Application of N-heterocyclic carbene–Cu(I) complexes as catalysts in organic synthesis: a review
- Nosheen Beig,
- Varsha Goyal and
- Raj K. Bansal
Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1408–1442, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.102
Graphical Abstract
Scheme 1: In situ generation of imidazolylidene carbene.
Scheme 2: Hg(II) complex of NHC.
Scheme 3: Isolable and bottlable carbene reported by Arduengo [3].
Scheme 4: First air-stable carbene synthesized by Arduengo in 1992 [5].
Figure 1: General structure of an NHC.
Figure 2: Stabilization of an NHC by donation of the lone pair electrons into the vacant p-orbital (LUMO) at ...
Figure 3: Abnormal NHC reported by Bertrand [8,9].
Figure 4: Cu(d) orbital to σ*C-N(NHC) interactions in NHC–CuX complexes computed at the B3LYP/def2-SVP level ...
Figure 5: Molecular orbital contributions to the NHC–metal bond.
Scheme 5: Synthesis of NHC–Cu(I) complexes by deprotonation of NHC precursors with a base.
Scheme 6: Synthesis of [NHC–CuX] complexes.
Scheme 7: Synthesis of [(ICy)CuX] and [(It-Bu)CuX] complexes.
Scheme 8: Synthesis of iodido-bridged copper–NHC complexes by deprotonation of benzimidazolium salts reported...
Scheme 9: Synthesis of copper complexes by deprotonation of triazolium salts.
Scheme 10: Synthesis of thiazolylidene–Cu(I) complex by deprotonation with KOt-Bu.
Scheme 11: Preparation of NHC–Cu(I) complexes.
Scheme 12: Synthesis of methylmalonic acid-derived anionic [(26a,b)CuCl]Li(THF)2 and zwitterionic (28) heterol...
Scheme 13: Synthesis of diaminocarbene and diamidocarbene (DAC)–Cu(I) complexes.
Scheme 14: Synthesis of the cationic (NHC)2Cu(I) complex 39 from benzimidazolium salts 38 with tetrakis(aceton...
Scheme 15: Synthesis of NHC and ADC (acyclic diamino carbenes) Cu(I) hexamethyldisilazide complexes reported b...
Scheme 16: Synthesis of NHC–copper(I) complexes using an acetylacetonate-functionalized imidazolium zwitterion...
Scheme 17: Synthesis of NHC–Cu(I) complexes through deprotonation of azolium salts with Cu2O.
Scheme 18: Synthesis of NHC–CuBr complex through deprotonation with Cu2O reported by Kolychev [31].
Scheme 19: Synthesis of chiral NHC–CuBr complexes from phenoxyimine-imidazolium salts reported by Douthwaite a...
Scheme 20: Preparation of linear neutral NHC–CuCl complexes through the use of Cu2O. For abbreviations, please...
Scheme 21: Synthesis of abnormal-NHC–copper(I) complexes by Bertrand, Cazin and co-workers [35].
Scheme 22: Microwave-assisted synthesis of thiazolylidene/benzothiazolylidene–CuBr complexes by Bansal and co-...
Scheme 23: Synthesis of NHC–CuX complexes through transmetallation.
Scheme 24: Preparation of six- or seven-membered NHC–Cu(I) complexes through transmetalation from Ag(I) comple...
Scheme 25: Synthesis of 1,2,3-triazolylidene–CuCl complexes through transmetallation of Ag(I) complexes genera...
Scheme 26: Synthesis of NHC–copper complexes having both Cu(I) and Cu(II) units through transmetalation report...
Scheme 27: Synthesis of new [(IPr(CH2)3Si(OiPr)3)CuX] complexes and anchoring on MCM-41.
Scheme 28: Synthesis of bis(trimethylsilyl)phosphide–Cu(I)–NHC complexes through ligand displacement.
Scheme 29: Synthesis of silyl- and stannyl [(NHC)Cu−ER3] complexes.
Scheme 30: Synthesis of amido-, phenolato-, thiophenolato–Cu(NHC) complexes.
Scheme 31: Synthesis of first isolable NHC–Cu–difluoromethyl complexes reported by Sanford et al. [44].
Scheme 32: Synthesis of NHC–Cu(I)–bifluoride complexes reported by Riant, Leyssens and co-workers [45].
Scheme 33: Conjugate addition of Et2Zn to enones catalyzed by an NHC–Cu(I) complex reported by Woodward in 200...
Scheme 34: Hydrosilylation of a carbonyl group.
Scheme 35: NHC–Cu(I)-catalyzed hydrosilylation of ketones reported by Nolan et al. [48,49].
Scheme 36: Application of chiral NHC–CuCl complex 104 for the enantioselective hydrosilylation of ketones.
Scheme 37: Hydrosilylation reactions catalyzed by NHC–Cu(Ot-Bu) complexes.
Scheme 38: NHC–CuCl catalyzed carbonylative silylation of alkyl halides.
Scheme 39: Nucleophilic conjugate addition to an activated C=C bond.
Figure 6: Molecular electrostatic potential maps (MESP) of two NHC–CuX complexes computed at the B3LYP/def2-S...
