A triphenylphosphine‐catalyzed cascade reaction of unsaturated pyrazolones with dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates or but‐3‐yn‐2‐one to synthesize the bioactive pyrano[2,3‐c]pyrazoles in moderate to excellent yields has been developed. Meanwhile, spiro‐cyclopentanone‐pyrazolones were also first constructed by the triphenylphosphine‐catalyzed cascade reaction of unsaturated pyrazolones with 4‐phenylbut‐3‐yn‐2‐one in moderate to good yields.
1‐Bromo‐2‐(cyclopropylidenemethyl)benzenes react with 2‐alkynylphenols under palladium catalysis, leading to indeno[1,2‐c]chromenes in moderate to good yields. The molecular complexity and diversity can be introduced efficiently from easily available starting materials.
An efficient and practical copper‐catalyzed domino synthesis of benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2‐a]pyrimidin‐4(10H)‐ones has been developed. The protocol uses N‐(2‐halophenyl)‐3‐alkylpropiolamides and cyanamide as the starting materials, inexpensive copper(I) iodide and pipecolinic acid as the catalyst and ligand, and the corresponding products were obtained in moderate to good yields.
A facile one‐pot, catalyst‐free reaction has been developed for the synthesis of 2,3,6,7‐tetrahydro‐1H‐pyrrolo[3,2‐c]pyridin‐4(5H)‐ones from readily available 1‐acryloyl‐1‐N‐arylcarbamylcyclopropanes and amines using a domino ring‐opening/cyclization/aza‐addition sequence.
Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formate was achieved using copper (Cu) catalysts in the presence of strong organic bases including amidines and guanidines. Specifically, 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU) proved to be effective for the transformation of a 1:1 mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide into its formate salt under increased pressure in the presence of various Cu(I) and Cu(II) salts at 100 °C. A novel complex derived from copper iodide and DBU equally promoted the same reaction, indicating that DBU–Cu species are involved as real catalysts in this hydrogenation.
A convenient gold‐catalyzed strategy for the synthesis of imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine derivatives has been developed via gold carbene complexes. This transformation opens a new synthetic route to a variety of 3‐carbonyl‐substituted imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines using air as oxidant affording the products in good yields.
In the presence of sodium carbonate, the [4+3] cycloadditions of α‐halogeno hydrazones with nitrones were performed efficiently, and affording 2,3,4,7‐tetrahydro‐1,2,4,5‐oxatriazepines in moderate to high yields.
The skeletal rearrangement of ether tethered N‐sulfonyl‐1,2,3‐triazoles has been achieved by rhodium(II) catalysis. This method offers a rapid entry to 2‐aminoindanone and dihydroisoquinoline architectures which can be further transformed to other valuable building blocks, such as vicinal aminoindanols, isoquinolines and isoquinolinones. A pathway involving an azavinyl rhodium carbene intermediate was proposed according to a preliminary mechanistic study.
Herein, we disclose the N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐catalyzed [3+3] annulation of challenging esters with methyl ketoimines for the highly enantioselective synthesis of intriguing δ‐lactams featuring various substituent patterns. The annulation occurs under mild conditions and offers good tolerance, good yields and excellent enantioselectivities. The six‐membered heterocyclic products are valuable for the synthesis of bioactive molecules.
The catalytic asymmetric [4+2] annulations of isatins with but‐3‐yn‐2‐one catalyzed by the Cinchona alkaloids‐derived oragnocatalyst (DHQD)2PHAL have been developed in the presence of 3.0 equivalents of D ‐diethyl tartrate in the mixed solvent (diphenyl ether/diethyl ether=1/1) or a slightly modified one, affording the corresponding substituted spiro[indoline‐3,2′‐pyran]‐2,4′(3′H)‐diones in good to excellent yields with high enantioselectivities under mild conditions.
Various 3‐azabicyclo[3.1.1]heptane derivatives were synthesized from Morita–Baylis–Hillman adduct‐derived 1,3‐dienes bearing a 4,4‐diaryl moiety through a thermal intramolecular [2+2] cycloaddition approach. By using the same approach, bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, 3‐azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane, and 3‐oxabicyclo[3.1.1]heptane derivatives could also be synthesized. A structurally similar dimethylallyl derivative underwent an intramolecular ene reaction to afford the pyrrolidine derivative.
