Catalytic Carbonylative Spirolactonization of Hydroxycyclopropanols

Divergent synthesis of δ-valerolactones and furanones via palladium or copper-catalyzed α-hydroxycyclopropanol ring opening cyclizations

Cyclopropanols are versatile starting materials which can undergo various ring opening reactions due to their intrisic ring strain. Herein, we report two transition metal-catalyzed α-hydroxycyclopropanol ring opening cyclizations to divergently transform the same α-hydroxycyclopropanol substrate into two different products of enhanced value. One is a palladium-catalyzed α-hydroxycyclopropanol ring opening carbonylative lactonization to synthesize δ-valerolactones. The other one is a copper-catalyzed α-hydroxycyclopropanol ring opening cyclization to access furanones.

Catalytic asymmetric intramolecular propargylation of cyclopropanols to access the cuparane core

The catalytic asymmetric propargylation of enol(ate) intermediates is a well-established method for the synthesis of α-propargyl-substituted carbonyl compounds. However, the propargylation of homo-enol(ate) or its equivalents for the synthesis of β-propargyl-substituted carbonyl compounds remains underdeveloped. A catalytic enantioselective decarboxylative intramolecular propargylation of cyclopropanols has been developed using a PyBox-complexed copper catalyst. This reaction offers an effective approach to assemble a cyclopentanone skeleton bearing an all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center and an adjacent quaternary gem-dimethyl carbon center, which is the core scaffold of the naturally occurring cuparenoids. Key to the success of this protocol is the use of a new structurally optimized PyBox ligand. This study represents the first example of catalytic asymmetric intramolecular propargylation of cyclopropanols.

Convergent and Efficient Total Synthesis of (+)-Heilonine Enabled by C-H Functionalizations

We report a convergent and efficient total synthesis of the C-nor D-homo steroidal alkaloid (+)-heilonine with a hexacyclic ring system, nine stereocenters, and a trans-hydrindane moiety. Our synthesis features four selective C-H functionalizations to form key C-C bonds and stereocenters, a Stille carbonylative cross-coupling to connect the AB ring system with the DEF ring system, and a Nazarov cyclization to construct the five-membered C ring. These enabling transformations significantly reduced functional group manipulations and delivered (+)-heilonine in 11 or 13 longest linear sequence (LLS) steps.

Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Difunctionalization of Unactivated Alkenes Initiated by Unstabilized Enolates

This report describes the first example of palladium-catalyzed carbonylative difunctionalization of unactivated alkenes initiated by enolate nucleophiles. The approach involves initiation by an unstabilized enolate nucleophile under an atmospheric pressure of CO and termination with a carbon electrophile. This process is compatible with a diverse range of electrophiles, including aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl iodides to yield synthetically useful 1,5-diketone products, which were demonstrated to be precursors for multi-substituted pyridines. A PdI -dimer complex with two bridging CO units was observed although its role in catalysis is not yet understood.

A Bischler-Napieralski and homo-Mannich sequence enables diversified syntheses of sarpagine alkaloids and analogues

Sarpagine alkaloids offer signicant opportunities in drug discovery, yet the efficient total syntheses and diverse structural modifications of these natural products remain highly challenging due to the architectural complexity. Here we show a homo-Mannich reaction of cyclopropanol with imines generated via a Bischler-Napieralski reaction enables a protecting-group-free, redox economic, four-step access to the tetracyclic sarpagine core from L-tryptophan esters. Based on this advancement, diversified syntheses of sarpagine alkaloids and analogues are achieved in a short synthetic route. The systematic anticancer evaluation indicates that natural products vellosimine and Na-methyl vellosimine possess modest anticancer activity. Intensive structural optimization of these lead molecules and exploration of the structure-activity relationship lead to the identification of analogue 15ai with an allene unit showing a tenfold improvement in anticancer activities. Further mechanism studies indicate compound 15ai exertes antiproliferation effects by inducing ferroptosis, which is an appealing non-apoptotic cell death form that may provide new solutions in future cancer therapies.

