Organophosphane-Promoted Synthesis of Functionalized α,β-Unsaturated Alkenes and Furanones via Direct β-Acylation

Synthesis of Trisubstituted Furans from Activated Alkenes by P(III)/P(V) Redox Cycling Catalysis

The organocatalytic formation of an underrepresented family of trisubstituted and tetrasubstituted furans from activated alkenes and acyl chlorides is reported. In a reaction sequence based on P(III)/P(V) redox cycling catalysis, the cyclic phosphine catalysts react with diacylethenes or acyl acrylates in Michael addition, followed by acylation and either an intramolecular Wittig reaction or a ring closure reaction, liberating the furans. The formed phosphine oxides are reduced in situ by phenylsilane as a terminal reductant. In the first step, 12 diacylethenes were converted to the respective trisubstituted furans. The reaction of acyl acrylates showed a surprising, catalyst-dependent alternate reaction forming tetrasubstituted furans. Two additional methods were developed, giving 14 trisubstituted furans using a phospholene catalyst and an additional 6 tetrasubstituted furans using a phosphetane catalyst. This encompassed 19 newly described compounds.

PPh3-Triggered Tandem Synthesis of 2,3-Disubstituted Benzofuran Derivatives from o-Quinone Methides with Acyl Chlorides

A PPh₃-triggered tandem strategy for the efficient synthesis of valuable 2,3-disubstituted benzofuran derivatives in generally good to high yields from aryl or alkyl acyl chlorides and o-quinone methides has been developed. This method features mild reaction conditions, simple operation, and a broad substrate scope.

Furanonyl amino acid derivatives as hemostatic drugs: design, synthesis and hemostasis performance

Using 3,4-dihalo-2(5H)-furanones and easily available hemostatic drugs, such as tranexamic acid (TA), 4-aminomethylbenzoic acid (ABA), aminocaproic acid (AA) as starting materials, serial multi-functional molecules 2(5H)-furanonyl amino acids are designed by the combination of different pharmacophores, and successfully synthesized by a transition metal-free Michael addition-elimination reaction. The reaction is carried out under mild conditions with ethanol-dichloromethane as solvent and only stirring at room temperature for 24 h, and the yield can be up to 91%. All products are well characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution mass spectra (HRMS). Ten typical target compounds among them are selected out for the experiments of hemostasis performance by the evaluation of in vitro clot formation model and liver hemorrhage model. The test results show that, their hemostasis effect is better than the original drugs. Especially the target compound G, a TA derivative from 5-borneoloxy-3,4-dibromo-2(5H)-furanone, has the best hemostasis effect among all the tested compounds. These obtained target molecules are expected to be used as multi-functional hemostatic drugs.

Phosphine-Catalyzed Chemoselective Reduction/Elimination/Wittig Sequence for Synthesis of Functionalized 3-Alkenyl Benzofurans

An efficient protocol for the construction of functionalized 3-alkenyl benzofurans is demonstrated under metal-free conditions using catalytic amount of phosphine proceeding an intramolecular Wittig reaction. This one-pot reaction initiated by the phospha-Michael addition of phosphine to O-acylated nitrostyrene, in which phosphine was in-situ-generated from the chemoselective reduction of phosphine oxide with PhSiH₃, would provide the phosphorus ylide to result in the aforementioned multifunctionalized benzofuran via O-acylation/nitrous acid elimination/Wittig reaction.

Construction of indeno[1,2-b]pyrroles via chemoselective N-acylation/cyclization/Wittig reaction sequence

An efficient protocol for the chemoselective construction of the indeno[1,2-b]pyrroles and rearranged indeno[1,2-b]pyrrole derivatives is reported via an N-acylation/cyclization/Wittig reaction. Extensive mechanistic investigations revealed that the initially formed crucial spiro-indene-1,2'-[1,3,4]oxadiazol intermediate further reacts with phosphine to generate betaine, thus predominately resulting in the aforementioned heteroarenes proceeding by a Wittig reaction.

Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of Spiropentadiene Pyrazolones and 1H-Oxepino[2,3-c]pyrazoles from Doubly Conjugated Pyrazolones via Intramolecular Wittig Reaction

An efficient method for the diversity-oriented synthesis of spiropentadiene pyrazolones and 1H-oxepino[2,3-c]pyrazoles is reported. The methodology attributes O-acylation of phosphorus zwitterions which were formed by a tandem phospha-1,6-addition of PBu₃ to α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated pyrazolones, further generating betaine intermediates that preferentially resulted in the aforementioned cyclic products in a diversity-oriented manner. The mechanistic investigations revealed that formation of the betaines is the key step to provide the products via an intramolecular Wittig reaction or an unprecedented δ-C-acylation/cyclization/Wittig reaction.