Oxoammonium salts are catalysing efficient and selective halogenation of olefins, alkynes and aromatics

Electrophilic halogenation reactions have been a reliable approach to accessing organohalides. During the past decades, various catalytic systems have been developed for the activation of haleniums. However, there is still a short of effective catalysts, which could cover various halogenation reactions and broad scope of unsaturated compounds. Herein, TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine nitroxide) and its derivatives are disclosed as active catalysts for electrophilic halogenation of olefins, alkynes, and aromatics. These catalysts are stable, readily available, and reactive enough to activate haleniums including Br+, I+ and even Cl+ reagents. This catalytic system is applicable to various halogenations including haloarylation of olefins or dibromination of alkynes, which were rarely realized in previous Lewis base catalysis or Lewis acid catalysis. The high catalytic ability is attributed to a synergistic activation model of electrophilic halogenating reagents, where the carbonyl group and the halogen atom are both activated by present TEMPO catalysis.

Unexpected Metal-Free Dehydrogenation of a β-Ketoester to a Phenol Using a Recyclable Oxoammonium Salt

The conversion of ethyl 2-oxocyclohexanecarboxylate to ethyl salicylate using an oxoammonium salt is reported. The dehydrogenation reaction is operationally simple and compares favorably with previous literature examples for the same transformation and expands the scope of oxoammonium salts as reagents for oxidative functionalization processes.

Tandem Elimination-Oxidation of Tertiary Benzylic Alcohols with an Oxoammonium Salt

Tertiary benzylic alcohols react with oxoammonium salts, undergoing a tandem elimination / allylic oxidation to provide an allylic ether product in a single step. This mode of reactivity provides a...

Metal-Free Synthesis of Pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines Mediated by TEMPO Oxoammonium Salts

We herein describe a novel TEMPO oxoammonium salt initiated Pictet–Spengler reaction of imines, generated in situ from carbonyl compounds and pyrrole- or indole-containing substrates, to afford 4,5-dihydropyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines or 5,6-dihydroindolo[1,2-a]quin­oxalines in good to excellent yields. Moreover, a one-pot synthesis of a biologically important quinoxaline is achieved via a cyclization–dehydrogenation process using one equivalent of the oxoammonium salt.