Synthesis of N-aryl substituted, five- and six-membered azacycloalkanes, isoindolines and tetrahydroisoquinolines, has been described. In this synthesis, cyclic ethers (n = 1, 2) were treated with dimethylaluminum-amide reagents, derived from a range of aryl amines and trimethylaluminum, to afford the corresponding azacycles in good yields.

While nickel catalysts have previously been shown to activate even the least reactive Csp–O bonds, i.e. aryl ethers, in the context of C–C bond formation, little is known about the reactivity limits and molecular requirements for the introduction of valuable functional groups under homogeneous nickel catalysis. We identified that due to the high reactivity of Ni-catalysts, they are also prone t...

Dihydropyrans have been prepared by the cyclisation of easily accessible propargyl vinyl ethers with (TFP)AuCl/AgBF(4) as a catalyst in high yields. These compounds undergo acid-catalysed rearrangement into cyclopentenone derivatives.

The reactions of nickel(0) complexes with phosphine, bipyridine-type, and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands aryl, vinyl, alkyl halides is reviewed.

A method for the cleavage of aryl alkyl ethers is presented, involving hot pressurized water and catalytic mineral acid. The protocol applicable on a variety (biorenewable) substrates, not requiring mass-intensive work-up.

A metal-free, mild and efficient method for the synthesis of 2-methylquinolines was successfully developed by condensation of anilines with vinyl ethers in the presence of catalytic amount of iodine. Modification of both pyridine and benzene moieties was easily achieved by changing only the vinyl ether and aniline. In this reaction, the iodine species was revealed to show dual behavior; molecul...

Studies on the palladium-catalyzed formation of aryl amines, aryl ethers and a-aryl carbonyl compounds from aryl halides are reported. These studies range from synthetic methodology, to detailed mechanistic analysis, to new methods one can use to screen for catalytic covalent bond formation. Improved methods for formation of aryl ethers and room temperature amination chemistry have resulted fro...