Efficient synthesis of phenalenone derivatives by rhodium(II)-catalyzed reactions

Azirinium ylides from α-diazoketones and 2H-azirines on the route to 2H-1,4-oxazines: three-membered ring opening vs 1,5-cyclization

Strained azirinium ylides derived from 2H-azirines and α-diazoketones under Rh(II)-catalysis can undergo either irreversible ring opening across the N–C2 bond to 2-azabuta-1,3-dienes that further cyclize to 2H-1,4-oxazines or reversibly undergo a 1,5-cyclization to dihydroazireno[2,1-b]oxazoles. Dihydroazireno[2,1-b]oxazoles derived from 3-aryl-2H-azirines and 3-diazoacetylacetone or ethyl diazoacetoacetate are able to cycloadd to acetyl(methyl)ketene generated from 3-diazoacetylacetone under Rh(II) catalysis to give 4,6-dioxa-1-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-ene and/or 5,7-dioxa-1-azabicyclo[4.3.1]deca-3,8-diene-2-one derivatives. According to DFT calculations (B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)), the cycloaddition can involve two modes of nucleophilic attack of the dihydroazireno[2,1-b]oxazole intermediate on acetyl(methyl)ketene followed by aziridine ring opening into atropoisomeric oxazolium betaines and cyclization. Azirinium ylides generated from 2,3-di- and 2,2,3-triaryl-substituted azirines give rise to only 2-azabuta-1,3-dienes and/or 2H-1,4-oxazines.

Selective syntheses of Δ(α,β) and Δ(β,γ) butenolides from allylic cyclopropenecarboxylates via tandem ring expansion/[3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements

Allylic cyclopropenecarboxylates undergo ring expansion reactions to give 2-allyloxyfuran intermediates, which subsequently rearrange to Δ(β,γ) butenolides via a Claisen rearrangement or to the corresponding Δ(α,β) butenolides via further Cope rearrangement. Also described are methods for chirality transfer in the rearrangement of nonracemic allylic esters.

Regioselective synthesis of multisubstituted furans via metalloradical cyclization of alkynes with α-diazocarbonyls: construction of functionalized α-oligofurans

Co(III)-carbene radicals generated from activation of α-diazocarbonyls by Co(II)-porphyrin complexes have been shown to undergo a new type of tandem radical addition reaction with alkynes that affords five-membered furan structures. The Co(II) complex of 3,5-Di(t)Bu-IbuPhyrin, [Co(P1)], is effective in catalyzing the metalloradical cyclization reaction under neutral and mild conditions. The [Co(P1)]-catalyzed process tolerates a wide range of α-diazocarbonyls and terminal alkynes with varied steric and electronic properties, producing polyfunctionalized furans with complete regioselectivity. The catalytic synthesis features a high degree of functional group tolerance and can be applied iteratively to construct functionalized α-oligofurans.