations of alkanes, trialkylamines, protected alcohols, and fluoroalkanes occurred regiospecifically at the methyl group that is least sterically hindered. In contrast to most organometallic C−H activation, the reactions of alkanes occurred in higher yields than the reactions of arenes. Reactions were conducted that probed steric and electronic effects on the alkyl borylation. These reactions showed that the borylation occurred preferentially at the methyl group that is least sterically hindered and most electron-deficient. Ruthenium compounds containing boryl ligands were synthesized, and one was characterized by X-ray crystallography. One of these compounds contained a rare bridging boryl ligand and served as a catalyst precursor for the borylation of octane.

Jaclyn M. Murphy

Papers

C−H Activation for the Construction of C−B Bonds

Mechanism of the mild functionalization of arenes by diboron reagents catalyzed by iridium complexes. Intermediacy and chemistry of bipyridine-ligated iridium trisboryl complexes.

Meta halogenation of 1,3-disubstituted arenes via iridium-catalyzed arene borylation.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Regiospecific Borylation of Methyl C−H Bonds

Arenes to Anilines and Aryl Ethers by Sequential Iridium-Catalyzed Borylation and Copper-Catalyzed Coupling