PRACTICAL SYNTHETIC PROCEDURES
ortho-Bis-functionalized Aromatics
293
Preparation of Aromatic 1,2-Dizinc Reagents from Aromatic
1,2-Dibromides or ortho-Bromo Triflates; Typical Procedure 1
InCl3 (7.5 mol%) was placed in an argon-flushed Schlenk flask and
dried for 5 min by heating with a heat gun (450 °C) under high vac-
uum. Zinc powder (3 equiv) was added under argon, and the drying
Cross coupling of the organometallic reagent 2c with eth-
yl 4-iodobenzoate (3g) afforded the desired product 4g in
53–55% yield (entry 5). An aldehyde was not compatible
with the insertion reaction conditions; however, after pro-
tection as an acetal, the bromo triflate 1e reacted well with process was repeated for a further 5 min. The flask was evacuated
and backfilled with argon (3 ×) and then DMPU (1–2 mL/mmol)
was added, along with the internal standard (heptadecane). TMSCl
(3 mol%) was added, and the mixture was heated with a heat gun
until it began to boil. The mixture was cooled to r.t. (20 °C), the tri-
zinc powder and led to the 1,2-dizinc reagent 2d in 60%
yield. This dimetallic reagent was smoothly acylated with
4-chlorobenzoyl chloride (3c), affording the diketone 4h
in 61–62% yield (entry 6). Furthermore, Negishi cross
flate or bromide (1 equiv) was added in one portion, and the mixture
coupling of this dizinc reagent with ethyl 3-bromobenzo-
ate (3e) or the methyl ketone 3h, followed by acetal cleav-
age, furnished the expected products 4i,j in 54–60% yield
(entries 7 and 8). Also, a dimetallic species bearing two
ester groups 2e could be generated, and after cross cou-
pling with 4-iodoanisole (3i), the highly functionalized
terphenyl 4k was obtained in 64–69% yields (entry 9).
Similarly, 1,2-dizinc reagents can be derived from aro-
matic 1,2-dibromides. Thus, 1,2-dibromobenzene (1g) or
the electron-rich 1,2-dibromoanisole (1b) were converted
into the corresponding 1,2-dizinc reagents 2e,f both in
59% yield. The hereby obtained reagents were allylated
(10 mol% CuCN·2LiCl)11 with ethyl 2-(bromometh-
yl)acrylate12 (3j) or underwent a Negishi cross coupling
with an aryl bromide 3k, providing the bis(acrylate) 4l and
the terphenyl 4m in 61–71% yields (entries 10 and 11).
was stirred at 50 °C. The progress of the insertion reaction was mon-
itored by GC analysis of hydrolyzed reaction aliquots quenched
with 2 M HCl or sat. aq NH4Cl solution until a conversion of >95%
was reached (usually 2 h). The zinc powder was allowed to settle
down, and the remaining solution containing the zinc reagent was
used for further reactions.
Ethyl 4,4′′-Diformyl-[1,1′:2′,1′′-terphenyl]-4′-carboxylate
(4a);8 Typical Procedure 2
The zinc reagent 2a was prepared according to typical procedure 1
from ethyl 3-bromo-4-[(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)oxy]benzoate (1a,
7.54 g, 20 mmol), Zn powder (3.92 g, 60 mmol), and InCl3 (0.33 g,
1.5 mmol). The reaction was carried out in DMPU (20 mL) at 50 °C
for 2 h. Iodolysis indicated 75% yield (15.0 mmol) of bimetallic re-
agent. The solution containing the zinc reagent was separated from
the remaining zinc powder and transferred to a new flask containing
a solution of 4-bromobenzaldehyde (3a, 7.40 g, 40 mmol) and
PEPPSI-iPr (0.19 g, 0.28 mmol) in THF (20 mL). The mixture was
stirred at 50 °C for 12 h and then it was quenched with 2 M HCl
(50 mL). Flash column chromatographical purification (silica gel,
isohexane–Et2O, 5:1) afforded 4a as a white solid (3.76 g,
10.5 mmol, 70%); mp 123–126 °C.
Conclusion
IR (diamond-ATR, neat): 2955, 2926, 2849, 2748, 1716, 1696,
1602, 1574, 1568, 1517, 1473, 1424, 1400, 1387, 1366, 1302, 1286,
1266, 1235, 1211, 1169, 1140, 1106, 1043, 1020, 1010, 1003, 918,
895, 838, 828, 767, 748, 735, 723, 702, 666 cm–1.
