Contribution to the synthesis of chiral allenic esters

A phosphorus ylide bearing a 10-phenylsulfonylisoborneol unit reacted with ketenes, generated in situ from acid chlorides and triethylamine, to give allenic compounds. The reaction with methylketene led to asymmetric induction with the selective synthesis of an allene with axial chirality corresponding to an S configuration. The structure of the chiral allene 10-phenylsulfonylisobornyl penta-2,3-dienoate was determined by X-ray crystallography. Chirooptical studies of the chiral allene derivatives were done.     

Synthesis and transformations of metallacycles. 28. Reactions of allenes with EtAlCl2 and Et2AlCl catalyzed by Ti and Zr complexes

Catalytic cycloalumination of allenes with EtAlCl₂ in the presence of Ti or Zr complexes afforded methylidene- and alkyl(benzyl)idenealuminacyclopropanes and the corresponding aluminacyclopentanes, which were identified by analyzing the hydrolysis products. The reactions with the use of Et₂AlCl instead of EtAlCl₂ produced 1,2- and 1,4-dialuminum compounds.     

Palladium-catalyzed tandem reaction of yne-propargylic carbonates with boronic acids: a simple method for the synthesis of fused aromatic rings through allene-mediated electrocyclization

The palladium-catalyzed tandem reactions of yne-propargylic carbonates with aryl boronic acids, 2-furyl boronic acid, and 2-thiopheneboronic acid, followed by 6pi-electrocyclization to give fused ring aromatic products such as naphthalene, benzofuran, and benzothiophene derivatives are realized. Screening of the reaction conditions revealed that the combination of [Pd(PPh3)4] in THF gave the best results in terms of reactivity and product yields in the reaction of yne-propargylic carbonates with phenylboronic acid. The reaction is sensitive toward steric hindrance when substituted phenylboronic acids are employed. However, when we take 2-furyl boronic acid as the organometallic reagent, most substrates perform very well to give benzofuran derivatives. In addition, 2-thiopheneboronic acid is also a very effective coupling reagent to give bezothiophenes in high yields. A mechanism is proposed that involves the formation of an allenylpalladium complex from Pd0 and propargylic carbonate, followed by insertion of an intramolecular triple bond and the Suzuki coupling reaction, and then electrocyclization.     

Palladium(0)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of enallenes

A novel palladium(0)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of enallenes has been developed. This reaction, catalyzed by [Pd(dba)2] (dba=dibenzylideneacetone) in acetic acid, results in the formation of cyclopentene derivatives and [n.3.0]bicyclic systems (n=3, 4) in good to high yields. The carbon-carbon bond-forming step is highly stereoselective to give cis-fused bicyclic systems. The presence of acetic acid as solvent and dba as ligand for palladium(0) turned out to be essential for the reaction in order to provide good reactivity and regioselectivity.