Synthesis of highly functionalized cyclohexenone rings: rhodium-catalyzed 1,3-acyloxy migration and subsequent [5+1] cycloaddition

Access to Functionalized Cyclohex-2-enones from a Multicomponent Cascade Reaction of Readily Available Alkynes, Ketones, and Ethyl Acetoacetate

The synthesis of cyclohex-2-enone derivatives is a topic of current interest in organic chemistry. A novel three-component cascade reaction of alkynes with ketones and ethyl acetoacetate has been uncovered. This process provides di- and trisubstituted cyclohex-2-enones in good yields with excellent functional group tolerance. A variety of terminal alkynes and a wide range of aryl, alkyl, and cyclic ketones are viable in this transformation. Successful scale-up preparation and synthetic transformations have demonstrated the potential of this simple operating protocol.

Palladium-catalyzed alkynylative [5 + 1] carboannulation of 1,3-diarylprop-2-yn-1-yl acetates with terminal alkynes enabled by C–H functionalization

Using 1,3-diarylprop-2-yn-1-yl acetates as the five-carbon components enables alkynylative[5 + 1] carboannulation involving C–H functionalization toward 3-ethynyl-1-methylene-1,2-dihydronaphthalenes.

Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Three-Component [4+2+1] Cycloaddition of Two Vinylallenes and CO

Transition metal-catalyzed [4+2+1] reactions of dienes (or diene derivatives such as vinylallenes), alkynes/alkenes, and CO (or carbenes) are expected to be the most straightforward approach to synthesize challenging seven-membered ring compounds, but so far only limited successes have been realized. Here, an unexpected three-component [4+2+1] reaction between two vinylallenes and CO was discovered to give highly functionalized tropone derivatives under mild conditions, where one vinylallene acts as a C₄ synthon, the other vinylallene as a C₂ synthon, and CO as a C₁ synthon. It was proposed that this reaction occurred via oxidative cyclization of the diene part of one vinylallene molecule, followed by insertion of the terminal alkene part of the allene moiety in another vinylallene, into the Rh-C bond of five-membered rhodacycle. Then, CO insertion and reductive elimination gave the [4+2+1] cycloadduct. Further experimental exploration of why ene/yne-vinylallenes and CO gave monocyclic tropone derivatives instead of 6/7-bicyclic ring products were reported here.

Transition Metal-Catalyzed Selective Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage of Vinylcyclopropanes in Cycloaddition Reactions

In this review, transition metal-catalyzed methodologies and applications that exploit C-C bond cleavage of vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs) are summarized with a focus on cycloaddition and related addition reactions. Transition metals, including palladium, nickel, iron, ruthenium, rhodium, cobalt, and iridium, can catalyze the cleavage of C-C bonds in activated or nonactivated VCPs. Additionally, these bond-breaking reactions can occur as intra- or intermolecular processes. The properties of activated and nonactivated VCPs are discussed in the Introduction. Various transition metal-catalyzed cycloaddition and addition reactions involving the cleavage of C-C bonds in activated VCPs are then discussed in the next chapter. The transition metal-catalyzed cycloadditions involving the cleavage of C-C in nonactivated VCPs are summarized in the following chapter. Finally, challenges and potential opportunities are outlined in the last chapter.

Palladium-catalyzed gaseous CO-free carbonylative C–C bond activation of cyclobutanones

A palladium-catalyzed carbonylative C–C bond activation reaction of cyclobutanones is reported, and it affords a variety of indanones bearing ester or amide groups using phenyl formate and benzene-1,3,5-triyl triformate as CO surrogates.

Catalytic [5 + 1]-Cycloadditions of Vinylcyclopropanes and Vinylidenes

Polysubstituted cyclohexenes bearing 1,3 (meta) substitution patterns are challenging to access using the Diels-Alder reaction (the ortho-para rule). Here, we report a cobalt-catalyzed reductive [5 + 1]-cycloaddition between a vinylcyclopropane and a vinylidene to provide methylenecyclohexenes bearing all-meta relationships. Vinylidene equivalents are generated from 1,1-dichloroalkenes using Zn as a stoichiometric reductant. Experimental observations are consistent with a mechanism involving a cobaltacyclobutane formed from a [2 + 2]-cycloaddition between a cobalt vinylidene and a vinylcyclopropane.