Scheme 40: Conjugate addition of Grignard reagents to 3-alkyl-substituted cyclohexenones catalyzed by a chiral...
Scheme 41: NHC–copper complex-catalyzed conjugate addition of Grignard reagent to 3-substituted hexenone repor...
Scheme 42: Conjugate addition or organoaluminum reagents to β-substituted cyclic enones.
Scheme 43: Conjugate addition of boronates to acyclic α,β-unsaturated carboxylic esters, ketones, and thioeste...
Scheme 44: NHC–Cu(I)-catalyzed hydroboration of an allene reported by Hoveyda [63].
Scheme 45: Conjugate addition of Et2Zn to cyclohexenone catalyzed by NHC–Cu(I) complex derived from benzimidaz...
Scheme 46: Asymmetric conjugate addition of diethylzinc to 3-nonen-2-one catalyzed by NHC–Cu complexes derived...
Scheme 47: General scheme of a [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction.
Scheme 48: [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of azides with alkynes catalyzed by NHC–Cu(I) complexes reported by Diez-Gonz...
Scheme 49: Application of NHC–CuCl/N-donor combination to catalyze the [3 + 2] cycloaddition of benzyl azide w...
Scheme 50: [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of azides with acetylenes catalyzed by bis(NHC)–Cu complex 131 and mixed NHC–...
Figure 7: NHC–CuCl complex 133 as catalyst for the [3 + 2] cycloaddition of alkynes with azides at room tempe...
Scheme 51: [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of a bulky azide with an alkynylpyridine using [(NHC)Cu(μ-I)2Cu(NHC)] copper ...
Scheme 52: [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of benzyl azide with phenylacetylene under homogeneous and heterogeneous cata...
Scheme 53: [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of benzyl azide with acetylenes catalyzed by bisthiazolylidene dicopper(I) co...
Figure 8: Copper (I)–NHC linear coordination polymer 137 and its conversion into tetranuclear (138) and dinuc...
Scheme 54: An A3 reaction.
Scheme 55: Synthesis of SiO2-immobilized NHC–Cu(I) catalyst 141 and its application in the A3-coupling reactio...
Scheme 56: Preparation of dual-purpose Ru@SiO2–[(NHC)CuCl] catalyst system 142 developed by Bordet, Leitner an...
Scheme 57: Application of the catalyst system Ru@SiO2–[Cu(NHC)] 142 to the one-pot tandem A3 reaction and hydr...
Scheme 58: A3 reaction of phenylacetylene with secondary amines and aldehydes catalyzed by benzothiazolylidene...
Figure 9: Kohn–Sham HOMOs of phenylacetylene and NHC–Cu(I)–phenylacetylene complex computed at the B3LYP/def2...
Figure 10: Energies of the FMOs of phenylacetylene, iminium ion, and NHC–Cu(I)–phenylacetylene complex compute...
Scheme 59: NHC–Cu(I) catalyzed diboration of ketones 147 by reacting with bis(pinacolato)diboron (148) reporte...
Scheme 60: Protoboration of terminal allenes catalyzed by NHC–Cu(I) complexes reported by Hoveyda and co-worke...
Scheme 61: NHC–CuCl-catalyzed borylation of α-alkoxyallenes to give 2-boryl-1,3-butadienes.
Scheme 62: Regioselective hydroborylation of propargylic alcohols and ethers catalyzed by NHC–CuCl complexes 1...
Scheme 63: NHC–CuOt-Bu-catalyzed semihydrogenation and hydroborylation of alkynes.
Scheme 64: Enantioselective NHC–Cu(I)-catalyzed hydroborations of 1,1-disubstituted aryl olefins reported by H...
Scheme 65: Enantioselective NHC–Cu(I)-catalyzed hydroboration of exocyclic 1,1-disubstituted alkenes reported ...
Scheme 66: Markovnikov-selective NHC–CuOH-catalyzed hydroboration of alkenes and alkynes reported by Jones et ...
Scheme 67: Dehydrogenative borylation and silylation of styrenes catalyzed by NHC–CuOt-Bu complexes developed ...
Scheme 68: N–H/C(sp2)–H carboxylation catalyzed by NHC–CuOH complexes.
Scheme 69: C–H Carboxylation of benzoxazole and benzothiazole derivatives with CO2 using a 1,2,3-triazol-5-yli...
Scheme 70: Use of Cu(I) complex derived from diethylene glycol-functionalized imidazo[1,5,a] pyridin-3-ylidene...
Scheme 71: Allylation and alkenylation of polyfluoroarenes and heteroarenes catalyzed by NHC–Cu(I) complexes r...
Scheme 72: Enantioselective C(sp2)–H allylation of (benz)oxazoles and benzothiazoles with γ,γ-disubstituted pr...
Scheme 73: C(sp2)–H arylation of arenes catalyzed by dual NHC–Cu/NHC–Pd catalytic system.
Scheme 74: C(sp2)–H Amidation of (hetero)arenes with N-chlorocarbamates/N-chloro-N-sodiocarbamates catalyzed b...
Scheme 75: NHC–CuI catalyzed thiolation of benzothiazoles and benzoxazoles.
