Synthesis of 3-methyl- and 3,4-dimethylfurans using alkoxide, thiolate, and phenoxide-mediated cyclization of 4-oxahepta-1,6-diynes bearing sulfur and selenium functional groups

A Direct Synthesis of Highly Substituted π-Rich Aromatic Heterocycles from Oxetanes

The ubiquitous use of π-rich five-membered heterocycles has driven the development of new methods for their synthesis for more than a century. Here, we disclose a general and reliable reaction manifold for the construction of highly substituted heterocycles through a facile Lewis-acid-catalyzed oxetane rearrangement. Notably, this methodology employs a keto-oxetane motif as a 1,4-dicarbonyl surrogate, which can be synthesized using robust alkylation or alkenylation reactions, and thus obviates the need to access 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds via umpoled starting materials. We harnessed this reactivity to generate a broad range of substituted furans and pyrroles, and extended this methodology to produce benzo-fused versions thereof.

Deuterative cyclization of sulfanyl 1,6-diynes: complete and monodeuteration of functional groups on heterocycles

Regioselective H/D exchange reaction of functional groups on heterocycles proceeded via a transition metal-free reductive cyclization of sulfanyl 1,6-diynes using sodium borodeuteride/ethanol-D₁.

Copper catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions for trifluoromethylselenolations – synthesis of R-SeCF3compounds using air stable tetramethylammonium trifluoromethylselenate

The aerobic, room-temperature coupling of tetramethylammonium trifluoromethylselenate with readily available boronic acids, boronic esters, and terminal alkynes has been developed.