[reaction: see text]. A mild and general protocol for the copper-free Sonogashira coupling of aryl bromides with acetylenes has been developed. The use of (AllylPdCl)2 and P(t-Bu)3 provides the active Pd(0) catalyst that allows subsequent coupling of various alkynes at room temperature with good to excellent yields.

No abstract

General reaction conditions for the synthesis of aryl(trialkoxy)silanes from aryl Grignard and lithium reagents and tetraalkyl orthosilicates (Si(OR)(4)) have been developed. Ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted bromoarenes underwent efficient metalation and silylation at low temperature to provide aryl siloxanes. Mixed results were obtained with heteroaromatic substrates: 3-bromothiophene, 3-bromo-4-methoxypyridine, 5-bromoindole, and N-methyl-5-bromoindole underwent silylation in good yield, whereas a low yield of siloxane was obtained from 2-bromofuran, and 2-bromopyridine failed to give silylated product. The synthesis of siloxanes via organolithium and magnesium reagents was limited by the formation of di- and triarylated silanes (Ar(2)Si(OR)(2) and Ar(3)SiOR, respectively) and dehalogenated (Ar-H) byproducts. Silylation at low temperature gave predominantly monoaryl siloxanes, without requiring a large excess of the electrophile. Optimal reaction conditions for the synthesis of siloxanes from aryl Grignard reagents entailed addition of arylmagnesium reagents to 3 equiv of tetraethyl- or tetramethyl orthosilicate at -30 degrees C in THF. Aryllithium species were silylated using 1.5 equiv of tetraethyl- or tetramethyl orthosilicate at -78 degrees C in ether.

A one-pot synthesis of substituted imidazoles is described. The cornerstone of this methodology involves the thiazolium-catalyzed addition of an aldehyde to an acyl imine to generate the corresponding alpha-ketoamide in situ followed by ring closure to the imidazole in a one-pot sequence. The extension of this methodology to the one-pot synthesis of substituted oxazoles and thiazoles is also described. [reaction: see text]

We have developed a catalytic allylic amination involving tertiary aminoesters and allylcarbonates, which is the first example of the use of tertiary amines as intermolecular nucleophiles in metal-catalyzed allylic substitution chemistry. This process is employed in a tandem ammonium ylide generation/[2,3]-rearrangement reaction, which formally represents a palladium-catalyzed Stevens rearrangement. Low catalyst loadings and mild reaction conditions are compatible with an unprecedented substrate scope for the ammonium ylide functionality, and products are generated in high yields and diastereoselectivities. Mechanistic studies suggested the reversible formation of an ammonium intermediate.