Visible-Light-Driven Dearomatization Reaction toward the Formation of Spiro[4.5]deca-1,6,9-trien-8-ones

α-Halocarbonyls as a Valuable Functionalized Tertiary Alkyl Source

This review introduces the synthetic organic chemical value of α-bromocarbonyl compounds with tertiary carbons. This α-bromocarbonyl compound with a tertiary carbon has been used primarily only as a radical initiator in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) reactions. However, with the recent development of photo-radical reactions (around 2010), research on the use of α-bromocarbonyl compounds as tertiary alkyl radical precursors became popular (around 2012). As more examples were reported, α-bromocarbonyl compounds were studied not only as radicals but also for their applications in organometallic and ionic reactions. That is, α-bromocarbonyl compounds act as nucleophiles as well as electrophiles. The carbonyl group of α-bromocarbonyl compounds is also attractive because it allows the skeleton to be converted after the reaction, and it is being applied to total synthesis. In our survey until 2022, α-bromocarbonyl compounds can be used to perform a full range of reactions necessary for organic synthesis, including multi-component reactions, cross-coupling, substitution, cyclization, rearrangement, stereospecific reactions, asymmetric reactions. α-Bromocarbonyl compounds have created a new trend in tertiary alkylation, which until then had limited reaction patterns in organic synthesis. This review focuses on how α-bromocarbonyl compounds can be used in synthetic organic chemistry.

Photocatalytic Bicyclization of Indole-Tethered 1,6-Enynes for Diastereoselective Synthesis of Pyrrolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazoles

A visible-light-driven photocatalytic protocol is established for the diastereoselective synthesis of pyrrolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazoles via a radical-triggered multicomponent bicyclization reaction starting from readily available indole-tethered 1,6-enynes and α-benzyl-α-bromomalonates under mild conditions. This photocatalytic approach exhibits a wide substrate compatibility and excellent tolerability toward various functional groups and boasts the benefit of efficient ring formation and chemical bond creation.

Radical Three-Component Nitro Spiro-Cyclization of Unsaturated Sulfonamides/Amides to Access NO2-Featured 4-Azaspiro[4.5]decanes

Free radical three-component nitration/spirocyclization of unsaturated sulfonamides/amides with tert-butyl nitrite was developed for the construction of diverse NO2-revised 4-azaspiro[4.5]decanes. This tandem system featured metal-free participation, simple operation, good selectivity/yields, and a green/low-cost O source. Meanwhile, one nitro-containing complex molecule and a scaled-up operation were performed well to test the synthetic potential of the cascade reaction. Isotopic labeling, radical inhibition experiments, and DFT analysis were carried out to gain insight into the reaction process.

Regioselective Dearomative Amidoximation of Nonactivated Arenes Enabled by Photohomolytic Cleavage of N-nitrosamides

Dearomative spirocyclization reactions represent a promising means to convert arenes into three-dimensional architectures; however, controlling the regioselectivity of radical dearomatization with nonactivated arenes to afford the spirocyclizative 1,2-difunctionalization other than its kinetically preferred 1,4-difunctionalization is exceptionally challenging. Here we disclose a novel strategy for dearomative 1,2- or 1,4-amidoximation of (hetero)arenes enabled by direct visible-light-induced homolysis of N-NO bonds of nitrosamides, giving rise to various highly regioselective amidoximated spirocycles that previously have been inaccessible or required elaborate synthetic efforts. The mechanism and origins of the observed regioselectivities were investigated by control experiments and density functional theory calculations.

Construction of Bridged Benzazepines via Photo-Induced Dearomatization

Bridged benzazepine scaffolds, possessing unique structural and physicochemical activities, are widespread in various natural products and drugs. The construction of these skeletons often requires elaborate synthetic effort with low efficiency. Herein, we develop a simple and divergent approach for constructing various bridged benzazepines by a photocatalytic intermolecular dearomatization of naphthalene derivatives with readily available α-amino acids. The bridged motif is created via a cascade sequence involving photocatalytic 1,4-hydroaminoalkylation, alkene isomerization and cyclization. Interestingly, the diastereoselectivity can be regulated through different reaction modes in the cyclization step. Moreover, aminohydroxylation and its further bromination have also been demonstrated to access highly functionalized bridged benzazepines. Preliminary mechanistic studies have been performed to get insights into the mechanism. This method provides a divergent synthetic approach for construction of highly functionalized bridged benzazepines, which have been otherwise difficult to access.

