Transition metal catalysed cascade C-C and C-O bond forming events of alkynes

The past few decades have witnessed the emergence of domino reactions as a powerful tool for the multi-functionalization of alkynes for the rapid and smooth construction of complex molecular architectures. In this context, employing transition metal catalysis, vicinal/geminal cascade functionalization of alkynes involving C-C and C-O bond-formation reactions, has become a preferred strategy for the synthesis of oxygenated motifs. Despite this significant progress, reviews documenting such strategies are either metal/functional group-centric or target-oriented, thus hampering further developments. Therefore, in this review, different conceptual approaches based on C-C and C-O bond-forming events of alkynes such as carboxygenation (C-C and CO bond formation), carboalkoxylation (C-C and C-OR bond formation), and carboacetoxylation (C-C and C-OAc bond formations) are discussed, and examples from the literature from the last two decades are presented. Further, we have presented detailed insights into the mechanism of different transformations.

Gold-Catalyzed Formal Hexadehydro-Diels-Alder/Carboalkoxylation Reaction Cascades

A dual gold-catalyzed hexadehydro-Diels-Alder/carboalkoxylation cascade reaction is reported. In this transformation, the gold catalyst participated in the hexadehydro-Diels-Alder step, switching the mechanism from a radical type to a cationic one, and then the catalyst activated the resulting aryne to form an ortho-Au phenyl cation species, which underwent a carboalkoxylation rearrangement rather than the expected aryne-ene reaction.

Gold(I)-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of 3-Alkoxyl-1,6-diynes: A Facile Access to Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-ones

A novel gold‐catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,6‐diynes was achieved, providing an atom‐economic approach to a diverse set of bicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐en‐2‐ones in moderate to good yields. With unsymmetrical starting materials with two different internal alkynyl substituents, to some extent, the regioselectivity could be controlled by both electronic and steric factors. This unprecedented reactivity pattern may inspire new and unconventional strategies for the preparation of bridged ring systems.

Metal-free alkene carbooxygenation following tandem intramolecular alkoxylation/Claisen rearrangement: stereocontrolled access to bridged [4.2.1] lactones

Alkene carbooxygenation has attracted considerable attention over the past few decades as this approach provides an efficient access to various oxygen-containing molecules, especially the valuable O-heterocycles. However, examples of catalytic alkene carbooxygenation via a direct C-O cleavage are quite scarce, and the C-O cleavage in these cases is invariably initiated by transition metal-catalyzed oxidative addition. We report here a novel Brønsted acid-catalyzed intramolecular alkoxylation-initiated tandem sequence, which represents the first metal-free intramolecular alkoxylation/Claisen rearrangement. Significantly, an unprecedented Brønsted acid-catalyzed intramolecular alkene insertion into the C-O bond via a carbocation pathway was discovered. This method allows the stereocontrolled synthesis of valuable indole-fused bridged [4.2.1] lactones, providing ready access to biologically relevant scaffolds in a single synthetic step from an acyclic precursor. Moreover, such an asymmetric cascade cyclization has also been realized by employing a traceless chiral directing group. Control experiments favor the feasibility of a carbocation pathway for the process. In addition, biological tests showed that some of these newly synthesized indole-fused lactones exhibited their bioactivity as antitumor agents against different breast cancer cells, melanoma cells, and esophageal cancer cells.

Catalytic [1,3] O-to-C Rearrangement: Rapid Access to Bridged Bicyclic Systems

A catalytic [1,3] O-to-C rearrangement from enyne-ethers was developed for the rapid synthesis of diverse bridged bicyclic systems. In this reaction, a vinyl oxonium intermediate, generated in situ from enyne-ether, was the precursor for the [1,3] O-to-C rearrangement. This versatile protocol represents the first example of catalytic [1,3] O-to-C rearrangement based on ring-expansion strategy, enabling efficient access to bridged bicyclic scaffolds.

Yttrium-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroalkoxylation/Claisen Rearrangement Sequence: Efficient Synthesis of Medium-Sized Lactams

An efficient yttrium-catalyzed intramolecular hydroalkoxylation/Claisen rearrangement sequence has been achieved, thus enabling facile access to a diverse array of valuable medium-sized lactams. Furthermore, a mechanistic rationale for this novel cascade reaction is well supported by a variety of control experiments.

Stereoselective strategies for the construction of polysubstituted piperidinic compounds and their applications in natural products’ synthesis

An abridged and far-reaching review communication on the construction of the polysubstituted piperidinic core using diverse methodologies for the benefit of organic chemists interested in the total synthesis of biologically active compounds.

