Bridgehead Substitution via Putative Norborn‐1‐en‐3‐ones: Application in the Synthesis of Complex Molecules

The base‐mediated formation of a bridgehead double bond in a bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane system (anit‐Bredt molecules) is described. The synthesis of exocyclic norbornyl enones by Wittig reaction of α‐diketones is reported. These enones and their Michael adducts are used as substrates for the generation of transient bridgehead enones and their trapping with MeOH and H₂O. Bridgehead alcohols are easily synthesized from norbornyl enones and are exploited for the diversity oriented synthesis of frameworks of natural and unnatural products.     

Azoles: Effective Catalysts for Baylis-Hillman Reaction in Aqueous Media

β-Substituted enones have been considered less reactive in Baylis-Hillman reaction. The reaction of cyclic enones is sluggish or does not occur at all under traditional conditions. Various catalysts have been developed to pro mote the reaction of cyclic enones but with limited success. In previous study, we found that imidazole can catalyze the Baylis-Hillman reaction involving cyclic enones in aqueous THF solution. [1] In our continued efforts, a variety of azole compounds were examined in Baylis-Hillman reaction. We found that the azoles act as effective catalysts in properly adjusted water solution.     

Studies on K2CO3-catalyzed 1,4-addition of 1,2-allenic ketones with diethyl malonate: controlled selective synthesis of beta,gamma-unsaturated enones and alpha-pyrones

The K2CO3 (10 mol %)-catalyzed 1,4-addition reaction of diethyl malonate with various substituted 1,2-allenic ketones leading to polyfunctionalized beta,gamma-unsaturated enones 3 or 4 was studied. With 3-unsubstituted 1-substituted-1,2-allenyl ketones, the highly selective formation of beta,gamma-unsaturated enones 4 was observed; with 1,2-allenyl ketones bearing one or two 3-substituents in the allenyl group, only beta,gamma-unsaturated enones 3 with an unmigrated carbon-carbon double bond were produced; with 3-monosubstituted-1,2-allenyl ketones Z-beta,gamma-unsaturated enones 3 were formed with excellent stereoselectivity (E:Z > 96:4); with propadienyl ketones, mixtures of beta,gamma-unsaturated enones 3 and 4 were formed. alpha-Pyrone derivatives were synthesized via the K(2)CO(3)-catalyzed or -promoted reaction of 1,2-allenic ketones with diethyl malonate via a sequential Michael addition-carbon-carbon double bond migration-lactonization process.     

Copper(II)-bis(oxazoline) catalyzed asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction with alpha'-arylsulfonyl enones as dienophiles

Alpha'-arylsulfonyl enones are efficient bidentate dienophiles for the Cu(II)-bis(oxazoline) catalyzed enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction with a number of dienes, affording the corresponding products with good to high enantiomeric excesses. The resulting products can be alkylated and the sulfone removed, so alpha'-arylsulfonyl enones can be regarded as surrogates of simple monodentate enones, which are poor dienophiles with this catalytic system.     

Imidazoles: Effective Catalysts for Baylis-Hillman Reaction in Aqueous Media

β-Substituted enones have been considered less reactive in Baylis-Hillman reaction. The reaction of cyclic enones is sluggish or does not occur at all under traditional conditions. Various catalysts have been developed to pro mote the reaction of cyclic enones but with limited success. In previous study, we found that imidazole can catalyze the Baylis-Hillman reaction involving cyclic enones in aqueous THF solution.[1] In our continued efforts, we screened a variety of imidazoles to develop superior catalyst, and we found that the reaction could be greatly accelerated by adjusting the pH value of the water solution.     

One-pot beta-substitution of enones with alkyl groups to beta-alkyl enones

Vinylic hydrogens at the beta-position of enones were effectively substituted with alkyl groups in a one-pot procedure to afford beta-alkyl enones in good to high isolated yields by conjugate addition of higher-order dialkyl cyanocuprates to enones, followed by a reaction with N-tert-butylbenzenesulfinimidoyl chloride at -78 degree C.     

Direct Umpolung Morita–Baylis–Hillman like α‐Functionalization of Enones via Enolonium Species

Herein we report on the umpolung of Morita–Baylis–Hillman type intermediates and application to the α‐functionalization of enone C?H bonds. This reaction gives direct access to α‐chloro‐enones, 1,2‐diketones and α‐tosyloxy‐enones. The latter are important intermediates for cross‐coupling reaction and, to the best of our knowledge, cannot be made in a single step from enones in any other way. The proposed mechanism is supported by spectroscopic studies. The key initial step involves conjugate attack of an amine (DABCO or pyridine), likely assisted by hypervalent iodine acting as a Lewis acid leading to formation of an electrophilic β‐ammonium‐enolonium species. Nucleophilic attack by acetate, tosylate, or chloride anion is followed by base induced elimination of the ammonium species to give the noted products. Hydrolysis of α‐acetoxy‐enones lead to formation of 1,2‐diketones. The α‐tosyl‐enones participate in Negishi coupling reactions under standard conditions.     

A new and efficient chemoenzymatic route to both enantiomers of α′-acetoxy and α′-hydroxy-α-methoxy cyclic enones

A chemoenzymatic synthesis of both enantiomers of the pharmacologically interesting α′-acetoxy and α′-hydroxy-α-methoxy cyclic enones starting from α-hydroxy cyclic enones is described. Protection of 1,2-diketones, manganese(III) acetate-mediated acetoxylation followed by enzyme-mediated hydrolysis of α′-acetoxy enones gives acetoxy enones 3a–d and hydroxy enones 4a–d with high enantiomeric excesses (up to 99%) and good yields. The transesterification of rac-4b in the presence of DMAP afforded (+)-4b and (−)-3b in high enantiomeric excesses (91–94%) and good chemical yields.     

