A silver-free palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenative phosphorylation of terminal alkynes with hydrogen phosphine oxides has been developed. Both aromatic and aliphatic terminal alkynes including those bearing functional groups coupled readily with hydrogen phosphine oxides, producing the corresponding value-added alkynylphosphine oxides in good to excellent yields. This reaction could be easily conducted at gram scales (10 mmol) without any decrease of the reaction efficiency, showing highly potential synthetic value in organic synthesis. A plausible Pd(0)/Pd(II) mechanism is proposed.

A selective oxidative para-acylation of unprotected anilines with methyl groups in N-heteroarylmethanes was achieved. This transformation proceeds under mild metal-free reaction conditions to produce the corresponding valuable diarylmethanones in good to high yields, featuring high site-selectivity, high functional-group-tolerance, gram-scale synthesis and easy product-derivation. Preliminary mechanistic studies revealed that the present oxidative para-acylation would take place via a Friedel–Crafts-type process of in situ imines and the steric hindrance might be the key issue for the high regio-selectivity.

A novel and efficient t-BuOK-mediated reductive addition of P(O)–H compounds to terminal alkynes was developed. A variety of β-arylphosphine oxides including the valuable β-heteroarylphosphine oxides were produced in moderate to high yields under mild reaction conditions. This reaction may proceed via a tandem process involving regio-selective double addition and subsequent transfer hydrogenation.

A facile and general Brønsted acid-catalyzed deuteration at the methyl group of N-heteroarylmethanes was achieved through a dearomatic enamine intermediate under relatively mild reaction conditions. Both 2-methyl and 4-methyl groups in quinolines were deuterated with high deuterium incorporation. Pyridines, benzo[d]thiazoles, indoles and imines including these clinical drugs were also deuterated efficiently at the methyl groups. This reaction could be conducted on a large scale (500 mmol), showing its good potential for use in large-scale synthesis.

A Pd-catalyzed dehydrogenative phosphorylation of thiols is developed. A variety of thiols dehydrogenatively couple readily with all three kinds of P(O)–H compounds, i.e., H-phosphonates, H-phosphinates, and secondary phosphine oxides, providing a general access to the valuable phosphorothioates including the P-chiral compounds. A plausible mechanism is proposed.

An efficient Ni-catalyzed synthesis of (E)-olefins using the readily available benzylic alcohol derivatives and arylacetonitriles is described. This transformation should proceed via a tandem process involving nickel-catalyzed cross coupling via C–O activation and subsequent stereoselective E2 elimination.

The direct oxidative acylation of phenols with N-heteroarylmethanes via sp3C–H and sp2C–H double activation was achieved under transition metal-free reaction conditions. This transformation proceeds in a facile I2/DMSO/O2 system regio-selectively to produce valuable (2-hydroxyphenyl)arylmethanones from easily available starting materials in moderate to good yields. A plausible mechanism was proposed.

Efficient copper-catalysed aerobic oxidative esterification of N-heteroaryl methanes with alcohols has been developed. A variety of N-heteroaryl esters including those with functional groups are produced in good to excellent yields under the present reaction conditions.

An efficient P–C bond-formation through iron-catalyzed cross coupling of P–H/C–O bonds is developed for the first time. This reaction proceeds efficiently to produce the corresponding valuable α-alkoxyphosphorus compounds under mild conditions with a wide generality.

An efficient nickel-catalyzed phosphorylation of phenol derivatives with P(O)–H compounds via C–O/P–H cross-coupling is described. Under the reaction conditions, various phenyl pivalates coupled readily with hydrogen phosphoryl compounds to afford the corresponding coupling products aryl phosphonates and aryl phosphine oxides in good to high yields.

The first Ni-catalyzed C–O/P–H cross-coupling producing organophosphorus compounds is disclosed. This method features wide generality in regard to both C–O and P–H compounds: for C–O compounds, the readily available alcohol derivatives of aryl, alkenyl, benzyl, and allyl are applicable, and for P–H compounds, both >PV(O)H compounds (secondary phosphine oxide, H-phosphinate, and H-phosphonate) and hydrogen phosphines (>PIIIH) can be used as the substrates. Thus, a variety of valuable C(sp2)–P and C(sp3)–P compounds can be readily obtained in good to excellent yields by this new strategy.

Nickel-catalysed P–H/C–CN cross coupling reactions take place efficiently under mild reaction conditions affording the corresponding sp2C–P bonds. This transformation provides a convenient method for the preparation of arylphosphines and arylphosphine oxides from the readily available P–H compounds and arylnitriles.

The dehydrogenative coupling of terminal alkynes with secondary phosphine oxides is developed. In the presence of a silver additive, palladium acetate could efficiently catalyze the dehydrocoupling of secondary phosphine oxides with a variety of terminal alkynes to produce the corresponding alkynylphosphine oxides in high yields. A reaction mechanism is proposed.

The Ni-catalyzed direct C–H/C–O cross couplings of benzylic alcohol derivatives with fluorobenzenes and heteroarenes are disclosed. This transformation provides a straightforward and efficient method for the synthesis of these valuable heteroatom-containing compounds.

