(3+3)‐Annulation of Carbonyl Ylides with Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes: Synergistic Dirhodium(II) and Lewis Acid Catalysis

The first (3+3)‐annulation process of donor–acceptor cyclopropanes using synergistic catalysis is reported. The Rh₂(OAc)₄‐catalyzed decomposition of diazo carbonyl compounds generated carbonyl ylides in situ. These 1,3‐dipoles were converted with donor–acceptor cyclopropanes, activated by Lewis acid catalysis, to afford multiply substituted pyran scaffolds in high yield and diastereoselectivity. Extensive optimization studies enabled access to 9‐oxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan‐2‐one and 10‐oxabicyclo[4.3.1]decen‐2‐ol cores, exploiting solvent effects on intermediate reactivity.     

GaCl3‐Mediated Reactions of Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes with Aromatic Aldehydes

A new strategy for cascade assembly of substituted indenes and polycyclic lactones based on reactions of donor–acceptor cyclopropanes and styrylmalonates with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of GaCl₃ has been developed. The use of GaCl₃ makes it possible to principally change the direction of the reaction known in this series of substrates and to perform the process in a multicomponent version. Generation of formal 1,2‐zwitterionic intermediates owing to complexation of dicarboxylate groups with GaCl₃ is the driving force of the reactions discovered. This method makes it possible to assemble indenylmalonates or indano[1′,2′:2,3]indano[2,1‐b]furan‐2‐ones in one synthetic stage from readily available starting compounds with high regio‐ and diastereoselectivity. A mechanism of the reactions has been suggested using the ¹⁸O label in benzaldehyde.     

A Straightforward Approach to Tetrahydroindolo[3,2‐b]carbazoles and 1‐Indolyltetrahydrocarbazoles through [3+3] Cyclodimerization of Indole‐Derived Cyclopropanes

A rapid new approach to produce biologically relevant bisindoles, namely indolyltetrahydrocarbazoles and indolo[3,2‐b]carbazoles, has been developed, based on the Ga(OTf)₃‐catalyzed [3+3] cyclodimerization of indole‐derived donor–acceptor cyclopropanes. Chemoselectivity of the process depends on the location of the three‐membered ring at the indole core.     

Uncovering the Neglected Similarities of Arynes and Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes

Arynes and donor–acceptor (D–A) cyclopropanes are two classes of strained systems having the potential for numerous applications in organic synthesis. The last two decades have witnessed a renaissance of interest in the chemistry of these species primarily because of the mild and robust methods for their generation or activation. Commonly, arynes as easily polarizable systems result in 1,2‐disubstitution, whereas D‐A cyclopropanes as polarized systems lead to 1,3‐bisfunctionalization thereby showing striking similarities. Transformations with 1,2‐ and 1,3‐dipoles afford cyclic structures. With arynes, emerging four‐membered rings as intermediates might react further, whereas the analogous five‐membered rings obtained from D–A cyclopropanes are most often the final products. However, there are a few cases where these intermediates behave surprisingly differently. This Minireview highlights the parallels in reactivity between arynes and D–A cyclopropanes thereby shedding light on the neglected similarities of these two reactive species.     

[8+2] and [8+3] Cyclization Reactions of Alkenyl Carbenes and 8‐Azaheptafulvenes: Direct Access to Tetrahydro‐1‐azaazulene and Cyclohepta[b]pyridinone Derivatives

The reactivity of Fischer alkenyl carbenes toward 8‐azaheptafulvenes is examined. Alkenyl carbenes react with 8‐azaheptafulvenes with complete regio‐ and stereoselectivity through formal [8+3] and [8+2] heterocyclization reactions, which show an unprecedented dependence on the C_β substituent at the alkenyl carbene complex. Thus, the formal [8+3] heterocyclization reaction is completely favored in carbene complexes that bear a coordinating moiety to give tetrahydrocyclohepta[b]pyridin‐2‐ones. Otherwise, alkenyl carbenes that lack appropriate coordinating groups undergo a formal [8+2] cyclization with 8‐azaheptafulvenes to give compounds that bear a tetrahydroazaazulene structure. A likely mechanism for these reactions would follow well‐established models and would involve a 1,4‐addition/cyclization in the case of the [8+2] cyclization or a 1,2‐addition/[1,2] shift–metal‐promoted cyclization for the [8+3] reaction. The presence of a coordinating moiety in the carbene would favor the [1,2] metal shift through transition‐state stabilization to lead to the [8+3] product. All these processes provide an entry into the tetrahydroazaazulene and cycloheptapyridone frameworks present in the structure of biologically active molecules.     