Copper-catalyzed ring-opening trifluoromethylthiolation/trifluoromethylselenolation of cyclopropanols with TsSCF3 or Se-(trifluoromethyl) 4-methoxybenzenesulfonoselenoate

We report a ring-opening trifluoromethylthiolation of cyclopropanols with TsSCF₃ by using Cu(OAc)₂ as the catalyst. Moreover, by using this strategy, the trifluoromethylselenolation of cyclopropanols with Se-(trifluoromethyl) 4-methoxybenzenesulfonoselenoate to access β-SeCF₃-substituted carbonyl compounds is achieved for the first time. The broad substrate scope, readily accessible reagents and cheap catalyst make this protocol an alternative and efficient method for the synthesis of β-SCF₃-substituted or β-SeCF₃-substituted carbonyl compounds.

Stereodivergent Construction of [5,5]-Oxaspirolactones of Phainanoids

A stereodivergent synthesis of [5,5]-oxaspirolactones of phainanoids is presented herein. Through precisely tuning the inherent substitution differences on cyclopropanol, a palladium-catalyzed cascade carbonylative lactonization enables the stereodivergent synthesis of [5,5]-oxaspirolactones of phainanoids.

Palladium- and nickel-catalyzed cascade enantioselective ring-opening/coupling reactions of cyclobutanones

The chemistry of small ring compounds is an intriguing subject in organic chemistry. As the smallest stable cyclic aliphatic ketones, cyclobutanones have garnered tremendous attention owing to their intrinsic high reactivity such as transition-metal catalyzed C-C bond cleavage. In this context, transition-metal catalyzed formal cycloaddition of cyclobutanones via a "cut and sew" strategy has gained marvelous advances. In contrast, an alternative reaction paradigm, i.e., transition-metal catalyzed ring-opening reactions of cyclobutanones, is still underdeveloped. This feature article aims to summarize our efforts in developing enantioselective palladium-catalyzed ring-opening/coupling reactions and recently emerging nickel-catalyzed ring-opening/reductive coupling reactions of cyclobutanones with a tethered aryl halide. The possible mechanisms are briefly showcased and the advantages and limitations of each strategy as well as their synthetic applications in the synthesis of natural products or bioactive compounds are presented.

Low Coordination State RhI -Complex as High Performance Catalyst for Asymmetric Intramolecular Cyclopropanation: Construction of penta-Substituted Cyclopropanes

A simple, broad-scope rhodium(I)/chiral diene catalytic system for challenging asymmetric intramolecular cyclopropanation of various tri-substituted allylic diazoacetates was successfully developed. The low coordination state Rh^I -complex exhibits an extraordinarily high degree of tolerance to the variation in the extent of substitution of the allyl double bond, thus allowing the efficient construction of a wide range of penta-substituted, fused-ring cyclopropanes bearing three contiguous stereogenic centers, including two quaternary carbon stereocenters, in a highly enantioselective manner with ease at catalyst loading as low as 0.1 mol %. The stereoinduction mode of this Rh^I -carbene-directed asymmetric intramolecular cyclopropanation was investigated by DFT calculations, indicating that π-π stacking interactions between the aromatic rings of chiral diene ligand and diazo substrate play a key role in the control of the reaction enantioselectivity.

Palladium-Catalyzed Hydrocarbonylative Spirolactonization for Expedite Construction of Oxaspirolactones

A novel palladium-catalyzed cascade hydrocarbonylation of the alkene moiety followed by intramolecular spirolactonization of 2-vinylaryl hydroxyalkyl ketones has been developed, which offers efficient and expedited access to furnishing oxaspirolactones in high yields with high chemoselectivities. This new method is compatible with an array of functional groups and proceeds under mild reaction conditions with commercially available catalyst components.

Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylations: Application in Complex Natural Product Total Synthesis and Recent Developments

Carbon monoxide is a cheap and abundant C1 building block that can be readily incorporated into organic molecules to rapidly build structural complexity. In this Perspective, we outline several recent (since 2015) examples of palladium-catalyzed carbonylations in streamlining complex natural product total synthesis and highlight the strategic importance of these carbonylation reactions in the corresponding synthesis. The selected examples include spinosyn A, callyspongiolide, perseanol, schizozygane alkaloids, cephanolides, and bisdehydroneostemoninine and related stemona alkaloids. We also provide our perspective about the recent advancements and future developments of palladium-catalyzed carbonylations.