An efficient copper catalyzed direct aerobic oxidative amidation of methyl groups of azaarylmethanes with N–H bonds producing amides is successfully developed, which can produce primary, secondary and tertiary amides, including those with functional groups. This reaction represents a straightforward method for the preparation of amides from the readily available hydrocarbon starting materials.

Under an oxygen atmosphere, the copper-mediated direct C3-cyanation of indole C–H bonds, using cheap and safe DMF as a CN source, took place selectively to produce the corresponding C3-cyanoindoles in good yields. A possible mechanism for this selective cyanation was proposed.Under an oxygen atmosphere, the copper-mediated direct C3-cyanation of indole C–H bonds, using cheap and safe DMF as a CN source, took place selectively to produce the corresponding C3-cyanoindoles in good yields. A possible mechanism for this selective cyanation was proposed.

The mechanism of the palladium-catalyzed cross dehydrogenative coupling of P(O)–H compounds with terminal alkynes was studied. Successive ligand-exchange reactions of Pd(OAc)2 with a hydrogen phosphoryl compound and a terminal alkyne take place readily to replace the two acetates on palladium, producing the corresponding (phosphoryl) (alkynyl)palladium complexes, which upon heating decomposed to the corresponding alkynylphosphorus compound. It is also confirmed that in the stoichiometric reactions of the complexes, the configuration at phosphorus is retained. On the basis of these stoichiometric reactions, an efficient synthesis of P-chiral alkynylphosphoryl compounds via palladium-catalyzed stereoselective cross dehydrogenative coupling of P-chiral P(O)–H compounds with terminal alkynes was developed. The key palladium complexes and the stereochemistry of the chiral phosphorus compounds are all unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

An efficient one-pot synthesis of α-acyloxyphosphoryl compounds from aldehydes and hydrogen phosphoryl compounds has been developed using a facile base-mediated redox strategy. This redox transformation is applicable to synthesize a wide range of valuable α-acyloxyphosphoryl compounds with high atom- and step-economic efficiency.

An efficient copper catalyzed direct aerobic oxidative amidation of methyl groups of azaarylmethanes with N–H bonds producing amides is successfully developed, which can produce primary, secondary and tertiary amides, including those with functional groups. This reaction represents a straightforward method for the preparation of amides from the readily available hydrocarbon starting materials.

The direct oxidative acylation of phenols with N-heteroarylmethanes via sp3C–H and sp2C–H double activation was achieved under transition metal-free reaction conditions. This transformation proceeds in a facile I2/DMSO/O2 system regio-selectively to produce valuable (2-hydroxyphenyl)arylmethanones from easily available starting materials in moderate to good yields. A plausible mechanism was proposed.

The dehydrogenative coupling of terminal alkynes with secondary phosphine oxides is developed. In the presence of a silver additive, palladium acetate could efficiently catalyze the dehydrocoupling of secondary phosphine oxides with a variety of terminal alkynes to produce the corresponding alkynylphosphine oxides in high yields. A reaction mechanism is proposed.

Nickel-catalysed P–H/C–CN cross coupling reactions take place efficiently under mild reaction conditions affording the corresponding sp2C–P bonds. This transformation provides a convenient method for the preparation of arylphosphines and arylphosphine oxides from the readily available P–H compounds and arylnitriles.

An efficient P–C bond-formation through iron-catalyzed cross coupling of P–H/C–O bonds is developed for the first time. This reaction proceeds efficiently to produce the corresponding valuable α-alkoxyphosphorus compounds under mild conditions with a wide generality.

An efficient Ni-catalyzed synthesis of (E)-olefins using the readily available benzylic alcohol derivatives and arylacetonitriles is described. This transformation should proceed via a tandem process involving nickel-catalyzed cross coupling via C–O activation and subsequent stereoselective E2 elimination.

Efficient copper-catalysed aerobic oxidative esterification of N-heteroaryl methanes with alcohols has been developed. A variety of N-heteroaryl esters including those with functional groups are produced in good to excellent yields under the present reaction conditions.

An efficient oxygen–phosphoryl bond-forming reaction via iron-catalyzed cross dehydrogenative coupling has been developed. This transformation proceeds efficiently under oxidant- and halide-free reaction conditions with H2 liberation, and represents a straightforward method to prepare valuable organophosphoryl compounds from the readily available alcohols and P(O)–H compounds.

A novel and efficient t-BuOK-mediated reductive addition of P(O)–H compounds to terminal alkynes was developed. A variety of β-arylphosphine oxides including the valuable β-heteroarylphosphine oxides were produced in moderate to high yields under mild reaction conditions. This reaction may proceed via a tandem process involving regio-selective double addition and subsequent transfer hydrogenation.

A facile and general Brønsted acid-catalyzed deuteration at the methyl group of N-heteroarylmethanes was achieved through a dearomatic enamine intermediate under relatively mild reaction conditions. Both 2-methyl and 4-methyl groups in quinolines were deuterated with high deuterium incorporation. Pyridines, benzo[d]thiazoles, indoles and imines including these clinical drugs were also deuterated efficiently at the methyl groups. This reaction could be conducted on a large scale (500 mmol), showing its good potential for use in large-scale synthesis.