Solvent, chelation and concentration effects on the benzannulation reaction of chromium carbene complexes and acetylenes

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Three-, Five-, Six-, and Seven-Membered Rings from Fischer Carbene Complexes and 4-Unsubstituted 1-Amino-1,3-Dienes

Fischer carbene complexes react with 4-unsubstituted 1-amino-1,3-dienes to give different carbocyclization products depending on the nature of the carbene complex and on the substitution pattern of the aminodiene. Thus, the reaction of arylcarbene chromium complexes and 1-aminodienes diastereoselectively affords cyclopropane derivatives by means of a formal [2+1] carbocyclization reaction. In particular, pentacarbonyl[(2-furyl)(methoxy)methylene]chromium complex furnishes formal [4+1] carbocyclization products. Starting from beta-substituted alkenylcarbene complexes, formal [4+1] reactions occur and cyclopentenamine derivatives are diastereoselectively formed. However, when the alpha,beta-disubstituted alkenylcarbene complex pentacarbonyl[(5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)(methoxy)methylene]tungsten is used, the outcome of the reaction depends on the substitution on the carbon atom at the 3-position of the aminodiene, generating the [3+2] or [4+3]-cyclization products if the substituent is or is not a hydrogen atom, respectively. Finally, when the reaction is performed with alkynylcarbene complexes, benzaldehyde derivatives are obtained if the triple-bond substituent is a phenyl group or indene derivatives if the group is an alkenyl moiety.

An efficient three-step synthesis of cyclopenta[b]pyrans via 2-donor-substituted fischer ethenylcarbenechromium complexes

A wide range of cyclopenta[b]pyrans 4 has been synthesized in a one-pot reaction by treatment of different 2-donorsubstituted ethenylcarbenechromium complexes 2 with alkynes in THF in moderate to excellent yields (41-90 % for 14 out of 25 examples). The starting materials 2 are readily available in good to excellent yields (76-99 % for 25 out of 36 examples) by Michael addition of amines, alcohols and thiols, respectively, to the corresponding alkynylcarbenechromium complexes 1. Due to their 10 pi-electrons in a cross-conjugated bicyclic system, cyclopenta[b]pyrans have been termed pseudoazulenes, as they indeed have similar UV/Vis-spectroscopic properties.

Construction of the Benzindenoazepine Skeleton via Cyclopentannulation of Fischer Aminocarbene Complexes: Total Synthesis of Bulgaramine

A total synthesis of bulgaramine has been accomplished with a longest linear sequence of eight steps and an overall yield of 23% from commercially available 3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl alcohol. An intramolecular cyclopentannulation reaction of a Fischer aminocarbene complex provided the key step and occurred under significantly milder conditions and in higher yields than those of other reported examples of this reaction type. The reaction solvent was a critical factor in the cyclopentannulation reaction, with measurable amounts of the desired product observed only when THF was utilized. The product yield could be further enhanced by the addition of two-electron donor ligands, demonstrating the first example of this effect on the thermal reaction of aminocarbene complexes with alkynes.

Studies on the Synthesis of Landomycin A. Synthesis of the Originally Assigned Structure of the Aglycone, Landomycinone, and Revision of Structure

The originally proposed structure (2) of landomycinone, the aglycone of landomycin A, has been synthesized and shown to be nonidentical to the naturally derived landomycin A aglycone. The synthesis of 2 features the Dötz benzannulation reaction of chromium carbene 5 and alkyne 6, and the intramolecular Michael-type cyclization reaction of the phenolic naphthoquinone 20. It is proposed that natural landomycinone possesses the alternative structure 3, but attempts to access this structure via the Michael-type cyclization of the isomeric phenolic naphthoquinone 38 have been unsuccessful.

The microwave-assisted Dötz benzannulation process

Chromium carbene-mediated Dötz benzannulation has been shown to proceed remarkably rapidly and with enhanced efficiency under developed microwave-assisted conditions.

Fischer Carbene Complexes as Chemical Multitalents: The Incredible Range of Products from Carbenepentacarbonylmetal alpha,beta-Unsaturated Complexes

The metal carbene complexes, discovered by E. O. Fischer at the start of the 1960s and carrying his name, have since proved themselves to be irreplaceable building blocks for organic synthesis. In particular, since the discovery of the Dötz reaction, a formal cycloaddition of Fischer alpha,beta-unsaturated carbene complexes to alkynes with CO insertion, this area of chemistry has become increasingly interesting to organic chemists. In spite of the considerable diversity of reactions performed with these complexes, proper selection of substrates and careful adjustment of the reaction conditions have allowed, in most cases the perfectly selective preparation of individual compounds of this enormous range of products. The spectrum of new successes begins with the conventional Diels-Alder reaction of alkynylcarbene complexes and the formal regioselective [3+2] cycloaddition of alkenylcarbene complexes to alkynes. It extends much further, however, from cascade reactions with the formation of oligofunctional and oligocyclic products of impressive molecular complexity to complex, formal [3+6] cocyclizations in which six bonds are formed in a single operational step. Beyond doubt, the methodological arsenal of preparative organic chemistry cannot be imagined any more without the valuable transformations of the Fischer carbene complexes; it only remains to be seen whether one or other of the numerous new types of cocyclization products of these complexes can establish itself as a lead structure in the search for biologically active compounds.