A new approach to 2,2-disubstituted chromenes and tetrahydroquinolines through intramolecular cyclization of chiral 3,4-epoxy alcohols

An efficient route to chiral chromene and tetrahydroquinoline ring models 3 and 4 was developed by means of the vanadium epoxidation of chiral homoallylic alcohols 12 and 19 followed by an intramolecular epoxide opening of 3,4-epoxy alcohols 14 and 20. The configuration of all compounds was confirmed using NMR analysis.     

A facile approach for the synthesis of novel substituted 4H-chromenes and condensation reactions of 4H-chromenes leading to chromenopyrrolones and triazolylchromenopyrrolones

A facile method has been developed for the synthesis of 4H-chromene-3-carboxylates 3a–d by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 2-hydroxy-2H-chromene-3-carboxylates 2a–d with triethylsilane in the presence of BF₃·O(C₂H₅)₂. Cyclocondensation of 4H-chromene-3-carboxylates 3a–d with benzylamines 4a–d afforded a series of 2,3-dihydrochromenopyrrolones 5a–p and with propargylamine afforded 2-propynyl-2,3-dihydrochromenopyrrolones 6a–d. Click reaction of 6a–d with benzyl azides 7a–d provided a series of 1H-1,2,3-triazolylmethyl-2,3-dihydrochromenopyrrolones 8a–p. Thus synthesized compounds 3a–d, 5a–p, 6a–d, and 8a–p are novel heterocyclic compounds and being reported for the first time.     

γ-Lactonizations of 2H-chromenes via cyclopropanation

A two-step synthesis of tetrahydro-2H-furochromenones from 2H-chromenes is reported. The reaction of a series of tert-butyl 2-diazoacetate derivatives with 2H-chromenes, catalyzed by Rh₂(OAc)₄, generated cyclopropane intermediates that rearranged to γ-lactones on treatment with Sn(OTf)₂.     

A novel approach to phosphonic acids from hypophosphorous acid

A novel access to phosphonic acids via Pd-catalyzed tandem carbon-phosphorus bond formation-oxidation processes was developed. The procedures involve atom-economical and environmentally friendly functionalization reactions of hypophosphorous acid (H₃PO₂) and H-phosphinic acids [RP(O)(OH)(H)].     

A non-catalytic regioselective approach to the synthesis of (E)-stilbenes from suitably functionalized 2H-pyran-2-ones

Highly functionalized (E)-stilbenes 3a-m and 4-aryl-6-styryl-pyran-2-ylidineacetonitriles 4a-b have been prepared and delineated through the ring transformation of 6-aryl-3,4-disubstituted-2H-pyran-2-ones 1 with commercially available (E/Z)-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one 2 without the use of any catalyst.     

Nitroketene acetal chemistry: efficient synthesis of 2-amino-3-nitro-4H-chromenes

Base-catalyzed reaction of the nitroketene N,S-acetals and the ring substituted 2-hydroxybenzaldehydes afforded a combinatorial library of the 2-alkylamino-3-nitro-4-alkylsulfanyl 4H-chromenes in excellent yields. Nucleophilic displacement of the C4 alkylsulfanyl group with different thiols afforded 4H-chromenes with structural diversity.     

2,5-Dimethoxy-2,5-dihydrofuran chemistry: a new approach to 2(5H)-furanone derivatives

2,5-Dimethoxy-2,5-dihydrofuran is a synthetic equivalent of 2(5H)-furanone or 2-trimethylsilyloxyfuran, useful C₄ synthons in the preparation of 5-substituted-2(5H)-furanone derivatives. The reaction conditions adopted allow to obtain different classes of complex and biologically interesting compounds, in only one step, with high yields.     

Enantioselective Michael reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to 3-nitro-2H-chromenes catalyzed by chiral nickel complexes

A chiral nickel complexes-catalyzed enantioselective Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to 3-nitro-2H-chromenes has been developed; the products could be obtained in high yields and good enantioselectivities.     

The versatile role of norbornene in C-H functionalization processes: concise synthesis of tetracyclic fused pyrroles via a threefold domino reaction

The synthesis of novel tetracyclic fused pyrroles from 1-(2-iodophenyl)-1H-pyrrole and various bromoalkyl-aryl alkynes via a palladium(0)-catalyzed and norbornene-mediated threefold domino reaction is reported. PdCl₂ and tri-2-furylphosphine (TFP) in the presence of norbornene and Cs₂CO₃ in CH₃CN at 90 °C gave a variety of tetracyclic fused pyrroles in usually high yields. In the described reaction sequence two of the three carbon-carbon bonds are formed by functionalization of an unactivated aryl C-H bond.     

Silver(I) and gold(I)-promoted synthesis of alkylidene lactones and 2H-chromenes from salicylic and anthranilic acid derivatives

Ag(I) and Au(I) efficiently catalyze the cycloisomerization of terminal alkynoic acids into methylene seven-membered ring lactones. Depending on the metal, divergent reaction pathways were found for non terminal alkynoic acids. While Ag(I) led to lactones, Au(I) led to 2H-chromenes coming from the hydroarylation of the alkyne.     

Optically active aziridine esters by nucleophilic addition of nitrogen heterocycles to a chiral 2H-azirine-2-carboxylic ester

Chiral enriched ethyl 3-methyl-2H-azirine-2-carboxylate acts as an efficient alkylating agent for a variety of five-membered aromatic nitrogen heterocycles.     

