Synthesis of polymetallic macrocyclic terpene-derived hybrids

Terpene alkyne systems act as templates in the preparation of natural product hybrids and in macrocyclic structures having up to four terpene units and eight Co-atoms, which are built by using the Nicholas reaction.     

Iron-catalyzed ene-type propargylation of diarylethylenes with propargyl alcohols

The diarylalkenyl propargylic complex framework has been found in many natural products and medicinal regents. Herein, we have disclosed an unprecedented FeCl(3) catalyzed ene-type reaction of propargylic alcohols with 1,1-diaryl alkenes which enabled us to furnish a diarylalkenyl propargylic complex framework in moderate to high chemical yields (up to 98%).     

Atom‐Efficient Gold(I)‐Chloride‐Catalyzed Synthesis of α‐Sulfenylated Carbonyl Compounds from Propargylic Alcohols and Aryl Thiols: Substrate Scope and Experimental and Theoretical Mechanistic Investigation

Gold(I)‐chloride‐catalyzed synthesis of α‐sulfenylated carbonyl compounds from propargylic alcohols and aryl thiols showed a wide substrate scope with respect to both propargylic alcohols and aryl thiols. Primary and secondary aromatic propargylic alcohols generated α‐sulfenylated aldehydes and ketones in 60–97 % yield. Secondary aliphatic propargylic alcohols generated α‐sulfenylated ketones in yields of 47–71 %. Different gold sources and ligand effects were studied, and it was shown that gold(I) chloride gave the highest product yields. Experimental and theoretical studies demonstrated that the reaction proceeds in two separate steps. A sulfenylated allylic alcohol, generated by initial regioselective attack of the aryl thiol on the triple bond of the propargylic alcohol, was isolated, evaluated, and found to be an intermediate in the reaction. Deuterium labeling experiments showed that the protons from the propargylic alcohol and aryl thiol were transferred to the 3‐position, and that the hydride from the alcohol was transferred to the 2‐position of the product. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that the observed regioselectivity of the aryl thiol attack towards the 2‐position of propargylic alcohol was determined by a low‐energy, five‐membered cyclic protodeauration transition state instead of the strained, four‐membered cyclic transition state found for attack at the 3‐position. Experimental data and DFT calculations supported that the second step of the reaction is initiated by protonation of the double bond of the sulfenylated allylic alcohol with a proton donor coordinated to gold(I) chloride. This in turn allows for a 1,2‐hydride shift, generating the final product of the reaction.     

Palladium-Catalyzed Carbo-Oxygenation of Propargylic Amines using in Situ Tether Formation

1,2-Amino alcohols and α-aminocarbonyls are frequently found in natural products, drugs, chiral auxiliaries, and catalysts. This work reports a new method for the palladium-catalyzed oxyalkynylation and oxyarylation of propargylic amines. The reaction is perfectly regioselective based on the in situ introduction of a hemiacetal tether derived from trifluoroacetaldehyde. cis-Selective carbo-oxygenation was achieved for terminal alkynes, whereas internal alkynes gave trans-carbo-oxygenation products. The obtained enol ethers could be easily transformed into 1,2-amino alcohols or α-amino ketones using hydrogenation or hydrolysis, respectively.     

The nicholas approach to natural product hybrids

The intermolecular Nicholas reaction of terpene-based scaffolds is an excellent access to natural product hybrid compounds. These intermolecular reactions have a low selectivity and are scarcely efficient for non-conjugated cations, but they are highly efficient to produce new terpene structures through an intramolecular reaction pathway. The use of cations derived from natural product derived [Co(2)(CO)(6)]-enyne complexes is, in contrast, a highly efficient regio- and stereoselective procedure to prepare very complex structures, incorporating diverse densely functionalized or labile moieties. Thus, beta-pinene-diterpene-alkaloid or homohybrids can be accessed in totally stereo-, regio- and siteselective fashion. This approach efficiently discriminates between different propargylic positions by selecting the nature of the alcohol, being the enyne-derived cations the most reactive. The chimera 38 with a steroid-terpene-indole skeleton was prepared in this way.     

Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of Syn‐1,3‐Dihydroxyketone Motifs from Propargylic Alcohols via Spiroepoxide Intermediates

Syn dihydroxyketone motifs are embedded in a wide range of biologically active natural products, however the development of stereoselective synthetic methods to assemble these structures has proven a challenging task. We report a highly diastereoselective method for the synthesis of syn dihydroxyketones from propargylic alcohols, with wide scope for application in natural product synthesis. The reaction sequence involves regioselective cyclisation of propargylic alcohols with incorporation of a triketone to give enol dioxolanes that are then diastereoselectively epoxidised to form unusual spiroepoxide intermediates. Hydrolysis affords syn dihydroxyketones as essentially single diastereisomers. The reaction sequence is operationally simple, of wide substrate scope, and remarkably can be efficiently carried out as a one‐pot process with no loss of overall yield or diastereoselectivity.     