Nitro-Spirocyclization of Biaryl Ynones with tert-Butyl Nitrite: Access to NO2-Substituted Spiro[5,5]trienones

A metal/peroxide-free involved simple cascade 6-exo-trig spirocyclization of tert-butyl nitrite with biaryl ynones has been finished, which resulted in various NO₂-modified spiro[5,5]trienones with good regioselectivity/yields. A variety of scaled-up experiments, reduction/epoxidation operations, and mechanistic studies were performed to verify the merits and spirocyclization process of this radical system. Finally, the structure of the spirocycles was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Photoredox-Enabled Dearomatization of Protected Anilines: Access to Cyclohexadienone Imines with Contiguous Quaternary Centers

A photoredox-enabled alkylative dearomatization of protected anilines is reported. Under Ir catalysis and light irradiation, an N-carbamoyl-protected aniline and an α-bromocarbonyl compound could be simultaneously activated, and the two resulting radical species then recombine with each other to afford a dearomatized cyclohexadienone imine as the major product. A series of such imines with contiguous quaternary carbon centers were prepared, which can be further converted into cyclohexadienones, cyclohexadienols, and cyclohexyl amines.

Chemodivergent Synthesis of Aza-Heterocycles with a Quarternary Carbon Center via [4 + 1] Annulation between Azoalkenes and α-Bromo Carbonyl Compounds

An efficient [4 + 1] annulation reaction between in situ generated azoalkene intermediates and α-bromocarbonyls has been established. A series of skeletally diverse aza-heterocycles with a functionalized quaternary center were obtained in up to 89% yield under mild conditions.

Highly congested spiro-compounds via photoredox-mediated dearomative annulation cascade

Photo-mediated radical dearomatization involving 5-exo-trig cyclizations has proven to be an important route to accessing spirocyclic compounds, whereas 6-exo-trig spirocyclization has been much less explored. In this work, a dearomative annulation cascade is realized through photoredox-mediated C-O bond activation of aromatic carboxylic acids to produce two kinds of spirocyclic frameworks. Mechanistically, the acyl radical is formed through oxidation of triphenylphosphine and subsequent C-O bond cleavage, followed by a 6-exo-trig cyclization/SET/protonation sequence to generate the spiro-chromanone products in an intramolecular manner. Furthermore, the protocol was extended to more challenging intermolecular tandem sequences consisting of C-O bond cleavage, radical addition to an alkene substrate, and 5-exo-trig cyclization to yield complex spirocyclic lactams.

imethyl 2-Benzylmalonate

An electrochemical dearomatizing spirocyclization of alkynes with dimethyl 2-benzylmalonates for the preparation of spiro[4.5]deca-trienones has been developed. This approach adopts ferrocene (Cp₂Fe) as an electrocatalyst to produce carbon-centered radical intermediates from C-H-based malonates, which obviates the forthputting of noble-metal reagents, sacrificial chemical oxidants and 2-bromomalonates. A wide variety of spiro compounds are efficiently prepared with satisfactory results under mild conditions.

Photomediated Spirocyclization of N-Benzyl Propiolamide with N-Iodosuccinimide for Access to Azaspiro[4.5]deca-6,9-diene-3,8-dione

A metal- and oxidant-free route for affording azaspiro[4.5]deca-6,9-diene-3,8-dione via photomediated iodinated spirocyclization of N-(4-methoxybenzyl) propiolamide has been developed. The reaction underwent a radical addition/ipso-cyclization/dearomatization process at room temperature and successfully constructed C-C and C-I bonds. This green and convenient approach could be generally expanded to produce a range of iodinated spirocyclization products in moderate to good yields.

