Microwave‐Enhanced Ferrier Reaction: A Facile Synthesis of 2,3‐Unsaturated‐O‐Glycosides Under Solvent‐Free Conditions

A variety of 2,3‐unsaturated‐O‐glycosides have been prepared by the Ferrier rearrangement of acetyl protected glycals under microwave irradiation using silica gel as an acid catalyst. Environmental friendliness, high yields, and short reaction times are the key features of this method. Furthermore, the method was applicable not only to the Ferrier reaction of 3,4,6‐tri‐O‐acetyl glucal and 3,4,6‐tri‐O‐acetyl galactal but also to the Ferrier reaction of 3,4‐di‐O‐acetyl arabinal.     

Exaltone® (=Cyclopentadecanone) from Isomuscone® (=Cyclohexadecanone), a One‐C‐Atom Ring‐Contraction Methodology via a Stereospecific Favorskii Rearrangement: Regioselective Application to (−)‐(R)‐Muscone

Treatment of cyclohexadecanone ( 1g ; with I₂ (2.2 mol‐euqiv.) and KOH in MeOH) furnished the unsaturated (Z)‐ester 2g in 83% yield, via a stereospecific Favorskii rearrangement (Scheme 1). Further treatment with 3‐chloroperbenzoic acid (m‐CPBA) afforded the unreported epoxy ester 3g (88% yield), which was cleaved in 33% yield to Exaltone^® (=cyclopentadecanone; 1f ) with NaOH in MeOH/H₂O and then HCl at 65°. This methodology was similarly extended to higher (C₁₇) and lower (C₁₅ to C₁₁) cyclic ketone analogues, as well as regioselectively to (?)‐(R)‐muscone ( 5c ) and homomuscone ( 5f ) (Scheme 2). Olfactive properties of the corresponding macrocyclic 1‐oxaspiro[2,n]alkanes and ‐alkenes 4 and 8 , resulting from a Corey? Chaykovsky oxiranylation, are also presented.     

Studies toward the Synthesis of (R)‐(+)‐Harmicine

The study toward the total synthesis of (R)‐(+)‐harmicine is reported in this paper. The enantioselective synthesis of pyrrolidinone, the main backbone of of (R)‐(+)‐harmicine, has been completed by the methodology based on photo‐induced Wolff rearrangement of α‐diazo‐β‐carbonyl compounds.     

Catalytic Reductive Pinacol‐Type Rearrangement of Unactivated 1,2‐Diols through a Concerted,Stereoinvertive Mechanism

A catalytic pinacol‐type reductive rearrangement reaction of internal 1,2‐diols is reported herein. Several scaffolds not usually amenable to pinacol‐type reactions, such as aliphatic secondary–secondary diols, undergo the transformation well without the need for prefunctionalization. The reaction uses a simple boron catalyst and two silanes and proceeds through a concerted, stereoinvertive mechanism that enables the preparation of highly enantiomerically enriched products. Computational studies have been used to rationalize the preference for migration over direct deoxygenation.     

Fe2O3-catalyzed Pummerer rearrangement of acyl chlorides and sulfoxides: Facile synthesis of alkylthiomethyl ester

A simple, effective approach for the Pummerer rearrangement of acyl chlorides with sulfoxides by using a low-cost and more abundant Fe catalyst has been described. The alkylthiomethyl ester products were prepared in good to excellent yields for a range of different substrates including asymmetrical sulfoxides and acyl chlorides with a variety of functional groups under mild reaction conditions. The reaction features short reaction time, simple manipulation, cheap reagents and a broad substrate scope. Single crystal X-ray analysis of a representative methylthiomethyl (MTM) group containing product was also reported.