Synthesis of dihydroindenofuran scaffold via a Pd-catalyzed 5-endo-trig cyclization/enolate O-alkylation cascade

An efficient synthesis of dihydroindenofurans was carried out starting from the Baylis-Hillman adducts via a Pd-catalyzed 5-endo-trig-carbopalladation and enolate O-alkylation cascade as a key step. This is the first example of enolate O-alkylation with a C(sp³)-bound palladium intermediate.     

Cascade cyclizations and couplings involving nickel enolates

A new strategy for effecting cascade cyclization processes using nickel enolates has been developed. Nickel enolates may be cleanly generated by the oxidative cyclization of an enal and alkyne with Ni(0), and the resulting enolate may be functionalized by a variety of alkylation processes. Partially and fully intramolecular versions of the process allow the rapid synthesis of complex polycyclics from simple achiral, acyclic precursors.     

Two-step electrochemical annulation for the assembly of polycyclic systems

[reaction: see text] A two-step electrochemical annulation has been developed for the preparation of fused furans. The process involves an initial conjugate addition of a furyethyl cuprate and trapping of the enolate as the corresponding silyl enolether. The second step of the annulation involves the anodic coupling of the furan and the silyl enol ether to form a six-membered ring.     

Electrochemical Oxidation of Rutin

An electrochemical investigation of rutin oxidation on a glassy carbon electrode was carried out using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and square‐wave voltammetry over a wide pH interval. The electrochemical oxidation is a complex process, which proceeds in a cascade mechanism, related with the 4‐hydroxyl groups of the rutin molecule. The catechol 3′,4′‐dihydroxyl group is the first to be oxidized by a two‐electron – two‐proton reversible oxidation reaction, followed by an irreversible oxidation reaction due to the 5,7‐dihydroxyl group. Both mechanisms are pH dependent. An adsorption process is also observed and the oxidation products block the electrode surface.     

A total synthesis of galbonolide B

An ester enolate rearrangement/silicon mediated fragmentation cascade was used to convert 7 and 8 into the alcohol 9. The alcohol 9 was converted into the allylic alcohol 12 and then to the ester 14. A further ester enolate rearrangement furnished the stereochemical identity of galbonolide B 1. Base mediated macrocyclization of the acetate ester 16 followed by base mediated alkylation and acetal deprotection gave galbonolide B 1.     

Asymmetric [4+2] Annulation of C1 Ammonium Enolates with Copper‐Allenylidenes

An asymmetric catalytic decarboxylative [4+2] annulation of 4‐ethynyl dihydrobenzooxazinones and carboxylic acids has been established by cooperative copper and nucleophilic Lewis base catalysis. A C1 ammonium enolate and copper–allenylidene complex, each catalytically generated from different substrates, underwent a cascade asymmetric propargylation and lactamization process to yield optically active 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2‐one derivatives with excellent levels of stereoselectivity (up to 99 % ee , 95:5 d.r.).     

New spirocyclic oxindole synthesis based on a hetero Claisen rearrangement

[reaction: see text] A new method for preparing spirocyclic oxindoles is presented. Featuring a [3,3]-sigmatropic enolate rearrangement, the three-step process converts carboxylic acid starting materials to oxidnole products in overall yields of 52-76%. The enolate rearrangement step occurs at -78 degrees C and provides easy access to oxindole products that have previously been difficult to prepare.     

Model studies for the synthesis of galbonolide B

The construction of the fourteen membered ring present in galbonolide B 1 is reported. The 10,11-diene system present in the southern portion of has been constructed using an ester enolate rearrangement/silicon mediated fragmentation cascade, whilst the macrocycle has been synthesised following a Johnson rearrangement/mercury assisted ring closure protocol.     

A reductive-Heck approach to the hydroazulene ring system: a formal synthesis of the englerins

The reduction of a palladium enolate prior to β-hydride elimination provides a unique reaction for the synthesis of the hydroazulene ring system. When combined with a transannular epoxide rearrangement cascade, the reductive-Heck reaction allows rapid entry to the oxo-bridged guaiane core of the englerins.     

