Organocatalytic regioselective, diastereoselective, and enantioselective annulation of cyclic 1-azadienes with γ-nitro ketones via 3,4-cyclization

A regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective [2 + 4] annulation reaction of cyclic 1-azadienes with γ-nitro ketones is reported.

Organocatalytic condensation–ring opening–annulation cascade reactions between N-Bocindolin-2-ones/benzofuran-2(3H)-ones and salicylaldehydes for synthesis of 3-arylcoumarins

An organocatalytic cascade synthesis of 3-arylcoumarins has been developed.

Formation of meta-Substituted Phenols by Transition Metal-Free Aromatization: Use of 2-Bromocyclohex-2-en-1-ones

Addition of Grignard or other organometallic reagents to 2-halocyclohex-2-en-1-ones bearing an alkyl or aryl group at C-5, followed by mild acid treatment and exposure to 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) at room temperature, generates meta-substituted phenols in which the newly introduced meta substituent originates from the Grignard reagent. The range of effective organometallic reagents includes alkyl, allyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl compounds including those with fluorine substituents. The initial halocyclohexenone can be deprotonated at C-6 and reacted with carbon, fluorine, or sulfur electrophiles before the Grignard addition so as to generate highly substituted phenols.

A Family of Routes to Substituted Phenols, Including Meta-Substituted Phenols

A new family of routes to substituted phenols has been developed. 2-Bromo-3-methoxycyclohex-2-en-1-ones are readily deprotonated at C-6, and the resulting anions react smoothly with a variety of electrophiles; treatment with DBU in PhMe at room temperature then results in efficient aromatization to benzene derivatives of a regiochemically defined substitution pattern. This sequence affords phenolic azides (ArN3), sulfides (ArSR, ArSAr'), selenides (ArSePh), alcohols [ArCH(OH)R], amino derivatives [ArCH(NHSO2Ar')R), and 1,2-benzenediols. A complementary set of substitution patterns is obtained by DIBAL-H reduction or reaction with a Grignard reagent before aromatization; the latter process gives compounds in which the newly introduced substituent is meta to the phenolic hydroxyl.

Enantioselective construction of spiro-1,3-indandiones with three stereocenters via organocatalytic Michael-aldol reaction of 2-arylideneindane-1,3-diones and nitro aldehydes

Asymmetric domino reaction between 2-arylideneindane-1,3-dione and nitro aldehyde has been developed for the construction of an enantioenriched spiro-1,3-indandione framework with three stereocenters.