Cu-catalyzed alkylboration of alkenes with bis- (pinacolato)diboron ((Bpin)2) and alkyl halides provides a ligand-controlled regioselectivity-switchable method for the construction of complex boron-containing compounds. Here, we employed DFT methods to elucidate the mechanistic details of this reaction and the origin of the different regioselectivity induced by Xantphos and Cy-Xantphos. The calculation results reveal that the catalytic cycle mainly proceeds through the migratory insertion of alkenes on Cu-Bpin complex, the oxidative addition of alkyl halides, and the reductive elimination of a C@C bond. Meanwhile, the ratedetermining step is the oxidative addition of alkyl halides and the regioselectivity-determining step is the migratory insertion of alkenes. The bulky cyclohexyl group of Cy-Xantphos facilitates the approach of the substituents of alkenes to Bpin in the migratory insertion step and thus leads to the Markovnikov products. The less bulky phenyl group on Xantphos prefers

The transition-metal-catalyzed direct triflation of naphthyl amides and naphthyl ketones has been accomplished for the first time. Benzophenone (BP) was found to be a suitable ligand for the cross-coupling reactions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that excessive amounts of HOTf inhibit the reductive elimination of the C–F bond to realize the unusual reductive elimination of the C–OTf bond.

Transition-metal-catalyzed C–H activation represents one of most attractive research fields in modern organic chemistry while theoretical studies have become a popular and effective tool for elucidating mechanism nowadays. The recent achievements in the cross field of the two orientations are reviewed in this article. The first part introduced the advances in theoretical study on transition-metal-catalyzed C–H activation. The elegant work reported mainly in and after 2013, classified according to the mechanisms of C–H activation, were covered. The second part provided an analysis on the distribution of quantum-chemical methods, solvation models and basis sets in the collected theoretical studies.

Gold-catalyzed cyclization of 2-alkynyl-N-propargylanilines provides a step-economic method for the construction of three-dimensional indolines. In this article, the M06 functional of density functional theory was employed to gain deeper insights into the reaction mechanism and the associated intriguing experimental observations. The reaction was found to first undergo Au(I)-induced cyclization to form an indole intermediate, 1,3-propargyl migration, and substitution with the substrate 2-alkynyl-N-propargylaniline (R1) to generate the intermediate product P1, an allene species. Subsequently, Au(I)-catalyzed conversion of P1 into the final product P2, an indoline compound, occurs first through direct cyclization rather than via the previously proposed four-membered carbocycle intermediate. Thereafter, water-assisted oxygen heterocycle formation and proton transfer generate the final product. The calculated activation free energies indicate that P1 formation is 5.9 times slower than P2 f

Nickel/photoredox dual catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl halides with alkylboron compounds is one of the effective methodologies for the construction of C(sp2) C(sp3) bonds. Although elegant results have been achieved by using alkyl trifluoroborates as alkyl radical precursors, the generation of alkyl radicals from readily available alkyl boronic esters is still limited due to their high oxidation potential. We disclosed here that activation of alkyl boronic esters by MeOLi is highly efficient for the generation of alkyl radicals under photocatalysis conditions. The reaction featured with a wide substrate scope, high functional group tolerance, and late-stage modification of bioactive substances. In addition, the method was also successfully extended to alkyl boronic acids. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies indicated that the crosscoupling likely proceeds via a Ni(I)-catalyzed pathway.

α-Heteroatom-substituted amides are useful as both targets and intermediates but are challenging to synthesize via conventional enolate chemistry. Herein, we describe a general and unified umpolung procedure to prepare α-heteroatom-functionalized secondary amides with various heteroatom-based nucleophiles under redox-neutral conditions. This transformation is a formal oxidation state reshuffle process from -N to -C in the hydroxamate, thereby achieving the umpolung α-heterofunctionalization of carbonyl groups without external oxidants. Regulated by the reshuffle mechanism, functionalization exclusively occurs at the α-position of the hydroxamate and precisely affords the α-functionalized amide with reliable predictability even in complex settings. Density functional theory studies support that soft enolization enabled by Mg2+/DIPEA combination is essential to facilitate the formation of the α-lactam intermediate. This represents the first general protocol to prepare α-functionalized se

The classic Curtius rearrangement provides an efficient method for converting carboxylic acids into amine derivatives but has safety concerns. Herein, we report a general and powerful method for the direct decarboxylative C–N coupling of alkyl and aryl carboxylic acids with dioxazolones in the presence of a base. A diverse array of amides, especially acylated chiral amines, can be synthesized under transition-metal-free conditions at room temperature, offering an alternative to the classic Curtius rearrangement. On the basis of mechanistic investigations, a distinctive mechanism involving multiple nucleophilic addition–eliminations, acyl transfers and a Lossen-type rearrangement is proposed for this unpredicted stereoretentive transformation.