Strategies for the synthesis of Stemona alkaloids: an update

Covering: 2009 to 2022The Stemona alkaloids, which are found in plant species from the family Stemonaceae, represent a tremendously large and structurally-diverse family of natural products. This review presents and discusses a selection of case studies, grouped by alkaloid class, that showcase the key strategies and overall progress that has been made in the synthesis of Stemona alkaloids and related compounds since 2009. Structural reassignments that have been reported over this period are also identified where necessary.

Acyclic Remote 1,6-Stereoselection

Stereochemical communication in homopropargylation and homoallylation of aldehydes was achieved by the Ti-O temporary linker strategy. Propargylic and allylic alcohol derivatives were employed as convenient pronucleophiles, obviating prefabrication of propargylation/allylation reagents. It was surprising that 1,6-diastereoselectivity was affected by not only the Grignard reagent but also the reaction solvent.

Nickel-Catalyzed Carbonylation of Cyclopropanol with Benzyl Bromide for Multisubstituted Cyclopentenone Synthesis

Herein, we reported a Ni-catalyzed carbonylation of cyclopropanol with benzyl bromide to afford multisubstituted cyclopentenone under 1 atm of CO. The reaction proceeds through cascade carbonylation of benzyl bromides, followed by generation of nickel homoenolate from cyclopropanols via β-C elimination to afford 1,4-diketones, which undergoes intramolecular Aldol condensation to furnish highly substituted cyclopentenone derivatives in moderate to good yields. The reaction exhibits high functional group tolerance with broad substrate scope.

Synthesis of Benzofused O- and N-Heterocycles through Cascade Carbopalladation/Cross-Alkylation of Alkynes Involving the C–C Cleavage of Cyclobutanols

We report a Pd-catalyzed route to heterocycles bearing a tetrasubstituted alkene fragment. Our approach merges the intramolecular carbopalladation of tethered alkynes with an alkylation step produced by the C–C cleavage of cyclobutanol derivatives. An alkenyl-Pd(II) intermediate has been isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction studies. Interestingly, the nature of the tethering alkynyl chain influences the E/Z stereochemistry of the alkenyl fragment in the functionalized heterocycles.

Redox-neutral manganese-catalyzed synthesis of 1-pyrrolines

This report describes a manganese-catalyzed radical [3 + 2] cyclization of cyclopropanols and oxime ethers, leading to valuable multi-functional 1-pyrrolines. In this redox-neutral process, the oxime ethers function as internal oxidants and H-donors. The reaction involves sequential rupture of C-C, C-H and N-O bonds and proceeds under mild conditions. This intermolecular protocol provides an efficient approach for the synthesis of structurally diverse 1-pyrrolines.

On the Origin of Rh-Catalyzed Selective Ring-Opening Amidation of Substituted Cyclopropanols to Access β2-Amino Ketones

β²-Amino carbonyls, an α-substituted β-amino scaffold, hold a prominent place in the development of new pharmaceuticals and peptidomimetics. Herein, we report a highly efficient Rh-catalyzed ring-opening amidation of substituted cyclopropanols, which turned out to serve as a linchpin for the selective synthesis of β²-amino ketones to outcompete the formation of β³-isomers. Instead of the generally accepted rationale to consider steric factors for the β²-selectivity, orbital interaction was elucidated to play a more critical role in the amidative ring-opening of cyclopropanols to generate the key Rh-C intermediate. Subsequent inner-sphere acylnitrene transfer was achieved in excellent efficiency (TON > 5000) by using readily accessible dioxazolones as the amino source to afford β²-amino ketones with broad applicability.