Rhodium-Catalyzed (5 + 2) and (5 + 1) Cycloadditions Using 1,4-Enynes as Five-Carbon Building Blocks

Cycloaddition reactions are a hallmark in organic synthesis because they provide an efficient way to construct highly substituted carbo- and heterocycles found in natural products and pharmaceutical agents. Most cycloadditions occur under thermal or photochemical conditions, but transition-metal complexes can promote reactions that occur beyond these circumstances. Transition-metal complexation with alkynes, alkenes, allenes, or dienes often alters the reactivity of those π-systems and facilitates access to diverse cycloaddition products. This Account describes our efforts toward the design of novel five-carbon synthons for use in rhodium-catalyzed (5 + n) cycloadditions, which include 3-acyloxy-1,4-enynes (ACEs) for (5 + 1) and (5 + 2) cycloadditions and 3-hydroxy-1,4-enynes (HYEs) for (5 + 1) cycloadditions. Furthermore, this Account includes relevant computational information, mechanistic insights, and applications of these cycloadditions in the synthesis of various highly substituted carbo- and heterocycles. The (5 + n) cycloaddition reactions presented herein share the following common mechanistic features: the 1,2-migration of an acyloxy group in propargyl esters or the ionization of a hydroxyl group in propargylic alcohols, oxidative cyclization to form a metallacycle, insertion of the one- or two-carbon component, and reductive elimination to yield the final product. In conjunction with a cationic rhodium catalyst, we used ACEs for the intramolecular (5 + 2) cycloaddition with tethered alkynes, alkenes, and allenes. In some cases, an electron-deficient phosphine ligand improved the reaction yields, especially when the ACE featured an internal alkyne. We also demonstrated that chirality could be efficiently transferred from a relatively simple starting material to a more complex bicyclic product. Products derived from ACEs with tethered alkenes and allenes contained one or more stereocenters, and high diastereoselectivity was achieved in most of these cases. For ACEs tethered to an allene, the reaction preferentially occurred at the internal alkene. We also switched the positions of the alkene and the alkyne in the 1,4-enyne of our original ACE to provide an inverted ACE variant, which produced products with complementary functionalities. After we successfully developed the Rh-catalyzed intramolecular (5 + 2) cycloaddition, we optimized conditions for the intermolecular version, which required a neutral rhodium catalyst and phosphine ligand. When a terminal alkyne was used as the two-carbon component, high regioselectivity was observed. While investigating the effect of esters on the rate of the intermolecular (5 + 2) cycloadditions, we determined that an electron-rich ester significantly accelerated the reaction. Subsequently, we demonstrated that (5 + 1) cycloadditions undergo this rate enhancement as well in the presence of an ester. Aside from ACEs, we synthesized HYEs in four steps from commercially available 2-aminobenzoic acid for use in the (5 + 1) cycloaddition. Mechanistically, HYEs were designed so that the aniline nitrogen could serve as the nucleophile and the -OH could serve as the leaving group. Using HYEs, we developed a novel method to make substituted carbazoles, dibenzofurans, and tricyclic compounds with a cyclohexadienone moiety. Although the occurrence of transition-metal-catalyzed acyloxy migrations has been known for decades, only recently has their synthetic value been realized. We hope our studies that employ readily available 1,4-enynes as the five-carbon components in (5 + n) cycloadditions can inspire the design of new two-component and multicomponent cycloadditions.

Divergent Synthesis of Oxa-Cyclic Nitrones through Gold(I)-Catalyzed 1,3-Azaprotio Transfer of Propargylic α-Ketocarboxylate Oximes: Experimental and DFT Studies

1,3-Azaprotio transfer of propargylic α-ketocarboxylate oximes, a new type of alkynyl oximes featuring an ester tether, has been explored by taking advantage of gold catalysis. The incorporation of an oxygen atom to the chain of alkynyl oximes led to the formation of two different oxa-cyclic nitrones. It was found that internal alkynyl oximes with an E-configuration deliver five-membered nitrones, whereas terminal alkynyl oximes with an E-configuration afford six-membered nitrones. DFT calculations on four possible pathways supported a stepwise formation of C-N and C-H bonds, in which a 1,3-acyloxy-migration competes with the 1,3-azaprotio-transfer, especially in the case of internal alkynyl oximes. The relative nucleophilic properties of oxygen in the carbonyl group and the nitrogen in the oxime, the electronic effects of alkynes, and the influence of the ring system have been investigated computationally.

Natural product syntheses via carbonylative cyclizations

This review summarizes the application of various transition metal-catalyzed/mediated carbonylative cyclization reactions in natural product total synthesis.

