Synthetic studies about strychnopivotine: synthesis of the bridged azatricyclic fragment

Pd(0)-promoted coupling of an amino-tethered vinyl iodide and ketone enolate is the key step to synthesize the CDE ring system of the indole alkaloid strychnopivotine. Attempts to induce the same process in a compound bearing an o-nitrophenyl group as a latent indole moiety failed.     

Synthesis of ynamides from formamides

N-Formyl-tosylamides can be efficiently converted to N-ethynyl-tosylamides in two steps via the corresponding dichlorovinylamides.     

Palladium-catalyzed alkenation of thiophenes and furans by regioselective C-H bond functionalization

A palladium-catalyzed direct alkenation of thiophenes and furans has been developed in the presence of AgOAc and pyridine. A variety of olefinic substrates such as acrylates, acrylamides, and acrylonitrile can perform the direct oxidative coupling reactions with various thiophenes and furans to give the mono-alkenylated products in good yields. In most cases, the (E)-isomers were isolated as the major products.