One-pot synthesis of tetrahydroindoles via a copper catalyzed N-alkynation/[4+2] cycloaddition cascade

4,7-Dihydroindolines are prepared from alkyne bromides and 2-dienyl sulfonamides via a CuSO₄ catalyzed cascade in a one-pot fashion.     

Gold-catalyzed tandem 1,3-migration/[2 + 2] cycloaddition of 1,7-enyne benzoates to azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-5-enes

A synthetic method that relies on gold(I)-catalyzed tandem 1,3-migration/[2 + 2] cycloaddition of 1,7-enyne benzoates to prepare azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-5-enes is described.     

3 + 2] cycloaddition on carbohydrate templates: stereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidines

Pyrrolidine derivatives were prepared in high diastereoselectivities and good yields via a [3 + 2] cycloaddition of a tert-butyldimethylsilyl protected carbohydrate-based allene with a diverse range of imines. The subsequent removal of the carbohydrate auxiliary afforded a variety of pyrrolidines with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). Selective reduction of the pyrrolidines further demonstrated the potential of this strategy.     

Efficient synthesis of enynecarbamates and their ring-closing metathesis/[4 + 2] Diels-Alder cycloaddition: synthesis of hexahydroisoquinolines

Enynes 5a-g were prepared in moderate to good yields from 1-(triphenylphosphoranylideneaminoalkyl)benzotriazoles. Ring-closing metathesis of 5a-f afforded functionalized dienes 6a-f, respectively, which were used in a Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction in the synthesis of the corresponding hexahydroisoquinoline derivatives 7a-f.     

Enantioselective synthesis of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones using a copper-mediated oxidative dearomatization/[4 + 2] dimerization cascade

An enantioselective approach to bicyclo[2.2.2]octenone structures utilizing a copper-mediated asymmetric oxidative dearomatization/[4 + 2] dimerization cascade is described. The total synthesis and absolute stereochemistry reassignment of (+)-aquaticol has been achieved using the methodology.     

[2+2] Carbonylative cycloaddition catalyzed by palladium: stereoselective synthesis of β-lactams

[2+2] Carbonylative cycloaddition of chiral imines to various allyl halides, under CO pressure, in the presence of Et₃N, a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)₂ and PPh₃ as ligand, are carried out. Separable diastereomeric mixtures of chiral alkenyl-β-lactams are isolated with good yields and high trans diastereoselections. Absolute configurations are assigned by X-ray measurements and ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

Sequential organocatalyzed Michael addition/[3 + 2]-heterocyclization for the stereoselective synthesis of fused-isoxazoline precursors of enantiopure cyclopentanoids

We propose an asymmetric synthesis of functionalized cyclopentanoids bearing up to four stereogenic centers from easily accessible nitroalkenes and unsaturated aldehydes. The overall sequence includes an enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition and a [3 + 2]-heterocyclization between an in situ generated silylnitronate and the unactivated double bond. Finally, the fused isoxazoline can be further transformed to various cyclopentanoids.     

Catalytic [2+1] cycloaddition of diazo compounds to [60]fullerene

A catalytic method for the efficient synthesis of 5,6-open and 6,6-closed (2π+1π) fullerene adducts by [2+1] cycloaddition of ethyl 2-alkyl(hetaryl)-2-diazoacetates to [60]fullerene in the presence of a three-component catalyst Pd(acac)₂—PPh₃—Et₃Al have been developed.     

Gold-catalyzed formal [3 + 3] and [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of nitrosobenzenes with alkenylgold carbenoids

We report two new formal cycloaddition reactions between nitrosobenzenes and alkenylgold carbenoids. We obtained quinoline oxides 3 in satisfactory yields from the gold-catalyzed [3 + 3]-cycloadditions between nitrosobenzenes and alkenyldiazo esters 1. For propargyl esters 5, its resulting gold carbenes react with nitrosobenzene to give alkenylimine 8, followed by a [4 + 2]-cycloaddition with nitrosobenzene.     

