The presence of vicinal quaternary carbon centers within biologically active molecules is widespread, yet conventional synthetic routes often necessitate intricate substrate architectures or multistep procedures. Herein, we have developed a convenient approach for electroreductive cross-electrophile coupling of unactive tertiary halides with acetophenones to construct a contiguous quaternary carbon (CQC) skeleton, which overcame the reductive potential disparity between tertiary halides and ketones, allowing for the controlled generation of radicals, and thus, facilitating highly selective cross-coupling. Of note are the scalability, simpler and more readily available starting materials, milder reaction conditions, and improved functional group tolerance extended to late-stage modification of natural products and drug molecular structures. This novel approach to constructing vicinal quaternary carbon centers greatly accelerates access to biorelevant compounds.
Introduction
The structural motif characterized by a vicinal quaternary carbon skeleton holds significant
importance in the realm of biomolecules and natural products, particularly within
cellular signaling pathways.1–7 Such biomolecules, endowed with this skeleton, often function as pivotal signaling
molecules or ligands, intricately involved in modulating the physiological processes
of cells.8–10 However, due to their substantial notable steric hindrance (Figure?1a), the synthetic accessibility of compounds containing this skeleton poses a formidable
challenge, thereby mandating dependence on elaborate multistep synthetic pathways.11–13 Over an extended duration, chemists have been endeavoring to develop methodologies
aimed at diminishing the temporal and resource expenditures necessary for acquiring
valuable synthetic objectives.
Figure 1 | Strategies for the formation of electrochemical contiguous quaternary centers.
While a handful of alternative methodologies have emerged in recent years for the construction of a contiguous quaternary carbon (CQC) skeleton, their application remains confined by harsh reaction conditions, often necessitating low temperatures14–16 or specific structural requirements of alkene substrates.17–22 A powerful strategy employed for the synthesis of hydroxyl-substituted CQC skeletons involves the nucleophilic addition of metalated tertiary alkyl reagents to the unsaturated bond of ketones (Figure?1b).23–28 Nonetheless, the inherent constraints linked with metal reagents, encompassing intricate multistep preparation procedures, storage challenges, and limited functional group compatibility, constrict the extensive adoption of this approach. In fact, alkyl metal reagents are derived from alkyl halides in synthetic organic chemistry. The utilization of cost-effective and readily accessible alkyl halides as coupling components to construct CQC centers as opposed to metal reagents not only streamlines the reaction sequences but also expands the applicability and functional group tolerance. Although alkyl halides commonly serve as excellent building blocks for synthesizing Csp3–Csp3 bonds29–43 and all carbon quaternary centers,44–56 the more challenging task of straightforward constructing highly hindered contiguous quaternary Csp3–Csp3 centers has yet to be demonstrated. From a synthetic perspective, the cross-coupling of tertiary halides and acetophenone remains beset by significant challenges: (1) Necessitating meticulous control over the selective generation of alkyl radicals from tertiary halides under reductive conditions, while concurrently circumventing subsequent side reactions.42,57–61 (2) Acetophenone demonstrates a reductive potential lower than that of tertiary halides. A critical consideration arises regarding how to precisely design the cross-coupling of halides and acetophenone, effectively reconciling the differences in their reductive potential windows. (3) It is imperative to address the formation of undesired hydrogenated or self-coupled products during the reduction processes of both substrates.62–69
In recent years, organic electrosynthesis has emerged as a pivotal technique in organic synthesis, owing to its efficiency, environmental friendliness, and capacity for precise single-electron transfer (SET).70–93 Although Huang and coworkers94 demonstrated carbonyl alkylation reactions using a sacrificial anode strategy in the presence of silicon reagents, this method is incompatible with highly sterically hindered halides and cannot achieve the construction of CQC centers. As a continuation of our research interest in electroreductive cross-electrophile coupling (eXEC) involving alkyl halides.95–101 Herein, we utilized the characteristic wide and tunable reductive potential window in electrochemistry to achieve an eXEC approach using acetophenones and tertiary alkyl halides to generate CQC motifs (Figure?1c). This electrochemical strategy involved readily available and inexpensive substrates and mild conditions without sacrificial anode. It offered broad substrate compatibility, including biologically active molecular structures, and yielded a series of high-value CQC skeletons.
Experimental Methods
Electrocatalysis was carried out in an undivided cell with a graphite felt (GF) anode (5.0?mm?×?10.0?mm?×?20.0?mm) and a stainless steel (SS) cathode (0.3?mm?×?10.0?mm?×?20.0?mm). To a 15?mL pre-dried undivided electrochemical cell equipped with a magnetic bar were added ketone (0.3?mmol, 1.0?equiv), alkyl bromide (0.6?mmol, 2.0?equiv), tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB; 0.3?mmol, 1.0?equiv). Then MeCN (5?mL) was added after the reaction system was filled with argon. The electrocatalysis was performed at room temperature with a constant current of 10?mA maintained for 10?h. The electrodes were concentrated in vacuo. Purify the crude product via column chromatography to obtain the cross-coupling product with a CQC framework.