Application of N,3-diaryl-3-oxo-propanethioamide in synthesis: an efficient and mild domino approach to highly substituted fused chromenones

A convenient and rapid synthesis of hitherto unknown 3-aroyl-4-aryl-2-phenylamino-4H-benzo[g]chromene-5,10-diones in high yield from β-aroyl-thioacetanilide, aromatic aldehyde, and 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone via InCl₃ catalyzed one-pot three-component tandem Knoevenagel condensation–Michael addition–intramolecular cyclization–elimination reaction sequence is disclosed for the first time. This domino protocol has been used to obtain highly substituted pyrano[3,2-c]chromen-5(4H)-ones and 7,7-dimethyl-7,8-dihydro-4H-chromen-5(6H)-ones from N,3-diaryl-3-oxo-propanethioamide, aromatic aldehyde, and 4-hydroxycoumarine or dimedone under mild reaction conditions. A plausible reaction mechanism is proposed. The 4H-pyrano[3,2-c]chromen-5-one and 7,7-dimethyl-7,8-dihydro-4H-chromen-5(6H)-one derivatives possessing 3-(2-chlorobenzoyl)-2-phenylamino-substituents further cyclized under basic conditions to yield penta-cyclic 7,13-diaryl-5,14-dioxa-13-aza-benzo[a]naphthacen-6,8(7H,13H)-dione and tetra-cyclic 6,12-diaryl-3,3-dimethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromeno[2,3-b]quinolin-1,11(6H,12H)-dione, respectively.     

A new and efficient one-pot synthesis of 2-hydroxy-1,4-dihydrobenzoxazines via a three-component Petasis reaction

The secondary amines synthesized by the reaction between 2-aminophenols and aromatic aldehydes, via the reduction of the corresponding imines, were employed in the synthesis of new 2-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazine derivatives through a one-pot Petasis multicomponent reaction in good to excellent yields.     

Furan ring opening-isochromene ring closure: a new approach to isochromene ring synthesis

A new approach toward the synthesis of 1H-isochromenes based on the recyclization of the furan ring in the corresponding ortho-hydroxymethylbenzylfurans is described.     

A new class of nitrogen based chiral ligands: 2H-1,3-benzoxazines. Ligand synthesis, X-ray structural studies and asymmetric catalysis

A new class of chiral ligands, e.g., (−)-9, based on the benzoxazine nucleus, has been designed and synthesized in three steps from the commercially available starting materials salicylamide and (−)-menthone. Application of (−)-9 in the palladium catalyzed-allylic substitution of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenylacetate with dimethyl malonate gave enantioselectivities of up to 62%ee. Ees of 42% and 20% in asymmetric hydrosilylations and diethylzinc additions, respectively, were also obtained.     

A new enlargement methodology for the preparation of 2H-1- and 2H-3-benzazepin-2-one derivatives

An investigation of the one-carbon homologation of some 1-tribromomethyl-isoquinoline and 2-tribromomethyl-quinoline derivatives was conducted. Under the influence of an aqueous solution of silver nitrate in the presence of a nucleophilic species (MeOH, H₂O, EtNH₂), these derivatives led to the respective expanded heterocycles, 2H-1- and 2H-3-benzazepin-2-one derivatives. A mechanism for this novel ring enlargement involving initial formation of an aziridinium, and its subsequent opening to form a stabilized benzylic carbocation, is proposed to explain the results.     

A concise approach to (+)-1-epi-castanospermine

A concise enantioselective synthesis of (+)-1-epi-castanospermine (2) is described, which featured the use of chiral non-racemic tetramic acid derivative 5 as a synthetic equivalent of the challenging synthon A through a highly diastereoselective vinylogous Mukaiyama type reaction.     

Syntheses of tetrahydropyridin-3-ol and tetrahydroazepin-3-ol from a chiral aziridine-2-carboxylate

A method for the stereoselective preparation of 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridin-3-ols and 2,3,4,7-tetrahydro-1H-azepin-3-ols, potentially versatile intermediates in the asymmetric synthesis of various piperidine alkaloids and azasugars, has been developed. The routes start with a readily available optically pure aziridine-2-carboxylate. The design strategy relies on four key transformations involving (1) stereoselective reduction of an acyl-aziridine intermediate derived from the aziridine-2-carboxylate, (2) regioselective aziridine ring opening, (3) N-allylation, and (4) ring-closing metathesis. The method developed in this investigation provides ready access to stereochemically defined and highly functionalized 3-hydroxy-substituted tetrahydropyridines and tetrahydroazepines.     

New domino approach for the synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted benzo[b]furans via copper-catalyzed multi-component coupling reactions followed by cyclization

An efficient domino process for the construction of 2,3-disubstituted benzo[b]furans has been developed via copper-catalyzed three-component coupling reactions of salicylaldehydes, amines, and alkynes followed by base-assisted O-annulation reaction.     

An efficient non-catalytic, regioselective approach to the synthesis of angularly fused polycyclic systems

A novel approach to the synthesis of partially reduced different ring sizes of PAH analogs with sec.amino and nitrile functionalities is delineated through base-induced ring transformation of 4-sec.amino-2-oxo-5,6-dihydro-2H-benzo[h]chromene-3-carbonitriles by a carbanion, generated in situ from cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, cycloheptanone, and cyclooctanone separately in good yields. An increase in the size of cycloalkanone ring beyond cyclooctanone restricts the ring transformation under analogous reaction conditions possibly due to bulky conformation of higher homologs. The synthetic method provides an efficient general route for the construction of angularly fused partially reduced polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: 5-sec.amino-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]phenanthrene-4-carbonitriles, 6-sec.amino-2,3,4,7,8-pentahydro-1H-benzo[c]phenanthrene-5-carbonitriles, 7-sec.amino-2,3,4,5,8,9-hexahydro-1H-cyclohepta[c]phenanthrene-6-carbonitriles, and 8-sec.amino-2,3,4,5,6,9,10-heptahydro-1H-cycloocta[c]phenanthrene-7-carbonitriles.