Yb(OTf)3-catalyzed propargylation and allenylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl derivatives with propargylic alcohols: one-pot synthesis of multi-substituted furocoumarin

A highly efficient and mild Lewis acid-catalyzed coupling reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with propargylic alcohols has been established. Selective propargylation or allenylation products are obtained depending on the nature of propargylic alcohols. In addition, catalytic quantities of Yb(OTf)₃ can also effectively promote the propargylation and allylation of 4-hydroxycoumarins at the 3-position. By applying this reaction as the key step, a multi-substituted furocoumarin can easily be synthesized in a one-pot procedure. The advantages of this method are broad scope, mild conditions, and easy handling since water is the only side product.     

New Preparation of Bromoallenes

Bromoallenes are useful intermediates in organic synthesis (1) and also occur in a few natural products (2). They usually are prepared from propargylic alcohols by reaction with hydrobromic acid in the presence of cuprous bromide (2) but these conditions are usually drastic. A milder method has been reported but its scope is more limited (4).     

Ruthenium-catalyzed propargylic substitution reaction of propargylic alcohols with thiols: a general synthetic route to propargylic sulfides

A novel cationic methanethiolate-bridged diruthenium complex [Cp*RuCl(mu2-SMe)2RuCp*(OH2)]OTf (1e) has been disclosed to promote the catalytic propargylic substitution reaction of propargylic alcohols bearing not only terminal alkyne group but also internal alkyne group with thiols. It is noteworthy that neutral thiolate-bridged diruthenium complexes (1a-1c), which were known to promote the propargylic substitution reactions of propargylic alcohols bearing a terminal alkyne group with various heteroatom- and carbon-centered nucleophiles, did not work at all. The catalytic reaction described here provides a general and environmentally friendly preparative method for propargylic sulfides, which are quite useful intermediates in organic synthesis, directly from the corresponding propargylic alcohols and thiols.     

Direct and stereospecific synthesis of allenes via reduction of propargylic alcohols with Cp2Zr(H)Cl

Allenes can be synthesized via the direct SN2' addition of hydride to propargylic alcohols. Previous examples of this approach, however, have involved harsh reaction conditions and have suffered from incomplete transfer of central chirality to axial chirality. Here we show that Cp2Zr(H)Cl can react with the zinc or magnesium alkoxides of propargylic alcohols to generate allenes in good yield and in high optical purity. Dialkyl-, alkyl-aryl-, and diaryl-allenes are accessible by this method. Furthermore, the reaction can provide silyl-substituted allenes, trisubstituted allenes, and terminal allenes.     

Studies on the Cu(I)-catalyzed regioselective anti-carbometallation of secondary terminal propargylic alcohols

A highly regioselective Cu(I)-catalyzed anti-carbometallation of secondary terminal propargylic alcohols with 1 degrees alkyl or aryl Grignard reagents affording 2-substituted allylic alcohols was developed. By using this method, optically active allylic alcohols can be prepared from the optically active propargylic alcohols without obvious loss of the enantiopurity. The cyclic organometallic intermediate formed may undergo an iodination or a Pd(0)-catalyzed coupling reaction to afford stereo-defined allylic alcohols.     

Carbon dioxide triggered and copper-catalyzed domino reaction: efficient construction of highly substituted 3(2H)-furanones from nitriles and propargylic alcohols

A novel carbon dioxide triggered and copper-catalyzed domino reaction for the efficient synthesis of highly substituted 3(2H)-furanones from readily available nitriles and propargylic alcohols has been developed. Carbon dioxide is a prerequisite for achieving the present catalytic transformation, and one of the oxygen atoms of carbon dioxide is incorporated into the 3(2H)-furanones. Nitriles not only act as the reaction solvent but also as the reactant; copper salts play dual roles of activating both the propargylic alcohols and nitriles.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (E)-beta-tributylstannyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones: construction of a key intermediate for the total synthesis of zoanthamine

(E)-beta-Trialkylstannyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones are readily available from secondary propargylic alcohols via a two-step sequence involving highly regio- and stereoselective Pd(0)-catalyzed hydrostannation followed by mild oxidation (TPAP). The methodology has been applied to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure enone 12 which is a key intermediate for the total synthesis of zoanthamine, a structurally complex marine natural product.     

Gold- and silver-catalyzed reactions of propargylic alcohols in the presence of protic additives

A wide range of primary, secondary and tertiary propargylic alcohols undergo a Meyer-Schuster rearrangement to give enones at room temperature in the presence of a gold(I) catalyst and small quantities of MeOH or 4-methoxyphenylboronic acid. The syntheses of the enone natural products isoegomaketone and daphenone were achieved using this reaction as the key step. The rearrangement of primary propargylic alcohols can readily be combined in a one-pot procedure with the addition of a nucleophile to the resulting terminal enone, to give β-aryl, β-alkoxy, β-amino or β-sulfido ketones. Propargylic alcohols bearing an adjacent electron-rich aryl group can also undergo silver-catalyzed substitution of the alcohol with oxygen, nitrogen and carbon nucleophiles. This latter reaction was initially observed with a batch of gold catalyst that was probably contaminated with small quantities of silver salt.     