An enyne cycloisomerization/[5+1] reaction sequence to synthesize tetrahydroisoquinolinones from enyne-enes and CO

An enyne cycloisomerization/[5+1] reaction sequence was developed to synthesize tetrahydroisoquinolinones from linear enyne-enes and CO. The first step is a gold(i)-catalyzed enyne cycloisomerization, generating six-membered-ring-fused vinylcyclopropanes. The second step is a rhodium(i)-catalyzed [5+1] reaction of vinylcyclopropanes with CO. This two-step reaction could also be carried out in one-pot without isolating the cycloisomerization product generated from the first step of this sequence.

Beyond geminal diesters: increasing the scope of metal-mediated vinylcyclopropane annulations while decreasing pre-activation

This review covers the transition metal mediated annulation chemistry of vinylcyclopropanes with an emphasis on non-donor–acceptor examples, and where pertinent, examples of natural product syntheses are shown.

Brønsted Acid-Mediated Cycloaromatization of 1H-Indol-2-yl Propargyl Benzoates to 7H-Benzo[c]carbazoles

A synthetic method for the efficient assembly of benzo[c]carbazole derivatives that relies on silica gel-activated benzoic acid-mediated cycloaromatization of 1H-indol-2-yl propargyl benzoates under atmospheric conditions is described. Robust with a variety of substitution patterns tolerated, the reaction provides a one-step strategy to construct a member of the N-heterocycles family in good to excellent yields. A tentative mechanism is proposed in which the cycloaromatization process is thought to involve a Brønsted acid-mediated formal 1,3-acyloxy migration/6π-electrocyclization pathway.

Recent Methodologies That Exploit C-C Single-Bond Cleavage of Strained Ring Systems by Transition Metal Complexes

In this review, synthetic and mechanistic aspects of key methodologies that exploit C-C single-bond cleavage of strained ring systems are highlighted. The focus is on transition-metal-catalyzed processes that are triggered by C-C bond activation and β-carbon elimination, with the review concentrating on developments from mid-2009 to mid-2016.

Silver-Catalyzed Isocyanide-Isocyanide [3+2] Cross-Cycloaddition Involving 1,2-Group Migration: Efficient Synthesis of Trisubstituted lmidazoles

Imidazole ring is an important five-membered aromatic heterocycle that is widely present in natural products and synthetic molecules. The isocyanide-isocyanide [3+2] cross-cycloaddition reaction constitutes a straightforward method to access imidazoles starting from the easily available chemicals. So far, only three successive reports are known and all lead to the formation of 1,4-disubstituted imidazoles. Here, we report the first isocyanide-isocyanide [3+2] cross-cycloaddition reaction allowing for the formation of 1,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles under silver catalysis. An unexpected 1,2-migration of sulfonyl, alkoxycaybonyl, and carbamoyl groups took place during the cyclization process that is responsible for the formation of trisubstituted imidazoles. This report displayed a mechanistically novel synthetic method toward a variety of imidazole derivatives, which are otherwise difficult to access by conventional methods.

Mechanism and Reactivity of Rh-Catalyzed Intermolecular [5+1] Cycloaddition of 3-Acyloxy-1,4-Enyne (ACE) and CO: A Computational Study

The first theoretical study on the mechanism of [RhCl(CO)₂]₂-catalyzed [5 + 1] cycloadditions of 3-acyloxy-1,4-enyne (ACE) and CO has been performed using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The effect of ester on reactivity of this reaction has been investigated. The computational results have revealed that the preferred catalytic cycle involves the sequential steps of 1,2-acyloxy migration, CO insertion, reductive elimination to form ketene intermediate, 6π-electroncyclization, and aromatization to afford the resorcinol product. The 1,2-acyloxy migration is found to be the rate-determining step of the catalytic cycle. The electron-rich p-dimethylaminobenzoate substrate promotes 1,2-acyloxy migration and significantly increases the reactivity by stabilizing the positive charge building up in the oxocyclic transition state.

Triflic Acid-Catalyzed Enynes Cyclization: A New Strategy beyond Electrophilic π-Activation

The cyclization of enynes, catalyzed by a transition metal, represents a powerful tool to construct an array of cyclic compounds through electrophilic π-activation. In this paper, we disclose a new and efficient strategy for enynes cyclization catalyzed by triflic acid. The salient features of this transformation includes a broad substrate scope, metal free synthesis, open flask and mild conditions, good yields, ease of operation, low catalyst loading, and easy scale-up to gram scale. A preliminary mechanism study demonstrated that the activation model of the reaction was σ-activation, which is different from the transition-metal-catalyzed enynes cyclization. Our strategy affords a complementary method to the traditional strategies, which use transition-metal catalysts.