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alpha-alkylation of acyclic ketones

The first example of Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allyl alkylation of the conformationally nonrigid acyclic ketone enolates is reported with excellent yields, regioselectivity, and enantioselectivity. The double bond geometry of the allyl enol carbonates affects its reactivity, selectivity, as well as the absolute configuration of the products. An opposite enantioselectivity from what is predicted by a direct attack of the enolate on the allyl moiety of the pi-ally-Pd complex was observed. An alternative mechanism was proposed, which involves an inner sphere process of coordination of the enolate to Pd followed by reductive elimination.     

The first general palladium catalyst for the Suzuki-Miyaura and carbonyl enolate coupling of aryl arenesulfonates

The first general method for the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura and carbonyl enolate coupling of unactivated aryl arenesulfonates was developed utilizing XPhos, 1, and Pd(OAc)2. This is of significant interest because aryl tosylates and aryl benzenesulfonates are more easily handled and considerably less expensive than aryl triflates. This catalyst system effects the coupling of a variety of aryl, heteroaryl, and extremely hindered arylboronic acids with different aryl tosylates, under mild conditions. The same catalyst was employed in the first carbonyl enolate coupling of aryl arensulfonates.     

Anion‐π Catalysis: Focus on Nonadjacent Stereocenters

Anion‐π interactions have been recently introduced to catalysis with the idea to stabilize anionic intermediates on π‐acidic surfaces. Realized examples include enolate, enamine and iminium chemistry, domino processes and Diels–Alder reactions. Moving on from the formation of contiguous stereogenic centers on π‐acidic surfaces, herein we report the first asymmetric anion‐π catalysis of cascade reactions that afford nonadjacent stereocenters. Conjugate addition‐protonation of achiral disubstituted enolate donors to 2‐chloroacrylonitrile generates 1,3‐nonadjacent stereocenters with moderate enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. The explored catalysts operate with complementary naphthalenediimide and fullerene surfaces with highly positive quadrupole moments and high polarizability, respectively, and proximal amine bases. We find that anion‐π catalysts can increase the diastereoselectivity of the reaction beyond the maximal 1:4.0 dr with conventional catalysts to maximal 5.3:1 dr on the large fullerene surfaces. The enantioselectivity of anion‐π catalysts, best on the confined naphthalenediimide surfaces with strong quadrupole moment, exceed the performance of conventional catalysts except for comparable results with a new, most compact, surprisingly powerful bifunctional control catalyst. Simultaneously increased rates and stereoselectivities compared to control catalysts without π‐acidic surface support that contributions of anion‐π interactions to the catalytic cascade process are significant.     

Ambient temperature zincation of N-Boc pyrrolidine and its solvent dependency

Sodium TMP-zincate, [(TMEDA)Na(TMP)((t)Bu)Zn((t)Bu)], can deproto-zincate N-Boc pyrrolidine at ambient temperature in hexane solution, whereas in toluene the captured α-carbanion of the heterocycle attacks the solvent setting off a cascade of reactions that ultimately produce a pyrrolidine-substituted enolate.     

Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Difunctionalization of Unactivated Alkenes Initiated by Unstabilized Enolates

This report describes the first example of palladium-catalyzed carbonylative difunctionalization of unactivated alkenes initiated by enolate nucleophiles. The approach involves initiation by an unstabilized enolate nucleophile under an atmospheric pressure of CO and termination with a carbon electrophile. This process is compatible with a diverse range of electrophiles, including aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl iodides to yield synthetically useful 1,5-diketone products, which were demonstrated to be precursors for multi-substituted pyridines. A Pd^I-dimer complex with two bridging CO units was observed although its role in catalysis is not yet understood.     

Total Synthesis of Sculponin U through a Photoinduced Radical Cascade Cyclization

We have accomplished the total synthesis of sculponin U, a polycyclic C-20-oxygenated kaurane diterpenoid featuring a 7,20-lactone-hemiketal bridge, through a radical cascade cyclization triggered by photoinduced electron transfer (PET) of a silyl enolate to form the cyclohexanone-fused bicyclo[3.2.1]octane skeleton. Other key points in our synthetic strategy encompass a Diels–Alder reaction to construct the middle six-membered ring of sculponin U, and an intramolecular radical cyclization induced by iron-catalyzed hydrogen atom transfer to close the western cyclohexane ring. Successful preparation of the enantiopure silyl enolate as the PET precursor enables the asymmetric total synthesis of sculponin U, opening a new avenue for divergent syntheses of structurally related C-20-oxygenated kaurane congeners and pharmaceutical derivatives thereof.     