One-step synthesis of substituted dihydro- and tetrahydroisoquinolines by FeCl3.6H2O catalyzed intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction of benzylamino-substituted propargylic alcohols

A mild, versatile, and efficient method for the one-step synthesis of substituted dihydro- and tetrahydroisoquinolines has been developed by the FeCl3.6H2O catalyzed intramolecular allenylation/cyclization reaction of benzylamino-substituted propargylic alcohols, representing the first example of the intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction of propargylic alcohols.     

Gold‐ and Silver‐Catalyzed Reactions of Propargylic Alcohols in the Presence of Protic Additives

A wide range of primary, secondary and tertiary propargylic alcohols undergo a Meyer–Schuster rearrangement to give enones at room temperature in the presence of a gold(I) catalyst and small quantities of MeOH or 4‐methoxyphenylboronic acid. The syntheses of the enone natural products isoegomaketone and daphenone were achieved using this reaction as the key step. The rearrangement of primary propargylic alcohols can readily be combined in a one‐pot procedure with the addition of a nucleophile to the resulting terminal enone, to give β‐aryl, β‐alkoxy, β‐amino or β‐sulfido ketones. Propargylic alcohols bearing an adjacent electron‐rich aryl group can also undergo silver‐catalyzed substitution of the alcohol with oxygen, nitrogen and carbon nucleophiles. This latter reaction was initially observed with a batch of gold catalyst that was probably contaminated with small quantities of silver salt.     

Two Versatile and Parallel Approaches to Highly Symmetrical Open and Closed Natural Product‐Based Structures

Two parallel approaches for preparing diverse and highly symmetrical homohybrids derived from a series of mono‐ and diterpenes, steroids, and alkaloids are reported. Both procedures are based on the mono‐addition of bis(alkynyl) dilithium reagents to natural products having a carbonyl group to produce the corresponding alkynyl derivatives. The Glaser–Hay Cu‐promoted homocoupling of these alkynyl natural product mono‐adducts as well as the Huisgen Cu‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction resulted in the synthesis of steroid‐, terpene‐, and alkaloid‐based homohybrid derivatives incorporating diverse spacers to join the natural product scaffolds. Straightforward entries to novel closed highly symmetrical and complex estrone‐based macrocyclic and cage architectures by means of the Glaser–Eglinton homocoupling and the CuAAC reaction have been devised.     

Palladium-catalyzed construction of poly-substituted indolizinones

We have developed a highly efficient one-pot approach to poly-substituted indolizinones from tertiary propargylic alcohols by using a palladium-catalyzed domino reaction. This reaction is proposed to proceed via successive aminopalladation, reductive elimination, and 1,2-shift. While our previous effort to the same skeleton via 2-iodoindolizinones selected α,β-unsaturated esters, terminal acetylenes, or boronic acids as coupling partners, this strategy introduces new functional groups at the C2 position of indolizinone core with (hetero)aryl halides or diallyl carbonate, expanding the substrate scope for decoration at the C2 site. Furthermore, a new preparation route to tertiary propargylic alcohols for this study is described to rapidly diversify the molecular framework.     

Sodium bicarbonate-catalyzed stereoselective isomerizations of electron-deficient propargylic alcohols to (Z)-enones

Redox isomerization is a synthetically important process because it creates two new functional groups in the product, among which is the isomerization of propargylic alcohols to conjugated enones. Although E-enones have been prepared by this approach, Z-enones could not be accessed. We previously reported DABCO-catalyzed E-selective isomerization of electron-deficient propargylic alcohols to enones and its mechanism. Based on this mechanism, we have now developed the first Z-selective redox isomerization of electron-deficient propargylic alcohol to enone using sodium bicarbonate as a catalyst.     

Silver(I)‐Catalyzed Three‐Component Reaction of Propargylic Alcohols,Carbon Dioxide and Monohydric Alcohols: Thermodynamically Feasible Access to β‐Oxopropyl Carbonates

A silver(I)‐catalyzed three‐component reaction of propargylic alcohols, CO₂, and monohydric alcohols was successfully developed for the synthesis of β‐oxopropyl carbonates. As such, a series of β‐oxopropyl carbonates were exclusively produced in excellent yields (up to 98 %), even under atmospheric pressure of CO₂. The silver catalyst works efficiently for both the carboxylative cyclization of propargylic alcohols with CO₂ and subsequent transesterification of α‐alkylidene cyclic carbonates with monohydric alcohols; thus this tandem process performs smoothly under mild conditions. This work provides a versatile and thermodynamically favorable approach to dissymmetric dialkyl carbonates.