Catalysis-Enabled Concise and Stereoselective Total Synthesis of the Tricyclic Prostaglandin D2 Metabolite Methyl Ester

A concise and stereoselective total synthesis of the clinically relevant tricyclic prostaglandin D2 metabolite (tricyclic-PGDM) methyl ester in racemic form was accomplished in eight steps from a readily available known cyclopentene-diol derivative. The synthesis features a nickel-catalyzed Ueno-Stork-type dicarbofunctionalization to generate two consecutive stereocenters, a palladium-catalyzed carbonylative spirolactonization to build the core oxaspirolactone, and a Z-selective cross-metathesis to introduce the (Z)-3-butenoate side chain, a group challenging to introduce through traditional Wittig protocols and troublesome for the two previous total syntheses. A general Z-selective cross-metathesis protocol to construct (Z)-β,γ-unsaturated esters was also developed that has broad functional group tolerance and high stereoselectivity. Additionally, our synthesis already accumulated 75 mg of valuable material for an 18 O-tricyclic-PGDM-based assay used in clinical settings for inflammation.

Feeding Carbonylation with CO2 via the Synergy of Single-Site/Nanocluster Catalysts in a Photosensitizing MOF

Solar-driven carbonylation with CO₂ replacing toxic CO as a C1 source is of considerable interest; however it remains a great challenge due to the inert CO₂ molecule. Herein, we integrate cobalt single-site and ultrafine CuPd nanocluster catalysts into a porphyrin-based metal-organic framework to construct composite photocatalysts (Cu₁Pd₂)_z@PCN-222(Co) (z = 1.3, 2.0, and 3.0 nm). Upon visible light irradiation, excited porphyrin can concurrently transfer electrons to Co single sites and CuPd nanoclusters, providing the possibility for coupling CO₂ photoreduction and Suzuki/Sonogashira reactions. This multicomponent synergy in (Cu₁Pd₂)_1.3@PCN-222(Co) can not only replace dangerous CO gas but also dramatically promote the photosynthesis of benzophenone in CO₂ with over 90% yield and 97% selectivity under mild condition. Systematic investigations clearly decipher the function and collaboration among different components in these composite catalysts, highlighting a new insight into developing a sustainable protocol for carbonylation reactions by employing greenhouse gas CO₂ as a C1 source.

Immunosuppressive Sesquiterpenoids from the Edible Mushroom Craterellus odoratus

The aim of this work was to comprehensively understand the chemical constituents of the edible mushroom Craterellus ordoratus and their bioactivity. A chemical investigation on this mushroom led to the isolation of 23 sesquiterpenoids including eighteen previously undescribed bergamotane sesquiterpenes, craterodoratins A–R (1–18), and one new victoxinine derivative, craterodoratin S (19). The new structures were elucidated by detailed interpretation of spectrometric data, theoretical nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 possess a ring-rearranged carbon skeleton. Compounds 3, 10, 12–15, 19, 20 and 23 exhibit potent inhibitory activity against the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced proliferation of B lymphocyte cells with the IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.67 to 22.68 μM. Compounds 17 and 20 inhibit the concanavalin A (ConA)-induced proliferation of T lymphocyte cell with IC₅₀ values of 31.50 and 0.98 μM, respectively. It is suggested that C. ordoratus is a good source for bergamotane sesquiterpenoids, and their immunosuppressive activity was reported for the first time. This research is conducive to the further development and utilization of C. ordoratus.

Asymmetric Total Syntheses of Schizozygane Alkaloids

The concise, collective, and asymmetric total syntheses of four schizozygane alkaloids, which feature a "Pan lid"-like hexacyclic core scaffold bearing up to six continuous stereocenters, including two quaternary ones, are described. A new method of dearomative cyclization of cyclopropanol onto the indole ring at C2 was developed to build the ABCF ring system of the schizozygane core with a ketone group. Another key skeleton-building reaction, the Heck/carbonylative lactamization cascade, ensured the rapid assembly of the hexacyclic schizozygane core and concurrent installation of an alkene group. By strategic use of these two reactions and through late-stage diversifications of the functionalized schizozygane core, the first and asymmetric total syntheses of (+)-schizozygine, (+)-3-oxo-14α,15α-epoxyschizozygine, and (+)-α-schizozygol and the total synthesis of (+)-strempeliopine have been accomplished in 11-12 steps from tryptamines.

