Allenes in molecular materials

This Minireview provides a critical account of the development of allene-containing advanced functional materials, starting with the design and synthesis of stable and enantiopure building blocks. A variety of systems, including shape-persistent macrocycles, foldamers, polymers, charge-transfer chromophores, dendrimers, liquid crystals, and redox-switchable chiral chromophores are discussed from the viewpoint of their syntheses, properties, and potential applications. The goal of this Minireview is to inspire new uses of enantiopure allenes for the rational design of advanced materials.     

One-pot approach to installing eight-membered rings onto indoles

Ring fusion: The Pd(0)-catalyzed reaction of 2-allyl-3-iodo-1-tosyl-1H-indoles and propargylic bromides affords dihydrocycloocta[b]indoles (see scheme; M.S. = molecular sieves, TFP = tris(2-furyl)phosphine, Ts = 4-toluenemethanesulfonyl), and proceeds by carbon-carbon coupling, [1,5]-hydrogen migration, and electrocyclization. The newly established method was used to efficiently access iprindole.     

Allenes in catalytic asymmetric synthesis and natural product syntheses

Allenes are the simplest class of cumulenes, with two contiguous C=C bonds, and show unique physical and chemical properties. These features make allenes particularly attractive in modern organic chemistry. In this Review, attention is paid to the advances made in catalytic asymmetric synthesis and natural product syntheses based on well-established reactions of allenes, such as propargylation, addition, cycloaddition, cycloisomerization, cyclization, etc., with or without catalysts. Their versatile reactivity, substituent-loading ability, axial to center chirality transfer, and controllable selectivity allow access to target molecules by unique and efficient approaches. The main topics in this Review are presented with selected examples from 2003 to 2011.     

Synthesis and transformations of metallacycles. 26. Cp2ZrCl2-Catalyzed cycloalumination of substituted allenes with Et3Al

Catalytic cycloalumination of 1-alkyl(phenyl)allenes with triethylaluminum (5 mol.% of Cp₂ZrCl₂ as the catalyst, 20 °C, 4 h, hexane) afforded methylene- and alkyl(benzyl)idene-substituted alumacyclopentanes.     

1,3-Dipolar addition of nitrones to symmetrically substituted allenes: for the determination of absolute configuration of chiral allenes by NMR spectroscopy

5-Methyl-5-phenylpyrroline N-oxide was proved to be a useful 1,3-dipole for determining the absolute configuration of chiral allenes by means of NMR spectroscopy.     

Palladium-catalyzed highly regio- and stereoselective addition of organoboronic acids to allenes in the presence of AcOH

The Pd(0)-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective addition of organoboronic acids to allenes leads to stereodefined tri- or tetrasubstituted alkenes. Furthermore, this method shows high substitutent-loading capability and tolerance of various substitutents. A hydropalladation-Suzuki coupling mechanism, which may account for the regio- and stereoselectivity, is proposed.     

Cu(I)–NHC‐Catalyzed Silylation of Allenes: Diastereoselective Three‐Component Coupling with Aldehydes

Copper‐catalyzed silylation of aryl allenes using a silylborane reagent affords vinyl silane building blocks with high efficiency. The use of a seven‐membered NHC ligand proved crucial for high regioselectivity. The catalytically generated allylcoppper intermediates were intercepted by aldehydes in a diastereoselective three‐component coupling to furnish homoallylic alcohols.