Nickel‐Catalyzed Facile [2+2+2] Cyclotrimerization of Unactivated Internal Alkynes to Polysubstituted Benzenes

A catalytic [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization of unactivated internal alkynes providing cyclotrimerization products in excellent yields with high regioselectivity is described. The transformation is accomplished by using a simple catalytic mixture comprising Ni(acac)₂, an imidazolium salt and a Grignard reagent at room temperature or 60 °C for 20 min or 1 h.     

The Choice of Rhodium Catalysts in [2+2+2] Cycloaddition Reaction: A Personal Account

[2+2+2] Cycloaddition reaction is a captivating process that assembles six-membered rings from three unsaturations with complete atom economy. Of the multiple transition metals that can be used to catalyze this reaction, rhodium offers many advantages. These include high activity and versatility, but especially the ability to easily tune the reactivity and selectivity by the modification of the ligands around the metal. In this personal account, we summarize our endeavours in the development of efficient and sustainable [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions to prepare products of interest, develop conditions in which the catalyst can be recovered and reused, and understand the mechanistic details that govern the selectivity of the processes.     

Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Three-Component [4+2+1] Cycloaddition of Two Vinylallenes and CO

Transition metal-catalyzed [4+2+1] reactions of dienes (or diene derivatives such as vinylallenes), alkynes/alkenes, and CO (or carbenes) are expected to be the most straightforward approach to synthesize challenging seven-membered ring compounds, but so far only limited successes have been realized. Here, an unexpected three-component [4+2+1] reaction between two vinylallenes and CO was discovered to give highly functionalized tropone derivatives under mild conditions, where one vinylallene acts as a C₄ synthon, the other vinylallene as a C₂ synthon, and CO as a C₁ synthon. It was proposed that this reaction occurred via oxidative cyclization of the diene part of one vinylallene molecule, followed by insertion of the terminal alkene part of the allene moiety in another vinylallene, into the Rh−C bond of five-membered rhodacycle. Then, CO insertion and reductive elimination gave the [4+2+1] cycloadduct. Further experimental exploration of why ene/yne-vinylallenes and CO gave monocyclic tropone derivatives instead of 6/7-bicyclic ring products were reported here.     

Rhodium-catalyzed three-component cross-addition of silylacetylenes, alkynyl esters, and electron-deficient alkenes or isocyanates

'Rh'oad crossing: A cationic Rh(I) /(cod)(2) complex catalyzes the chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective title reaction with electron-deficient alkenes leading to substituted 1,3-dienes. The analogous three-component cross-addition involving isocyanates instead of alkenes has also been developed.     

Catalytic enantioselective [2+2]-cycloaddition reaction of 2-methoxycarbonyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one by chiral copper catalyst

A new catalytic system for enantioselective [2+2]-cycloaddition reaction of 2-methoxycarbonyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one with thioacetylene derivatives is described. The use of a catalytic amount (20-30 mol%) of copper(II) salt with chiral bis-pyridine ligand was found to be effective in promoting the [2+2]-cycloaddition reaction, furnishing the corresponding bicyclic compound in good yield and good enantioselectivity.     

Concerted Catalysis by Adjacent Palladium and Gold in Alloy Nanoparticles for the Versatile and Practical [2+2+2] Cycloaddition of Alkynes

A Pd‐Au alloy efficiently catalyzed the [2+2+2] cycloaddition of substituted alkynes. Whereas monometallic Pd and Au catalysts were totally ineffective, Pd‐Au alloy nanoparticle catalysts with a low Pd/Au molar ratio showed high activity to give the corresponding polysubstituted arenes in high yields. A variety of substituted alkynes participated in various modes of cycloaddition under Pd‐Au alloy catalysis. The Pd‐Au alloy catalysts exhibited high air tolerance and reusability.     

Asymmetric synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles via organocatalytic[3 + 2] annulation of substituted 2-vinylindoles with azlactones

The chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed asymmetric[3+2]annulation of substituted 2-vinylindoles with azlactones has been established.This reaction represented a practical approach for the synthesis of structurally diverse pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles with two vicinal stereocenters including one tetrasubstituted stereocenter in good yields and good stereoselectivities under mild conditions.     

Efficient [4+1]/[3+2+1] bis-cyclizations stereoselectively yielding unprecedented polyacyclic indeno-fused xanthenes

Concise and efficient [4+1]/[3+2+1] bis-cyclizations of o-phthalaldehyde with cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls have been established for the stereoselective synthesis of unprecedented polycyclic indeno[2,1-l]xanthene derivatives. The multicomponent domino reaction (MDR, AB₂ type) is easy to perform by mixing inexpensive substrates in HOAc at room temperature. The present synthesis shows attractive properties such as the simple one-pot fashion, high bond-forming efficiency, and easy purifications. Up to two new rings and four sigma-bonds were achieved in these MDRs without using any metal catalysts.     

