The Suzuki-Miyaura reaction after the Nobel prize

Synthetic organic chemistry experienced a significant advance in the last quarter of the 20th century with the advent of the transition-metal catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The utility of these reactions was universally acknowledged and expressed in the Chemistry Nobel prize awarded to professors Heck, Suzuki and Negishi in 2010. In this scenario, the discovery of the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction was a landmark that occupies a privileged position because of its versatility, compatibility and pivotal contribution to diverse disciplines, including materials science and drug discovery. Despite the substantial progress attained for this reaction until 2010, there is still room for improvement, particularly, if we are concerned about the health of the Earth and aware of the paramount importance to produce substances under the guidelines of sustainable and Green Chemistry. In the present review, we summarize the efforts devoted by a wide and specialized scientific community to upgrade the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction during the post-Nobel prize period. An overview covering new catalytic systems, methods and conditions is provided, together with some applications and updated mechanistic viewpoints.Francisco Alonso gratefully acknowledges the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO; grant no. CTQ2017-88171-P) and the Generalitat Valenciana (GV; grant no. AICO/2017/007) for financial support

Stereodivergent Catalysis

This review covers diastereo- and enantiodivergent catalyzed reactions in acyclic and cyclic systems using metal complexes or organocatalysts. Among them, nucleophilic addition to carbon–carbon and carbon–nitrogen double bonds, α-functionalization of carbonyl compounds, allylic substitutions, and ring opening of oxiranes and aziridines are considered. The diastereodivergent synthesis of alkenes from alkynes is also included. Finally, stereodivergent intramolecular and intermolecular cycloadditions and other cyclizations are also reported.We thank the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) (projects CTQ2013-43446-P, CTQ2014-53695P, and CTQ2014-51912-REDC), the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, EU) (projects CTQ2016-76782-P and CTQ2016-81797-REDC), the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO2009/039 and PROMETEOII/2014/017), and the University of Alicante for financial support

Solvent-free synthesis of cyclic carbonates from CO2 and epoxides catalyzed by reusable alumina-supported zinc dichloride

There is an ongoing interest to advance in the production of cyclic carbonates from carbon dioxide and epoxides under sustainable conditions. The ZnCl2/Al2O3-TBAI system has evinced to be a cheap, simple, readily accessible and reusable catalyst for the reaction of carbon dioxide with aromatic, aliphatic, cyclic and fluorinated epoxides with a low metal loading under solvent-free and mild conditions. This system has been also shown to be adequate for the reaction of epoxides with carbon disulfide to form the sulfur-containing cyclic carbonate analogs.This study was generously supported by the Russian Science Foundation [project no. 14-23-00186 P], the M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University Program of Development, the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades [MICIU; grant no. CTQ2017-88171-P] and the Generalitat Valenciana [GV; grant no. AICO/2017/007]

Formation of C–C, C–S and C–N bonds catalysed by supported copper nanoparticles

Transition-metal catalysed cross-coupling reactions are still dominated by palladium chemistry. Within the recent past, copper has gained ground against palladium by virtue of its cheaper price and equivalent function in certain reactions. Four catalysts consisting of copper nanoparticles on zeolite, titania, montmorillonite and activated carbon have been tested in three palladium- and ligand-free cross-coupling reactions to form carbon–carbon, carbon–sulfur and carbon–nitrogen bonds. CuNPs/zeolite has been found to be the best one in the Sonogashira reaction of aryl iodides and arylacetylenes, as well as in the coupling of aryl halides with aryl and alkyl thiols, being reusable in both cases. However, the arylation of nitrogen-containing heterocycles (imidazole, pyrazole, benzimidazole and indole) has been better accomplished with CuNPs/titania, albeit CuNPs/activated carbon showed better recycling properties. The catalytic activity of the nanostructured catalysts has been compared with that of twelve commercial copper catalysts, with the former outperforming the latter in the three types of reactions studied.I. P. Beletskaya thanks the Russian Science Foundation (RSF, grant no. 14-23-00186 P) and A. Yu. Mitrofanov thanks the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant no. 16-33-60207) for their financial support. This work was also generously supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO; grant no. CTQ-2015-66624-P) and the Institute of Organic Synthesis (ISO). I. M.-G. thanks the ISO and the Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Transferencia del Conocimiento of the Universidad de Alicante for predoctoral grants (no. UAFPU2016-034)

Interactive learning technologies at theoretical foreign language classes

The purpose of this research is to explore interactive foreign language learning technologies. In order to achieve this goal, the study used a set of methods relevant to the problem at hand: analysis and synthesis of psychological, pedagogical, scientific, and methodological literature. As a result, use of interactive learning methods while studying the foreign language significantly increases the interest and motivation of students and improves their knowledge in the subject area. As a conclusion, interactive educational technologies help students learn the material through their own experienceEl propósito de esta investigación es explorar tecnologías interactivas de aprendizaje de idiomas extranjeros. Para lograr este objetivo, el estudio utilizó un conjunto de métodos relevantes para el problema en cuestión: análisis y síntesis de literatura psicológica, pedagógica, científica y metodológica. Como resultado, el uso de métodos de aprendizaje interactivo al estudiar la lengua extranjera aumenta significativamente el interés y la motivación de los estudiantes y mejora su conocimiento en el área temática. Como conclusión, las tecnologías educativas interactivas ayudan a los estudiantes a aprender el material a través de su propia experienci

Microwave-promoted N-arylation of imidazole and amino acids in the presence of Cu2O and CuO in poly(ethylene glycol)

International audienc