A new synthetic approach to phenol derivatives: use of ring-closing olefin metathesis

Phenol derivatives, which are one of the most important classes of aromatic compounds in organic chemistry, were synthesized by ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM) of 1,4,7-trien-3-ones with versatile substitution patterns. The RCM reaction for producing phenol derivatives was also successful with 1,5,7-trien-3-one as another precursor. Most of the phenols prepared here could not be obtained easily by conventional methods.     

Synthesis of cyclic hydrazines by ring-closing metathesis of dienes and enynes tethered by an N-N bond

Ring-closing metathesis of dienes and enynes tethered by an N-N bond produced 6- to 10-membered cyclic 1,2-diaza compounds. The enyne RCM adducts were further transformed by Diels-Alder reaction into aromatic compounds.     

Ring-closing metathesis for the synthesis of benzo-fused bicyclic compounds

Ring-closing metathesis (RCM) was used to synthesise five 4H-chromenes, a naphthol and an indenol. These are the first examples of RCM applied to the synthesis of such benzo-fused bicyclic compounds.     

1,7-Octadiene-Assisted Tandem Multicomponent Cross-Enyne Metathesis (CEYM)-Diels-Alder Reactions: A Useful Alternative to Mori's Conditions

The use of 1,7-octadiene as an in situ source of ethylene led us to develop a novel multicomponent tandem cross-enyne metathesis (CEYM)-Diels-Alder reaction. The process can be considered a relay metathesis, in which the ethylene liberated in the ring-closing metathesis (RCM) of 1,7-octadiene initiates the tandem sequence. Aliphatic, aromatic, and fluorinated alkynes and several dienophiles are compatible with the process, which is particularly efficient with aromatic alkynes. This methodology constitutes a useful variant of Mori's conditions in CEYM-related reactions.     

Recent applications of ring-closing metathesis in the synthesis of lactams and macrolactams

Lactams are an important class of compounds owing to their presence in numerous biologically active molecules of natural and unnatural nature. They are also highly versatile intermediates that can be elaborated into interesting compounds for potential use in organic and medicinal chemistry endeavors. In this feature article, the reader will be given a background to olefin metathesis followed by concise discussions (with selected examples) to report recent applications of ring-closing metathesis to form lactams and macrolactams from acyclic diene precursors, an area which continues to deposit attractive applications in the chemical literature en route or in the final step to the target molecules.     

1,7‐Octadiene‐Assisted Tandem Multicomponent Cross‐Enyne Metathesis (CEYM)‐Diels–Alder Reactions: A Useful Alternative to Mori’s Conditions

The use of 1,7‐octadiene as an in situ source of ethylene led us to develop a novel multicomponent tandem cross‐enyne metathesis (CEYM)‐Diels–Alder reaction. The process can be considered a relay metathesis, in which the ethylene liberated in the ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) of 1,7‐octadiene initiates the tandem sequence. Aliphatic, aromatic, and fluorinated alkynes and several dienophiles are compatible with the process, which is particularly efficient with aromatic alkynes. This methodology constitutes a useful variant of Mori’s conditions in CEYM‐related reactions.     

Ring closing enyne metathesis: a powerful tool for the synthesis of heterocycles

The ring closing metathesis (RCM) is a powerful method in organic synthesis for the preparation of cyclic compounds by formation of new carbon-carbon bonds. In the past years a particular subclass of the RCM, the ring closing enyne metathesis (RCEYM), has attracted attention due to its synthetic potential in the generation of ring structures with 1,3-diene moieties, which can subsequently be further functionalised. In this tutorial review mechanistic considerations will be described and the synthetic power of this useful and attractive carbon-carbon bond forming reaction will be illustrated by recent examples of RCEYM applications in the preparation of heterocyclic compounds.     

Simple Synthesis of Versatile Coumarin Scaffolds

We describe an approach using ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) to synthesize versatile coumarin derivatives that present appropriate substitutions both at the aromatic and at the α,β‐unsaturated lactone ring. The obtained compounds can be used as molecular scaffolds suitable for further diversifications through a combinatorial approach.     

Application of Metathesis Protocols to the Stereocontrolled Synthesis of some Functionalized β-Amino Esters and Azaheterocycles

In this account our aim was to give an insight into the application of metathesis protocols (ROM, RCM, RCEYM, CM, RRM) for the synthesis of various azaheterocyclic frameworks. Due to the high biological potential and importance in peptide chemistry and drug design of β-amino acids our intention is to give a highlight on the synthetic procedures and transformation of these class of compounds with the above-mentioned metathesis strategies with emphasis on selectivity, stereocontrol, substrate-directing effect or functional group tolerance.     

Olefin metathesis catalyst: stabilization effect of backbone substitutions of N-heterocyclic carbene

Ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts bearing an N-phenyl-substituted N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand that are resistant to decomposition through C-H activation have been prepared and tested in ring closing metathesis (RCM), cross metathesis (CM), and ROMP reactions. The N, N'-diphenyl-substituted NHC complex proved to be one of the most efficient catalysts in RCM to form tetrasubstituted olefins.     

Trisubstituted cyclooctene synthesis at the limits of relay ring-closing metathesis: a racemic difluorinated analogue of fucose

A telescoped sequence based on metallated enol acetal chemistry allowed the efficient delivery of a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) precursor, which was used to form a cyclooctenone product with a trisubstituted alkenyl group in moderate yield, though a high loading of second generation Grubbs' pre-catalyst was required. A relay RCM (RRCM) precursor was synthesised to deliver the key alkylidene at a higher rate; the catalyst loading required was high, and increasing the reaction temperature simply resulted in the loss of the cyclising alkylidene by a non-productive cross-metathesis pathway. We were forced to use high dilution conditions to suppress the unwanted CM and secure the cyclooctenone product. The cyclooctenone product could be progressed to analogues of fucose and 6-deoxyidose by UpJohn dihydroxylation.     

