Ni(I)-mediated single-electron oxidative activation of alkyl halides has been extensively proposed as a key step in Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions to generate radical intermediates. There are four mechanisms through which this step could take place: oxidative addition, outer-sphere electron transfer, inner-sphere electron transfer, and concerted halogen-atom abstraction. Despite considerable computational studies, there is no experimental study to evaluate all four pathways for Ni(I)-mediated alkyl radical formation. Herein, we report the isolation of a series of (Xantphos)Ni(I)–Ar complexes that selectively activate alkyl halides over aryl halides to eject radicals and form Ni(II) complexes. This observation allows the application of kinetic studies on the steric, electronic, and solvent effects, in combination with DFT calculations, to systematically assess the four possible pathways. Our data reveal that (Xantphos)Ni(I)-mediated alkyl halide activation proceeds via a concerted halogen-atom abstraction mechanism. This result corroborates previous DFT studies on (terpy)Ni(I)- and (py)Ni(I)-mediated alkyl radical formation, and contrasts with the outer-sphere electron transfer pathway observed for (PPh3)4Ni(0)-mediated aryl halide activation. This study of a model system provides insight into the overall mechanism of Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions and offers a basis for differentiating electrophiles in cross-electrophile coupling reactions.
Inhibition of protein–protein interactions (PPIs) is emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy despite the difficulty in targeting such interfaces with drug-like small molecules. PPIs generally feature large and flat binding surfaces as compared to typical drug targets. These features pose a challenge for structural characterization of the surface using geometry-based pocket-detection methods. An attractive mapping strategy—that builds on the principles of fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD)—is to detect the fragment-centric modularity at the protein surface and then characterize the large PPI interface as a set of localized, fragment-targetable interaction regions. Here, we introduce AlphaSpace, a computational analysis tool designed for fragment-centric topographical mapping (FCTM) of PPI interfaces. Our approach uses the alpha sphere construct, a geometric feature of a protein’s Voronoi diagram, to map out concave interaction space at the protein surface. We introduce two new features—alpha-atom and alpha-space—and the concept of the alpha-atom/alpha-space pair to rank pockets for fragment-targetability and to facilitate the evaluation of pocket/fragment complementarity. The resulting high-resolution interfacial map of targetable pocket space can be used to guide the rational design and optimization of small molecule or biomimetic PPI inhibitors.
Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions have found important applications in organic synthesis. The fundamental characterization of the key steps in cross-coupling reactions, including C-C bond-forming reductive elimination, represents a significant challenge. Bimolecular pathways were invoked in early proposals, but the experimental evidence was limited. We present the preparation of well-defined (pyridine-pyrrolyl)Ni monomethyl and monophenyl complexes that allow the direct observation of bimolecular reductive elimination to generate ethane and biphenyl, respectively. The sp(3)-sp(3) and sp(2)-sp(2) couplings proceed via two distinct pathways. Oxidants promote the fast formation of Ni(III) from (pyridine-pyrrolyl)Ni-methyl, which dimerizes to afford a bimetallic Ni(III) intermediate. Our data are most consistent with the subsequent methyl coupling from the bimetallic Ni(III) to generate ethane as the rate-determining step. In contrast, the formation of biphenyl is facilitated by the coordination of a bidentate donor ligand.
A Ni-catalyzed reductive cyclization of 1,6-dienes affords 3,4-disubstituted cyclopentane and pyrrolidine derivatives with high trans diastereoselectivity. This cyclization reaction enables the efficient synthesis of trans-3,4-dimethyl gababutin, a pharmaceutical lead for treating neuropathic pain, and trans-3,4dimethylpyrrolidine, a precursor to drug candidates and pesticides. The trans selectivity distinguishes this reaction from relevant precedents that proceed via hydrogen-atom transfer and lead to cis products. Mechanistic investigation, including kinetic, spectroscopic, and radical clock studies, attributes the trans diastereoselectivity to a classic, organometallic catalytic cycle mediated by Ni(I) and Ni(III) intermediates. The electron-rich Ni(I) intermediate, stabilized by a redox-active a-diimine ligand, is responsible for the chemoselectivity toward reductive cyclization as opposed to the redox-neutral cycloisomerization observed with previous Ni(II) catalysts.
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