John E Mahan

Bio: John E Mahan is an academic researcher from Phillips Petroleum Company. The author has contributed to research in topics: Alkyl & Nickel. The author has an hindex of 10, co-authored 82 publications receiving 604 citations.

Metal-Initiated Amination of Alkenes and Alkynes.

Abstract: The catalytic production of organic molecules is one of the most important applications of organometallic chemistry. For this purpose the distinct reaction chemistry of organic ligands covalently bound to transition metals is exploited. Most organometallic chemistry has focused on the formation of carboncarbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. The platinum group metals, in particular Pd and Rh, have been the most commonly used elements insfrequently commercializedscatalytic processes that include hydrogenation, hydroformylation and others. On the other hand, carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bonds are found in the majority of organic molecules and are of particular importance in physiologically active substances. However, catalytic organometallic reactions that lead to the formation of carbonheteroatom bonds are less common.1,2 The catalytic construction of carbon-nitrogen bonds in amines is particularly rare.3-10 Clearly, efficient catalytic routes to nitrogen based molecules are of great interest.11 Especially useful are catalytic hydroaminations of olefins and alkynes which avoid production of byproducts, like salts, generally observed in metal-catalyzed aminations of C-X derivatives (X ) e.g., halogen). However, known aminations of olefins often require stoichiometric use of transition metals and general methods for carrying out aminations catalytically are not yet available.12,13 Most of the present enantioselective syntheses of molecules bearing an amine functionality use classical stoichiometric reactions with chiral auxiliaries or utilize enantiomerically pure starting material.14-16 Hydroamination of alkenes and alkynes, which constitutes the formal addition of a N-H bond across a carbon-carbon multiple bond (Scheme 1), is a transformation of seemingly fundamental simplicity and would appear to offer the most attractive route to numerous classes of organo-nitrogen molecules such as alkylated amines, enamines or imines. Organic chemists have developed various synthetic approaches for the amination of olefins.17-19 Direct addition of nucleophiles H-NR2 to activated alkenes is of general importance for the synthesis of compounds with nitrogen atoms â to groups such as keto, ester, nitrile, sulfoxide, or nitro.13,20-23 These additions usually lead to the anti-Markovnikov products. On the other hand aliphatic olefins as well as most aromatic olefins are often aminated to give the Markovnikov product. One possibility to reverse the reactivity of aliphatic olefins is the use of electrophilic nitrogen radicals which have been used to obtain anti-Markovnikov products.24 In the past much work has been done on the activation of alkenes with stoichiometric amounts of metal.24 Reactions are mostly promoted by complexes of titanium,25 iron,26 zirconium,27 palladium28-31 and mercury.32,33 However, catalytic additions of amines H-NR2 to nonactivated double or triple bonds are still rare. Two basic approaches have been employed to catalytically effect aminations and involve either alkene/alkyne or amine activation routes (Scheme 2).34,140 Alkene activation is generally accomplished with late-transition-metal catalysts, which render coordinated olefins more susceptible to attack by † Dedicated to Dipl. Chem. Martin Eichberger (deceased 11/20/ 1997). 675 Chem. Rev. 1998, 98, 675−703

C-F bond activation in organic synthesis.

Abstract: Fluorine has received great attention in all fields of science. “Small atom with a big ego” was the title of the Symposium at the ACS meeting in San Francisco in 2000, where a number of the current scientific and industrial aspects of fluorine chemistry made possible by the small size and high electronegativity of the atom were discussed. This small atom has provided mankind with significant benefits in special products such as poly(tetrafluroethylene) (PTFE), freon, fluoro-liquid crystals, optical fiber, pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds, and so on, all of which have their own unique properties that are otherwise difficult to obtain.1 For instance, at present, up to 30% of agrochemicals and 10% of pharmaceuticals currently used contain fluorine atoms. Therefore, organic fluorine compounds have received a great deal of interest and attention from the scientists involved in diverse fields of science and technology. Now, not only C-F bond formation but also selective C-F bond activation have become current subjects of active investigation from the viewpoint of effective synthesis of fluoroorganic compounds. The former is highlighted by designing a sophisticated fluorinating reagent for regioand stereocontrolled fluorination and developing versatile multifunctional and easily prepared building blocks. C-F bond formation has been treated extensively in several reviews2 and books.3 The latter is a subject that has been less explored but would be promising for selective defluorination of aliphatic fluorides, cross-coupling with aryl fluorides, and * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone: 81-78-803-5799. Fax: 81-78-803-5799. E-mail: amii@kobe-u.ac.jp and uneyamak@cc.okayamau.ac.jp. † Kobe University. ‡ Okayama University. Chem. Rev. 2009, 109, 2119–2183 2119

Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings Involving Carbon-Oxygen Bonds

Abstract: Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings Involving Carbon-Oxygen Bonds Brad M. Rosen, Kyle W. Quasdorf, Daniella A. Wilson, Na Zhang, Ana-Maria Resmerita, Neil K. Garg,* and Virgil Percec* Roy & Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States

Cysteine-Mediated Redox Signaling: Chemistry, Biology, and Tools for Discovery

Abstract: Reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur species, referred to as ROS, RNS, and RSS, respectively, are produced during normal cell function and in response to various stimuli. An imbalance in the metabolism of these reactive intermediates results in the phenomenon known as oxidative stress. If left unchecked, oxidative molecules can inflict damage on all classes of biological macromolecules and eventually lead to cell death. Indeed, sustained elevated levels of reactive species have been implicated in the etiology (e.g., atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes) or the progression (e.g., stroke, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders) of a number of human diseases.1 Over the past several decades, however, a new paradigm has emerged in which the aforementioned species have also been shown to function as targeted, intracellular second messengers with regulatory roles in an array of physiological processes.2 Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that considerable ongoing efforts are aimed at elucidating the role that these reactive intermediates play in health and disease. Site-specific, covalent modification of proteins represents a prominent molecular mechanism for transforming an oxidant signal into a biological response. Amino acids that are candidates for reversible modification include cysteines whose thiol (i.e., sulfhydryl) side chain is deprotonated at physiological pH, which is an important attribute for enhancing reactivity. While reactive species can modify other amino acids (e.g., histidine, methionine, tryptophan, and tyrosine), this Review will focus exclusively on cysteine, whose identity as cellular target or “sensor” of reactive intermediates is most prevalent and established.3 Oxidation of thiols results in a range of sulfur-containing products, not just disulfide bridges, as typically presented in biochemistry textbooks. An overview of the most relevant forms of oxidized sulfur species found in vivo is presented in Chart 1. Open in a separate window Chart 1 Biologically Relevant Cysteine Chemotypesa aRed, irreversible modifications. Green, unique enzyme intermediates. Note: Additional modifications can form as enzyme intermediates including thiyl radicals, disulfides, and persulfides.

Catalytic activation of carbon-fluorine bonds by a soluble transition metal complex.

Abstract: Homogeneous catalytic activation of the strong carbon-fluorine bonds under mild conditions was achieved with the use of rhodium complexes as catalysts. The catalytic reactions between polyfluorobenzenes and hydrosilanes result in substitution of fluorine atoms by hydrogen atoms and are chemo- and regioselective. With individual stoichiometric steps observed and combined, and with intermediates isolated and fully characterized (including crystal structures), these systems demonstrate the effectiveness of a rational approach to catalytic design.