The pursuit of an expedient route to a proprietary agrochemical intermediate based on chemoselective metal-catalyzed alpha arylation

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The production of agrochemicals on industrial scales requires that the target compound be synthesized in an efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable manner. The proposed research project seeks to address a problematic synthetic step in the making of a proprietary agrochemical under development by the industrial partner, Bayer AG Crop Science. We envision that the use of a metal catalyst may render this synthetic step more efficient, by enabling the formation of a bond between carbon atoms in the reacting molecules in a process called metal-catalyzed alpha arylation cross-coupling. Given that the desired reaction of interest presents a number of challenges, including issues related to chemoselectivity and functional group tolerance, a broad survey of reaction conditions and subsequent optimization will be required. The applicant has well-established expertise in the development of sustainable metal-catalyzed cross-coupling protocols, including in alpha arylation chemistry, and is well-suited to addressing this chemistry. Synthetic protocols developed in the course of this collaborative project will be exploited directly by process scientists at Bayer AG Crop Science, including examination regarding up-scaling. Agrochemicals of the type under investigation in this proposed project are undergoing testing by Bayer Crop Science Canada in a range of farming applications in western Canada, with the ultimate goal of establishing more sustainable agriculture practices and natural resources usage, to the benefit of all Canadians.