Palladium(0)-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of Enallenes

Palladium-catalyzed cascade metallo-ene/Suzuki coupling reaction of allenamides

A new type of cascade metallo-ene/Suzuki coupling reaction of allenamides catalyzed by palladium is described.

Dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DYKAT) by combined amine- and transition-metal-catalyzed enantioselective cycloisomerization

The first examples of one-pot highly chemo- and enantioselective dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformations (DYKATs) involving alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes and propargylated carbon acids are presented. These DYKATs, which proceed by a combination of catalytic iminium activation, enamine activation, and Pd(0)-catalyzed enyne cycloisomerization, give access to functionalized cyclopentenes with up to 99 % ee and can be used for the generation of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters.

Gold-Catalyzed Cyclization of Allene-Substituted Malonate Esters: Synthesis of β,γ-Unsaturated δ-Lactones

An efficient method for the preparation of beta,gamma-unsaturated delta-lactones has been developed. The starting materials for the synthesis of these compounds are allene-substituted malonates which undergo gold-catalyzed cyclization by means of nucleophilic attack of the ester moiety on the allene. It is worth mentioning that this is the first example where an ester group attacks as a nucleophile in a gold-catalyzed transformation of allenes.

An Unexpectedly Mild Thermal Alder−Ene-Type Cyclization of Enallenes

A mild, thermal Alder-ene reaction of enallenes has been developed. The allenic double bond acts as the "ene" and generates a carbon-carbon bond to an unactivated olefinic "enophile" in DMF at 120 degrees C to give [n.3.0] bicyclic systems (n = 3-5) in good yields. Except for a minor [2 + 2] cycloaddition byproduct, the reaction proceeded with complete atom economy, as there is no requirement of a catalyst or additional reactants, and no waste products are formed in the process.