1H NMR (400 MHz, C6D6): δ = 9.58 (s, 1 H), 9.58 (s, 1 H), 8.27–
8.24 (m, 1 H), 8.18 (dd, J = 8.0, 1.8 Hz, 1 H), 7.38–7.32 (m, 4 H),
7.12 (dd, J = 8.0, 0.4 Hz, 1 H), 6.88–6.84 (m, 4 H), 4.21 (q, J = 7.2
Hz, 2 H), 1.08 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3 H).
In summary, a straightforward and efficient insertion of
zinc powder promoted by catalytic amounts of indium(III)
chloride was demonstrated. The preparation of various
functionalized 1,2-dizinc species using commercially
available metal powder and aromatic dibromides or read-
ily available 1-bromo-2-triflates under mild reaction con-
ditions was performed. The chemical properties of these
organometallic reagents and the topological proximity of
the two metals allow a novel approach to a variety of or-
tho-bis-functionalized aromatics. We have extended our
previous work and have reported herein readily scalable
experimental procedures (12–40 mmol scale) using stan-
dard laboratory glassware and usual laboratory tech-
niques. Further synthetic extensions of this method are
currently underway in our laboratories.
13C NMR (100 MHz, C6D6): δ = 190.6, 190.6, 165.7, 146.0, 145.9,
143.7, 140.0, 135.8, 135.6, 132.0, 131.2, 131.0, 130.5, 130.4, 129.6,
129.5, 129.4, 61.3, 14.3.
MS (EI, 70 eV): m/z (%) = 359 (20), 358 (100), 313 (40), 285 (10),
229 (40), 228 (33), 227 (11), 226 (11).
HRMS (EI): m/z [M]+ calcd for C23H18O4: 358.1205; found:
358.1196.
Diethyl 4-Methoxyphthalate (4b);8 Typical Procedure 3
The zinc reagent 2b was prepared according to typical procedure 1
from 1,2-dibromo-4-methoxybenzene (1b, 4.25 g, 16 mmol), Zn
powder (3.14 g, 36 mmol), and InCl3 (0.2 g, 1.2 mmol). The reac-
tion was carried out in DMPU (16 mL) at 50 °C for 2 h. Iodolysis
indicated that the bimetallic reagent was obtained in 59% yield
(9.44 mmol). The solution containing the zinc reagent was separat-
ed from the remaining zinc powder and transferred to a new flask
and cooled to –30 °C. Pd(PPh3)4 (1.85 g, 1.6 mmol) was added at
–30 °C, followed by subsequent addition of ethyl chloroformate
(3b, 3.47 g, 32 mmol). The mixture was stirred at –30 °C and slowly
warmed to r.t. and was quenched after 14 h with 2 M HCl (16 mL).
Flash column chromatographical purification (silica gel, isohex-
ane–EtOAc, 4:1) afforded 4b as colorless oil (1.64 mg, 6.51 mmol,
69%).
All reactions were carried out under argon atmosphere in dried
glassware. Commercially available starting materials were pur-
chased from commercial suppliers and used without further purifi-
cation unless otherwise stated. THF was continuously refluxed and
freshly distilled from Na/benzophenone ketyl under N2. Yields refer
to isolated compounds estimated to be >95% pure as determined by
1H NMR and capillary GC analyses.
Preparation of a 1 M CuCN·2LiCl Solution in THF
A Schlenk flask was charged with LiCl (16.96 g, 0.40 mol) and
CuCN (17.95 g, 0.20 mol) and dried for 6 h at 150 °C under high
vacuum (5·10–2 mbar; dry stirring). Careful addition of THF (200
mL) and stirring overnight furnished a slightly yellowish to green-
ish solution that was stored over 4 Å molecular sieves.
IR (diamond-ATR, neat): 2982, 2939, 1714, 1602, 1573, 1500,
1464, 1446, 1423, 1390, 1366, 1324, 1274, 1229, 1182, 1173, 1115,
1067, 1030, 930, 924, 849, 803, 779, 702, 672 cm–1.
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York
Synthesis 2014, 46, 290–294