Gold-Catalyzed "Back-to-Front" Synthesis of 4-Silyloxyindoles

A series of pyrrol-yn-glycol derivatives were easily prepared from simple pyrroles through a three-step sequence involving hydroxyalkylation-alkynylation-O-silylation. Their reaction with IPrAuNTf2 triggers a C2-pyrrole attack onto the activated alkyne and subsequent highly selective 1,2-migration of the oxyalkyl group in the intermediate spirocycle. This approach enables the efficient synthesis of a wide selection of regioselectively functionalized 4-hydroxyindoles, which represent important yet challenging indole scaffolds, in high yields.

Ring expansion of spirocyclopropanes with stabilized sulfonium ylides: highly diastereoselective synthesis of cyclobutanes

A novel method was devised for regioselective ring expansion of Meldrum's acid-derived spirocyclopropanes to spirocyclobutanes with stabilized sulfonium ylides, affording 1,2-trans-disubstituted 6,8-dioxaspiro[3.5]nonane-5,9-diones in up to 87% yields without the formation of any isomers. The aforementioned reaction was also applied to the barbituric acid-derived spirocyclopropane, resulting in the formation of the corresponding cyclobutanes.

Synthesis of 1,5-Substituted Pyrrolidin-2-ones from Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes and Anilines/Benzylamines

We developed a straightforward synthetic route to pharmacologically important 1,5-substituted pyrrolidin-2-ones from donor-acceptor cyclopropanes bearing an ester group as one of the acceptor substituents. This method includes a Lewis acid-catalyzed opening of the donor-acceptor cyclopropane with primary amines (anilines, benzylamines, etc.) to γ-amino esters, followed by in situ lactamization and dealkoxycarbonylation. The reaction has a broad scope of applicability; a variety of substituted anilines, benzylamines, and other primary amines as well as a wide range of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes bearing (hetero)aromatic or alkenyl donor groups and various acceptor substituents can be involved in this transformation. In this process, donor-acceptor cyclopropanes react as 1,4-C,C-dielectrophiles, and amines react as 1,1-dinucleophiles. The resulting di- and trisubstituted pyrrolidin-2-ones can be also used in subsequent chemistry to obtain various nitrogen-containing polycyclic compounds of interest to medicinal chemistry and pharmacology, such as benz[g]indolizidine derivatives.

Ambident reactivity of 5-aminopyrazoles towards donor-acceptor cyclopropanes

Lewis acid-catalysed reactions of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes with 1,3-disubstituted 5-aminopyrazoles were investigated. Under catalysis with gallium(III) chloride, products of the three-membered ring opening via a nucleophilic attack of the exocyclic amino group were obtained in a chemoselective manner. Oppositely, in the presence of scandium(III) triflate, products of either N-alkylation or C(4)-alkylation, or a mixture of both were formed. The products of the C(4) alkylation were transformed in one step into tetrahydropyrazolo[3,4-b]azepines that are attractive for medicinal chemistry and pharmacology.

Protic Ionic Liquid as Reagent, Catalyst, and Solvent: 1-Methylimidazolium Thiocyanate

We propose a new concept of the triple role of protic ionic liquids with nucleophilic anions: a) a regenerable solvent, b) a Brønsted acid inducing diverse transformations via general acid catalysis, and c) a source of a nucleophile. The efficiency of this strategy was demonstrated using thiocyanate-based protic ionic liquids for the ring-opening of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes. A wide variety of activated cyclopropanes were found to react with 1-methylimidazolium thiocyanate under mild metal-free conditions via unusual nitrogen attack of the ambident thiocyanate ion on the electrophilic center of the three-membered ring affording pyrrolidine-2-thiones bearing donor and acceptor substituents at the C(5) and C(3) atoms, respectively, in a single time-efficient step. The ability of 1-methylimidazolium thiocyanate to serve as a triplex reagent was exemplarily illustrated by (4+2)-annulation with 1-acyl-2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)cyclopropane, epoxide ring-opening and other organic transformations.

Facile synthesis of 4-acetoxyindoles via PhI(OAc)2-mediated dearomatization of 2-alkynylanilines

A simple process for rapid synthesis of 4-aetoxyindoles from readily available 2-alkynylanilines via dearomatization was reported.

Synthesis of 2,3-Ring Fused Pyrroles via Cu-Catalyzed 5-exo-dig Annulation of Alkyne-Tethered Enaminones

A copper-catalyzed annulation of alkyne-tethered enaminones for the synthesis of 2,3-ring fused pyrroles is reported. The 5-exo-dig cyclization/olefin migration reaction delivers the multisubstituted pyrroles in 59-99% yields with 16 examples. This strategy features easily available starting materials, mild reaction conditions, and a cheap ligand-free copper catalyst. The atom-economic transformation provides a simple access to a variety of synthetic useful pyrroles and their derivatives.

Ring-opening cyclization of spirocyclopropanes with stabilized sulfonium ylides for the construction of a chromane skeleton

Regioselective ring-opening cyclization of cyclohexane-1,3-dione-2-spirocyclopropanes with stabilized sulfonium ylides provided 2,3-trans-disubstituted 2,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-5H-1-benzopyran-5-ones in high yields without the formation of any isomers. The obtained product was readily converted into highly substituted chromane.

Donor–acceptor cyclopropanes as ortho-quinone methide equivalents in formal (4 + 2)-cycloaddition to alkenes

A new reactivity of donor–acceptor cyclopropanes as synthetic equivalents of o-quinone methides was revealed for 2-hydroxyarylcyclopropane diesters in their formal (4 + 2)-cycloaddition to alkenes yielding chromanes.

Convenient approach to polyoxygenated dibenzo[c,e]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepines from donor–acceptor cyclopropanes

A convenient approach to polyoxygenated tetrahydrodibenzo[c,e]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepines from the donor–acceptor cyclopropanes has been developed.