Broadly Applicable Copper(I)-Catalyzed Alkyne Semihydrogenation and Hydrogenation of α,β-Unsaturated Amides Enabled by Bifunctional Iminopyridine Ligands.

ABSTRACT: A highly active bifunctional catalyst consisting of a copper(I)/N-heterocyclic carbene complex and a basic 2-iminopyridine subunit allows for copper hydride chemistry under low H₂ pressure, achieving efficient catalysis reaching 1 bar (balloon pressure). The bifunctional catalyst tolerates a remarkable variety of functional groups in catalytic alkyne semihydrogenations. Furthermore, this catalyst design gives rise to a high reactivity that allows for the catalytic hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated amides (a substrate class hitherto unreactive in copper hydride catalysis) at a low H₂ pressure for the first time. In this manner, late-stage modification and isotope labeling of α,β-unsaturated amides, common subunits in biologically active compounds, can be realized throug

SUBMITTER: Gorai M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12046561 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature