Isolable Copper(I) η2-Cyclopropene Complexes

Treatment of bis(pyrazolyl)borate ligand supported [(CF₃)₂Bp]Cu(NCMe) with 1,2,3-trisubstituted cyclopropenes produced thermally stable copper(I) η²-cyclopropene complexes amenable to detailed solution and solid-state analysis. The [(CF₃)₂Bp]Cu(NCMe) also catalyzed [2 + 1]-cycloaddition chemistry of terminal and internal alkynes with ethyl diazoacetate affording cyclopropenes, including those used as ligands in this work. The tris(pyrazolyl)borate [(CF₃)₂Tp]Cu(NCMe) is a competent catalyst for this process as well. The treatment of [(CF₃)₂Tp]Cu with ethyl 2,3-diethylcycloprop-2-enecarboxylate substrate gave an O-bonded rather than a η²-cyclopropene copper complex.

Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of gem-Difluorocyclopropenyl Esters: Access to Enantioenriched gem-Difluorocyclopropanes

Catalytic enantioselective access to disubstituted functionalized gem-difluorocyclopropanes, which are emerging fluorinated motifs of interest in medicinal chemistry, was achieved through asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of gem-difluorocyclopropenyl esters, catalyzed by a Noyori-Ikariya (p-cymene)-ruthenium(II) complex, with (N-tosyl-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine) as the chiral ligand and isopropanol as the hydrogen donor. The resulting cis-gem-difluorocyclopropyl esters were obtained with moderate to high enantioselectivity (ee=66-99 %), and post-functionalization reactions enable access to valuable building blocks incorporating a cis- or trans-gem-difluorocyclopropyl motif.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Sequential Cycloisomerization/Aldol Addition of Cyclopropene Carboxylic Acids with Isatins

A unique, rhodium-catalyzed reaction of cyclopropene carboxylic acids with isatins has been developed, which takes place through a trapping process of transient cyclic carboxylic oxonium ylides. This reaction tolerates a wide variety of cyclopropene carboxylic acids and N-protected or unprotected isatins and represents a new, direct strategy to access valuable γ-substituted γ-butenolide architectures containing an oxindole moiety in very high yields under mild reaction conditions.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Intermolecular Cyclopropanation of Benzofurans, Indoles, and Alkenes via Cyclopropene Ring Opening

The generation of metal carbenoids via ring opening of cyclopropenes by transition metals offers a simple entry into highly reactive intermediates. Herein, we describe a diastereoselective intermolecular rhodium-catalyzed cyclopropanation of heterocycles and alkenes using cyclopropenes as carbene precursors with a low loading of a commercially available rhodium catalyst. The reported method is scalable and could be performed with catalyst loadings as low as 0.2 mol %, with no impact to the reaction yield or selectivity.