Hydroxy Chalcogenide-Promoted Morita-Baylis-Hillman Alkylation Reaction: Intermolecular Applications with Alkyl Halides as Electrophiles

A Synthesis of α-Alkyl Cycloenones by Pd-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling with Cyclic Morita-Baylis-Hillman Adducts

We herein disclose a Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of cyclic Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts with organoboronic acids under mild conditions, which allows for a rapid access to diverse α-alkyl substituted cycloenones. The advantage of this method resides in the employment of functionalized allyl alcohols as the unprecedented electrophilic partners in the absence of external activators.

The theoretical chemical calculations clarify the mechanism of beta-alkylation of 1-phenylethanol with benzyl alcohol catalyzed by iron(ii) acetylacetonate methods

Iron(ii) acetylacetonate was suggested to be a better catalyst of the β-alkylation of 1-phenylethanol with benzyl alcohol to form 1,3-diphenyl-1-propanol. DFT calculations have been performed to study the internal mechanism, the structures of intermediates and transition states, and the exchange of electronic density in detail. The energetic results show that this β-alkylation reaction proceeds via the hydrogen autotransfer mechanism and the catalytic cycle includes three sequential stages: (1) alcohol oxidation to produce aldehyde associated with hydride anion transfer, (2) cross-aldol condensation to form a chalcone and (3) chalcone reduction with multi-step hydrogenation. In order to study whether the only by-product, water, has clearly influenced the reaction, eight catalyst hydrogenation pathways and four catalyst dehydrogenation pathways have been studied. We are delighted to find that the presence of the only by-product, water, can significantly increase the reduction energy barrier of dihydrochalcone. The energy barrier of the catalyst's hydrogenation is less than 6 kcal mol⁻¹. Our calculation results are fundamentally coincident with the experimental detections, and suggest that the crossing-coupling reaction occurs through a reliable mechanism. Two dihydrochalcone catalysts were designed on the basis of how the β-alkylation reaction proceeds.

Iron(ii) acetylacetonate was suggested to be a better catalyst of the β-alkylation of 1-phenylethanol with benzyl alcohol to form 1,3-diphenyl-1-propanol.

The bioinspired design of a reagent allows the functionalization of Cα-H of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds via the Baylis-Hillman chemistry under ambient conditions

A rationally designed reagent capable of affecting alkylation at Cα of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds is reported. The reaction proceeded at room temperature without any additives. The pH and H-bond formation during the reaction play a key role in the working of the reagent.

Intramolecular Morita–Baylis–Hillman and Rauhut–Currier reactions. A catalytic and atom economic route for carbocycles and heterocycles

Intramolecular MBH and RC reactions: glorious past and future opportunities.