Facile synthesis of carbohydrate-integrated isoxazolines through tandem [4+1] cycloaddition and rearrangement of 2-nitroglycals

Carbohydrate-integrated isoxazolines were synthesized from 2-nitroglycals and sulfur ylides, with the aid of 1-phenylthiourea catalyst. The reactions proceeded via [4+1] annulations and upon subsequent rearrangement, afforded the corresponding isoxazolines in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 95% de).     

NaI-catalyzed highly regioselective ring-opening [1 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of cyclopropenes with imines: highly stereoselective synthesis of cis-vinylic aziridines

cis-Vinylic aziridines were prepared highly stereoselectively via a NaI-catalyzed regioselective ring-opening [1 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of cyclopropenes with imines.     

Synthesis of 1-acetyl-2-silyoxycycloheptane derivatives via highly stereoselective formal [5+2] cycloaddition reaction

A stereoselective [5+2] cycloaddition reaction using a new five-carbon unit, that has a dicobalt acetylene complex moiety and an enol silyl ether moiety, was developed. In the presence of a Lewis acid, the five-carbon unit reacted with an enol triisopropylsilyl ether to give a 1-acetyl-2-silyoxycycloheptane derivative, in which the three contiguous substituents on the seven-membered ring arrange cis to each other.     

An expedient approach for the regio- and stereoselective synthesis of novel spiroindolizidines via [3+2] cycloaddition

A new series of spiroindolizidines was synthesized by one-pot, three-component condensation of azomethine ylides, generated from 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline with ninhydrin or isatin derivatives by a 1,5-prototropic shift route, with various derivatives of trans-β-nitrostyrene in a regio- and stereoselective manner. X-ray crystal structure analysis and NMR spectroscopic data confirmed the structure outcome of the cycloaddition reaction.     

Diels-Alder approach to biaryls: elucidation of competing tandem [2+2] cycloaddition/[1,3] sigmatropic shift pathway

Reaction of 2-halo-6-nitrophenylacetylene with an electron deficient diene gives rise to a [4+2] cycloaddition/cycloreversion biaryl product and a bicyclo[4.2.0]octadiene resulting from a competing [2+2] cycloaddition pathway. The cyclobutene can be opened to give a mixture of cyclooctatriene and biaryl in varying amounts depending on heat and light exposure. The conversion of the cyclobutene into biaryl occurs through a [1,3] sigmatropic carbon shift followed by [4+2] cycloextrusion of ethylene gas.     

Theoretical insight into stereoselective reaction mechanisms of 2,4-pentanediol-tethered ketene-olefin [2 + 2] cycloaddition

We report ab initio molecular dynamics calculations based on density functional theory performed on an intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition between ketene and olefin linked with a 2,4-pentanediol (PD) tether. We find that the encounter of the ketene and olefin moieties could be prearranged in the thermal equilibrated state before the cycloaddition. The reaction mechanism is found to be stepwise, similar to that of intermolecular ketene [2 + 2] cycloadditions with ordinary alkenes. A distinct feature of the reaction pathway for a major diastereoisomer is a differential activation free energy of about 1.5 kcal/mol, including 2.8 kcal/mol as the differential activation entropy, with a transition state consisting of a flexible nine-membered ring in the olefin-PD-ketene moiety. This theoretical study provides a reasonable explanation for the strict stereocontrollability of the PD-tethered ketene-olefin cycloaddition, irrespective of reaction types or conditions.     

Charge transfer chromophore-stopped [2]rotaxane through [2 + 2] cycloaddition

Three charge-transfer chromophore-terminated [2]rotaxanes were synthesized, using a high-yield [2 + 2]cycloaddition reaction in apolar solvent at room temperature. Two solvent-driving molecular shuttles were constructed, which exhibit distinct conformations in different solvent as a result of the shuttling movement of the macrocycle.     

Enantioselective synthesis of axially chiral anilides through rhodium-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with trimethylsilylynamides

We have developed a rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective intermolecular [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with trimethylsilylynamides for the synthesis of axially chiral anilides. The axial chirality is constructed at the formation of benzene rings with high enantioselectivity (up to 98% ee). It should be noted that the present reaction employs the readily prepared trimethylsilylynamides starting from commercially available bis(trimethysilyl)acetylene and the trimethylsilyl group of the product anilides is expected to be utilized for further functionalization.