Development of a reductive Hosomi-Sakurai reaction

An α-Cyclopropanation of Carbonyl Derivatives by Oxidative Umpolung

The reactivity of iodine(III) reagents towards nucleophiles is often associated with umpolung and cationic mechanisms. Herein, we report a general process converting a range of ketone derivatives into α-cyclopropanated ketones by oxidative umpolung. Mechanistic investigation and careful characterization of side products revealed that the reaction follows an unexpected pathway and suggests the intermediacy of non-classical carbocations.

Diastereoselective Intramolecular Hydride Transfer Triggered by Electrophilic Halogenation of Aryl Alkenes

Diastereoselective hydride transfer could be triggered by electrophilic halogenation (bromination or fluorination) of homoallylic alcohol O-Bn ethers. The resulting diastereomerically enriched haloalkyl alcohols underwent subsequent intramolecular nucleophilic substitution to afford the corresponding tetrahydrofurans.

Diastereoselective Intramolecular Hydride Transfer under Brønsted Acid Catalysis

A diastereoselective hydride transfer process has been developed under Brønsted acid-catalyzed reaction conditions using methyl ethers or acetals as hydride donors and tertiary alcohols or alkenes as precursors of carbocation. The method enables construction of complex molecules having multiple stereogenic centers from rather simple and readily available starting materials with predictable diastereoselective control.