The first example of the C-3 alkylation of indoles with cyclopropyl ketones promoted by CeCl3·7H2O/LiI

Indoles undergo smooth alkylation with cyclopropyl ketones in the presence of the CeCl₃·7H₂O/LiI reagent system in refluxing acetonitrile under neutral conditions to produce the corresponding C-3 substituted indole derivatives in good to high yields and with high selectivity. The use of CeCl₃·7H₂O/LiI makes this method simple, convenient, and cost-effective.     

Decomposition of N-cyclopropyl-N-nitrosourea in the presence of reducing agents as a new way of generating the cyclopropyl radical

A new way of generating cyclopropyl radicals in the base-catalyzed decomposition of N-cyclopropyl-N-nitrosourea in the presence of organic reducing agents (1-phenylpyrazolidin-3-one and 4-methoxyphenol) was developed. The cyclopropyl radical generated under these conditions can not only abstract a proton from the substrate to give cyclopropane but also form C-C or C-Br bonds in reactions with aromatic substrates or polybromomethanes. Dedicated to Academician O. M. Nefedov on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 1934–1938, November, 2006.     

Zirconium-mediated conversion of homoallylic ethers into cyclopropane derivatives

Homoallylic ethers react with Cp₂ZrCl₂/2 n-BuLi reagent to afford cyclopropane derivatives. Cyclopropylcarbinyl-homoallyl rearrangements involving zirconium species are observed depending on the substrate structure.     

Reactions of 3-cyclopropyl-3-oxopropionitrile anion generated by electroreduction of 5-cyclopropylisoxazole

3-Cyclopropyl-3-oxopropionitrile anion obtained by cathodic reduction of 5-cyclopropylisoxazole in an aprotic medium was used as an example to demonstrate that cyano ketone anions show a dual reactivity. The reaction of acetyl chloride with the electrogenerated tetrabutylammonium salt of 3-cyclopropyl-3-oxopropionitrile gave O-acylation products, whereas the reaction with its sodium salt gives C-acylation products. The reactions of these salts with hydroxylamine hydrochloride follow a different route: in the case of the tetrabutylammonium salt, resinification takes place, while in the case of the sodium salt, 5-amino-3-cyclopropylisoxazole is formed. The condensation of this product with 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)butane-1,3-dione in glacial AcOH affords 3-cyclopropyl-6-(2-thienyl)-4-(trifluoromethyl)isoxazolo[5,4-b]pyridine in 85% yield. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2110–2114, November, 2007.     

Synthesis of di- and monobromo(ferrocenylvinyl)cyclopropanes

The Wittig olefination of ferrocene-containing chalcones leads to 1,3-dienes and their cyclodimers. The reaction of 1,3-dienes with dibromocarbene yields gem-dibromo(ferrocenylvinyl)cyclopropanes. Upon reductive dehalogenation with ethylmagnesium bromide they afford the corresponding monobromo derivatives. All the obtained compounds were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR, elemental analysis, and mass spectrometry. The structures of compounds 5a,b, 6g, 6h, and 7i were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Cobalt-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroacylation Involving Cyclopropane Cleavage

A simple cobalt-diphosphine catalyst has been found to efficiently promote intramolecular cyclization of ortho-cyclopropylvinyl- and cyclopropylidenemethyl-substituted benzaldehydes into benzocyclooctadienone and benzocycloheptadienone derivatives, respectively. This ring-opening hydroacylation likely involves aldehyde C−H oxidative addition, olefin insertion, cyclopropane cleavage by β-carbon elimination, and C−C bond-forming reductive elimination, as was supported by mechanistic experiments and DFT calculations.     

Titanocene(II)-Promoted Reactions of 2-(Alk-1-yn-1-yl)-2-(Trialkylsilyl)-1,3-dithianes with Olefins and Carbonyls

Abstract

Trialkylsilyl group-directed regioselective transformations of alkynyl thioacetals to alkynylcyclopropanes and enynes are described.