Controllable Diastereoselective Cyclopropanation. Enantioselective Synthesis of Vinylcyclopropanes via Chiral Telluronium Ylides

Isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions for the synthesis of benzopyran derivatives with biological scaffolds

Benzopyrans (BZPs) are among the most privileged and influential small O-heterocycles that form the core of many natural compounds, commercial drugs, biological compositions, agrochemicals, and functional materials. BZPs are divided into six general categories including coumarins, chromans, 2H-chromenes, 4H-chromenes, chromones, and 4-chromanones, each of which is abundant in many plants and foods. These oxygenated heterocyclic compounds are fascinating motifs and have extensive applications in biology and materials science. Hence, numerous efforts have been made to develop innovative approaches for their extraction and synthesis. However, most of them are step-by-step or multi-step strategies that suffer from waste material generation and a tedious extraction process. Isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions (I-MCRs) offer a highly efficient method for overcoming these problems. The I-MCR is a simple and environmentally friendly one-pot domino procedure that does not require intermediate isolation or workup and is generally more efficient in material usage. This review covers all research articles related to I-MCRs for synthesizing BZP derivatives from the beginning to the middle of the year 2023. This strategy will be useful for organic and pharmaceutical chemists to design new drugs and optimize the synthesis steps of biological compounds and commercial drugs with benzopyran cores.

Sulfur-Mediated Formal Allylic C-H Cyclopropanation of α-Methylstyrenes

Allylic C-H cyclopropanation of α-methylstyrene and its derivatives was realized through a one-pot two-step sequence, formally converting two aliphatic C-H bonds to C-C bonds with a good yield and high diastereoselectivity, thus providing a quick entry to the synthetically useful vinyl cyclopropane structures.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Cyclopropanes from Sulfoxonium Ylides Catalyzed by a Chiral-at-Metal Rh(III) Complex

An enantioselective cyclopropanation reaction of sulfoxonium ylides with β,γ-unsaturated ketoesters catalyzed by a chiral rhodium catalyst has been realized. A variety of optically pure 1,2,3-trisubstituted cyclopropanes was synthesized in 48-89% yields, with up to 99% ee, and with dr >20:1. Furthermore, research shows that a weak coordination between the chiral rhodium catalyst and β,γ-unsaturated ketoesters was responsible for the high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity of the corresponding products.

Organoselenium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Cyclopropanations of (E)-Chalcones

We report a new class of chiral tetrahydroselenophene based on (S)-diphenyl(tetrahydroselenophen-2-yl)methanol, which was prepared from (R)-3-(3-bromopropyl)-2,2-diphenyloxirane and sodium selenide. These chiral tetrahydroselenophene-based compounds were used to catalyze asymmetric cyclopropanation reactions; the selenonium ylide intermediates formed from these selenium-containing catalysts and benzyl bromide efficiently react with (E)-chalcones to give various cyclopropanes (27 examples) with excellent enantioselectivities of ≤99% ee and are the first examples of organoselenium-catalyzed asymmetric cyclopropanations.

Construction of a Benzo[b]azepine Skeleton through Decarboxylative Ylide [6+1] Annulations with Modified Vinyl Benzoxazinanones

A Lewis acid-promoted [6+1] annulation between sulfur ylides and modified vinyl benzoxazinanones was described. In this reaction, the newly designed vinyl benzoxazinanones could serve as a novel six-atom synthon, and the key to success is the installation of an electron-withdrawing group on the alkene moiety of the benzoxazinanones. A broad range of substrates are compatible with this mild reaction system, thereby providing a facile and practical approach for constructing a benzo[b]azepine skeleton.

Gold-Catalyzed Synthesis of Small Rings

Three- and four-membered rings, widespread motifs in nature and medicinal chemistry, have fascinated chemists ever since their discovery. However, due to energetic considerations, small rings are often difficult to assemble. In this regard, homogeneous gold catalysis has emerged as a powerful tool to construct these highly strained carbocycles. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of all the major advances and discoveries made in the gold-catalyzed synthesis of cyclopropanes, cyclopropenes, cyclobutanes, cyclobutenes, and their corresponding heterocyclic or heterosubstituted analogs.

First Application of Ionic Liquid to Reactions Involving Organotellurium Compounds as Intermediates

The condensation reaction of telluronium salts 1 with aldehydes and dibutyl telluride 4, bromide 5 with aldehyde 2 proceeded smoothly in the ionic solvent [bmim][BF4], affording a novel method for the stereoselective synthesis of (E)-α,β-unsaturated compounds 3 in high purity, excellent yields and high stereoselectivity.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Spirocyclopropanes under Mild Conditions via Formal [2 + 1] Cycloadditions Using 2,3-Dioxo-4-benzylidene-pyrrolidines

A highly diastereoselective cyclopropanation of cyclic enones with sulfur ylides was developed under catalyst-free conditions, producing multifunctional spirocyclopropanes in generally excellent yields (up to 99% yield and >99:1 d.r.). The asymmetric version of this method was realized by using an easily available chiral sulfur ylide, affording products with moderate to good stereoselectivity.