Flow Chemistry-Enabled Divergent and Enantioselective Total Syntheses of Massarinolin A, Purpurolides B, D, E, 2,3-Deoxypurpurolide C, and Structural Revision of Massarinolin A

Massarinolin A and purpurolides are bioactive bergamotane sesquiterpenes condensed with a variety of synthetically challenging ring systems: a bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, an oxaspiro[3.4]octane, and a dioxaspiro[4.4]nonane (oxaspirolactone). Herein, we report the first enantioselective total syntheses of massarinolin A, purpurolides B, D, E, and 2,3-deoxypurpurolide C. Our synthesis and computational analysis also led to a structural revision of massarinolin A. The divergent approach features an enantioselective organocatalyzed Diels-Alder reaction to install the first stereogenic center in high ee, a scalable flow photochemical Wolff rearrangement to build the key bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, a furan oxidative cyclization to form the oxaspirolactone, a late-stage allylic C-H oxidation, and a Myers' NBSH-promoted sigmatropic elimination to install the exo methylene group of massarinolin A.

Zinc-Catalyzed β-Functionalization of Cyclopropanols via Enolized Homoenolate

We report herein a zinc-catalyzed β-allylation of cyclopropanols with Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates with retention of the cyclopropane ring. The reaction is promoted by a zinc aminoalkoxide catalyst, affording cyclopropyl-fused α-alkylidene-δ-valerolactone derivatives in moderate to good yields. Mechanistic experiments suggest that the present reaction does not proceed via direct β-C-H cleavage of the cyclopropanol, but involves zinc homoenolate and its enolization to generate a key bis-nucleophilic species. α-Allylation of this "enolized homoenolate" with MBH carbonate would be followed by regeneration of the cyclopropane ring and irreversible lactonization. The enolized homoenolate mechanism has also been proven to allow for β-functionalization with alkylidenemalononitrile as the reaction partner. A sequence of the present reaction and known cyclopropanol transformation provides an opportunity to transform a simple cyclopropanol into α,β- or β,β-difunctionalized ketones.

Titanium(IV)-Mediated Ring-Opening/Dehydroxylative Cross-Coupling of Diaryl-Substituted Methanols with Cyclopropanol Derivatives

A titanium(IV)-mediated ring-opening/dehydroxylative cross-coupling of diaryl-substituted methanols with a cyclopropanol derivative was developed. The reactions proceeded efficiently to provide synthetically useful γ,γ-diaryl esters in moderate to good yields, which could be applied to the functionalization of complex molecules derived from bioactive fenofibrate and isoxepac and the synthesis of a precursor of Zoloft.

Secosteroidal hydrazides: Promising scaffolds for anti-breast cancer agents

A convenient and selective approach to 13,17-secoestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-oic acid hydrazides and their N'-(het)arylmethylene derivatives was disclosed and these novel types of secosteroids were screened for cytotoxicity against hormone-dependent human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. A number of 13,17-secoestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-oic acid [N'-(het)arylmethylene]hydrazides show significant cytotoxic effect comparable or superior to that for reference drug cisplatin. Compound 3l exhibits the highest activity with the IC₅₀ value of about 2 μM and is 2.8 times more active than cisplatin. Hit 13,17-secoestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-oic acid [N'-(het)arylmethylene]hydrazides 3d, 3l and 3q are characterized by high cytotoxicity and good selectivity towards MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The synthesized secosteroids may be considered as new promising antitumor agents.

Synthesis of Spirolactones via a BF3·Et2O-Promoted Cascade Annulation of α-Keto Acids and 1,3-Enynes

A novel and effective method for the synthesis of spirolactones from readily available α-keto acids and 1,3-enynes is developed via a BF₃·Et₂O-promoted cascade annulation. This sequential process is conducted at room temperature, and it provides the functionalized spirolactones in good to excellent yield under metal-free conditions.

