Reactivity of a propiolate dimer with nucleophiles and an efficient synthesis of dimethyl α-aminoadipate

Autonomous Visualization of Damage in Polymers by Metal-Free Polymerizations of Microencapsulated Activated Alkynes

The development of autonomous materials with desired performance and built-in visualizable sensing units is of great academic and industrial significance. Although a wide range of damage indication methods have been reported, the "turn-on" sensing mechanism by damaging events based on microcapsule systems, especially those relying on chemical reactions to elicit a chromogenic response, are still very limited. Herein, a facile and metal-free polymerization route with an interesting reaction-induced coloration effect is demonstrated. Under the catalysis of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO), the polymerizations of difunctional or trifunctional activated alkynes proceed very quickly at 0 °C in air. A series of polymers composed of stereoregular enyne structure (major unit) and divinyl ether structure (minor unit) are obtained. Both the catalyst and monomers are colorless while the polymerized products are deep-colored. This process can be applied for the damage visualization of polymers using the microencapsulation technique. Microcapsules containing the reactive alkyne monomer are prepared and mixed in a DABCO-dispersed polymer film. Both the external and internal damage regions of this composite film can be readily visualized once the reaction is initiated from the ruptured microcapsules. Moreover, the newly formed polymer automatically seals the cracks with an additional protection function.

Unified Approach to Furan Natural Products via Phosphine-Palladium Catalysis

Polyalkyl furans are widespread in nature, often performing important biological roles. Despite a plethora of methods for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted furans, the construction of tetraalkyl furans remains non-trivial. The prevalence of alkyl groups in bioactive furan natural products, combined with the desirable bioactivities of tetraalkyl furans, calls for a general synthetic protocol for polyalkyl furans. This paper describes a Michael-Heck approach, using sequential phosphine-palladium catalysis, for the preparation of various polyalkyl furans from readily available precursors. The versatility of this method is illustrated by the total syntheses of nine distinct polyalkylated furan natural products belonging to different classes, namely the furanoterpenes rosefuran, sesquirosefuran, and mikanifuran; the marine natural products plakorsins A, B, and D and plakorsin D methyl ester; and the furan fatty acids 3D5 and hydromumiamicin.

Divergent Protosilylation and Protoborylation of Polar Enynes

Copper-catalyzed divergent conjugate protosilylation and protoborylation of polar enynes were developed. The corresponding β-boryldienoates and β-silyldienotes were obtained in moderate to good yields and with good stereoselectivity. In this protocol, novel cascade double protoborylation/protodeboronation processes of polar enynoates enabled access of the useful trisubstituted vinylboronates in up to 80% yield and with up to 98:2 Z/ E ratio. Moreover, divergent transformations of the products thus obtained were also investigated.

Convenient synthesis of the functionalized 1′,3′-dihydrospiro[cyclopentane-1,2′-inden]-2-enes via a three-component reaction

The three-component reaction of triphenylphosphine, dialkyl hex-2-en-4-ynedioate and arylidene-1,3-indanedione in dry DME at room temperature furnishes functionalized triphenylphosphanylidene-substituted 1′,3′-dihydrospiro[cyclopentane-1,2′-inden]-2-enes in 75–92% yields.

α(δ')-Michael addition of alkyl amines to dimethyl (E)-hex-2-en-4-ynedioate: synthesis of α,β-dehydroamino acid derivatives

The direct nucleophilic addition of alkyl amines to the α(δ')-carbon atom of dimethyl (E)-hex-2-en-4-ynedioate to generate α,β-dehydroamino acid derivatives is reported. Herein, we have studied the reactivity of various primary and secondary alkyl amines in the α-selective nucleophilic conjugate addition to conjugated dimethyl (E)-hex-2-en-4-ynedioate. The reaction with primary alkyl amines gives only the (2E,4E)-stereoisomer, while that with secondary alkyl amines gives the (2E,4E) and (2Z,4E)-stereoisomers of dimethyl (2-alkylamino)-muconic ester.