Heterocycles Derived from Heteroatom-Substituted Carbenes

Synthesis of N-Alkenylated Heterocycles via T3P-Promoted Condensation with Ketones

Herein, we describe a convenient protocol for the synthesis of N-alkenylated heterocycles using abundant ketone electrophiles and T3P as a water scavenger under microwave irradiation. The method can be applied to a diverse range of NH-heterocycles and ketones with good to excellent yields (up to 94%). This procedure is particularly attractive, as it is metal- and base-free, tolerates a variety of functional groups, and offers ease of product purification. The utility of the protocol was exemplified by synthesizing pharmaceutically relevant scaffolds containing the N-alkenyl motif and was further extended to a one-pot reductive amination sequence.

Latent Carbene in Diaminomethylation of Benzenes: Mechanism and Practical Application

Silylformamidine 1 exists in equilibrium with its carbenic form 1' due to an easy migration of the silyl group. The reaction of 1 with variously substituted fluorobenzenes proceeds as an insertion of the nucleophilic carbene 1' into the most acidic C-H bond upon mixing the reagents and does not require any catalyst. According to DFT calculations, the classical interpretation of the insertion reaction proceeding via a three-membered transition state structure requires high activation energy. Instead, low activation barriers are predicted for a transfer of the most acidic proton in the aromatic substrate to the carbene carbon. As the next step, a barrierless rearrangement of the formed ion pair toward the product completes the process. The reactivity of substituted benzenes in the reaction with silylformamidine can be roughly assessed by calculated pK_a (DMSO) values for the C-H hydrogens. Benzene derivatives having pK_a approx. less than 31 can undergo C-H insertion. The reaction provides aminals as the first products, which can easily be transformed into the corresponding aldehydes via acidic hydrolysis. As silylformamidine 1 is tolerant to many functional groups, the reaction can be applied to numerous benzene derivatives, making it a reliable strategy for application in organic synthesis.

Catalytic Synthesis of Cyclopropenium Cations with Rh-Carbynoids

Herein, we report the first catalytic one-step synthesis of cyclopropenium cations (CPCs) with readily available alkynes and hypervalent iodine reagents as carbyne sources. Key to the process is the catalytic generation of a novel Rh-carbynoid that formally transfers monovalent cationic carbynes (:+C-R) to alkynes via an oxidative [2+1] cycloaddition. Our process is able to synthesize a new type of CPC substituted with an ester group that underpins the regioselective attack of a broad range of carbon and heteroatomic nucleophiles, thus providing a new platform for the synthesis of valuable cyclopropenes difficult or not possible to make by current methodologies.

A Tandem Nucleophilic Aminopalladation and Carbene Insertion Sequence for Indole Fused Polycycles

An efficient tandem nucleophilic aminopalladation and carbene insertion sequence is described for the synthesis of indole fused polycycles. The reaction process provides a variety of substituted indeno[1,2-b]indoles in up to 99% yields.

Visible-Light-Induced Cycloaddition of α-Ketoacylsilanes with Imines: Facile Access to β-Lactams

We report the synthesis of β-lactams from α-ketoacylsilanes and imines, which proceeds via a formal [2+2] photochemical cycloaddition with in situ generation of siloxyketene. This mild and operationally simple reaction proceeds in an atom-economic fashion with broad substrate scope, including aldimines, ketimines, hydrazones, and fused nitrogen heterocycles, affording a variety of important β-lactams with satisfactory diastereoselectivities in most cases. This reaction also features good functional-group tolerance, facile scalability and product diversification. Experimental and computational studies suggest that α-ketoacylsilanes can serve as photochemical precursors by engaging in a 1,3 silicon shift to the distal carbonyl group.

New frontiers in the transition-metal-free synthesis of heterocycles from alkynoates: an overview and current status

This review highlights the successful utilization of transition-metal-free approaches for the modular assembly of various heterocycles from alkynoates.

