Remarkable catalytic activity of silica nanoparticle in the bis-Michael addition of active methylene compounds to conjugated alkenes

We have demonstrated the remarkable catalytic activity of silica nanoparticles (NPs) in the unusual bis-Michael addition of active methylene compounds to conjugated alkenes at room temperature. The catalyst silica NPs were reused up to seven runs without appreciable loss of catalytic activity.     

Indium(I) iodide promoted cleavage of dialkyl/diaryl disulfides and subsequent anti-Markovnikov addition to styrenes: a new route to linear thioethers

The reaction of thiolate anions, generated in situ by indium(I) iodide promoted cleavage of dialkyl/diaryl disulfides, with styrenes has been investigated. Thiolate anions add to a variety of styrenes in an anti-Markovnikov manner producing linear thioethers in high yields. This method provides a new route to the synthesis of thioethers.     

Homolytic addition of dithiols to alkynes: A new approach to the construction of dithiacyclanes and crown thioethers

A novel general approach to the construction of sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds and crown thioethers based on one-pot “assembling” of their molecules from α,ω-dithiols and alkynesvia homolytic cycloaddition has been developed. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1256–1267, July, 1997.     

Catalysis by an ionic liquid: efficient conjugate addition of thiols to electron deficient alkenes catalyzed by molten tetrabutylammonium bromide under solvent-free conditions

An inexpensive and readily available ionic liquid, tetrabutylammonium bromide in the molten state, efficiently catalyzes the conjugate addition of thiols to α,β-unsaturated nitriles, carboxylic ester, ketones and aldehydes as well as nitro olefins.     

Catalysis by ionic liquid: a simple, green and efficient procedure for the Michael addition of thiols and thiophosphate to conjugated alkenes in ionic liquid, [pmIm]Br

A room temperature ionic liquid, 1-pentyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, [pmIm]Br efficiently catalyzes Michael addition of thiols and diethyl dithiophosphate to a variety of conjugated alkenes such as α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, carboxylic esters, nitriles and chalcones without requiring any other organic solvent and catalyst. The ionic liquid can be recycled for subsequent reactions without any appreciable loss of efficiency.     

Vinyl sulfone- and vinyl sulfoxide-modified tetrahydrofurans: a preliminary account of the enantiomeric synthesis of and diastereoselectivity of addition to new classes of Michael acceptors

Enantiomerically pure 2-hydroxymethylene substituted-2,5-dihydro-3-(arylsulfonyl)- and 2-hydroxymethylene substituted-2,5-dihydro-3-(arylsulfinyl)-furans have been prepared from easily accessible carbohydrate derivatives for the first time. The strategy for accessing both these sulfones and sulfoxides is more efficient than the methods reported so far for the synthesis of this type of compounds. Hydroxymethylene group is sufficient to impose diastereoselectivity on the addition of a wide range of nucleophiles to vinyl sulfone-modified tetrahydrofurans. The benzyl protected hydroxymethylene group also suppresses the influence of chirally pure sulfoxides as two diastereomeric vinyl sulfoxide-modified tetrahydrofurans afforded the Michael adducts with same configurations at C-3 and C-4; this has been established by oxidizing the adducts, which were found to be identical to the products obtained by adding the same nucleophiles to the corresponding vinyl sulfones. These highly reactive Michael acceptors may be considered as a new addition to the arsenals of synthetic chemists interested in the functionalization of tetrahydrofurans.     

Chemo-, regio- and stereospecific addition of amino acids to acylacetylenes: a facile synthesis of new N-acylvinyl derivatives of amino acids

The one-pot reaction of natural amino acids (glycine, β-alanine, γ-aminobutyric and ?-aminocapronic acids, d,l-valine, d,l-leucine, anthranilic acid) with bielectrophilic acylacetylenes proceeds chemo-, regio- and stereospecifically in the presence of NaOH (45-50 °C, 4 h, EtOH-H₂O) to give (after treatment of the reaction mixture with aqueous HCl) Z-isomers of N-acylvinyl derivatives of amino acids in 87-94% yield.     

Addition of secondary phosphines to a vinyl ether of diacetone-d-glucose: a new approach to optically active phosphines and their derivatives

Secondary phosphines react readily with a vinyl ether of diacetone-d-glucose under radical initiation conditions to give, in high yield, anti-Markovnikov adducts, diorganyl{2-[3-O-(1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene)-d-glucofuranosyloxy]ethyl}phosphines, which oxidize almost quantitatively upon reacting with air oxygen or elemental sulfur to form the corresponding optically active phosphine oxides or sulfides.