Direct and Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of Azaspirocycles by a Dysprosium(III) Triflate Catalyzed Aza-Piancatelli Rearrangement

Aerobic oxidative α-arylation of furans with boronic acids via Pd(ii)-catalyzed C–C bond cleavage of primary furfuryl alcohols: sustainable access to arylfurans

Aerobic oxidative α-arylation of furans with boronic acids via Pd(ii)-catalyzed C–C bond cleavage of primary furfuryl alcohol provides sustainable access to arylfurans.

Selective Pd-catalyzed α- and β-arylations of the furan rings of (ortho-bromophenyl)furan-2-yl-methanones: C(CO)–C bond cleavage with a furan ring as a leaving group and synthesis of furan-derived fluorenones

Selective palladium diacetate-catalyzed α- and β-arylations of the furan rings of (ortho-bromophenyl)furan-2-yl-methanones 1 under two different conditions are reported.

Direct synthesis of anilines and nitrosobenzenes from phenols

A one-pot synthesis of anilines and nitrosobenzenes from phenols has been developed using an ipso-oxidative aromatic substitution (ⁱS_OAr) process.

Sequential aza-Piancatelli rearrangement/Friedel–Crafts alkylation for the synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-d]benzodiazepine derivatives

2-Furylcarbinols undergo a smooth aza-Piancatelli rearrangement followed by Friedel–Crafts alkylation with (1H-pyrrol-1-yl)aniline, in the presence of In(OTf)₃ at room temperature to afford the corresponding hexahydrobenzo[b]cyclopenta[f]pyrrolo[1,2-d][1,4]diazepin-11(4aH)-one scaffolds.

Palladium-catalyzed dearomatizing 2,5-alkoxyarylation of furan rings: diastereospecific access to spirooxindoles

A protocol for Pd-catalyzed intra- and intermolecular 2,5-alkoxyarylation reactions of furans to diastereospecifically synthesize two series of spirooxindoles is reported.

4π electrocyclisation in domino processes: contemporary trends and synthetic applications towards natural products

Recent most instructive and reliable literature reports which deal with domino processes involving conrotatory 4π electrocyclic reactions, along with a precise mechanistic insight and latest synthetic applications towards biologically active natural products are concisely reviewed. To inspire further research in this domain, a real insight into the overarching emerging themes and potential imminent prospects is also provided.

The versatility of furfuryl alcohols and furanoxonium ions in synthesis

Substituted furfuryl alcohols are extraordinarily versatile starting materials in synthesis. They are precursors to furanoxonium ion intermediates which are implicated in the Piancatelli reaction (leading to 2-cyclopentenones) and in the synthesis of novel dihydrofuran-based exo enol ether/cyclic ketal natural products. They are also intermediates in a recently discovered (4+3) cycloaddition reaction with 1,3-dienes leading to furan ring-fused cycloheptenes. Here we provide a perspective on recent developments in these areas of synthesis, alongside recent applications of the Achmatowicz reaction and [5+2] cycloaddition reactions of the resulting oxidopyrylium ions.

Amant AH, Hein JE, Read de Alaniz J. Cascade rearrangement of furylcarbinols with hydroxylamines: practical access to densely functionalized cyclopentane derivatives

The aza-Piancatelli rearrangement with hydroxylamines to 4-aminocyclopentenones is described. Subsequent transformations highlight the versatility of the cyclopentene scaffold and the value of the hydroxylamine in this transformation.

Diazaspiro-iminosugars and polyhydroxylated spiro-bislactams: synthesis, glycosidase inhibition and molecular docking studies

Synthesis of a new class of iminosugars 1–4 has been reported.

No acid required: 4π and 6π electrocyclization reactions of dienyl diketones for the synthesis of cyclopentenones and 2H-Pyrans

The 1,6-conjugate addition of nucleophiles to dienyl diketones produces either cyclopentenone or 2H-pyran products with high selectivity through either Nazarov (4π) or 6π electrocyclization, respectively. The outcome of the reaction is dependent upon the nature of the nucleophile used. Nucleophiles that are anionic or easily deprotonated exclusively produce cyclopentenones via Nazarov cyclization, whereas the neutral nucleophile DABCO promotes 6π cyclization to afford 2H-pyrans. Experimental evidence is presented for both retro-4π and -6π electrocyclization in these systems, lending support to the bifurcated mechanistic hypothesis proposed for these cyclizations.

ZnCl2-catalyzed chemoselective cascade reactions of enaminones with 2-furylcarbinols: a versatile process for the synthesis of cyclopenta[b]pyrrole derivatives

A ZnCl₂-catalyzed cascade reaction of enaminones with 2-furylcarbinols offers a chemo- and diastereo-selective access to functionalized cyclopenta[b]pyrrole derivatives.

A convenient base-mediated synthesis of 3-aryol-4-methyl (or benzyl)-2-methylthio furans from α-oxo ketene dithioacetals and propargyl alcohols via domino coupling/annulations

A convenient base-mediated synthesis of 3-aryol-4-methyl (or benzyl)-2-methylthio furans2has been developed through the domino coupling/annulations from α-oxo ketene dithioacetals1and propargyl alcohols.

The Piancatelli rearrangement: new applications for an intriguing reaction

Nearly forty years ago, at the University of Rome, Giovanni Piancatelli and co-workers discovered the acid-catalyzed water-mediated rearrangement of 2-furylcarbinols into 4-hydroxycyclopentenones. These motifs are core components of several pharmacologically active compounds and precursors of many natural products. The main features of this reaction are the simple experimental conditions, the stereochemical outcome and the generality of the procedure. Consequently, a re-emergence of this reaction has been seen recently, including developments of the Piancatelli rearrangement with some interesting inter- and intramolecular variants. This review will mainly focus on the general aspects of the reaction along with its more recent applications.

Beyond the Divinyl Ketone: Innovations in the Generation and Nazarov Cyclization of Pentadienyl Cation Intermediates

The requirement for new strategies for synthesizing five-membered carbocycles has driven an expansion in the study of the Nazarov cyclization. This renewed interest in the reaction has led to the discovery of several interesting new methods for generating the pentadienyl cation intermediate central to the cyclization. Methods reviewed include carbon-heteroatom ionization, functionalization of a double bond, nucleophilic addition, or electrocyclic ring opening. Additional variations employ unconventional substrates to produce novel pentacycles, such as the iso- and imino-Nazarov. Herein, we provide an overview of these unconventional, yet highly useful versions of the Nazarov cyclization.

Direct syntheses of spiro- and fused-hydrofurans by a tunable tandem semipinacol rearrangement/oxa-Michael addition protocol

A highly chemoselective one-pot reaction has been developed involving a tandem semipinacol rearrangement/oxa-Michael addition sequence in which the in situ generated ketol diene intermediate can be transformed specifically to either the spiro- or fused-dihydrofuran products (see scheme). This one-pot tandem reaction represents a general synthetic methodology for the syntheses of the two different kinds of furan derivatives.