tert-butoxide--potassium and 1-10-phenanthroline

Electron paramagnetic resonance and electrochemistry are used to evidence the interaction between 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) and KO(t)Bu to form the 1,10-phenanthroline radical anion, Phen˙(-), and the (t)BuO˙ radical via an inner-sphere electron transfer. In addition, electrochemistry is also used to explain the formation of aryl radicals from aryl bromides via outer-sphere electron transfer from the key intermediate Phen˙(-).

Topics: Anions; Bromides; Butanols; Catalysis; Electrons; Free Radicals; Molecular Structure; Oxidation-Reduction; Phenanthrolines

Biaryl coupling (often labelled 'C-H activation') of aromatic systems can be achieved by potassium tert-butoxide alone in the absence of any amine or bipyridine catalyst (1,10-phenanthroline or N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine being the most common), previously reported to be essential. Various mechanistic studies and observations are presented which suggest that when 1,10-phenanthroline is employed as the catalyst, the alkoxide is destroyed almost immediately.

Topics: Butanols; Catalysis; Diamines; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Molecular Structure; Phenanthrolines; Transition Elements

Topics: Butanols; Carbon; Catalysis; Mass Spectrometry; Palladium; Phenanthrolines; Transition Elements

The direct functionalization of C-H bonds has drawn the attention of chemists for almost a century. C-H activation has mainly been achieved through four metal-mediated pathways: oxidative addition, electrophilic substitution, σ-bond metathesis and metal-associated carbene/nitrene/oxo insertion. However, the identification of methods that do not require transition-metal catalysts is important because methods involving such catalysts are often expensive. Another advantage would be that the requirement to remove metallic impurities from products could be avoided, an important issue in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds. Here, we describe the identification of a cross-coupling between aryl iodides/bromides and the C-H bonds of arenes that is mediated solely by the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline as catalyst in the presence of KOt-Bu as a base. This apparently transition-metal-free process provides a new strategy with which to achieve direct C-H functionalization.

Topics: Bromides; Butanols; Carbon; Catalysis; Hydrogen; Iodides; Kinetics; Phenanthrolines; Transition Elements