Rhodium-Catalyzed Carbonylation of Spiropentanes

Rhodium-catalyzed aminoacylation of alkenes via carbonylative C–H activation toward poly(hetero)cyclic alkylarylketones

This work discloses the facile construction of polyheterocyclic alkylarylketones by the rhodium-catalyzed carbonylative aminoacylation of alkenes involving C–H activation, which provides molecules as candidates for the screening of antitumor agents.

C–C Bond Activations of Minimally Activated Cyclopropanes

Catalytic processes involving oxidative addition of a C–C bond to a transition metal allow the atom economical assembly of complex scaffolds. The focus of this Account is on C–C bond activation-based methodologies that employ minimally activated cyclopropanes.

Pauson-Khand reaction of fluorinated compounds

The Pauson-Khand reaction (PKR) is one of the key methods for the construction of cyclopentenone derivatives, which can in turn undergo diverse chemical transformations to yield more complex biologically active molecules. Despite the increasing availability of fluorinated building blocks and methodologies to incorporate fluorine in compounds with biological interest, there have been few significant advances focused on the fluoro-Pauson-Khand reaction, both in the inter- and intramolecular versions. Furthermore, the use of vinyl fluorides as olefinic counterparts had been completely overlooked. In this review, we collect the advances both on the stoichiometric and catalytic intermolecular and intramolecular fluoro-Pauson-Khand reaction, with special attention to the PKR of enynes containing a fluoride moiety.

Zirconocene-Mediated Selective C-C Bond Cleavage of Strained Carbocycles: Scope and Mechanism

Several approaches using organozirconocene species for the remote cleavage of strained three-membered ring carbocycles are described. ω-Ene polysubstituted cyclopropanes, alkylidenecyclopropanes, ω-ene spiro[2.2]pentanes, and ω-ene cyclopropyl methyl ethers were successfully transformed into stereodefined organometallic intermediates, allowing an easy access to highly stereoenriched acyclic scaffolds in good yields and, in most cases, excellent selectivities. DFT calculations and isotopic labeling experiments were performed to delineate the origin of the obtained chemo- and stereoselectivities, demonstrating the importance of microreversibility.

Modular Access to Azepines by Directed Carbonylative C-C Bond Activation of Aminocyclopropanes

A modular Rh-catalyzed entry to azepines is outlined. Under a CO atmosphere, protecting group directed C–C bond activation of aminocyclopropanes provides rhodacyclopentanones. These intermediates are effective for intramolecular C–H metalation of either an N-aryl or N-vinyl unit en route to azepine ring systems. Thus, byproduct-free heterocyclizations are enabled by sequential C–C activation and C–H functionalization steps.

New Initiation Modes for Directed Carbonylative C-C Bond Activation: Rhodium-Catalyzed (3 + 1 + 2) Cycloadditions of Aminomethylcyclopropanes

Under carbonylative conditions, neutral Rh(I)-systems modified with weak donor ligands (AsPh₃ or 1,4-oxathiane) undergo N-Cbz, N-benzoyl, or N-Ts directed insertion into the proximal C–C bond of aminomethylcyclopropanes to generate rhodacyclopentanone intermediates. These are trapped by N-tethered alkenes to provide complex perhydroisoindoles.

Synthesis and applications of rhodacyclopentanones derived from C-C bond activation

Rhodacyclopentanones, an "sp(3)-rich" class of metallacycle, underpin an emerging range of catalytic methodologies for the direct generation of complex scaffolds. This review highlights strategies for accessing rhodacyclopentanones (and related species) by C-C bond activation of cyclobutanones or cyclopropanes. The scope and mechanism of methodologies that exploit these activation modes is outlined.

Capture-Collapse Heterocyclization: 1,3-Diazepanes by C-N Reductive Elimination from Rhodacyclopentanones

Rhodacyclopentanones derived from carbonylative C-C activation of cyclopropyl ureas can be "captured" by pendant nucleophiles prior to "collapse" to 1,3-diazepanes. The choice of N-substituent on the cyclopropane unit controls the oxidation level of the product, such that C4-C5 unsaturated or saturated systems can be accessed selectively.

Rhodium(i)-catalysed skeletal reorganisation of benzofused spiro[3.3]heptanes via consecutive carbon–carbon bond cleavage

Benzofused spiro[3.3]heptane derivatives undergo skeletal reorganisations involving two consecutive carbon–carbon bond cleavages in the presence of rhodium(i) catalysts to afford substituted naphthalenes.

Mechanisms and stereoselectivities of the Rh(i)-catalyzed carbenoid carbon insertion reaction of benzocyclobutenol with diazoester

Mechanisms and stereoselectivities of a Rh(i)-catalyzed carbenoid carbon insertion reaction of benzocyclobutenol with diazoester have been investigated using the DFT method.

Interference energy in C-H and C-C bonds of saturated hydrocarbons: dependence on the type of chain and relationship to bond dissociation energy

Interference energy for C-H and C-C bonds of a set of saturated hydrocarbons is calculated by the generalized product function energy partitioning (GPF-EP) method in order to investigate its sensitivity to the type of chain and also its contribution to the bond dissociation energy. All GPF groups corresponding to chemical bonds are calculated by use of GVB-PP wave functions to ensure the correct description of bond dissociation. The results show that the interference energies are practically the same for all the C-H bonds, presenting only small variations (0.5 kcal.mol(-1)) due to the structural changes in going from linear to branched and cyclic chains. A similar trend is verified for the C-C bonds, the sole exception being the cyclopropane molecule, for which only the C-C bond exhibits a more significant variation. On the other hand, although the interference energy is quantitatively the most important contribution to the bond dissociation energy (DE), one cannot predict DE only from the bond interference energy. Differences in the dissociation energies of C-C and C-H bonds due to structural changes in the saturated hydrocarbons can be mainly attributed to quasi-classical effects.

Synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted α-tetralones by rhodium-catalysed reaction of 1-(2-haloaryl)cyclobutanols

The rhodium-catalysed reaction of 1-(2-haloaryl)cyclobutanols afforded 3,3-disubstituted α-tetralones. The reaction was applied to the asymmetric synthesis of α-tetralones bearing a chiral quaternary carbon centre at the 3-position, which was otherwise difficult to execute.