Convergent Synthesis of Dihydrobenzofurans via Urea Ligand-Enabled Heteroannulation of 2-Bromophenols with 1,3-Dienes

We disclose a palladium and urea ligand-mediated heteroannulation of 2-bromophenols and 1,3-dienes. This method addresses synthetic challenges present in the palladium-catalyzed heteroannulation of bifunctional reagents and olefins by engaging a diverse scope of coupling partners under a unified set of reaction conditions. Our recently developed urea ligand platform outperforms phosphine ligands to generate the dihydrobenzofuran motif in a convergent manner.

Asymmetric hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation in the enantioselective synthesis of flavonoids

In this review, we explore the applications of Asymmetric Hydrogenation (AH) and Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation (ATH) in the total synthesis of natural flavonoids and their analogues, highlighting the limitations and opportunities in the field.

Generation of Benzyne Species from Diphenylphosphoryl Derivatives: Simultaneous Exchange of Three Functional Groups

Interaction of (2-diphenylphosphoryl-3-iodo-4-methoxy-phenyl) methanol with NaH in DMF at ambient temperature results in the generation of benzyne intermediates that can be trapped by furan or DMF. Trapping with DMF forms 3-(dimethylaminomethyl)-2-hydroxy-6-methoxybenzaldehyde demonstrating the simultaneous exchange of three functionalities in a single step. The presence of the alkoxy substituent adjacent to iodine is critical for high regioselectivity addition of DMF. The corresponding bromide or triflate can be used in place of the iodide with equal efficiency. This methodology was used to synthesize the reported structure of gigasol and leading to a structural reassignment of this biscoumarin natural product.

Unprecedented 8,9'-neolignans: enantioselective synthesis of possible stereoisomers for structural determination

(+)-Wutaienin (3) and its C-7 methyl ether (4), isolated from Zanthoxylum wutaiense, were found to be unprecedented 8,9'-neolignans containing an (S)-2-(1,1-dimethyl-1-hydroxymethyl)-7-methoxydihydrobenzofuran skeleton. Wutaienin (3) was present in the plant as an inseparable 1:1 mixture of the (7,8)-syn-diastereoisomers. The diastereoisomeric mixture was characterized by comparison with four possible diastereoisomers, which were enantioselectively synthesized from (S)-5-bromo-(1,1-dimethyl-1-hydroxymethyl)-7-methoxydihydrobenzofuran using Evans' oxazolidinone-assisted asymmetric aldol condensation to install the chiral centers at the C-7 and C-8 positions.

Reactions of o-quinone methides with pyridinium methylides: a diastereoselective synthesis of 1,2-dihydronaphtho[2,1-b]furans and 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans

A simple, general route to the 1,2-dihydronaphtho[2,1-b]furans and 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans substituted at C-2 by an acyl or aryl group, starting from phenolic Mannich bases and pyridinium ylides, has been developed. The mechanism of the reaction is believed to involve the formation of the o-quinone methide intermediate, Michael-type addition of the ylide to the o-quinone methide, followed by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution.

Strategies for the Synthesis of 2,3-Dihydrobenzofurans

This article gives an overview of synthetic approaches to the 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran ring system with an emphasis on recently developed methods. The synthetic approaches are classified according to the key bond(s) formed during the construction of the dihydrobenzofuran skeleton, and approaches of relevance to the synthesis of natural products are highlighted.