Calcium-catalyzed Friedel–Crafts addition of 1-methylindole to activated cyclopropanes

Calcium-catalysed synthesis of amines through imine hydrosilylation: an experimental and theoretical study

A method to reduce aldimines through hydrosilylation is reported. The catalytic system involves calcium triflimide (Ca(NTf₂)₂) and potassium hexafluorophosphate (KPF₆) which have been shown to act in a synergistic manner. The expected amines are obtained in fair to very high yields (40-99%) under mild conditions (room temperature in most cases). To illustrate the potential of this method, a bioactive molecule with antifungal properties was prepared on the gram scale and in high yield in environmentally friendly 2-methyltetrahydrofuran. Moreover, it is shown in this example that the imine can be prepared in situ from the aldehyde and the amine without isolating the imine. The mechanism involved has been explored experimentally and through DFT calculations, and the results are in accordance with an electrophilic activation of the silane by the calcium catalyst.

Recent advances in ring-opening of donor acceptor cyclopropanes using C-nucleophiles

Ring-opening transformations of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes (DAC) with carbon-centered nucleophiles is a simple, straight-forward approach to 1,3-bifunctional compounds that has witnessed remarkable progress over the past several years. To date, different reactivity patterns of DACs have been successfully exploited in racemic/stereoselective syntheses of various acyclic compounds or carbocycles with an impressive structural diversity. The thriving strategies have been successfully utilized in multistep synthesis of complex target molecules. Herein, the recent advances (2015-present) in the ring-opening of DAC involving electron rich arenes and indoles, active methylene compounds, various dipolarophiles, organoborates/boronates, vinyl ethers etc. following Friedel-Crafts alkylation, annulation/formal cycloaddition reaction, organocatalytic reaction, Nazarov cyclisation etc. are presented.

Calcium(ii)-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate additions of amines

The direct enantioselective chiral calcium(ii)·phosphate complex (Ca[CPA]₂)-catalyzed conjugate addition of unprotected alkyl amines to maleimides was developed.

The direct enantioselective chiral calcium(ii)·phosphate complex (Ca[CPA]₂)-catalyzed conjugate addition of unprotected alkyl amines to maleimides was developed. This mild catalytic system represents a significant advance towards the general convergent asymmetric amination of α,β-unsaturated electrophiles, providing medicinally relevant chiral aminosuccinimide products in high yields and enantioselectivities. Furthermore, the catalyst can be reused directly from a previously chromatographed reaction and still maintain both high yield and selectivity.

Dearomatization of electron poor six-membered N-heterocycles through [3 + 2] annulation with aminocyclopropanes

Dearomative [3 + 2] annulation of N-heterocycles with donor–acceptor aminocyclopropanes: fast access to indolizidine building blocks.

Many abundant and highly bioactive natural alkaloids contain an indolizidine skeleton. A simple, high yielding method to synthesize this scaffold from N-heterocycles was developed. A wide range of pyridines, quinolines and isoquinolines reacted with donor–acceptor (DA)-aminocyclopropanes via an ytterbium(iii) catalyzed [3 + 2] annulation reaction to give tetrahydroindolizine derivatives. The products were obtained with high diastereoselectivities (dr > 20 : 1) as anti-isomers. Additionally, the formed aminals could be easily converted into secondary and tertiary amines through iminium formation followed by reduction or nucleophile addition. This transformation constitutes the first example of dearomatization of electron-poor six-membered heterocycles via [3 + 2] annulation with DA cyclopropanes.

Ca(II) -catalyzed alkenylation of alcohols with vinylboronic acids

Direct alkenylation of a variety of alcohols with vinylboronic acids has been accomplished using the air-stable calcium(II) complex Ca(NTf2 )2 under mild conditions with short reaction times. For reluctant transformations, an ammonium salt was used as an additive to circumvent the reactivity issue.

Carbocycles from donor–acceptor cyclopropanes

Donor–acceptor cyclopropane annulations – not just for heterocycles.

Synthesis and reactivity of bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylates

Diazo-bis-222-trifluoroethylmalonate was treated with a variety of alkenes under the influence of rhodium catalysis to yield the corresponding bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylates in good yields.