Synthesis of Highly Substituted γ‐Butyrolactones by a Gold‐Catalyzed Cascade Reaction of Benzyl Esters

Easily accessible benzylic esters of 3‐butynoic acids in a gold‐catalyzed cyclization/rearrangement cascade reaction provided 3‐propargyl γ‐butyrolactones with the alkene and the carbonyl group not being conjugated. Crossover experiments showed that the formation of the new C?C bond is an intermolecular process. Initially propargylic–benzylic esters were used, but alkyl‐substituted benzylic esters worked equally well. In the case of the propargylic–benzylic products, a simple treatment of the products with aluminum oxide initiated a twofold tautomerization to the allenyl‐substituted γ‐butyrolactones with conjugation of the carbonyl group, the olefin, and the allene. The synthetic sequence can be conducted stepwise or as a one‐pot cascade reaction with similar yields. Even in the presence of the gold catalyst the new allene remains intact.     

1,1‐Organoboration of bis(trimethylstannyl)ethyne with trimethylsilyl‐ and dimethylsilyl‐dialkylboryl‐substituted alkenes: organometallic‐substituted allenes

The reactions of bis(trimethylstannyl)ethyne, Me₃Sn–C?C–SnMe₃ ( 4 ), with trimethylsilyl‐ or dimethylsilyl‐dialkylboryl‐substituted alkenes 1 – 3 afford organometallic‐substituted allenes 5 , 6 and 8 , 9 in high yield. In the case of (E)‐2‐trimethylsilyl‐3‐diethylboryl‐2‐pentene ( 1) , a butadiene derivative 7 could be detected as an intermediate prior to rearrangement into the allene. All reactions were monitored by ²⁹Si and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR, and the products were characterized by an extensive NMR data set (¹H, ¹¹B, ¹³C, ²⁹Si, ¹¹⁹Sn NMR). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and properties of allenic natural products and pharmaceuticals

Nowadays, about 150 natural products comprising an allenic or cumulenic structure are known. The chemistry of these compounds has turned out to be a very attractive and prolific area of interest: advances in the isolation and characterization of new allenic natural products have led to the establishment of efficient synthetic procedures which in many cases also open up an access to enantiomerically pure target molecules. Inspired by the intriguing biological activities of many allenic natural products, allene moieties are now systematically introduced in pharmacologically active classes of compounds (steroids, prostaglandins, amino acids, nucleosides). The functionalized allenes thus obtained often exhibit impressive activities as mechanism-based enzyme inhibitors, cytotoxic, or antiviral agents. A prerequisite for further developments in this field is the efficient stereoselective synthesis of allene derivatives.     

A new color of the synthetic chameleon methoxyallene: synthesis of trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridinol derivatives: an unusual reaction mechanism, a remarkable crystal packing, and first palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions

Addition of lithiated methoxyallene to pivalonitrile afforded after aqueous workup the expected iminoallene 1 in excellent yield. Treatment of this intermediate with silver nitrate accomplished the desired cyclization to the electron-rich pyrrole derivative 2 in moderate yield. Surprisingly, trifluoroacetic acid converted iminoallene 1 to a mixture of enamide 3 and trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridinol 4 (together with its tautomer 5). A plausible mechanism proposed for this intriguing transformation involves addition of trifluoroacetate to the central allene carbon atom of an allenyl iminium intermediate as crucial step. Enamide 3 is converted to pyridinol 4 by an intramolecular aldol-type process. A practical direct synthesis of trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridinols 4, 10, 11, and 12 starting from typical nitriles and methoxyallene was established. Pyridinol 10 shows an interesting crystal packing with three molecules in the elementary cell and a remarkable helical supramolecular arrangement. Trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridinol 4 was converted to the corresponding pyridyl nonaflate 13, which is an excellent precursor for palladium-catalyzed reactions leading to pyridine derivatives 14-16 in good to excellent yields. The new synthesis of trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridines disclosed here demonstrates a novel reactivity pattern of lithiated methoxyallene which is incorporated into the products as the unusual tripolar synthon B.     