Synthesis of fused cyanopyrroles and spirocyclopropanes via addition of N-ylides to chalconimines

DABCO-ylides react as a one-carbon source with chalconimines to afford fused cyanopyrrolesvia[4 + 1] annulation and spirocyclopropanesvia[2 + 1] annulation.

Synthesis of spiroaminals by bimetallic Au/Sc relay catalysis: TMS as a traceless controlling group

An efficient synthesis of spiroaminals over fused aminals has been successfully developed by bimetallic Au/Sc catalysis by using TMS as a traceless controlling group.

Stereospecific synthesis of highly functionalized benzo[3.1.0]bicycloalkanes via multistep cascade reactions

A facile approach for the synthesis of benzo[3.1.0]bicycloalkanesviaalkylation/cyclopropanation cascade reactions of benzyl bromide with triphenylphosphonium bromide.

A sidearm-assisted phosphine for catalytic ylide intramolecular cyclopropanation

The first phosphine-catalyzed cyclopropanation reactionviacovalent ylide catalysis has been realized with high efficiency in the presence of sidearm-assisted phosphine catalysts.

Asymmetric organocatalytic cyclopropanation of cinnamone derivatives with stabilized sulfonium ylides

A simple chiral diamine catalyst 1h was successfully applied in the asymmetric cyclopropanation of cinnamone derivatives with stabilized sulfur ylides. The desired cyclopropanation adducts were obtained in moderate yields (up to 68%) with good enantioselectivities (67-93% ee) and excellent diastereoselectivities (>95:5) under mild conditions.

Synthesis, structure, and ethylene polymerization behavior of nickel complexes based on benzoylmethylenetri(2-alkoxylphenyl)phosphorane

Several new nickel complexes are prepared by the treatment of the stabilized ylide benzoylmethylenetri(2-alkoxylphenyl)phosphorane with Ni(cod)(2) in the presence of PPh(3). X-Ray diffraction studies reveal that a distorted square planar geometry around Ni(II) is adopted. Upon treatment with Ni(cod)(2), the nickel complexes are sufficiently robust for ethylene polymerization. The existence of 2-alkoxyl-aryl substituents on phosphorus improves the catalytic activities. The highest activity (2.1 × 10(6) g mol(-1) h(-1)) is achieved when tri(2-isopropoxy-phenyl)phosphorane is employed (5e), which is one order higher than the corresponding SHOP catalyst. NMR analysis shows that the polyethylene mainly contains terminal double bonds and is highly linear.

Chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivity preferences in the reaction of a sulfur ylide with a dienal and an enone

Mechanistic insights into an interesting class of reaction between sulfur ylides with (i) a dienal, and (ii) an enone, obtained by using density functional theory, is reported. The kinetic and thermodynamic factors responsible for chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivities are established by identifying all key transition states and intermediates along the reaction pathway for 1,2-, 1,4-, and 1,6- modes of attack of dimethylsulfonium benzylide to 5-phenylpenta-2,4-dienal. The reaction profiles for 1,2- and 1,4- modes of addition are also evaluated for the reaction between dimethylsulfonium benzylide and pent-3-en-2-one. Our results show that the final outcome of the reaction with both these substrates would be decided by the interplay between kinetic and thermodynamic factors. It is found that the addition of a semi-stabilized ylide to conjugated carbonyl compounds prefers to proceed through a 1,4- (conjugate) pathway under thermodynamic conditions, which is in accordance with the available experimental reports. However, the formation of epoxides via a 1,2- (direct) addition pathway is computed to be equally competitive, which could be the favored pathway under kinetic conditions. Even though the lower barrier for the initial addition step is kinetically advantageous for the direct (or 1,2-) addition pathway, the higher energy of the betaine intermediates--as well as the reversibility of the accompanying elementary step--may disfavor product formation in this route. Thus, high diastereoselectivity in favor of 2,3-trans cyclopropanecarbaldehyde is predicted in the case of the dienal, using the most favored conjugate addition (1,4-addition) pathway. Along similar lines, ylide addition to the enone is identified to exhibit a preference toward conjugate addition over direct (1,2-) addition. The importance of transition state analysis in delineating the controlling factors towards product distribution and diastereoselectivity is established.

Asymmetric tandem Michael addition-ylide olefination reaction for the synthesis of optically active cyclohexa-1,3-diene derivatives

The reaction of a crotonate-derived chiral phosphonium salt with alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in the presence of Cs(2)CO(3) affords optically active cyclohexa-1,3-diene derivatives with up to 90% ee in good yields.