Synlett 2016; 27(10): 1602-1606
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1561404
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© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Visible-Light-Mediated Facile Reductive Aromatization of Quinols

Leifeng Wang*
Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen University Town, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. of China   eMail: 706930267@qq.com
,
Zhiming Yan
Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen University Town, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. of China   eMail: 706930267@qq.com
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Publikationsverlauf

Received: 30. Dezember 2015

Accepted after revision: 08. Februar 2016

Publikationsdatum:
09. März 2016 (online)


Abstract

A range of phenols bearing multiple useful functionalities at their meta positions were prepared from the corresponding quinols under the cooperative effects of visible light irradiation, Ru(bpy)3Cl2 photosensitizer, Hünig’s base, LiBF4, and MeCN solvent. The process involves visible-light-enabled photocatalytic cleavage of C–O bond as the strategic event.

Supporting Information

 
  • References and Notes


    • For selected examples of Michael addition reactions of quinols, see:
    • 1a Dipakranjan M, Sutapa R. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2008; 3014
    • 1b Fringuelli F, Minuti L, Pizzo F, Taticchi A, Halls TD. J, Wenkert E. J. Org. Chem. 1983; 48: 1811
    • 1c Nicolaou KC, Stepan AF, Lister T, Li A, Montero A, Tria GS, Turner CI, Tang Y, Wang J, Denton RM, Edmonds DJ. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008; 130: 13110
    • 1d Liotta D, Saindane M, Barnum C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1981; 103: 3224

      For selected examples of Michael addition reactions of quinols, see:
    • 2a Brocksom TJ, Coelho F, Deprés JP, Greene AE, Freire de Lima ME, Hamelin O, Hartmann B, Kanazawa AM, Wang Y. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002; 124: 15313
    • 2b Giomi D, Piacenti M, Brandi A. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2005; 4649
    • 2c Imbos R, Brilman MH. G, Pineschi M, Feringa BL. Org. Lett. 1999; 1: 623
    • 2d Meister AC, Sauter PF, Bräse S. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2013; 7110
  • 8 Oxidative dearomatization of phenols bearing electron-withdrawing functional groups failed to occur.
  • 9 General Procedure for Visible-Light-Mediated Facile Reductive Aromatization of Quinols: A flame-dried round-bottom flask (10 mL) was equipped with magnetic stirring bar and charged with quinol compound (0.1 mmol, 1.0 equiv), tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) chloride hexahydrate (0.005 mmol, 0.05 equiv), LiBF4 (0.2 mmol, 2.0 equiv) and MeCN (2.0 mL). To the mixture was then added amine (0.5 mmol, 5.0 equiv), and it was irradiated by a household bulb (45 W) under a balloon argon atmosphere at r.t. until the starting material disappeared from the TLC. The reaction mixture was filtrated through celite and washed with Et2O. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure, and the residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography to afford the pure product. (Z)-3-(3-Hydroxy-1-phenylprop-1-en-1-yl)-4-methylphenol (4a): colorless liquid; yield: 23.3 mg (97%). 1H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 7.13–7.30 (m, 5 H), 7.02 (d, J = 8.2 Hz, 1 H), 6.75 (dd, J = 8.2, 2.7 Hz, 1 H), 6.62 (d, J = 2.7 Hz, 1 H), 6.29 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 1 H), 4.27 (s, 2 H), 4.02 (d, J = 5.9 Hz, 2 H), 1.89 (s, 3 H). 13C NMR (126 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 153.76 (s), 143.13 (s), 139.95 (s), 139.30 (s), 131.35 (s), 128.35 (s), 128.18 (s), 127.59 (s), 126.70 (s), 126.46 (s), 116.64 (s), 114.83 (s), 60.84 (s), 18.59 (s). HRMS: m/z [M + Na+] calcd for C16H16NaO2: 263.1048; found: 263.1041. (Z)-2-(3-Hydroxy-1-phenylprop-1-en-1-yl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4-ol (4d): white solid; yield: 27.2 mg (90%). 1H NMR (500 MHz, MeOD): δ = 7.21 (d, J = 8.4 Hz, 1 H), 7.06–7.17 (m, 10 H), 6.89 (dd, J = 8.4, 2.6 Hz, 1 H), 6.69 (d, J = 2.6 Hz, 1 H), 6.06 (t, J = 6.4 Hz, 1 H), 4.00–4.14 (m, 1 H), 3.80 (dd, J = 13.2, 5.3 Hz, 1 H). 13C NMR (126 MHz, acetone): δ = 156.51 (s), 141.53 (s), 141.29 (s), 140.95 (s), 138.76 (s), 133.35 (s), 131.26 (s), 129.30 (s), 128.78 (s), 127.92 (s), 127.56 (s), 126.89 (s), 126.66 (s), 126.12 (s), 117.41 (s), 115.05 (s), 60.17 (s). HRMS: m/z [M + Na+] calcd for C21H18NaO2: 325.1204; found: 325.1200. (Z)-3-{1-([1,1′-Biphenyl]-4-yl)-3-hydroxyprop-1-en-1-yl}-4-methylphenol (4l): white solid; yield: 25.6 mg (81%). 1H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 7.53 (d, J = 7.4 Hz, 2 H), 7.44 (d, J = 8.3 Hz, 2 H), 7.39 (t, J = 7.6 Hz, 2 H), 7.32 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 1 H), 7.25 (d, J = 8.3 Hz, 2 H), 7.05 (d, J = 8.3 Hz, 1 H), 6.78 (dd, J = 8.2, 2.6 Hz, 1 H), 6.67 (d, J = 2.6 Hz, 1 H), 6.36 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 1 H), 3.98–4.10 (m, 2 H), 1.92 (s, 3 H). 13C NMR (126 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 153.85 (s), 143.02 (s), 140.50 (s), 140.33 (s), 139.09 (s), 138.79 (s), 131.44 (s), 128.79 (s), 128.14 (s), 127.35 (s), 127.03 (s), 126.92 (s), 126.87 (s), 126.27 (s), 116.58 (s), 114.98 (s), 60.78 (s), 18.68 (s). HRMS: m/z [M + Na+] calcd for C22H20NaO2: 339.1361; found: 339.1357. (Z)-3-[1-(3,4-Dimethylphenyl)-3-hydroxyprop-1-en-1-yl]-4-methylphenol (4o): colorless liquid; yield: 23.0 mg (86%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 6.99–7.13 (m, 3 H), 6.94 (d, J = 7.9 Hz, 1 H), 6.75 (dd, J = 8.2, 2.7 Hz, 1 H), 6.59 (d, J = 2.6 Hz, 1 H), 6.31 (t, J = 6.8 Hz, 1 H), 4.04 (d, J = 6.8 Hz, 2 H), 2.23 (s, 3 H), 2.21 (s, 3 H), 1.97 (s, 3 H). 13C NMR (101 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 153.5 (s), 142.9 (s), 138.9–139.5 (m), 137.5 (s), 136.4 (s), 136.2 (s), 131.2 (s), 129.6 (s), 128.2 (s), 127.5 (s), 125.7 (s), 124.0 (s), 116.5 (s), 114.5 (s), 60.9 (s), 19.8 (s), 19.4 (s), 18.6 (s). HRMS: m/z [M + Na+] calcd for C18H20NaO2: 291.1361; found: 291.1354.