Alkylation/Ipso-cyclization of Active Alkynes Leading to 3-Alkylated Aza- and Oxa-spiro[4,5]-trienones

A method for the preparation of 3-alkylated spiro[4.5]trienones via alkylation/ipso-cyclization of activated alkynes with 4-alkyl-DHPs under transition-metal-free conditions is proposed. This alkylation successively undergoes the generation of alkyl radicals, addition of alkyl radicals to the alkynes, and intramolecular ipso-cyclization. The mechanism studies suggest that the alkylation/ipso-cyclization involves a radical process. This ipso-cyclization procedure shows a series of advantages, such as accessibility, mild conditions, high efficiency, greater safety, and an environmentally friendly method.

Visible-light induced dearomatization reactions

Dearomatization reactions provide rapid access to structurally complex three-dimensional molecules from simple aromatic compounds. Plenty of reports have demonstrated their utilities in the synthesis of natural products, medicinal chemistry, and materials science in the last decades. Recently, visible-light mediated photocatalysis has emerged as a powerful tool to promote many kinds of transformations. The dearomatization reactions induced by visible-light have also made significant progress during the past several years. This review provides an overview of visible-light induced dearomatization reactions classified based on the manner in which aromaticity is disrupted.

Pd-Catalyzed asymmetric decarboxylation for the construction of spiro[4.5]deca-6,9-dien-8-ones featuring vicinal quaternary carbons

A Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative strategy for the asymmetric construction of spiro[4.5]deca-6,9-dien-8-ones is reported. The epimerization of the resultant products occurred under otherwise Pd-catalysis.

Tandem vinyl radical Minisci-type annulation on pyridines: one-pot expeditious access to azaindenones

A new regiospecific alkylative/alkenylative cascade annulation of pyridines has been achieved whilst the corresponding classic Minisci alkylative annulation failed. This protocol provides a novel and expeditious access to azaindenones and related compounds via cross-dehydrogenative coupling with the long-standing problem of C2/C4 regioselectivity of pyridines being well addressed.

Iron-Catalyzed Dearomatization of Biaryl Ynones with Aldehydes via Double C-H Functionalization in Eco-Benign Solvents: Highly Atom-Economical Synthesis of Acylated Spiro[5.5]trienones

The multiple C-H bonds of biaryl ynones render the 6-exo-trig regioselective C-H activation dearomatization to spiro[5.5]trienones challenging since the competing reactions of C-H bonds on Ar¹ or the ortho-C-H bonds on Ar³ may result in 5-exo-trig cyclization to indenones or 6-exo-trig ortho-dearomatization, respectively. We here report an unprecendented dearomatization of biaryl ynones with aldehydes via double C-H functionalization where a regiospecific remote unactivated para-C-H functionalization of biaryl ynones efficiently furnishes acylated spiro[5.5]trienones. This cascade cyclization features a green catalyst and solvent and high atom- and step-economy.

Photocatalytic functionalizations of alkynes

Visible light mediated functionalizations have significantly expanded the scope of alkynes by unraveling new mechanistic pathways and enabling their transformation to diverse structural entities. The photoredox reactions on alkynes rely on their innate capability to generate myriad carbon-centred radicals via single electron transfer (SET), thereby, allowing the introduction of new radical precursors. Moreover, an array of methods have been developed facilitating transformations such as vicinal or gem-difunctionalization, annulation, cycloaddition and oxidative reactions to construct numerous key building blocks of natural and pharmaceutically important molecules. In addition, the introduction of photoredox chemistry has successfully been used to deal with the challenges associated with alkyne functionalization such as stereoselective and regioselective control. This article accounts for several visible light mediated functionalization reactions of alkynes, wherein they have been transformed into α-oxo compounds, β-keto sulfoxides, substituted olefins, N-heterocycles, internal alkynes and sulfur containing compounds. The article has been primarily categorized into various sections based on the reaction type with particular attention being paid to mechanistic details, advancement and future applications.

Electrochemical Trifluoromethylthiolation and Spirocyclization of Alkynes with AgSCF3: Access to SCF3-Containing Spiro[5,5]trienones

A novel and efficient strategy for trifluoromethylthiolation and dearomatization of activated alkynes with stable and readily available AgSCF₃ has been developed. Reported herein is the unprecedented electrochemical generation of the SCF₃ radical in the absence of persulfate for the synthesis of SCF₃-containing spiro[5,5]trienones in good yields via a 6-exo-trig radical cyclization.