Diastereoselective Total Synthesis of (±)‐Schindilactone A,Part 2: Construction of the Fully Functionalized CDEFGH Ring System

The successful synthesis of the highly complex model compound ( 2 ) of the CEFGH ring system of schindilactone A ( 1 ) is described. Several synthetic methodologies were developed and applied to achieve this goal, including ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) and Co–thiourea‐catalyzed Pauson–Khand reactions. Furthermore, two independent approaches were developed for the construction of the GH ring of model compound 2 , the key steps of which included Pd–thiourea‐catalyzed carbonylative annulation, methylation, and sequential RCM/oxa‐Michael‐addition reactions. The chemistry developed herein has provided a greater understanding of the synthesis of schindilactone A ( 1 ) and its analogous compounds of the same family.     

General route from simple methyl, alkyl, and cycloalkyl arenes to polycyclic cyclopentenyl aryl derivatives. The CpFe(+) group as an activator and tag

[reaction: see text] The CpFe(+) group activates the perallylation of the benzylic groups of arenes using KOH and allylbromide under ambient conditions. This reaction can be followed by ruthenium-catalyzed RCM metathesis using Grubbs' catalyst at room temperature to give polycyclic aromatic derivatives in high yields, and these products are easily separated from the catalyst by extraction using ether. Alternatively, the RCM metathesis can be best carried out in ionic liquids at 80 degrees C, and extraction using ether is then facile.     

Synthesis of substituted benzenes and phenols by ring-closing olefin metathesis

New synthetic approaches to substituted aromatic compounds are reported. Ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM)/dehydration and RCM/tautomerization are the key processes in the synthesis of substituted benzenes 3 and phenols 6, respectively. Readily accessible 1,5,7-trien-4-ols 7, which are the precursors of benzenes, were prepared from beta-halo-alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes 11 or beta-halo-alpha,beta-unsaturated esters 19 by utilizing reliable transformations in which cross-coupling with vinylic metal reagents 12 and allylation with allylic metal reagents 13 were employed as carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. RCM of 7, followed by dehydration, afforded a wide variety of substituted benzenes 3. In addition, RCM of 1,5,7-trien-4-ones 9, which were prepared by oxidation of 7, furnished various substituted phenols 6 by automatic tautomerization.     

DOSY-NMR analysis of ring-closing metathesis (RCM) products from β-lactam precursors

The discrimination between cyclomonomers and various oligomers formed during a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) process is not an easy task. Their (1)H NMR patterns are often very similar, and the use of mass spectrometry techniques is usually recommended. Here, we show that the DOSY-NMR method is a reliable tool to help in the identification of cyclomonomers versus cyclodimers by comparing the translational diffusion coefficient of the compounds issued from RCM reactions with the diffusion coefficient of their respective precursors.     

Short and diverse route toward complex natural product-like macrocycles

[reaction: see text] A general strategy toward macrocyclic compounds using multicomponent reaction (MCR) chemistry, e.g., Passerini and Ugi variants, and ring-closing metathesis (RCM) is introduced. The corresponding bifunctional isocyanides carboxylic acids bearing a terminal olefin are easy to prepare from the corresponding commercially available starting materials. Advantageously, this strategy allows fast access to a diverse conformational space of natural product-like macrocycles and could thus be of interest in the discovery of novel bioactive agents.     

Synthesis of model BC bicycles of taxol using C10–C11 ring-closing metathesis strategy

Model BC ring-systems of taxol 23b and 28b, which lack an oxygenated substituent at C7, have been efficiently synthesized. The key step is a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) to form the 8-membered B ring between C10 and C11. Comparison of the metathesis reaction in this route with the RCM used in a previous study with similar substrates is highlighted.     

RCM-based synthesis of a variety of beta-C-glycosides and their in vitro anti-solid tumor activity

The synthesis of a number of biologically relevant C-glycosides has been carried out through the use of an esterification-ring-closing metathesis (RCM) strategy. The required acid precursors were readily prepared via a number of standard chemical transformations followed by dehydrative coupling of these acids with several olefin alcohols 1 to yield the precursor esters 3 in excellent yield. Methylenation of the esters 3 was followed by RCM and in situ hydroboration-oxidation of the formed glycals to furnish the protected beta-C-glycosides 6 in good overall yield. Several examples were converted to the corresponding C-glycoglycerolipids 17 and subsequently screened against solid-tumor cell lines for in vitro differential cytotoxicity.     

Ring‐Closing Olefin Metathesis for the Synthesis of Benzene Derivatives

Benzene derivatives were synthesized in excellent yield from 1,4,7‐trien‐3‐ols by tandem ruthenium‐catalyzed ring‐closing olefin metathesis (RCM)/dehydration. The method was extended to the tandem RCM/oxidation process to obtain phenol and aniline derivatives. This method displays many advantages over aromatic‐substitution‐based classical routes.     

New approaches to the synthesis of organofluorine nitrogenated derivatives

Fluorinated carboxylic acids are valuable building blocks for several types of organofluorine nitrogenated derivatives. In this review paper, several strategies that use these compounds as starting materials are described. First, fluorinated seven-membered cyclic β-amino esters can be diastereoselectively synthesized from these compounds with a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reaction as the key step. The use of the RCM reaction in a different approach enables the preparation of fluorinated cyclic α-amino acid derivatives. Fluorinated carboxylic acids also constitute the starting material for the asymmetric synthesis of fluorinated allylic amines. Finally, a solution and solid-phase synthesis of fluorinated uracils and thiouracils is described.