A Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Domino Coupling of Alcohols with Allenes Enables the Synthesis of Highly Substituted Indenes

The reaction of aryl‐substituted allenes with alcohols under gold catalysis led to highly substituted indenes in good yields, with low catalyst loading and under mild conditions. During this domino transformation, two C?C bonds are formed with water as the only byproduct.     

Nano catalytic synthesis of flavanone phosphonates using domino Knoevenagel-phospha-Michael route

Abstract

Novel derivatives of diethyl (4-oxo-2-phenylchroman-3-yl) methyl phosphonate have been synthesized under optimal conditions using domino-Knoevenagel-phospha-Michael reaction catalyzed by nano-zinc oxide. The combination of recovery and reusability of catalyst, simple and applicable approach, good reaction time and good yields of products make this method as a suitable route for this purpose. The structures of the products were determined by FT-IR, ¹H-, ¹³C- and ³¹P- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopies, and elemental analysis.     

K2CO3-Promoted Domino Reactions for Synthesis of Isocoumarins Under Microwave Irradiation

A small library of isocoumarin derivatives has been synthesized via K₂CO₃-catalyzed domino reactions of 2-carboxybenzaldehyde and ω-bromoacetophenones under microwave irradiation (MW). This strategy offers a simple, environmentally acceptable route to synthesize isocoumarin derivatives in moderate to excellent yields. All new compounds were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, infrared, and high-resolution mass spectroscopic techniques.     

Catalytic Oxidative Domino Degradation of Alkyl Phenols Towards 2- and 3-Substituted Muconolactones

The catalytic oxidative domino degradation of phenols was investigated. Hydrogen peroxide (30% aq.) was used as an oxidant and 2,2′-dinitro-4,4′-ditrifluoromethyldiphenyl diselenide 4e as a catalyst. The products were muconic acid 5, and muconolactones muconolactones—5-carboxymethylfuran-2(5H)-ones 7 and 9. Phenols with alkyl groups at 2 or 4 positions of the benzene ring were converted regioselectively to corresponding muconolactones substituted at alkenylene ring carbon atoms. The reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Trapped in Misbelief for Almost 40 Years: Selective Synthesis of the Four Stereoisomers of Mefloquine

Here we report the synthesis of all four stereoisomers of mefloquine. Mefloquine (Lariam) is an important anti‐malaria drug that is applied as a racemate of the erythro form. However, the (?)‐isomer induces psychosis, while the (+)‐enantiomer does not have this undesired side effect. There are six syntheses of which five lead to the wrong enantiomer without the authors of these syntheses noting that they had synthesized the wrong compound. At the same time physical chemistry investigations had assigned the absolute configuration correctly and the last enantioselective synthesis that took these results into account delivered the correct absolute configuration. Since various synthetic approaches failed to provide the correct stereoisomers in previous syntheses, we submit here a synthetic approach with a domino Sonogashira‐6π‐electrocyclisation as key step that confirmed synthetically the correct absolute configuration of all four isomers.     

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (−)‐Blennolide A

Blennolide A can be synthesized through an enantioselective domino‐Wacker/carbonylation/methoxylation reaction of 7 a with 96 % ee and an enantioselective Wacker oxidation of 7 b with 89 % ee. Further transformations led to the α,β‐unsaturated ester (E)‐ 17 , which was subjected to a highly selective Michael addition, introducing a methyl group to give 18 a . After a threefold oxidation and an intramolecular acylation, the tetrahydroxanthenone 4 was obtained, which could be transformed into (?)‐blennolide A (ent‐ 1 ) in a few steps.     

Copper‐Catalyzed NH Insertion and Oxidative Aromatization Cascade: Facile Synthesis of 2‐Arylaminophenols

A copper‐catalyzed cascade reaction of N‐H insertion and oxidative aromatization has been developed. 2‐Arylaminophenols have been prepared in moderate to high yields from the diazo substrates. Moreover, this newly established methodology allows efficient access to natural 1‐oxygenated carbazole alkaloids, such as glycozolicine and murrayafoline A.     

Modern Synthetic Strategies with Organoselenium Reagents: A Focus on Vinyl Selenones

In recent years, vinyl selenones were rediscovered as useful building blocks for new synthetic transformations. This review will highlight these advances in the field of multiple-bond-forming reactions, one-pot synthesis of carbo- and heterocycles, enantioselective construction of densely functionalized molecules, and total synthesis of natural products.     

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)-Nordasycarpidone, (+)-Dasycarpidone,and (+)-Uleine

The structure of uleine type alkaloids is characterized by the presence of a bridged tetracyclic hexahydro-1H-1,5-methanoazocino[4,3-b]indole ring system 1 . Various strategies have been developed to access this polycyclic structural motif. We report herein a one-step conversion of appropriately functionalized 1,3,4-trisubstituted cyclopent-1-ene to 1 by way of an integrated oxidation/reduction/cyclization (iORC) process. This domino sequence, initiated by oxidative cleavage of cyclopentene ring, generated subsequently a cyclohexenone, an indole and a 1,3-bridged piperidine ring through formation of one C−C and two C−N bonds. Compound 1 is subsequently converted to nordasycarpidone, dasycarpidone and uleine. The chirality of the molecule was introduced by enzymatic desymmetrization of commercially available meso cis-3,5-diacetoxy-1-cyclopentene.