DBU-promoted regioselective HBr-elimination of vicinal dibromides: effects of the adjacent oxygen and/or other heterofunctional groups

One-Pot Synthesis of α-Alkyl Styrene Derivatives

There is a significant need to develop more rapid and efficient routes to styrene derivatives, since they are extensively used in polymer sciences. This manuscript reports a one-pot synthesis of an array of α-alkyl styrene derivatives from readily available natural products (i.e., estragole and safrole). This method is regioselective, producing a rearranged adduct, under transition metal-free conditions. This methodology has broad nucleophile scope, even tolerating sterically hindered nucleophiles; it is general for carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur nucleophiles.

Total Synthesis of 3-epi-Juruenolide C

In this study, the total synthesis of 3-epi-juruenolide C is achieved in 10 steps (longest linear sequence) starting from ethyl (2E,4S,5S)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-hexenoate. The synthetic highlights of our approach include one-pot regioselective bromination, intramolecular carbonylation using bis(triphenylphosphine)dicarbonylnickel, and face-selective hydrogenation using a homogeneous Wilkinson's catalyst.

Practical regio- and stereoselective azidation and amination of terminal alkenes

There is significant interest in developing more rapid and efficient production of nitrogen-containing allylic compounds, as widely used in various syntheses. This work reports a variety of allylic azides and allylic amines synthesized by an efficient, new one-pot protocol that employs readily available terminal alkenes as starting materials. This method is highly regio- and stereoselective, affording the linear (E)-isomer, under metal-free conditions. This process tolerates several functional groups including halogen-containing molecules; it is general for azides and amine nucleophiles; and, adducts were obtained in good yields.