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Sarpagine and Koumine Alkaloids

We report here a concise, collective, and asymmetric total synthesis of sarpagine alkaloids and biogenetically related koumine alkaloids, which structurally feature a rigid cage scaffold, with L-tryptophan as the starting material. Two key bridged skeleton-forming reactions, namely tandem sequential oxidative cyclopropanol ring-opening cyclization and ketone α-allenylation, ensure concurrent assembly of the caged sarpagine scaffold and installation of requisite derivative handles. With a common caged intermediate as the branch point, by taking advantage of ketone and allene groups therein, total synthesis of five sarpagine alkaloids (affinisine, normacusine B, trinervine, N_a -methyl-16-epipericyclivine, and vellosimine) with various substituents and three koumine alkaloids (koumine, koumimine, and N-demethylkoumine) with more complex cage scaffolds has been accomplished.

Strategies for the construction of γ-spirocyclic butenolides in natural product synthesis

Over the last four decades, a number of γ-spirocyclic butenolide containing natural products, drugs, and medicinally useful synthetic compounds have been reported. In this review, we discuss diverse chemical approaches to synthesize γ-spiro butenolides and their application towards natural product synthesis. The collective perception of various methods may allow superior approaches capable of delivering efficient synthetic approaches to obtain γ-spiro butenolide comprising natural products and their hybrid analogues for further drug discovery and development.

A Review of the Pharmacological Activities and Recent Synthetic Advances of γ-Butyrolactones

γ-Butyrolactone, a five-membered lactone moiety, is one of the privileged structures of diverse natural products and biologically active small molecules. Because of their broad spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities, synthetic methods for γ-butyrolactones have received significant attention from synthetic and medicinal chemists for decades. Recently, new developments and improvements in traditional methods have been reported by considering synthetic efficiency, feasibility, and green chemistry. In this review, the pharmacological activities of natural and synthetic γ-butyrolactones are described, including their structures and bioassay methods. Mainly, we summarize recent advances, occurring during the past decade, in the construction of γ-butyrolactone classified based on the bond formation in γ-butyrolactone between (i) C5-O1 bond, (ii) C4-C5 and C2-O1 bonds, (iii) C3-C4 and C2-O1 bonds, (iv) C3-C4 and C5-O1 bonds, (v) C2-C3 and C2-O1 bonds, (vi) C3-C4 bond, and (vii) C2-O1 bond. In addition, the application to the total synthesis of natural products bearing γ-butyrolactone scaffolds is described.

Palladium-catalyzed cascade cyclizations involving C–C and C–X bond formation: strategic applications in natural product synthesis

This tutorial review highlights the use of palladium-catalyzed cascade cyclizations in natural product synthesis, focusing on cascades that construct multiple rings and form both C–C and C–X (X = O, N) bonds in a single synthetic operation.

Palladium-catalyzed gaseous CO-free carbonylative C–C bond activation of cyclobutanones

A palladium-catalyzed carbonylative C–C bond activation reaction of cyclobutanones is reported, and it affords a variety of indanones bearing ester or amide groups using phenyl formate and benzene-1,3,5-triyl triformate as CO surrogates.

Cu-catalyzed hydroxycyclopropanol ring-opening cyclization to tetrahydrofurans and tetrahydropyrans: short total syntheses of hyperiones

Tetrahydrofurans (THFs) and tetrahydropyrans (THPs) are important core scaffolds frequently found in many molecules of medicinal importance. Herein, we report a novel copper-catalyzed hydroxycyclopropanol ring-opening cyclization methodology to synthesize di- or tri-substituted THFs and THPs. In this reaction, a strained C-C bond was cleaved and a new Csp3-O bond was formed to produce the aforementioned O-heterocycles. The new THF synthesis features a broad substrate scope, scalability, and good functional-group tolerability. It enabled us to complete the shortest enantioselective syntheses of hyperiones A and B (3 and 4 steps, respectively), which is significantly shorter than the previously reported two total syntheses (≥10 steps).