Protonation-Enhanced Reactivity of Triplet State in Dearomative Photocycloaddition of Quinolines to Olefins

The intermolecular dearomative cycloaddition of acidified bicyclic azaarenes with olefins was recently reported. We report here the crucial role of the acid in the dearomative photocycloaddition of quinolines to olefins. Experimental and theoretical results show that the key role of the protonation of quinolines is not to promote the energy transfer but to enhance the reactivity of the triplet state of quinolines toward olefins.

Defluorodearomatization: A Photocatalytic Birch-Like Reduction That Enables C-C Bond Formation and Provides Access to Unnatural Cannabinoids

Within the framework of discovery chemistry, polyfluorination remains a synthetic challenge despite its ability to provide useful characteristics, such as a reduction in the number of hydrogen bond donors and metabolic stability. Coupling a reversal of this methodology with photocatalysis has been demonstrated to allow the rapid synthesis of previously difficult or impossible targets by starting with fluorines everywhere and selectively removing or functionalizing them. Herein, we demonstrate a novel method to synthesize 1,4-cyclohexadienes through a dearomative photocatalytic C-C coupling reaction. This allows for access to materials that are orthogonal to the selectivity of the Birch reaction and are more functional-group-tolerant. The reaction also allows the efficient synthesis of polyfluorinated cannabinoids. While the yields are modest, the access to the new chemical space provided by the reaction is unprecedented by any means. The trifluorinated analog of THC, 1-deoxy-1,2,4-trifluoro-THC, is synthesized, demonstrating the importance of discovery chemistry and the ability to explore otherwise unknown structure-activity relationships.

Photocatalytic Radical Ortho-Dearomative Cyclization: Access to Spiro[4.5]deca-1,7,9-trien-6-ones

A highly efficient ortho-dearomative cyclization reaction between alkynes and 2-bromo-2-(2-methoxybenzyl)malonate via visible light-induced photoredox catalysis has been reported. In the presence of 1 mol % fac-Ir(ppy)₃, a variety of spiro[4.5]deca-1,7,9-trien-6-ones were obtained in moderate to excellent yields under mild conditions. Under the optimized reaction conditions, a sample reaction of 3 mmol scale proceeded smoothly to give the desired products in 84% yield with a low catalyst loading of 0.1 mol %.

Visible light photocatalysis in the late-stage functionalization of pharmaceutically relevant compounds

The late stage functionalization (LSF) of complex biorelevant compounds is a powerful tool to speed up the identification of structure-activity relationships (SARs) and to optimize ADME profiles. To this end, visible-light photocatalysis offers unique opportunities to achieve smooth and clean functionalization of drugs by unlocking site-specific reactivities under generally mild reaction conditions. This review offers a critical assessment of current literature, pointing out the recent developments in the field while emphasizing the expected future progress and potential applications. Along with paragraphs discussing the visible-light photocatalytic synthetic protocols so far available for LSF of drugs and drug candidates, useful and readily accessible synoptic tables of such transformations, divided by functional groups, will be provided, thus enabling a useful, fast, and easy reference to them.

Visible-light-induced cascade dearomatization cyclization between alkynes and indole-derived bromides: a facile strategy to synthesize spiroindolenines

A visible-light-initiated intermolecular dearomatization cyclization cascade reaction between alkynes and indole-derived bromides has been explored. This transformation exhibits a wide substrate scope and significant functional group tolerance, providing an efficient way to access a variety of spiroindolenines under mild conditions.

Visible light-mediated ipso-annulation of activated alkynes: access to 3-alkylated spiro[4,5]-trienones, thiaspiro[4,5]-trienones and azaspiro[4,5]-trienones

A novel method for chemoselective difunctionalization of activated alkynes for synthesizing 3-alkylated spiro[4,5]-trienones, thiaspiro[4,5]-trienones and spirolactams has been uncovered using photoredox catalysis under visible light conditions.