Pd0-catalyzed coupling cyclization reaction of Aryl or 1-alkenyl halides with 1,2-allenyl ketones: scope and mechanism. An efficient assembly of 2,3,4-, 2,3,5-tri- and 2,3,4,5-tetrasubstituted furans

Described herein is the Pd(0)-catalyzed coupling cyclization reaction of 1,2-allenyl ketones with organic halides leading efficiently and conveniently to not only 2,3,4- and 2,3,5-trisubstituted furans but also 2,3,4,5-tetrasubstituted furans. Furthermore, this method showed high substituent-loading capability and tolerance of various substituents. The reactions of 1,2-allenyl ketones 1 e, 1 p, 1 q, and deuterated [D]1 c were performed for a mechanistic study, which demonstrated that instead of an enolization pathway, the reaction may proceed via the intermediacy of dienolate palladium and intramolecular nucleophilic attack on the pi-allyl palladium intermediate by the carbonyl oxygen.     

Highly chemoselective coupling of allenylstannanes with organic iodides promoted by Pd(PPh3)4/LiCl: an efficient method for the synthesis of substituted allenes

An efficient method for the preparation of various monosubstituted arylallenes, disubstituted allenes and alkenylallenes via palladium-catalyzed coupling of allenylstannanes with aryl iodides or alkenyl iodides is described. The coupling reaction was carried out in the presence of Pd(PPh₃)₄ and LiCl using DMF as solvent. The possible role of LiCl in this coupling process is discussed based on the ¹¹⁹Sn NMR studies.     

Synthesis and transformations of metallacycles 33. The first example of cycloalumination of cyclonona-1,2-diene with Et<Subscript>3</Subscript>Al and EtAlCl<Subscript>2</Subscript> in the presence of Cp<Subscript>2</Subscript>ZrCl<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Catalytic cycloalumination of cyclonona-1,2-diene upon treatment with Et₃Al and EtAlCl₂ in the presence of Cp₂ZrCl₂, leading to 10-ethyl-10-aluminabicyclo[7.3.0^1,9]dodec-8-ene (1) and 11-ethyl-11-aluminatricyclo[10.7.0^1,12.0^2,10]nonadeca-9,12-diene, respectively, was accomplished in high yields. A possibility for the selective transformation of compound 1 to 1-allyl-9-(pent-4-enyl)cyclonon-1-ene and 10-hydroxybicyclo[7.3.0^1,9]dodec-8-ene in one preparative step was demonstrated. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2156–2159, November, 2007.     

α- and γ-Regiocontrol and Enantiospecificity in the Copper-Catalyzed Substitution Reaction of Propargylic Phosphates with Grignard Reagents

The regioselectivity (r.s.) and enantiospecificity (e.s.) of the substitution reactions of secondary propargylic alcohol derivatives using reagents derived from ArMgBr and Cu salts were studied. First, the picolinate, 3-methylpicolinate, and diethylphosphonate derivatives of Ph(CH₂)₂CH(OH)C≡CTMS were reacted with PhMgBr/CuCN in ratios of 2.5:2.7–2.5:0.25. The use of 2.5:0.25 ratio in THF/DME (6:1) at 0 °C for 1 h afforded the α-substitution product from the phosphate with ≥98 % r.s. and 99 % e.s. CuBr⋅Me₂S gave similar selectivity. The reaction system was then applied to phosphates derived from R¹CH(OH)C≡CR² and ArMgBr to obtain synthetically sufficient r.s. and e.s. values with R²=TMS, Ph, whereas iPr was borderline in terms of size as an R¹ substituent. The presence of a substituent at the o-position of Ar marginally affected the selectivity. We also found that the use of PhMgBr/Cu(acac)₂ in a 2:1 ratio in THF produced the γ-substitution products (allenes) with high r.s. and e.s.