A novel and efficient oxidative annulation of 2‐aminobenzamides with nitromethane has been developed for the chemoselective synthesis of N‐substituted 1,2,3‐benzotriazine‐4(3H)‐ones in moderate to excellent yields under transition metal‐free conditions. Two N N bonds were constructed in one pot via C N cleavage of nitromethane, which was selectively employed as the nitrogen synthon. The preliminary mechanistic studies revealed that this protocol proceeded under hypoiodite catalysis generated in situ.
A direct diastereoselective synthesis approach of important 9H‐pyrrolo[1,2‐a]azepin‐9‐amines was established via base‐promoted [4+3] annulation between donor–acceptor reagents derived from 1H‐pyrrole‐2‐carbaldehydes and alkyl 2‐aroyl‐1‐chlorocyclopropanecarboxylates. This transition metal‐free domino reaction proceeded quickly under mild basic conditions, affording potentially bioactive azepine derivatives in moderate to high yields with high diastereoselectivities (up to >20:1).
We have developed an electrophilic addition of allylic carbocations to 2‐cyclopropylidene‐2‐arylethanols constructing carbon‐carbon bonds with excellent regio‐ and stereoselectivities. The reaction affords 3‐oxabicyclo[3.2.0]heptanes in moderate to good yields via the electrophilic addition/ring‐opening/vinyl group shift/intramolecular cyclization sequence.
A novel asymmetric [4+2] annulation of vinyl ketones with oxindole‐derived α,β‐unsaturated imines has been developed in the presence of a multifunctional thiourea‐phosphine catalyst derived from a natural amino acid, providing the first phosphine‐catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of 2′,3′‐dihydro‐1′H‐spiro[indoline‐3,4′‐pyridin]‐2‐ones in good yields with excellent stereoselectivities under mild conditions.
The Wittig reaction of isatin derivatives with Morita–Baylis–Hillman bromides of cinnamaldehydes afforded 3‐dienylidene‐2‐oxindoles. These trienes were converted into the corresponding spirooxindoles in a stereoselective manner in refluxing toluene in good yields. The diastereomeric spirooxindoles could be obtained stereoselectively by adding a catalytic amount of palladium(II) acetate via the palladium‐catalyzed isomerization of EEE‐trienes to ZEE‐trienes followed by a more facile 6π‐electrocyclization process. The obtained spirooxindoles could be further functionalized by palladium‐catalyzed oxidative arylation, thionation with Lawesson’s reagent, catalytic hydrogenation and Friedel–Crafts‐type reaction.
A straightforward and efficient method for the synthesis of nitrogen‐functionalized cyclopentane derivatives via [3+2] cycloaddition of enamines with donor‐acceptor cyclopropanes in the presence of catalytic amounts of various Lewis acids at room temperature has been developed; furthermore, the corresponding β‐amino acid was synthesized by monodecarboxylation and hydrogenolysis. An enantioenriched synthesis of nitrogen‐functionalized cyclopentane derivatives through dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation of racemic donor‐acceptor cyclopropanes has also been achieved employing a copper complex [Cu(OTf)2‐ L1 ] as the catalyst affording an enantiomeric ratio up to 8:1.
Hydroquinine anthraquinone‐1,4‐diyl diether [(DHQ)2AQN]‐catalyzed unprecedented asymmetric domino annulation reactions of acylidenoxindoles/isatins, acylidenoxindoles and allenoates are disclosed in this communication, providing a facile access to hexahydrofuro[2,3‐b]furans containing four contiguous chiral centers in good to excellent yields along with good to excellent ee values and moderate to good dr values. Based on theoretical investigations, a concerted [3+2] ring‐closure process was proposed, in which steric hindrance and π–π stacking interaction between catalyst and substrate subtly co‐control the diastereoselectivity of the reaction.
A four‐electron electrocyclic ring‐opening/intermolecular [4+2] cycloaddition of α‐hydroxycyclobutenones is reported. The reaction represents the first example for the intermolecular cycloaddition of the extensively studied enol‐ketene intermediate, and provides a new synthetic route to multiply substituted δ‐lactams in high stereoselectivity.