Result and Discussion
In the early stages of our study, we systematically explored reaction conditions to
optimize the synthesis of the coupling product
![]() |
||
---|---|---|
Entry | Variation | Yield (%)a |
|
|
|
2 | w/o electricity | n.r. |
3 | 5?mA, 15?mA | 74, 73 |
4 | TBAB (0.5 or 1.5?equiv) | 55, 75 |
5 | TBAI instead of TBAB | 61 |
6 | TBACl instead of TBAB | 73 |
7 | DMA as solvent | 40 |
8 | DMSO as solvent | 12 |
9 | TFA as an additive (1.0?equiv) | n.r. |
10 | Na2CO3 as additive (1.0?equiv) | 38 |
11 | Zn (?) instead of SS (?) | 55 |
12 | Pt (?) instead of SS (?) | 65 |
13 | Fe (+) instead of GF (+) | 25 |
14 | Mg (+) instead of GF (+) | 12 |
15 | Zn (+) instead of GF (+) | 22 |
After establishing the optimal reaction conditions, we delved into exploring the substrate
scope of this reaction (Figure?2). Initially, for a range of tertiary halides, we achieved separation yields of over
80% by adjusting the carbon chain length of the tert-butyl substrate or employing
tert-butyl bromides with benzylic substitutions (
Figure 2 | Substrate scope; reaction conditions: aundivided cell, GF anode, SS cathode, ketone (0.3?mmol), halide (0.6?mmol), TBAB (0.3?mmol),
MeCN (5.0?mL) under 10?mA constant current in an argon atmosphere at room temperature
for 10?h. bMeCN?+?DMA (4.0?mL?+?1.0?mL) instead of MeCN (5.0?mL), under 25?mA constant current.
To demonstrate the utility of synthesizing this CQC strategy, we tethered structurally
diverse biologically active natural product motifs onto the reaction substrates. As
depicted in Figure?3, anti-inflammatory drug molecules such as Ibuprofen, Oxaprozin, Naproxen (
Figure 3 | Substrate scope for late-stage functionalization and late-stage modification of biorelevant
compounds. Reaction conditions: aundivided cell, GF anode, SS cathode, ketone (0.3?mmol), halide (0.6?mmol), TBAB (0.3?mmol),
MeCN (5.0?mL) under 10?mA constant current in an argon atmosphere at room temperature
for 10?h. bMeCN?+?DMA (4.0?mL?+?1.0?mL) instead of MeCN (5.0?mL), under 25?mA constant current.
c6?mA constant current instead of 10?mA constant current.
Importantly, this strategy could be scaled up to the gram level, providing a good
yield of 63% (Figure?4a). Furthermore, this hydroxyl-substituted CQC skeleton easily obtained high-value
sterically hindered azide compounds
Figure 4 | Applications and mechanistic studies. (a)?Gram-scale experiment and product derivatization.
(b)?Cyclic voltammetry experiments. (c)?Kinetic experiments. (d)?Radical trapping
experiments (e)?Plausible mechanism. aStandard conditions: undivided cell, GF anode, SS cathode, ketone (0.3?mmol), halide
(0.6?mmol), TBAB (0.3?mmol), MeCN (5.0?mL) under 10?mA constant current in an argon
atmosphere at room temperature for 10?h. bTetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate instead of TBAB.
Further, the results of kinetic experiments indicated that altering the concentration
of acetophenone had a greater impact on the reaction system compared to halides (blue
line), suggesting that acetophenone exhibited higher activity under electroreductive
conditions (Figure?4c). This experimental finding aligned with the results from cyclic voltammetry studies.
Subsequently, we conducted radical validation experiments (Figure?4d) in which the introduction of the radical trapping agent (BHT?=?butylated hydroxytoluene)
into the reaction system yielded a 6% yield of the cross-coupling product between
halide
Drawing upon these mechanistic experiments and relevant reports,94,105–107 we made inferences regarding the potential reaction pathways involved (Figure?4e). Initially, both ketones and halides undergo cathodic reduction to generate radical
species
Conclusions
Over the past decades, organic electrochemistry has emerged as a pivotal tool in retrosynthetic analysis, owing to its distinctive reactivity, facilitating breakthroughs in challenging reactions through the advent of novel electrochemical synthetic methodologies. Within the dynamic landscape of chemical advancement, the quest for the development of facile and adaptable synthetic routes for intricate molecular architectures remains a perennial aspiration among researchers. In this study, we present a one-step protocol for the synthesis of CQC centers, employing straightforward acetophenone and unactive tertiary halides as reaction precursors, thus circumventing the necessity for organometallic reagents and laborious multistep synthetic procedures. We envisage that this strategy for the fabrication of high-value CQC motifs will exert a direct influence on pharmaceutical innovation.
Supporting Information
Supporting Information is available and includes all data supporting the findings of this study, the experimental procedures, and the characterization of compounds.
Conflict of Interest
There is no conflict of interest to report.
Funding Information
Financial support from the National Key R&D Program of China (grant no. 2022YFA1503200), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 22371149 and 22188101), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (grant no. 63224098), the Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, China (grant no. 63181206) and Nankai University China, are gratefully acknowledged. We thank the Haihe Laboratory, China, of Sustainable Chemical Transformations for financial support.
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