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Silver(I)-Catalyzed C–X, C–C, C–N, and C–O Cross-Couplings Using Aminoquinoline Directing Group via Elusive Aryl-Ag(III) Species

Publication at Faculty of Science |
2018

Abstract

Cross-coupling transformations are a powerful tool in organic synthesis. It is known that this kind of transformation undergoes 2-electron redox processes, and, for this reason, silver has been nearly forgotten as catalyst for cross couplings because silver is mainly considered as a 1-electron redox metal.

Herein, we disclose effective Ag(I)-catalyzed cross coupling transformations using bidentate aminoquinoline as a directing group toward different nucleophiles to form C-C, C-N, and C-O bonds. DFT calculations indicate the feasible oxidative addition of L-I-I substrate via the Ag(I)/Ag(III) catalytic cycle.

Furthermore, ion spectroscopy experiments suggest a highly reactive aryl-Ag(III) that in the absence of nucleophiles reacts to form an intermolecular cyclic product [Sd-Ag(I)-CH3CN], which in solution forms Sa. This work proves that silver can undergo 2-electron redox processes in cross-coupling reactions like Pd and Cu.