Gold-Catalyzed Intramolecular Reaction of Indoles with Alkynes: Facile Formation of Eight-Membered Rings and an Unexpected Allenylation

Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Carbocyclization-Borylation of Enallenes to Cyclobutenes

A highly efficient palladium-catalyzed oxidative borylation of enallenes was developed for the selective formation of cyclobutene derivatives and fully-substituted alkenylboron compounds. Cyclobutenes are formed as the exclusive products in MeOH in the presence of H2 O and Et3 N, whereas the use of AcOH leads to alkenylboron compounds. Both reactions showed a broad substrate scope and good tolerance for various functional groups, including carboxylic acid ester, free hydroxy, imide, and alkyl groups. Furthermore, transformations of the borylated products were conducted to show their potential applications.

Property-Guided Synthesis of Aza-Tricyclic Indolines: Development of Gold Catalysis En Route

Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide public health threat that needs to be addressed by improved antibiotic stewardship and continuing development of new chemical entities to treat resistant bacterial infections. Compounds that work alongside known antibiotics as combination therapies offer an efficient and sustainable approach to counteract antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Guided by property-based analysis, a series of aza-tricyclic indolines (ATIs) were synthesized to optimize their physiochemical properties as novel combination therapies with β-lactams to treat methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections. A novel and highly efficient gold-catalyzed tandem cyclization was developed to facilitate the synthesis of these ATIs. One guanidine-containing ATI was discovered to possess both improved anti-MRSA activity and lower mammalian toxicity both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, it also showed significantly enhanced aqueous solubility and metabolic stability. These results indicated that the ATIs are a novel class of anti-MRSA agents suitable for further evaluations as adjuvant therapy in animal model studies.

Utility of Ligand Effect in Homogenous Gold Catalysis: Enabling Regiodivergent π-Bond-Activated Cyclization

Comprehensive utilization of both electronic and steric properties of ligands in homogeneous gold catalysis is achieved in the regiodivergent intramolecular hydroarylation of alkynes. A flexible electron-deficient phosphite ligand, combined with the readily transformable directing group methoxyl amide, is attached to a cationic Au(I) center in three-coordinate mode, affording sterically hindered ortho-position cyclization. Meanwhile, para-position cyclization is exclusively achieved with the assistance of a rigid electron-abundant phosphine ligand-based Au(I) catalyst, in which ligands manifest the compensating effect for cyclization through steric hindrance and electronic properties. By combining gold with silver catalysts, tetrahydropyrroloquinolinones possessing a congested tricyclic structure are obtained via a proven Au/Ag relay catalytic process.

Concise Total Synthesis of Lundurines A-C Enabled by Gold Catalysis and a Homodienyl Retro-Ene/Ene Isomerization

The total synthesis of lundurines A–C has been accomplished in racemic and enantiopure forms in 11–13 and 12–14 steps, respectively, without protection/deprotection of functional groups, by a novel tandem double condensation/Claisen rearrangement, a gold(I)-catalyzed alkyne hydroarylation, a cyclopropanation via formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition/nitrogen extrusion, and a remarkable olefin migration through a vinylcyclopropane retro-ene/ene reaction that streamlines the endgame.

Intramolecular cyclizations of cyclopropenes with indole

Novel intramolecular cycloisomerizations of nitrogen-tethered cyclopropenes with indole in the presence of Brønsted acids have been presented.

Synthesis of novel imidazole-based triheterocycles via a domino Ugi/Michael reaction and silver-catalyzed heteroannulation

An efficient and diversity-oriented synthetic strategy for novel triheterocyclic imidazo-pyrrolo-pyrazine/diazepine/diazocine derivatives is elaborated.

I2-mediated regioselective C-3 azidation of indoles

An unprecedented synthesis of novel 3-azido indoles has been developed using I₂ and NaN₃ in high yields and excellent regioselectivity.