α-Diazo oxime ethers for N-heterocycle synthesis

This Feature Article introduces the preparation and synthetic utility of α-diazo oxime ethers. α-Oximino carbenes are useful synthons for N-heterocycles, and can be easily prepared from α-diazo oxime ethers as precursors. We begin with the preparation of α-diazo oxime ethers and their application in [3+2] cycloaddition. It turns out that the nature of metals bound to carbenes plays a crucial role in modulating the reactivity of α-oximino carbenes, in which copper carbenes smoothly react with enamines, whereas the less reactive enol ethers and nitriles require gold carbenes. In Section 3.2, a discussion on N-O and C-H bond activation is presented. Carbenes derived from diazo oxime ethers show unique reactivity towards N-O and C-H bond activation, in which the proximity of the two functionalities, carbene and oxime ether, dictates the preferred reaction pathways toward pyridines, pyrroles, and 2H-azirines. In Section 3.3, the development of tandem reactions based on α-diazo oxime ethers is discussed. The nature of carbenes in which whether free carbenes or metal complexes are involved dissects the pathway and forms different types of 2H-azirines. The 2H-azirine formation turned out to be an excellent platform for the tandem synthesis of N-heterocycles including pyrroles and pyridines. In the last section, we describe the electrophilic activation of 2H-azirines with vinyl carbenes and oximino carbenes. The resulting azirinium species undergo rapid ring expansion rearrangements to form pyridines and pyrazines.

Formal (4+1) cycloaddition of methylenecyclopropanes with 7-aryl-1,3,5-cycloheptatrienes by triple gold(I) catalysis

7-Aryl-1,3,5-cycloheptatrienes react intermolecularly with methylenecyclopropanes in a triple gold(I)-catalyzed reaction to form cyclopentenes. The same formal (4+1) cycloaddition occurs with cyclobutenes. Other precursors of gold(I) carbenes can also be used as the C1 component of the cycloaddition.

Syntheses of sterically shielded stable carbenes of the 1,2,4-triazole series and their corresponding palladium complexes: efficient catalysts for chloroarene hydrodechlorination

Sterically shielded 1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidenes and their palladium complexes: catalysts for hydrodechlorination.

Direct syntheses of spiro- and fused-hydrofurans by a tunable tandem semipinacol rearrangement/oxa-Michael addition protocol

A highly chemoselective one-pot reaction has been developed involving a tandem semipinacol rearrangement/oxa-Michael addition sequence in which the in situ generated ketol diene intermediate can be transformed specifically to either the spiro- or fused-dihydrofuran products (see scheme). This one-pot tandem reaction represents a general synthetic methodology for the syntheses of the two different kinds of furan derivatives.

Formal intramolecular (4 + 1)-cycloaddition of dialkoxycarbenes: control of the stereoselectivity and a mechanistic portrait

The stereoselective synthesis of 5-5, 6-5, and 7-5 fused O-heterocyclic compounds is reported. The key reaction is a formal intramolecular (4 + 1)-cycloaddition involving a dialkoxycarbene and an electron-deficient diene where the stereoselectivity is dependent on the length of the tether. An analysis of the stereochemical outcome of this reaction sheds light on its complex mechanistic picture. High-level calculations were used to support the proposed mechanistic portrait.

Highly diastereo- and enantioselective NHC-catalyzed [3+2] annulation of enals and isatins

The chiral N-heterocyclic carbene bearing a proximal hydroxy group derived from L-pyroglutamic acid was found to be an efficient catalyst for the [3+2] annulation of enals and isatins to give the corresponding spirocyclic oxindolo-γ-butyrolactones in good yield with good diastereo- and enantioselectivities.

An unprecedented chemospecific and stereoselective tandem nucleophilic addition/cycloaddition reaction of nucleophilic carbenes with ketenimines

The first study of the reaction between nucleophilic carbenes and ketenimines is reported. The interaction of thiazole and benzothiazole carbenes with ketenimines proceeded in a chemospecific and stereoselective manner to produce thiazole- and benzothiazole-spiro-pyrrole derivatives generally in good yields. The reaction was proposed to proceed via a tandem nucleophilic addition of carbene to the C=N bond of ketenimine followed by a stepwise [3+2] cycloaddition of the 1,3-dipolar intermediate with the C=C bond of ketenimine. This reaction provides a powerful protocol for the construction of novel polyfunctional thiazole-spiro-pyrrole or benzothiazole-spiro-pyrrole compounds that are not readily accessible by other methods.