Flavin-dependent catalysts are widely applied to aerobic monooxygenation/oxidation reactions. In contrast, flavin-catalyzed aerobic dioxygenation reactions exhibit higher atomic economy but are less reported, not to mention the relevant mechanistic studies. Herein, a density functional theory study on flavin-catalyzed aerobic epoxidation-oxygenolysis of alkenyl thio-esters was performed for the first time. Different from the previous mechanistic proposal, a pathway featuring two catalytic stages, monoanionic flavin-C(4a)-peroxide/oxide intermediates, and a reverse reaction sequence (epoxidation goes prior to oxygenolysis) was revealed. In comparison, the pathways involving dianionic flavin catalysts, monoanionic flavin-N(5)-(hydro)peroxide/C-(10a)-peroxide, or neutral flavin-C(4a)-hydroperoxide/hydroxide/N(5)-oxide, and the pathways where oxygenolysis goes prior to epoxidation are less favored. Epoxidation goes through intramolecular substitution of the O−O bond of anionic flavin-C(4a)

Nickel/photoredox dual catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl halides with alkylboron compounds is one of the effective methodologies for the construction of C(sp2) C(sp3) bonds. Although elegant results have been achieved by using alkyl trifluoroborates as alkyl radical precursors, the generation of alkyl radicals from readily available alkyl boronic esters is still limited due to their high oxidation potential. We disclosed here that activation of alkyl boronic esters by MeOLi is highly efficient for the generation of alkyl radicals under photocatalysis conditions. The reaction featured with a wide substrate scope, high functional group tolerance, and late-stage modification of bioactive substances. In addition, the method was also successfully extended to alkyl boronic acids. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies indicated that the crosscoupling likely proceeds via a Ni(I)-catalyzed pathway.

α-Heteroatom-substituted amides are useful as both targets and intermediates but are challenging to synthesize via conventional enolate chemistry. Herein, we describe a general and unified umpolung procedure to prepare α-heteroatom-functionalized secondary amides with various heteroatom-based nucleophiles under redox-neutral conditions. This transformation is a formal oxidation state reshuffle process from -N to -C in the hydroxamate, thereby achieving the umpolung α-heterofunctionalization of carbonyl groups without external oxidants. Regulated by the reshuffle mechanism, functionalization exclusively occurs at the α-position of the hydroxamate and precisely affords the α-functionalized amide with reliable predictability even in complex settings. Density functional theory studies support that soft enolization enabled by Mg2+/DIPEA combination is essential to facilitate the formation of the α-lactam intermediate. This represents the first general protocol to prepare α-functionalized se

The classic Curtius rearrangement provides an efficient method for converting carboxylic acids into amine derivatives but has safety concerns. Herein, we report a general and powerful method for the direct decarboxylative C–N coupling of alkyl and aryl carboxylic acids with dioxazolones in the presence of a base. A diverse array of amides, especially acylated chiral amines, can be synthesized under transition-metal-free conditions at room temperature, offering an alternative to the classic Curtius rearrangement. On the basis of mechanistic investigations, a distinctive mechanism involving multiple nucleophilic addition–eliminations, acyl transfers and a Lossen-type rearrangement is proposed for this unpredicted stereoretentive transformation.

Flavin-dependent catalysts are widely applied to aerobic monooxygenation/oxidation reactions. In contrast, flavin-catalyzed aerobic dioxygenation reactions exhibit higher atomic economy but are less reported, not to mention the relevant mechanistic studies. Herein, a density functional theory study on flavin-catalyzed aerobic epoxidation-oxygenolysis of alkenyl thio-esters was performed for the first time. Different from the previous mechanistic proposal, a pathway featuring two catalytic stages, monoanionic flavin-C(4a)-peroxide/oxide intermediates, and a reverse reaction sequence (epoxidation goes prior to oxygenolysis) was revealed. In comparison, the pathways involving dianionic flavin catalysts, monoanionic flavin-N(5)-(hydro)peroxide/C-(10a)-peroxide, or neutral flavin-C(4a)-hydroperoxide/hydroxide/N(5)-oxide, and the pathways where oxygenolysis goes prior to epoxidation are less favored. Epoxidation goes through intramolecular substitution of the O−O bond of anionic flavin-C(4a)