Flexible Tetrahydropyran Synthesis from Homopropargylic Alcohols Using Sequential Pd-Au Catalysis

A flexible synthetic method toward highly substituted tetrahydropyran is reported. The key transformation involves atom-efficient sequential metal catalysis consisting of Pd-catalyzed addition of homopropargylic alcohols to alkoxyallene and the subsequent gold(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization. Notably, this method gives access to both 2,6-cis- and 2,6-trans-tetrahydropyrans possessing diverse substitution patterns.

A Au(i)-catalyzed hydrogen bond-directed tandem strategy to synthesize indeno-chromen-4-one and indeno-quinolin-4-one derivatives

A gold-catalyzed hydrogen bond-directed tandem cyclization strategy to synthesize indeno-chromen-4-one and indeno-quinolin-4-one derivatives has been developed.

Gold(I)-Catalyzed Desymmetrization of 1,4-Dienes by an Enantioselective Tandem Alkoxylation/Claisen Rearrangement

An enantioselective alkoxylation/Claisen rearrangement reaction was achieved by a strategic desymmetrization of 1,4-dienes under the catalysis of (S)-DTBM-Segphos(AuCl)2/AgBF4. This reaction system was highly selective for the formation of 3,3-rearrangement products, providing cycloheptenes with various substitutions in good yield and good to excellent enantioselectivity. This transformation was further extended to bicyclic ring substrates, providing the opportunity to easily assemble 5,6- and 6,7-fused ring systems.

Gold-catalyzed carboalkoxylations of 2-ethynylbenzyl ethers to form 1- and 3-substituted 2-methoxy-1-H-indenes: Brønsted acids versus gold catalysis

Selective synthesis of 1- and 3-substituted 2-methoxyindenes from the carboalkoxylations of 2-ethynylbenzyl ethers is described; the former is obtained efficiently with P(t-Bu)2(o-biphenyl)AuCl/NaBARF in DCM/MS 4 Å whereas the latter is produced preferably with P(t-Bu)2(o-biphenyl)AuCl/AgNTf2 in pre-dried DCM. Both 1- and 3-substituted 2-indenyl ethers are subjected to ozone oxidations to afford two distinct carbonyl products. Our new data indicate that 1-substituted 2-indenyl ethers are generated from gold catalysts whereas their 3-substituted analogues arise from Brønsted acids.

A fluorescent indicator for imaging lysosomal zinc(II) with Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-enhanced photostability and a narrow band of emission

We demonstrate a strategy to transfer the zinc(II) sensitivity of a fluoroionophore with low photostability and a broad emission band to a bright and photostable fluorophore with a narrow emission band. The two fluorophores are covalently connected to afford an intramolecular Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) conjugate. The FRET donor in the conjugate is a zinc(II)-sensitive arylvinylbipyridyl fluoroionophore, the absorption and emission of which undergo bathochromic shifts upon zinc(II) coordination. When the FRET donor is excited, efficient intramolecular energy transfer occurs to result in the emission of the acceptor boron dipyrromethene (4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene or BODIPY) as a function of zinc(II) concentration. The broad emission band of the donor/zinc(II) complex is transformed into the strong, narrow emission band of the BODIPY acceptor in the FRET conjugates, which can be captured within the narrow emission window that is preferred for multicolor imaging experiments. In addition to competing with other nonradiative decay processes of the FRET donor, the rapid intramolecular FRET of the excited FRET-conjugate molecule protects the donor fluorophore from photobleaching, thus enhancing the photostability of the indicator. FRET conjugates 3 and 4 contain aliphatic amino groups, which selectively target lysosomes in mammalian cells. This subcellular localization preference was verified by using confocal fluorescence microscopy, which also shows the zinc(II)-enhanced emission of 3 and 4 in lysosomes. It was further shown using two-color structured illumination microscopy (SIM), which is capable of extending the lateral resolution over the Abbe diffraction limit by a factor of two, that the morpholino-functionalized compound 4 localizes in the interior of lysosomes, rather than anchoring on the lysosomal membranes, of live HeLa cells.

1,2-N-migration in a gold-catalysed synthesis of functionalised indenes by the 1,1-carboalkoxylation of ynamides

Unique α-hemiaminal ether gold carbene intermediates were accessed by a gold-catalysed 1,1-carboalkoxylation strategy and evolved through a highly selective 1,2-N-migration. This skeletal rearrangement gave functionalised indenes, and isotopic labelling confirmed the rare C–N bond cleavage of the ynamide moiety. The effect of substituents on the migration has been explored, and a model is proposed to rationalise the observed selectivity.