A versatile preparation of alpha,beta-unsaturated lactones from homoallylic alcohols

[formula: see text] A new method for the synthesis of alpha,beta-unsaturated lactones from beta-acetoxy aldehydes by reaction with the lithium enolate of methyl acetate was developed. The reaction is relatively insensitive to structural changes in the aldehyde substrates. The process was extended to the synthesis of five-ring lactones from alpha-acetoxy aldehydes. Experimental evidence regarding the mechanism of this one-pot transformation was obtained. The observations are consistent with a pathway involving an initial aldol condensation with subsequent acyl migration, lactonization, and beta-elimination and not an enolate equilibration-aldol mechanism.     

Mn(III)-based C-C bond formation: regioselective α′-allylation of various α,β-unsaturated, α and β-alkoxy α,β-unsaturated ketones

The Manganese(III)-based regioselective α′-keto radical generation of unsaturated ketones is a versatile synthetic procedure with broad applicability. The generated α′-keto radical slowly creates a metal enolate in a solvent at reflux. The resultant metal enolate affords the corresponding α′-allylated α,β-unsaturated ketones in good yields. This method is the first example of the metal mediated regioselective α′-allylation of α,β-unsaturated ketones. The ketones that have α or β-alkoxy groups also work efficiently.     

Mechanism of the double aldol reaction: the first spectroscopic characterization of a carbon-bound boron enolate derived from carboxylic esters

The novel doubly borylated enolate is identified as an intermediate of the double aldol reaction of acetate esters. As a precursor to the formation of the doubly borylated enolate, carbon-bound boron enolates of carboxylic esters are spectroscopically characterized for the first time. When 2,6-diisopropylphenyl acetate (10d) is treated with c-Hex(2)BOTf (1.3 equiv) and triethylamine (1.5 equiv) in CDCl(3), the corresponding mono-enolate is formed as a mixture of oxygen- (11d) and carbon-bound (12d) forms in 71% and 20% yields, respectively. The structures of these enolates have been unambiguously determined by NMR spectroscopy. Investigation of the enolization of a series of substituted aryl acetates shows that the steric factor of the acetate affects the degree of the mono-enolate (as a mixture of oxygen- and carbon-bound enolates) and the doubly borylated enolate formation. Studies also revealed that oxygen- and carbon-bound boron enolates exist as equilibrium mixtures and that a proton transfer process occurs between oxygen- and carbon-bound enolates. The doubly borylated enolate formation is general for a variety of carbonyl compounds. Besides acetate esters, carbonyl containing compounds, such as acetic acid, dimethylacetamide, methoxyacetone, and 3-acetyl-2-oxazolidinone, also produce the doubly borylated enolates when treated with c-Hex(2)BOTf (2.5 equiv) and triethylamine (3.0 equiv). A plausible pathway of the double aldol reaction involving a carbon-bound boron enolate as a key intermediate is proposed.     

A novel efficient numerical method to simulate electrochemical process for a lithium ion battery

The simulation plays an important role in understanding of electrochemical behavior and internal process of lithium ion batteries. The existing finite difference method (FDM) to conduct the simulation of electrochemical process is time-consuming and computationally expensive. In this paper, a novel numerical method is proposed to accelerate the solution of the electrochemical model for a lithium ion battery. It is implemented in three steps. In the first step, physical analogy of electrochemical process to an electric circuit is used to solve charge conservation equations. In the second and third step, control volume method is used to solve species conservation equations. The simulation results show that the proposed method is much faster than the FDM by 2.2 times while maintain high accuracy which is verified by simulation and experimental data as well.     

Polarographlc analysis for corticosteroids: Part 5. Reduction mechanism of halogen-containing corticosteroids and analysis of some preparations

In fluprednisolone and chloroprednisone acetate, the polarographic reduction of the carbon—halogen bond in position 6 occurs first. The carbanion—enolate formed is reduced at the dropping mercury electrode at more negative potentials than the conjugate acid. Controlled potential electrolysis at a mercury pool electrode where the carbanion—enolate can be protonated, yields the unsaturated ketone. Polarographic reduction of clobetasol-17-propionate and of clobetasone-17-butyrate results in cleavage of the C—Cl bond in the side-chain. This process is followed by reduction of the α,β-unsaturated ketone in the A-ring. Analytical methods for the determination of these compounds in ointments, creams and eye/ear drops gave results with standard deviations of 1–2%.