Dimerization of Dimethyl 2‐(Naphthalen‐1‐yl)cyclopropane‐1,1‐dicarboxylate in the Presence of GaCl3 to [3+2], [3+3], [3+4], and Spiroannulation Products

In the presence of a catalytic amount of GaCl₃, dimethyl 2‐(naphthalen‐1‐yl)cyclopropane‐1,1‐dicarboxylate 5 undergoes selective [3+2]‐annulation‐type dimerization to give a polysubstituted cyclopentane containing two naphthalenyl substituents in the vicinal position (Scheme 2). Treatment of the same cyclopropane with an equimolar amount of GaCl₃?THF results in dimerization with electrophilic attack on each of the benzene rings to give [3+3] and [3+4] annulation products. The latter represent a new type of dimerization of donor? acceptor cyclopropanes. Finally, under conditions of double catalysis with GaCl₃, 3,3,5,5‐tetrasubstituted 4,5‐dihydropyrazole, this cyclopropane‐dicarboxylate undergoes stereospecific dimerization as a result of electrophilic ipso‐attack to give a tetracyclic pentaleno[6a,1‐a]naphthalene derivative (Scheme 5). Possible reaction mechanisms are proposed.     

Stereospecific 1,3‐Aminobromination of Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes

Sn(OTf)₂‐catalyzed 1,3‐aminobromination of donor–acceptor cyclopropanes with various sulfonyl amides or electron‐poor anilines and N ‐bromosuccinimide is reported. These experimentally straightforward reactions occurred with complete regio‐ and stereospecificity (for anilines) to give γ‐aminated α‐brominated malonic diesters in good to excellent yields (up to 98 %). These compounds served as valuable substrates for subsequent reactions to provide substituted azetidines and γ‐lactams in high yields.     

Directing the Activation of Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes Towards Stereoselective 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions by Brønsted Base Catalysis

The first stereoselective organocatalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of donor‐acceptor cyclopropanes is presented. It is demonstrated that by applying an optically active bifunctional Brønsted base catalyst, racemic di‐cyano cyclopropylketones can be activated to undergo a stereoselective 1,3‐dipolar reaction with mono‐ and polysubstituted nitroolefins. The reaction affords functionalized cyclopentanes with three consecutive stereocenters in high yield and stereoselectivity. Based on the stereochemical outcome, a mechanism in which the organocatalyst activates both the donor‐acceptor cyclopropane and nitroolefin is proposed. Finally, chemoselective transformations of the cycloaddition products are demonstrated.     

Divergent Reactivity of Thioalkynes in Lewis Acid Catalyzed Annulations with Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes

Efficient methods for the convergent synthesis of (poly)cyclic scaffolds are urgently needed in synthetic and medicinal chemistry. Herein, we describe new annulation reactions of thioalkynes with phthalimide‐substituted donor–acceptor cyclopropanes, which gave access to highly substituted cyclopentenes and polycyclic ring systems. With silyl‐thioalkynes, the Lewis acid catalyzed [3+2] annulation reaction with donor–acceptor cyclopropanes took place to afford 1‐thio‐cyclopenten‐3‐amines. On the other hand, an unprecedented polycyclic compound was formed with alkyl‐thioalkynes through a reaction pathway directly involving the phthalimide group. The two transformations proceeded in good yields and tolerated a large variety of functional groups.     

