Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted Olefins by Triple Domino Process

Transition-metal-catalyzed domino reactions of strained bicyclic alkenes

This review presents a comprehensive overview of transition-metal-catalyzed domino reactions of strained bicyclic alkenes, including both homo- and heterobicyclic alkenes. These compounds are important synthons in organic synthesis, providing an important platform for the construction of biologically/medicinally significant compounds which bear multiple stereocenters. The review has been divided according to the metal used in the reaction. An overview of the substrate scope, reaction conditions, and their potential applications in organic synthesis is discussed. A comprehensive outlook on the reactivity paradigms of homo- and heterobicyclic alkenes is discussed and should shed light on future directions for further development in this field.

Recent advances in the synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles and their derivatives

The pyrrolo[1,2-a]indole unit is a privileged heterocycle found in numerous natural products and has been shown to exhibit diverse pharmacological properties. Thus, recent years have witnessed immense interest from the synthesis community on the synthesis of this scaffold. In light of the ever-increasing demand for pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles in drug discovery, this review provides an overview of recent synthesis methods for the preparation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles and their derivatives. The mechanistic pathway and stereo-electronic factors affecting the yield and selectivity of the product are briefly explained. Furthermore, we have attempted to demonstrate the utility of the developed methods in the synthesis of bioactive molecules and natural products, wherever offered.

Iodine-Catalyzed Methylthiolative Annulation of 2-Alkynyl Biaryls with DMSO: A Metal-Free Approach to 9-Sulfenylphenanthrenes

An iodine-catalyzed sustainable, cost-effective, and atom-economic synthetic methodology is developed to synthesize a wide variety of valuable sulfenylphenanthrenes and polycyclic heteroaromatics in moderate to high yield through electrophilic thiolative annulation of 2-alkynyl biaryls (6-endo-dig cyclization) using methyl sulfoxides such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as the sulfur source under transition-metal-free conditions. The transformation requires only iodine in a catalytic amount and trifluoroacetic anhydride. Notably, DMSO played multiple roles such as methylthiolating reagent, oxidant, and solvent in this reaction.

Innovative Synthetic Procedures for Luminogens Showing Aggregation-Induced Emission

As a consequence of their intrinsic advantageous properties, luminogens that show aggregation-induced emission (AIEgens) have received increasing global interest for a wide range of applications. Whereas general synthetic methods towards AIEgens largely rely on tedious procedures and limited reaction types, various innovative synthetic methods have now emerged as complementary, and even alternative, strategies. In this Review, we systematically highlight advancements made in metal-catalyzed functionalization and metal-free-promoted pathways for the construction of AIEgens over the past five years, and briefly illustrate new perspectives in this area. The development of innovative synthetic procedures will enable the facile synthesis of AIEgens with great structural diversity for multifunctional applications.

Cyclization of ortho-ethynylbiaryls as an emerging versatile tool for the construction of polycyclic arenes

Cyclization and cycloisomerization of ortho-aryl(ethynyl)arenes provide an easy direct access to fused polycyclic aromatic carbo- and heterocycles. This methodology has demonstrated an impressive progress in the recent years. The goal of this review is to give a comprehensive outlook on the synthetic potential, scope, limitations, and mechanistic aspects of the cyclization reactions. The material is arranged according to the activation method that can be used to induce cyclization: pyrolysis, metal catalysis, electrophilic activation, radical induction, base catalysis. Particular attention is paid to the specificity of ortho-ethynylbiaryls with a heterocyclic central core.

The bibliography includes 257 references.

Palladium-Catalyzed Domino Reaction for Stereoselective Synthesis of Multisubstituted Olefins: Construction of Blue Luminogens

The first Pd-catalyzed multicomponent reaction of aryl iodides, alkenyl bromides, and strained alkenes has been developed, which allowed us to synthesize a variety of multisubsituted olefins in yields of 45-96% with excellent stereoselectivity. The configuration of the product was controlled by the configuration of the alkenyl bromides. Moreover, this practical methodology employing readily available substrates was found to be tolerant to a wide range of functional groups. Fifty six examples of highly stereoselective tri- or tetrasubstituted olefins have been successfully synthesized via this methodology. Most of the synthesized tetrasubstituted olefins are good aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens.

Rhodium(iii)-catalysed decarbonylative annulation through C–H activation: expedient access to aminoisocoumarins by weak coordination

Rh-Catalysed decarbonylative annulation of isatoic anhydrides with alkynes through C–H activation for the direct synthesis of 8-aminoisocoumarins has been developed.

Cyclization Reactions of Aryl Propargyl Acetates with Tethered Epoxide Induced by Ruthenium Complex

Reactions of the ruthenium complex [Ru]Cl ([Ru]=Cp(PPh₃ )₂ Ru; Cp=η⁵ -C₅ H₅ ) with several aryl propargyl acetates, each with an ortho-substituted chain of various length containing an epoxide on the aromatic ring and with or without methyl substitutents on the epoxide ring, bring about novel cyclizations. The cyclization reactions of HC≡CCH(OAc)(C₆ H₄ )CH₂ (RC₂ H₂ O) (R=H, 6 a; R=CH₃ , 6 b, where RC₂ H₂ O is an epoxide ring) in MeOH give the vinylidene complexes 5 a-b, respectively, each with the Cβ integrated into a tetrahydro-5H-benzo[7]annulen-6-ol ring. A C-C bond formation takes place between the propargyl acetate and the less substituted carbon of the epoxide ring. Further cyclizations of 5 a-b induced by HBF₄ give the corresponding vinylidene complexes 8 a-b each with a new 8-oxabicyclo-[3.2.1]octane ring by removal of a methanol molecule in high yield. For similar aryl propargyl acetates with a shorter epoxide chain, the cyclization gives a mixture of a vinylidene complex with a tetrahydronaphthalen-1-ol ring and a carbene complex with a tricyclic indeno-furan ring. For the cyclization of 18, with a longer epoxide chain, opening of the epoxide is required to afford the vicinal bromohydrin 22, then tandem cyclization occurs in one pot. Products are characterized by spectroscopic methods as well as by XRD analysis.