2- H -Methoxyoxete: a reactive intermediate en route to methyl acrylate from methoxyacetylene and formaldehyde under BF 3 catalysis. An ab initio HF and DFT study

Thiophosphonium-Alkyne Cycloaddition Reactions: A Heavy Congener of the Carbonyl-Alkyne Metathesis

While the metathesis reaction between alkynes and thiocarbonyl compounds has been thoroughly studied, the reactivity of alkynes with isoelectronic main group R₂E=S compounds is rarely reported and unknown for [R₂P=S]⁺ analogues. We show that thiophosphonium ions, which are the isoelectronic phosphorus congeners to thiocarbonyl compounds, undergo [2 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions with different alkynes to generate 1,2-thiaphosphete ions. The four-membered ring species are in an equilibrium state with the corresponding P=C–C=S heterodiene structure and thus undergo hetero-Diels–Alder reactions with acetonitrile. Heteroatom and substituent effects on the energy profile of the 1,2-thiaphosphete formation were elucidated by means of quantum chemical methods.

We show that thiophosphonium ions, which are the isoelectronic phosphorus congeners to thiocarbonyl compounds, undergo [2 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions with different alkynes to generate 1,2-thiaphosphete ions. The four-membered ring species are in an equilibrium state with the corresponding P=C−C=S heterodiene structure and thus undergo hetero-Diels−Alder reactions with acetonitrile. Heteroatom and substituent effects on the energy profile of the 1,2-thiaphosphete formation were elucidated by means of quantum chemical methods.

Oxophosphonium-Alkyne Cycloaddition Reactions: Reversible Formation of 1,2-Oxaphosphetes and Six-membered Phosphorus Heterocycles

While the metathesis reaction between alkynes and carbonyl compounds is an important tool in organic synthesis, the reactivity of alkynes with isoelectronic main-group R₂E═O compounds is unexplored. Herein, we show that oxophosphonium ions, which are the isoelectronic phosphorus congeners to carbonyl compounds, undergo [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions with different alkynes to generate 1,2-oxaphosphete ions, which were isolated and structurally characterized. The strained phosphorus-oxygen heterocycles open to the corresponding heterodiene structure at elevated temperature, which was used to generate six-membered phosphorus heterocycles via hetero Diels-Alder reactions. Insights into the influence of the substituents at the phosphorus center on the energy profile of the oxygen atom transfer reaction were obtained by quantum-chemical calculations.

Barluenga's reagent with HBF4as an efficient catalyst for alkyne-carbonyl metathesis of unactivated alkynes

Barluenga's reagent (IPy₂BF₄, Py = pyridine) treated with HBF₄efficiently catalyzes the inter- and intramolecular alkyne-carbonyl metathesis of unactivated alkynes. This work represents the first catalytic application of the Barluenga's reagent.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of stable oxetenes via Lewis acid-promoted [2+2] cycloaddition

A highly enantioselective and atom-economical [2 + 2] cycloaddition of various alkynes with trifluoropyruvate using a dicationic (S)-BINAP-Pd catalyst has been established. This is the first enantioselective synthesis of stable oxetene derivatives, whose structure has been clarified by X-ray analysis. This catalytic process offers a practical synthetic method for oxetene derivatives (catalyst loading: up to 0.1 mol %), which can serve as novel chiral building blocks for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals and can also be transformed into a variety of enantiomerically enriched CF(3)-substituted compounds with high stereoselectivity.

Silver-Catalyzed Aldehyde Olefination Using Siloxy Alkynes

We describe the development of a silver-catalyzed carbonyl olefination employing electron rich siloxy alkynes. This process constitutes an efficient synthesis of trisubstituted unsaturated esters, and represents an alternative to the widely utilized Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction. Excellent diastereoselectivities are observed for a range of aldehydes using either 1-siloxy-1-propyne or 1-siloxy-1-hexyne. This mild catalytic process also enables chemoselective olefination of aldehydes in the presence of either ester or ketone functionality. Furthermore, since no by-products are generated, this catalytic process is perfectly suited for development of sequential reactions that can be carried out in a single flask.

Heteroatom-Guided Torquoselective Olefination of α-Oxy and α-Amino Ketones via Ynolates

Ynolates were found to react with alpha-alkoxy-, alpha-siloxy-, and alpha-aryloxyketones at room temperature to afford tetrasubstituted olefins with high Z selectivity. Since the geometrical selectivity was determined in the ring opening of the beta-lactone enolate intermediates, the torquoselectivity was controlled by the ethereal oxygen atoms. From experimental and theoretical studies, the high Z selectivity is induced by orbital and steric interactions rather than by chelation. In a similar manner, alpha-dialkylamino ketones provided olefins with excellent Z selectivity. These products can be easily converted into multisubstituted butenolides and gamma-butyrolactams in good yield.