Rh-catalysed [5 + 1] cycloaddition of allenylcyclopropanes and CO: reaction development and application to the formal synthesis of (−)-galanthamine

A Rh-catalyzed [5 + 1] cycloaddition of allenylcyclopropanes and CO has been developed to synthesize functionalized 2-methylidene-3,4-cyclohexenones. This cycloaddition reaction has been utilized as a key step in the formal synthesis of natural product (−)-galanthamine.

Pd-Catalyzed oxidative isomerization of propargylic acetates: highly efficient access to α-acetoxyenones via alkenyl Csp2–O bond-forming reductive elimination from PdIV

A Pd(ii)/(iv)-catalyzed oxidative isomerization of propargylic acetates developed for the synthesis of polysubstituted alkenyl acetates is described.

(4+1) vs (4+2): Catalytic Intramolecular Coupling between Cyclobutanones and Trisubstituted Allenes via C-C Activation

Herein we describe a rhodium-catalyzed (4+1) cyclization between cyclobutanones and allenes, which provides a distinct [4.2.1]-bicyclic skeleton containing two quaternary carbon centers. The reaction involves C-C activation of cyclobutanones and employs allenes as a one-carbon unit. A variety of functional groups can be tolerated, and a diverse range of polycyclic scaffolds can be accessed. Excellent enantioselectivity can be obtained, which is enabled by a TADDOL-derived phosphoramidite ligand. The bridged bicyclic products can be further functionalized or derivatized though simple transformations.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Stereoselective Intramolecular [5 + 2] Cycloaddition of 3-Acyloxy 1,4-Enyne and Alkene

The first rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular [5 + 2] cycloaddition of 3-acyloxy 1,4-enyne and alkene was developed. The cycloaddition is highly diastereoselective in most cases. Various cis-fused bicyclo[5.3.0]decadienes were prepared stereoselectively. The chirality in the propargylic ester starting materials could be transferred to the bicyclic products with high efficiency. Electron-deficient phosphine ligand greatly facilitated the cycloaddition. Up to three new stereogenic centers could be generated. The resulting diene in the products could be hydrolyzed to enones, which allowed the introduction of more functional groups to the seven-membered ring.

Stereoselective synthesis of highly substituted cyclohexanes by a rhodium-carbene initiated domino sequence

A stereoselective synthesis of cyclohexanes bearing four stereocenters from vinyldiazoacetates and allyl alcohols by a rhodium-carbene initiated domino reaction is described. The reaction cascade features a tandem ylide formation/[2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement, oxy-Cope rearrangement, and type II carbonyl ene reaction, all of which proceed with a high degree of stereocontrol. The products are routinely isolated with excellent stereocontrol (>97:3 dr, 99% ee).

Rhodium-catalyzed tandem annulation and (5 + 1) cycloaddition: 3-hydroxy-1,4-enyne as the 5-carbon component

A Rh-catalyzed tandem annulation and (5 + 1) cycloaddition was realized. 3-Hydroxy-1,4-enyne served as the new 5-carbon component for the (5 + 1) cycloaddition. Substituted carbazoles, dibenzofurans, and tricyclic compounds containing a cyclohexadienone moiety could be prepared efficiently. The identification of a byproduct suggests that metal carbene and ketene intermediates may be involved in the (5 + 1) cycloaddition.

Recent developments of ketene dithioacetal chemistry

Ketene dithioacetals are versatile intermediates in organic synthesis. Extensive research, since the last decade, has given rise to new prospects in their chemistry. The objective of this review is twofold: first, to highlight the new prospects in the chemistry of functionalized ketene dithioacetals, and second, to provide an intrinsic link between ketene dithioacetal groups and a variety of other functional groups, which has brought out many new facts that will assist in future designs.

Rhodium-catalyzed acyloxy migration of propargylic esters in cycloadditions, inspiration from the recent "gold rush"

Transition metal-catalyzed acyloxy migration of propargylic esters offers versatile entries to allene and vinyl carbene intermediates for various fascinating subsequent transformations. Most π-acidic metals (e.g. gold and platinum) are capable of facilitating these acyloxy migration events. However, very few of these processes involve redox chemistry, which are well-known for most other transition metals such as rhodium. The coupling of acyloxy migration of propargylic esters with oxidative addition, migratory insertion, and reductive elimination may lead to ample new opportunities for the design of new reactions. This tutorial review summarizes recent developments in Rh-catalyzed 1,3- and 1,2-acyloxy migration of propargylic esters in a number of cycloaddition reactions. Related Au- and Pt-catalyzed cycloadditions involving acyloxy migration are also discussed.