A facile and highly chemoselective synthesis of 1-thia-3a,6-diaza-benzo[e]azulen-3-ones by 7-exo-dig/trig halocyclizations

The manuscript describes a study on relatively unexplored halogen mediated 7-exo-dig/trig cyclization reactions of 2-(2-amino-aryl)-3-prop-2-ynyl/allyl-thiazolidin-4-ones for the formation of thiazole condensed 1,4-benzodiazepines in good yields.

Gold(i)-catalyzed highly stereoselective synthesis of polycyclic indolines: the construction of four contiguous stereocenters

A convenient and efficient synthetic method has been developed to construct highly functionalized polycyclic indoline skeletons with four contiguous stereocenters.

Diversity Oriented Synthesis of Indoloazepinobenzimidazole and Benzimidazotriazolobenzodiazepine from N(1)-Alkyne-1,2-diamines

A one-pot protocol for the diversity oriented synthesis of two N-polyheterocycles indoloazepinobenzimidazole and benzimidazotriazolobenzodiazepine from a common N(1)-alkyne-1,2-diamine building block is described. The approach involves sequential formation of benzimidazole through cyclocondensation and oxidation, which is followed by the formation of either an azepine ring (through alkyne activation and 6-endo-dig cyclization, 1,2-migration with ring expansion, and re-aromatization), or diazepine and triazole rings through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition.

Gold-catalyzed tandem reactions of amide-aldehyde-alkyne coupling and cyclization-synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted oxazoles

We report the first cationic gold(i)-catalyzed one-pot reaction of amide, alkyne and aldehyde followed by cyclization, to successfully access highly substituted oxazoles derivatives in good yields. A single catalyst allows the occurring of this multi-step reaction atom- and step-economically, with water as the only theoretical side product.

Anatomy of gold catalysts: facts and myths

This review article covers the main types of gold(i) complexes used as precatalysts under homogeneous conditions in organic synthesis and discusses the different ways of catalyst activation as well as ligand, silver, and anion effects.

Synthesis of oxazocenones via gold(I)-catalyzed 8-endo-dig hydroalkoxylation of alkynamides

Several benzoxazocenones have been found to exhibit novel cellular activities. In the present study, we report a gold(I)-catalyzed 8-endo-dig hydroalkoxylation reaction of alkynamides to access analogous oxazocenone scaffolds. This methodology provided an advanced intermediate, which was elaborated to a des-benzo analog of a bioactive benzoxazocenone.

Divergent synthesis of indole-fused polycycles via Rh(ii)-catalyzed intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition and C–H functionalization of indolyltriazoles

Intramolecular formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition and C–H functionalization of N-sulfonyl triazoles with indoles have been developed to synthesize potential indole-fused polycycles.

Indium-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation of aryl propargyl ethers

Indium(iii) halides are efficient and selective catalysts for the intramolecular hydroarylation of aryl propargyl ethers.

A gold-catalyzed 1,2-acyloxy migration/intramolecular cyclopropanation/ring enlargement cascade: syntheses of medium-sized heterocycles

A gold catalyzed 1,2-acyloxy migration/intramolecular cyclopropanation/ring enlargement cascade of furan substrates provides a new highly efficient procedure for the formation of ten and eleven-membered ring compounds. A new transformation type of intermolecular furan compound catalyzed by a gold catalyst was reported.

Ligand- and Brønsted acid/base-switchable reaction pathways in gold(i)-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of allenoic acids

Competing gold-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of γ-allenoic acids are optimized through ligand and Brønsted acid/base effects, affording three distinct classes of lactones.

C7-derivatization of C3-alkylindoles including tryptophans and tryptamines

A versatile strategy for C7-selective boronation of tryptophans, tryptamines, and 3-alkylindoles by way of a single-pot C2/C7-diboronation-C2-protodeboronation sequence is described. The combination of a mild iridium-catalyzed C2/C7-diboronation followed by an in situ palladium-catalyzed C2-protodeboronation allows efficient entry to valuable C7-boroindoles that enable further C7-derivatization. The versatility of the chemistry is highlighted by the gram-scale synthesis of C7-boronated N-Boc-L-tryptophan methyl ester and the rapid synthesis of C7-halo, C7-hydroxy, and C7-aryl tryptophan derivatives.