Copper-promoted cyanoalkylation/ring-expansion of vinylcyclopropanes with α-C-H bonds in alkylnitriles toward 3,4-dihydronaphthalenes

A copper-promoted oxidative cyanomethylation/ring-expansion of vinylcyclopropanes with α-C(sp3)-H bonds in alkyl nitriles is established for the generation of 1-cyanoethylated 3,4-dihydronaphthalenes. This cyanomethylation/ring-expansion involves a radical pathway and proceeds via cyanomethyl radical formation, radical addition and ring-expansion. This ring-expansion strategy offers a highly atom-economical route for the construction of nitrile-containing 3,4-dihydronaphthalenes, which can be transformed into other useful products under simple conditions.

A metal-free reaction of sulfur dioxide, cyclopropanols and electron-deficient olefins

The importance of γ-keto sulfones in medicinal chemistry and organic synthesis is known. An efficient route to γ-keto sulfones via a metal-free reaction of cyclopropanols, sulfur dioxide and electron-deficient olefins is achieved. This reaction proceeds smoothly under mild conditions without the need of catalyst, oxidant or additive. A plausible mechanism is proposed, which occurs through a γ-keto sulfinate intermediate generated in situ from the reaction of cyclopropanol with sulfur dioxide. The γ-keto sulfinate intermediate would be trapped by the electron-deficient olefin, resulting in the formation of γ-keto sulfones. Various functional groups in the cyclopropanols and electron-deficient olefins are compatible in this transformation.

Catalytic Hydroxycyclopropanol Ring-Opening Carbonylative Lactonization to Fused Bicyclic Lactones

A novel palladium-catalyzed ring opening carbonylative lactonization of readily available hydroxycyclopropanols was developed to efficiently synthesize tetrahydrofuran (THF) or tetrahydropyran (THP)-fused bicyclic γ-lactones, two privileged scaffolds often found in natural products. The reaction features mild reaction conditions, good functional group tolerability, and scalability. Its application was demonstrated in a short total synthesis of (±)-paeonilide. The fused bicyclic γ-lactone products can be easily diversified to other medicinally important scaffolds, which further broadens the application of this new carbonylation method.

Mechanistic Study of Isotactic Poly(propylene oxide) Synthesis using a Tethered Bimetallic Chromium Salen Catalyst

Initial catalyst dormancy has been mitigated for the enantioselective polymerization of propylene oxide using a tethered bimetallic chromium(III) salen complex. A detailed mechanistic study provided insight into the species responsible for this induction period and guided efforts to remove them. High-resolution electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and density functional theory computations revealed that a μ-hydroxide and a bridged 1,2-hydroxypropanolate complex are present during the induction period. Kinetic studies and additional computation indicated that the μ-hydroxide complex is a short-lived catalyst arrest state, where hydroxide dissociation from one metal allows for epoxide enchainment to form the 1,2-hydroxypropanolate arrest state. While investigating anion dependence on the induction period, it became apparent that catalyst activation was the main contributor for dormancy. Using a 1,2-diol or water as chain transfer agents (CTAs) led to longer induction periods as a result of increased 1,2-hydroxyalkanolate complex formation. With a minor catalyst modification, rigorous drying conditions, and avoiding 1,2-diols as CTAs, the induction period was essentially removed.

General Synthesis of Cyclopropanols via Organometallic Addition to 1-Sulfonylcyclopropanols as Cyclopropanone Precursors

The addition of organometallic reagents to ketones constitutes one of the most straightforward synthetic approaches to tertiary alcohols. However, due to the absence of a well-behaved class of cyclopropanone surrogates accessible in enantioenriched form, such a trivial synthetic disconnection has received very little attention in the literature for the formation of tertiary cyclopropanols. In this work, we report a simple and high-yielding synthesis of 1-substituted cyclopropanols via the addition of diverse organometallic reagents to 1-phenylsulfonylcyclopropanols, acting here as in situ precursors of the corresponding cyclopropanones. The transformation is shown to be amenable to sp-, sp²-, or sp³-hybridized organometallic C-nucleophiles under mild conditions, and the use of enantioenriched substrates led to highly diastereoselective additions and the formation of optically active cyclopropanols.