Highly Enantioselective Rhodium(I)‐Catalyzed Carbonyl Carboacylations Initiated by C?C Bond Activation

The lactone motif is ubiquitous in natural products and pharmaceuticals. The Tishchenko disproportionation of two aldehydes, a carbonyl hydroacylation, is an efficient and atom‐economic access to lactones. However, these reaction types are limited to the transfer of a hydride to the accepting carbonyl group. The transfer of alkyl groups enabling the formation of C C bonds during the ester formation would be of significant interest. Reported herein is such asymmetric carbonyl carboacylation of aldehydes and ketones, thus affording complex bicyclic lactones in excellent enantioselectivities. The rhodium(I)‐catalyzed transformation is induced by an enantiotopic C C bond activation of a cyclobutanone and the formed rhodacyclic intermediate reacts with aldehyde or ketone groups to give highly functionalized lactones.     

Highly Regio-, Diastereo-, and Enantioselective Synthesis of Tetrahydroazepines and Benzo[b]oxepines through Palladium-Catalyzed [4+3] Cycloaddition Reactions

A novel Pd⁰-catalyzed asymmetric [4+3] annulation reaction of two readily accessible starting materials has been developed for building seven-membered heterocyclic architectures. The potential [3+2] side pathway could be suppressed though fine tuning of the conditions. A broad scope of cycloaddition donors and acceptors participated in the transformation with excellent chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivtities, leading to valuable tetrahydroazepines and benzo[b]oxepines.