The surprising pairing of 2‐aminoimidazo[1,2‐a][1,3,5]triazin‐4‐one,a component of an expanded DNA alphabet

Synthetic biologists demonstrate their command over natural biology by reproducing the behaviors of natural living systems on synthetic biomolecular platforms. For nucleic acids, this is being done stepwise, first by adding replicable nucleotides to DNA, and then removing its standard nucleotides. This challenge has been met in vitro with `six‐letter' DNA and RNA, where the Watson–Crick pairing `concept' is recruited to increase the number of independently replicable nucleotides from four to six. The two nucleobases most successfully added so far are Z and P , which present a donor–donor–acceptor and an acceptor–acceptor–donor pattern, respectively. This pair of nucleobases are part of an `artificially expanded genetic information system' (AEGIS). The Z nucleobase has been already crystallized, characterized, and published in this journal [Matsuura et al. (2016). Acta Cryst. C 72 , 952–959]. More recently, variants of Taq polymerase have been crystallized with the pair P : Z trapped in the active site. Here we report the crystal structure of the nucleobase 2‐aminoimidazo[1,2‐a][1,3,5]triazin‐4‐one (trivially named P ) as the monohydrate, C₅H₅N₅O·H₂O. The nucleobase P was crystallized from water and characterized by X‐ray diffraction. Interestingly, the crystal structure shows two tautomers of P packed in a Watson–Crick fashion that cocrystallized in a 1:1 ratio.     

Conjugated random terpolymers based on benzodithiophene,diketopyrrolopyrrole, and 8,10‐bis(thiophen‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐di(nonadecan‐3‐yl)bis[1,3]thiazolo[4,5‐f:5′,4′‐h]thieno[3,4‐b]quinoxaline for Efficient Polymer Solar Cell

A series of novel donor–acceptor (D–A) random conjugated terpolymers P2‐P4 along with the homopolymers P1 (BDT‐DPP) and P5 (BDT‐BTDQ) were designed and synthesized by copolymerizing a benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b]dithiophene (BDT) donor with an electron‐deficient diketopyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole (DPP) unit and a benzothiadiazolo[3,4‐e]quinoxaline (BTDQ) moieties of different electron‐withdrawing strengths, and the resultant terpolymers showed broad absorption profile ranging from 300 to 1200 nm. The HOMO levels of the polymers were adjusted from ?5.23 to ?5.11 eV, and the optical bandgaps were controlled from 1.32 to 1.13 eV by changing the molar ratio of DPP and BTDQ acceptors. These terpolymers were used as a donor along with PC₇₁BM as an acceptor for the creation of polymer solar cells, and the performance was optimized via variable the donor to acceptor ratio and solvent vapor annealing. The polymer solar cells made from the random terpolymer P3 showed the highest overall power conversion efficiency of (9.27%), which is higher than that for the corresponding homo‐polymers counterparts, that is, P1 (7.27%) and P5 (7.68%). The results demonstrate that the designing of random D‐A1‐D‐A2 terpolymers may be the best approach for efficient polymer solar cells. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1478–1485     

Photocycloaddition Reactions of 2‐(Alk‐3‐en‐1‐ynyl)cyclohex‐2‐enones

The newly synthesized 2‐(alk‐3‐en‐1‐ynyl)cyclohex‐2‐enones 4 undergo photodimerization (chemo‐ and regio‐)selectively at the exocyclic C?C bond to give diastereoisomeric mixtures of 1,2‐dialkynyl‐1,2‐dimethylcyclobutanes. On irradiation of 4 in the presence of 2‐chloroacrylonitrile, cyclobutane formation occurs again (chemo‐ and regio‐)selectively at the exocyclic C?C bond to afford diastereoisomeric mixtures of 2‐alkynyl‐1‐chloro‐2‐methylcyclobutanecarbonitriles. Similarly, compounds 4 undergo photoaddition to 2,3‐dimethylbuta‐1,3‐diene exclusively at the exocyclic C?C bond to afford mixtures of [2+2] and [4+2] cycloadducts.     

