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tion could be replaced with [Pd(PPh3)4] with similar results
(Table 1, entry 9), and this well-defined, readily available com-
plex was chosen for subsequent studies. The combination of
potassium pivalate (10 mol%) and potassium carbonate
(1 equiv) provided both the most efficient and convenient
basic system,[2,3] among other combinations (Table 1, en-
tries 10–13). Finally, a lower yield of 2b was obtained at lower
catalyst loadings (Table 1, entry 14). Under optimal conditions
(Table 1, entry 9), cis-indane 2b and its trans diastereoisomer
were isolated in 55 and 8% yield, respectively.
action leading to indane 2c occurred with equal efficiency
(88% yield) from the corresponding aryl iodide, but the corre-
sponding chloride was unreactive with this catalyst. Analogous
substrates containing a cyclopropyl (1e) or methylcyclopropyl
(1 f) fragment underwent CÀH activation at the cyclopropane
ring, which gave rise to original fused and spirocyclic indanes
2e and 2 f, respectively, with a higher efficiency for the less
strained ring system (2 f).[10] Next, the generality of the method
with regard to substituents on the aromatic ring was evaluated
with tBu-containing substrates (R2 =R3 =Me). Products 2g–k
were obtained in high yield, including pyridine- and thio-
phene-fused cyclopentanes 2j and 2k.
The method was also applicable to 1-indanols protected
with a pivaloyl group (Scheme 2b, products 2l–o). However,
iPr-containing substrate 1l gave an unproductive 1:1 mixture
of cis and trans diastereoisomers (with 86% conversion) in con-
trast to its silyl-protected analogue 1b, thereby illustrating the
impact of the alcohol substituent on the reaction diastereose-
lectivity. Remarkably, with the more favorable tBu substituent
(2m), the catalyst loading could be reduced to 0.5 mol% with
similar efficiency, in contrast to results obtained with iPr-con-
taining substrate 1b (Table 1, entry 14). To the best of our
knowledge, such a low catalytic loading is unprecedented in
palladium(0)-catalyzed intramolecular C(sp3)ÀH arylation.[2,3] In
addition, a lactone precursor (1p) was successfully reacted to
give original tricyclic product 2p in good yield.
With the optimized conditions in hand, a range of protected
alcohols were evaluated as CÀH activation substrates
(Scheme 2). First, higher substitution at C2 correlated with
In light of the above observations, we sought a way to im-
prove the efficiency of the reaction leading to the least substi-
tuted indane systems. Consistent with previous observa-
tions,[2d] we found that isopropyl ketone 1q was not a compe-
tent C(sp3)ÀH arylation substrate, presumably due to the pres-
ence of an enolizable position (Scheme 3). In contrast, silyl
Scheme 2. Synthesis of 1-indanols. Yields in parentheses refer to the isolated
products. [a] Yield from the corresponding aryl iodide. [b] Ratio of (insepara-
ble) cis/trans diastereoisomers measured in the crude mixture.
Scheme 3. Intramolecular C(sp3)ÀH arylation of a silyl enol ether. The lowest
energy conformer of 1r is shown (M06/6-31G**); H atoms of the TIPS group
are omitted for clarity. LiHMDS=lithium hexamethyldisilazane, Tf=trifluoro-
methanesulfonyl.
a greater efficiency, as shown with aryl bromides 1b–d leading
to indanes 2b–d. The decreasing yields in the order 2c>2b>
2d correlated with increasing amounts of protodebrominated
product (see compound 3b; Table 1). This striking behavior
may be ascribed to the Thorpe–Ingold effect,[8] which should
favor the intramolecular CÀH activation process for substrates
such as 1c containing a quaternary C2 carbon atom. As a con-
sequence, it seems difficult to override the conformational bias
of lightly substituted substrates such as 1d, which do not ben-
efit from this effect and therefore remain very challenging
cases for this type of CÀH activation reaction. Notably, the re-
enol ether 1r derived from 1q provided cyclized product 2r in
very good yield under the optimized conditions. To the best of
our knowledge, this is the first case of organometallic C(sp3)ÀH
activation of an enol equivalent giving rise to functionalization
at the allylic position, while maintaining the integrity of the
enol group.[11] A simple treatment with TBAF provided inda-
none 6. Notably, cyclic silyl enol ether 2r is in its own right an
interesting substrate for asymmetric catalysis.[12] The increased
Chem. Eur. J. 2014, 20, 11084 – 11090
11086
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