Organocatalytic Michael cycloisomerization of bis(enones): the intramolecular Rauhut-Currier reaction

The utilization of enones as latent enolates enables regioselective enolate formation from chemically robust presursors. In this communication, we report a catalytic Michael cycloisomerization of bis(enones) under Morita-Baylis-Hillman conditions. Upon exposure to 10 mol % tributylphosphine, bis(enone) substrates afford both five- and six-membered ring products. Notably, unsymmetrical bis(enones) possessing sufficient steric or electronic bias yield single isomeric products.     

Regio‐ and Stereoselective Conjugate Addition of Aldehydes to β‐Tosyl Enones under the Catalysis of a Binaphthyl‐Modified Chiral Amine

A simple axially chiral amine catalyst promoted the regio‐, diastereo‐, and enantioselective conjugate addition of aldehydes to β‐tosyl enones, which serve as ynone surrogates. The adducts were readily converted by treatment with L‐selectride into less accessible enones with a γ stereogenic center. Such compounds cannot be prepared through the amine‐catalyzed conjugate addition of aldehydes to ynones. The obtained enones underwent further conjugate addition of diorganozinc compounds in the presence of a copper catalyst.     

1,4-Additions of electron-rich heterocycles onto β-perfluoroalkyl enones

β-(Trifluoromethyl) enones, easily obtained in few steps from commercially available methyl hemiketal of trifluoroacetaldehyde, react with electron-rich O- and N-containing heterocycles (furans and benzofurans, pyrroles and indoles, hydroxycoumarins), through a 1,4 addition, to give heterocycles bearing a functionalized side-chain. β-(chlorodifluoromethyl)enones and β-(pentafluoroethyl)enones behave in the same way.     

Baylis-Hillman Reaction Involving Substituted Cyclic Enones in Aqueous Media

β-Substituted enones have been considered less reactive in Baylis-Hillman reaction. The reaction of cyclicenones is sluggish or does not occur at all under traditional conditions. [1] Therefore, substituted cyclic enones havebeen less explored in Baylis-Hillman reaction due to the extremely low reactivity. In this communication, we reported Baylis-Hillman reaction of substituted cyclic enones using our previously developed conditions with imidazole as catalyst. The reaction proceeded smoothly in aqueous media affording the desired product with good yields and moderate diastereoselectivity.     

Synthesis of 5-(hydroxy-, chloro-, bromomethyl)furan-2-enones Based on Fructose and their Antioxidant Activity

Chemistry of Natural Compounds - New enones were synthesized from 5-hydroxymethylfurfurol (5-HMF) and its derivatives using Wittig reactions of various phosphoranes. The synthesized enones were...     

Diastereoselective addition of allyltitanocenes to cyclic enones

The reaction of allyltitanocenes with five- to seven-membered cyclic enones proceeded with good to high diastereoselectivity depending on the ring size of enones. The stereochemistry of the major isomers produced by the reaction of cinnamyltitanocene was opposite to that of crotyltitanocene.     

Regioselectivity switch achieved in the palladium catalyzed α-arylation of enones by employing the modified Kuwajima-Urabe conditions

A new regioselective approach to the synthesis of α-aryl enones is reported. This represents an important application of the Kuwajima-Urabe protocol toward the synthesis of this simple albeit complex functional array. Several α-aryl enones were synthesized by the palladium catalyzed arylation of triethylsilylenol ethers of enones with high regioselectivity and broad scope, utilizing sterically encumbered electron-rich phosphine ligands to drive the reaction.     

Hydroxy-rhodium(I) catalyzed regioselective Michael addition of cyclic enones

Hydroxy-rhodium catalyzed dimerization of various cyclic enones to the corresponding α-enone adducts is developed. The key feature of this method is that the base-sensitive, highly substituted enones also undergo dimerization and the resultant products are obtained in moderate to good yields.     

Divergent reaction pathways of a cationic intermediate: rearrangement and cyclization of 2-substituted furyl and benzofuryl enones catalyzed by iridium(III)

In contrast to 2-substituted pyrrole enones, furyl and benzofuryl enones do not undergo the Nazarov electrocyclization. Instead, these furyl and benzofuryl enones exhibit unusual rearrangement sequences in the presence of catalytic amounts of [IrBr(CO)(DIM)((R)-(+)-BINAP)](SbF(6))(2) (1; DIM = diethylisopropylidene malonate) and AgSbF(6) (1:1). A 1,2-H shift followed by intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation leads to synthetically valuable cyclohexanones with furanylic quaternary centers. The electrophilicity of 1 is essential for this rearrangement.     

Pd-catalyzed dehydrogenative cross-coupling of polyfluoroarenes with heteroatom-substituted enones

The first example of intermolecular regioselective α-arylation of heteroatom-substituted enones with polyfluoroarenes via twofold C-H bond functionalization using a palladium catalyst is reported. This approach provides rapid access to a wide range of α-fluoroarylated enones of interest in life science.     

Palladium-catalyzed conjugate addition of terminal alkynes to enones

A practical protocol for the hydroalkynylation of enones using Pd catalysis is reported. The reaction proceeds efficiently with a variety of alkynes as well as with several cyclic and acyclic enones, providing synthetically relevant β-alkynyl ketones in good to excellent yields.     

Preparation of alpha-sulfenyl enones by thermal fragmentation of beta-sulfenyl enol triflates

[reaction: see text] The synthetic scope and mechanism of the fragmentation of cyclic beta-sulfenyl enol triflates to give alpha-sulfenyl enones are described. This transformation is the central step in a mild, functional group-tolerant method for preparing alpha-sulfenyl enones.