Toward a symphony of reactivity: cascades involving catalysis and sigmatropic rearrangements

Catalysis and synthesis are intimately linked in modern organic chemistry. The synthesis of complex molecules is an ever evolving area of science. In many regards, the inherent beauty associated with a synthetic sequence can be linked to a certain combination of the creativity with which a sequence is designed and the overall efficiency with which the ultimate process is performed. In synthesis, as in other endeavors, beauty is very much in the eyes of the beholder. It is with this in mind that we will attempt to review an area of synthesis that has fascinated us and that we find extraordinarily beautiful, namely the combination of catalysis and sigmatropic rearrangements in consecutive and cascade sequences.

Gold(I)-catalyzed enantioselective carboalkoxylation of alkynes

A highly enantioselective carboalkoxylation of alkynes catalyzed by cationic (DTBM-MeO-Biphep)gold(I) complexes is reported. Various optically active β-alkoxyindanone derivatives were obtained in good yields with high enantioselectivities. Furthermore, this methodology was extended to the enantioselective synthesis of 3-methoxycyclopentenones. The reaction is proposed to proceed through an enantioselective cyclization of intermediates containing vinylgold(I) and prochiral oxocarbenium moieties.

From ynamides to highly substituted benzo[b]furans: gold(I)-catalyzed 5-endo-dig-cyclization/rearrangement of alkylic oxonium intermediates

A series of arylynamides with alkyloxy groups at the ortho position of the aryl group was prepared through a short alkylation/cross-coupling/amidation sequence. The gold-catalyzed conversion of these substrates combined both C-O and C-C formation steps, thus providing benzofurans with amine functionalities at the 2-position and alkyl groups at the 3-position. Cross-over experiments showed that the alkyl-migration step was an intermolecular process. X-ray crystal-structure analysis of two of the products supported our structural assignment. In some cases, the corresponding benzofurans without the alkyl group at the 3-position were obtained as side-products, which were formed through a competing protodeauration process.

The tandem intermolecular hydroalkoxylation/Claisen rearrangement

The Au(I)-catalyzed intermolecular hydroalkoxylation of alkynes with allylic alcohols to provide allyl vinyl ethers that subsequently undergo Claisen rearrangement is reported. This new cascade reaction strategy facilitates the direct formation of γ,δ-unsaturated ketones from simple starting materials in a single step.

Diastereoselective total synthesis of (±)-schindilactone A, Part 1: Construction of the ABC and FGH ring systems and initial attempts to construct the CDEF ring system

First-generation synthetic strategies for the diastereoselective total synthesis of schindilactone A (1) are presented and methods for the synthesis of the ABC, FGH, and CDEF moieties are explored. We have established a method for the synthesis of the ABC moiety, which included both a Diels-Alder reaction and a ring-closing metathesis as the key steps. We have also developed a method for the synthesis of the FGH moiety, which involved the use of a Pauson-Khand reaction and a carbonylative annulation reaction as the key steps. Furthermore, we have achieved the construction of the central 7-8 bicyclic ring system by using a [3,3]-rearrangement as the key step. However, unfortunately, when this rearrangement reaction was applied to the construction of the more advanced CDEF moiety, the anticipated annulation reaction did not occur and the development of an alternative synthetic strategy would be required for the construction of this central core.

Gold(I)-catalyzed formation of furans by a Claisen-type rearrangement of ynenyl allyl ethers

A series of ynenyl allyl ethers were rearranged into polysubstituted furans in the presence of a gold(I) catalyst. It is proposed that the transformation involves a Claisen-type rearrangement that allows the efficient creation of quaternary centers under mild experimental conditions.

A racemic formal total synthesis of clavukerin A using gold(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 3-methoxy-1,6-enynes as the key strategy

An efficient formal total synthesis of (±)-clavukerin A was accomplished via a gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of a 3-methoxy-1,6-enyne 5 as the key strategy followed by Rh-catalyzed stereoselective hydrogenation of the cycloheptenone 4.

Facile oxygenation reactions of ruthenium acetylide complex containing substituted olefinic group

Reaction of the ruthenium acetylide complex Cp(dppe)RuC≡CCH(OMe)CPh(2)-CH(2)CH=CMe(2) (5a) with oxygen readily gives acetone and the acyl complex 6 in almost quantitative yield. Protonation of 5a is followed by an elimination of MeOH and a hydroxyl addition at Cα in the presence of water to give the hydroxycarbene complex 7a. The structures of the acyl complex 6 and the hydroxycarbene complex 7c are fully characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.