Rhodium-Catalyzed Asymmetric [2+2+2] Cycloaddition of 1,6-Enynes with Racemic Secondary Allylic Alcohols through Kinetic Resolution

It has been established that a cationic rhodium(I)/P-phos complex catalyzes the asymmetric [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-enynes with racemic secondary allylic alcohols to produce the corresponding chiral bicyclic cyclohexenes, possessing three stereogenic centers, as a single diastereomer with excellent ee values. Mechanistic experiments revealed that the present cycloaddition proceeds through the kinetic resolution of the racemic secondary allylic alcohols, in which one enantiomer preferentially reacts with the 1,6-enyne.     

Novel formal [2+3] cycloaddition between substituted phenols and furan

Treatment of various substituted phenols in the presence of furan, iodobenzene diacetate, and trifluoroethanol promotes oxidative formal [2+3] cycloaddition in moderate to useful yields.     

Reaction of ene-bis(phosphinylallenes): [2+2] versus [4+2] cycloaddition

Reaction of ene-bis(phosphinylallenes), derived from ene-bis(propargyl alcohols) and chlorodiphenylphosphine, was investigated. Benzene-bridged bis(phosphinylallenes) exclusively gave intramolecular [2+2] cycloadducts in the presence of dimethyl fumarate in sharp contrast to the reaction of benzene-bridged bis(sulfinylallenes), which gave the corresponding [4+2] cycloadducts. On the other hand, substituted ethylene- or five-membered heterocycle-bridged bis(phosphinylallenes) provided [4+2] cycloadducts. Reaction of benzene-bridged diallene bearing both a sulfinyl group and a phosphinyl group on the two allenyl groups was also described.     

Reactivity of allenoates toward aziridines: [3+2] and formal [3+2] cycloadditions

The reactivity of buta-2,3-dienoates toward aziridines is reported. Allenoates react as 2π-component in the [3+2] cycloaddition with the azomethine ylide generated from cis-1-benzyl-2-benzoyl-3-phenylaziridine affording 4-methylenepyrrolidines in a site-, regio-, and stereoselective fashion. Under conventional thermolysis, cis- and trans-2-benzoyl-1-cyclohexyl-3-phenylaziridines showed a different reactivity. These aziridines participate in formal [3+2] cycloadditions with allenes via C-N bond cleavage of the three-membered ring leading to functionalized pyrroles.     

[6+4] Cycloaddition reactions of acceptor thiophene dioxides: The synthesis of substituted azulenes

[6+4] Cycloaddition reactions of functionalized thiophene dioxides with various fulvenes provided the corresponding azulenes. The observed regiochemistry was explained in terms of the HOMO—LUMO orbital coefficients. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 137–142, January, 2006.     

Design,Synthesis and Late-Stage Modification of Indane-Based Peptides via [2+2+2] Cyclotrimerization

Here, we prepared several dipeptides containing 2-aminoindane-2-carboxylic acid (Aic) and carried out further synthetic transformations. Synthesis and purification of modified peptides by using [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization is a challenging task. We are able to modify the unusual amino acids and peptide derivatives by late-stage incorporation of benzylhalo functionality. To incorporate benzylhalo moiety we used [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization in the presence of Mo(CO)₆. These halo derivatives are potential substrates for further modification by Sonogashira reaction, Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling, sultine formation, and the Diels–Alder reaction sequence.     

Dihydrobiphenylenes through Ruthenium‐Catalyzed [2+2+2] Cycloadditions of ortho‐Alkenylarylacetylenes with Alkynes

A new synthetic route to dihydrobiphenylenes has been developed. The process involves a mild Ru^II‐catalyzed [2+2+2] dimerization of ortho‐alkenylarylacetylenes or its more versatile variant, the Ru‐catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of ortho‐ethynylstyrenes with alkynes. Mechanistic aspects of this [2+2+2] cycloaddition are discussed.     

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization with [2+2]-crosslinking to create new materials

There are almost no examples of Grubbs’-type ring-opening metathesis polymers that have been [2+2]-crosslinked. Two new monomers, 6 and 10, were used to construct two novel linear soluble polymers 7 and 11, bearing photochemically labile moieties for [2+2]-cycloaddition reactions. These soft polymers were photocrosslinked into very hard polymers, 8 and 12. Potential advantages of these new bioinspired materials include: (1) ready processing into flat, round, and cylindrical shapes; (2) reasonably low toxicity due to trace amounts of catalyst needed; and (3) rapid rate of polymerization and crosslinking that avoids acids and bases.     

An efficient route to quinoline-2-carboxylates via a rhodium-catalyzed oxidative [5+1] annulation of 2-vinylanilines with α-diazocarbonyl compounds

A novel rhodium-catalyzed oxidative [5 + 1] annulation of 2-vinylanilines with α-diazocarbonyl compounds for the construction of quinoline-2-carboxylate derivatives has been developed. A series of functional groups such as methyl, methoxy, fluoro, chloro, bromo, cyano, and even thienyl substituents were tolerated well. This methodology has the potential for use in the pharmaceutical industry.     

Scope of the formal [3+2] cycloaddition for the synthesis of substituted 3-arylindanes and related compounds

We report the single step synthesis of several 3-arylindanes and related compounds via a formal [3+2] cycloaddition. A study of the influence of the aromatic ring substitution pattern on the reaction was carried out.