Synthesis and Mechanistic Study of Naphthalimide Derivative Formation via Cu-Mediated Ullmann-Type Reactions

Cu-mediated Ullmann-type coupling reactions are fundamental to organic synthesis, garnering significant academic and industrial interest since their inception. Optimizing reaction parameters, particularly temperature control, is crucial for maximizing efficiency while maintaining high yields. Bidentate ligands, such as amino acids, have demonstrated potential in facilitating these reactions at lower temperatures (<100 °C). This study explores the Cu-catalyzed Ullmann-type coupling of naphthalimide derivatives with amino acid substitutions. Naphthalimide dyes, known for their diverse applications in bioimaging, solar cells, medicine, and sensors, were selected for their potent anticancer properties. The synthesized compounds were characterized by using ¹H NMR, ESI-MS, and melting point analyses. Compounds with significant steric hindrance exhibited lower yields, leading to the development of a novel catalytic system employing l-carnosine as a bidentate ligand, which significantly improved yields. Mechanistic insights, derived from density functional theory calculations, identified "L-complex 3" as the most stable and reactive intermediate during oxidative addition to aryl halides. The oxidative addition transition state "OX1-TS" was found to be the most favorable, with a relatively low energy barrier of 6.13 kcal/mol, suggesting that this step, despite being the rate-limiting stage, is energetically accessible. In contrast, reductive elimination was facilitated by a Cu(III) penta-coordinated intermediate, with a barrier of just 8.34 kcal/mol, making it a more straightforward process. Theoretical findings aligned closely with experimental data, reinforcing the oxidative addition/reductive elimination pathway as the operative mechanism for this reaction.