UC Irvine

Different reaction selectivity occurs with the Lewis acids B-chlorocatecholborane (ClBcat), B-bromocatecholborane (BrBcat), and BBr3, either favoring alkyne haloboration, electrophilic cyclization of a tethered nucleophilic sulfur onto the alkyne, or group transfer of the nucleophile. This reaction selectivity also depends on the chain length of the tethered nucleophile, revealing a subtle interplay of relative kinetics and thermodynamics. In all cases, BBr3 reacts readily with alkynes to form haloborated products; however, this process is reversible, and this reversibility can be harnessed to ultimately access regio- and stereodefined cyclic sulfonium zwitterions via the slower, but thermodynamically favored, electrophilic cyclization pathway. Reversibility was noted by following the reaction by NMR spectroscopy, and by characterizing the kinetic and thermodynamic products by a combination of 2D NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. With this enhanced understanding of the reaction dynamics, it becomes possible to use boron Lewis acids in a predictable manner in cases where haloboration is the kinetic product, but in which the reversibility of this reaction maintains access to eventual alternative reactivity leading to desired building blocks in organic synthesis. Isolable sulfonium-ylide stabilized palladium carbene complexes were synthesized through palladium(II)-induced cyclization of 1,2-alkynylarylsulfanes. X-ray crystallographic analysis characterized the maintenance of a palladium in the +2 oxidation state, with carbene–carbon–palladium bond lengths of 1.95 Å, indicating partial double bond character. These endocyclic sulfonium ylide carbenes represent the first characterized and/or isolable examples of this ligand class; such groups were previously proposed as reaction intermediates during cyclization–carbonylation reactions. A variety of palladium(II) complexes bearing sulfonium ylide carbene ligands, with differing substituents, were synthesized and the structure and stability of these complexes in solution were analyzed by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, revealing reversibility and a stability dependence on substituents. The chirality of the sulfur heteroatom and the overall properties these ligands provide a potential electronic and steric alternative to existing carbene ligands, which could facilitate the future development of complementary metal-based reactivity.