Highly Stereoselective [4+2] and [3+2] Spiroannulations of 2‐(2‐Oxoindolin‐3‐ylidene)acetic Esters Catalyzed by Bifunctional Thioureas

A new Michael–Michael cascade reaction between 2‐(2‐oxoindolin‐3‐ylidene)acetic esters 1 and nitroenoates 2 , catalyzed by bifunctional thioureas, is investigated. The combination of the two Michael reactions results in a novel and facile [4+2] or [3+2] spiroannulation process, which is characterized by the following features: 1) two carbon–carbon bonds and four stereocenters, including a quaternary spiro carbon, are formed under mild conditions; 2) an unprecedented and stereochemically defined substitution pattern on the spirocarbocyclic unit is obtained; 3) the double‐bond configuration of the donor–acceptor nitroenoate 2 determines the absolute configuration of the spiro center, whereas the remaining stereocenters are formed under control of the catalyst. The effect on the final stereochemical outcome of structural variations of each starting material, catalyst, and experimental conditions is analyzed in detail. In particular, the use of specifically designed chiral nitroenoates enables diverse polyfunctional spirocyclohexane derivatives containing six consecutive stereogenic centers to be constructed. To our knowledge, this is the first asymmetric organocatalytic strategy enabling both five‐ and six‐membered β‐nitro spirocarbocyclic oxindoles.     

Photocycloaddition Reactions of Alkyl and Aryl 2‐Thioxo‐3H‐benzoxazole‐ 3‐carboxylates to Alkenes

The photochemical reactions of alkyl and aryl 2‐thioxo‐3H‐benzoxazole‐3‐carboxylates 1 have been examined. Irradiation of 1 in the presence of tetra‐ and trisubstituted alkenes 2a and 2b , 2‐methylprop‐2‐ene nitrile 2e , and dienes 2f and 2g gave [2+2] cycloadducts of the CS bond of 2‐thioxobenzoxazoles and the CC bond of alkenes, spiro[benzoxazole‐thietanes] 3, 4, 8 – 13, 15, 18, 20, 23 – 26 in moderate‐to‐good yields. The photoaddition reactions proceed in a regiospecific manner. The spirocyclic compounds obtained are indefinitely stable at room temperature. Irradiation of 1a in the presence of 1,1‐ and 1,2‐disubstituted alkenes 2c and 2d yielded the products 5 – 7 of oxazole‐ring cleavage. Compound 1d also underwent photoaddition with alkenes to yield spiro[benzoxazole‐thietanes] and/or 2‐substituted benzoxazoles and/or iminothietanes, depending on the nature of the substituents present in the alkenes. On intramolecular [2+2] photoadduct, tetracyclic 27 , was obtained, when ethenyl 2‐thioxobenzoxazole‐3‐carboxylate 1e was irradiated.     

Lewis Acid Catalyzed Selective Reactions of Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes with 2‐Naphthols

Lewis acid‐catalyzed reactions of 2‐substituted cyclopropane 1,1‐dicarboxylates with 2‐naphthols is reported. The reaction exhibits tunable selectivity depending on the nature of Lewis acid employed and proceed as a dearomatization/rearomatization sequence. With Bi(OTf)₃ as the Lewis acid, a highly selective dehydrative [3+2] cyclopentannulation takes place leading to the formation of naphthalene‐fused cyclopentanes. Interestingly, engaging Sc(OTf)₃ as the Lewis acid, a Friedel–Crafts‐type addition of 2‐naphthols to cyclopropanes takes place, thus affording functionalized 2‐naphthols. Both reactions furnished the target products in high regioselectivity and moderate to high yields.     

Stereospecific Formal [3+2] Dipolar Cycloaddition of Cyclopropanes with Nitrosoarenes: An Approach to Isoxazolidines

The MgBr₂‐catalyzed formal [3+2] cycloaddition of donor–acceptor activated cyclopropanes with nitrosoarenes offers a novel approach to various structurally diverse isoxazolidines. The reactions, which are experimentally easy to conduct, occur with complete stereospecificity and perfect control of regioselectivity. Product isoxazolidines can be readily transformed into α‐amino lactones by reductive or decarboxylative N? O cleavage and subsequent lactonisation, and the N‐aryl bond cleavage is also possible under oxidative conditions.     

