The Mechanistic Puzzle of Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Skeletal Rearrangements of Enynes

Metal-catalyzed cascade rearrangements of 3-alkynyl flavone ethers

Metal-mediated rearrangements of 3-alkynyl flavone ethers are reported. The overall process involves 5-endo enyne cyclization to a platinum-containing spiro-oxocarbenium intermediate which may be trapped with methanol to produce spirodihydrofurans or further rearranged to afford either allenyl chromanediones or benzofuranones.

A conceptual translation of homogeneous catalysis into heterogeneous catalysis: homogeneous-like heterogeneous gold nanoparticle catalyst induced by ceria supporter

Translation of homogeneous catalysis into heterogeneous catalysis is a promising solution to green and sustainable development in chemical industry. For this purpose, noble metal nanoparticles represent a new frontier in catalytic transformations. Many challenges remain for researchers to transform noble metal nanoparticles of heterogeneous catalytic active sites into ionic species of homogeneous catalytic active sites. We report here a successful design on translating homogeneous gold catalysis into a heterogeneous system with a clear understanding of the catalytic pathway. This study initiates a novel concept to immobilize a homogeneous catalyst based on electron transfer between supporting base and supported nanoparticles. Meanwhile, on the basis of theoretical calculation, it has deepened the understanding of the interactions between noble metal nanoparticles and the catalyst support.

The role of cyclobutenes in gold(I)-catalysed skeletal rearrangement of 1,6-enynes

1,6-Enynes with electron-donating substituents at the alkyne undergo gold(I)-catalysed single cleavage skeletal rearrangement, whereas substrates with electron-withdrawing substituents evolve selectively to double cleavage rearrangement. Theoretical calculations provide a qualitative rationale for these effects, and suggest that bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-5-enes are involved as intermediates. We provide the first X-ray structural evidence for the formation of a product of this class in a cycloisomerisation of a 1,6-enyne.

When gold can do what iodine cannot do: A critical comparison

Gold catalysis has emerged as one of the most dynamic fields in organic synthesis. Only recently, more and more domino processes, for which gold pre-catalysts were found to be outstandingly effective, were paralleled by employing iodine electrophiles in place of gold compounds. This review highlights how, in certain cases, iodonium activation can match gold-catalyzed reactions to construct identical product scaffolds. Likewise, processes are discussed where mostly identical starting materials are transformed into diverse frameworks depending on whether gold or iodonium activation was used to trigger the reaction.

High chemoselectivity in the phenol synthesis

Efforts to trap early intermediates of the gold-catalyzed phenol synthesis failed. Neither inter- nor intramolecularly offered vinyl groups, ketones or alcohols were able to intercept the gold carbenoid species. This indicates that the competing steps of the gold-catalyzed phenol synthesis are much faster than the steps of the interception reaction. In the latter the barrier of activation is higher. At the same time this explains the high tolerance of this very efficient and general reaction towards functional groups.

Gold(I)-catalyzed enantioselective polycyclization reactions

A series of enantioselective polycyclization reactions, catalyzed by a cationic bisphosphine gold complexes, are described. The polycyclization reactions, which employ an alkyne as an initiating group, begin with a gold-promoted 6-exo-dig cyclization and can be terminated with a variety of nucleophiles including carboxylic acids, phenols, sulfonamides, and electron-rich aryl groups. This method allows for the preparation of up to four bonds in a single operation with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity.

Generation and trapping of cyclopentenylidene gold species: four pathways to polycyclic compounds

Cyclopentenylidene gold complexes can easily be formed from vinyl allenes through a Nazarov-like mechanism. Such carbenes may transform in four different ways into polycyclic frameworks: electrophilic cyclopropanation, C-H insertion, C-C migration, or proton shift. We have studied the selectivity of these different pathways and used our findings for the expedient preparation of valuable complex molecules. An application to the total synthesis of a natural product, Delta(9(12))-capnellene, is presented. DFT computations were carried out to shed light on the mechanisms.