AlCl3-promoted highly regio- and diastereoselective [3 + 2] cycloadditions of activated cyclopropanes and aromatic aldehydes: construction of 2,5-diaryl-3,3,4-trisubstituted tetrahydrofurans

The AlCl(3)-catalyzed 3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of diethyl trans-2,3-disubstituted cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylates and aromatic aldehydes was carried out under mild conditions to provide a series of diethyl 2,5-diaryl-4-benzoyltetrahydrofuran-3,3-dicarboxylates in moderate to good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities. While common 2,5-cis products were obtained with electron-neutral or electron-poor aryl aldehydes, the much less common 2,5-trans products were obtained in excellent diastereoselectivities when electron-rich aryl aldehydes were used. The relative configurations of those typical products were confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analyses.