Modulation of electronic properties of π‐conjugated copolymers derived from naphtho[1,2‐b:5,6‐b′]dithiophene donor unit: A structure‐property relationship study

A set of three donor‐acceptor conjugated (D‐A) copolymers were designed and synthesized via Stille cross‐coupling reactions with the aim of modulating the optical and electronic properties of a newly emerged naphtho[1,2‐b:5,6‐b′]dithiophene donor unit for polymer solar cell (PSCs) applications. The PTNDTT‐BT , PTNDTT‐BTz , and PTNDTT‐DPP polymers incorporated naphtho[1,2‐b:5,6‐b′]dithiophene ( NDT ) as the donor and 2,2′‐bithiazole ( BTz ), benzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole ( BT ), and pyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐1,4(2H,5H)‐dione ( DPP ), as the acceptor units. A number of experimental techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, X‐ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy were used to determine the thermal, optical, electrochemical, and morphological properties of the copolymers. By introducing acceptors of varying electron withdrawing strengths, the optical band gaps of these copolymers were effectively tuned between 1.58 and 1.9 eV and their HOMO and LUMO energy levels were varied between ?5.14 to ?5.26 eV and ?3.13 to ?3.5 eV, respectively. The spin‐coated polymer thin film exhibited p‐channel field‐effect transistor properties with hole mobilities of 2.73 × 10^?3 to 7.9 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1. Initial bulk‐heterojunction PSCs fabricated using the copolymers as electron donor materials and [6,6]‐phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM) as the acceptor resulted in power conversion efficiencies in the range of 0.67–1.67%. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2948–2958     

Strain‐Promoted 1,3‐Dithiolium‐4‐olates–Alkyne Cycloaddition

Reported here is the reactivity of mesoionic 1,3‐dithiolium‐4‐olates towards strained alkynes, leading to thiophene cycloaddition products. In the process, the potential of these dipoles towards orthogonal reaction with azides, allowing efficient double ligation reactions, was discovered. A versatile process to access benzo[c]thiophenes, in an unprecedented divergent fashion, was developed and provides a new entry to unconventional polyaromatic thiophenes.     

Kinetic Studies of Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes: The Influence of Structural and Electronic Properties on the Reactivity

The kinetics of (3+2) cycloaddition reactions of 18 different donor–acceptor cyclopropanes with the same aldehyde were studied by in situ NMR spectroscopy. Increasing the electron density of the donor residue accelerates the reaction by a factor of up to 50 compared to the standard system (donor group=phenyl), whereas electron‐withdrawing substituents slow down the reaction by a factor up to 660. This behavior is in agreement with the Hammett substituent parameter σ. The obtained rate constants from the (3+2) cycloadditions correlate well with data from additionally studied (3+n) cycloadditions with a nitrone (n=3) and an isobenzofuran (n=4). A comparison of the kinetic data with the bond lengths in the cyclopropane (obtained by X‐ray diffraction and computation), or the ¹H and ¹³C NMR shifts, revealed no correlation. However, the computed relaxed force constants of donor–acceptor cyclopropanes proved to be a good indicator for the reactivity of the three‐membered ring.     

Facile Chemoselective synthesis of 2‐(2‐(Methoxycarbonyl)‐3‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydrobenzofuran‐2‐yl)benzoic acids and 3H,3’H‐Spiro[benzofuran‐2,1′‐isobenzofuran]‐3,3′‐dione derivatives

Oxidation of some derivatives of 4b,9b–dihydroxyindeno[1,2‐b]benzofuran‐10‐one have been investigated in detail using lead(IV) acetate in acetic acid under reflux conditions and periodic acid in aqueous ethanol at room temperature. We realized that during the first 5–15 minutes of the oxidation reactions in lead(IV) acetate/acetic acid system, 3H,3’H‐spiro[benzofuran‐2,1′‐isobenzofuran]‐3,3′‐dione derivatives have been synthesized chemo selectively, while, if the reaction mixtures stirred for additional 3 hours, the main products would be 2‐(2‐(Methoxycarbonyl)‐3‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydrobenzofuran‐2‐yl)benzoic acids. Moreover, room temperature oxidation of 4b,9b–dihydroxyindeno[1,2‐b]benzofuran‐10‐ones by periodic acid (H₅IO₆), leads to the formation of 3H,3’H‐spiro[benzofuran‐2,1′‐isobenzofuran]‐3,3′‐dione derivatives in good to excellent yields.