Rh(I)-Catalyzed Pauson−Khand Reaction and Cycloisomerization of Allenynes: Selective Preparation of Monocyclic, Bicyclo[m.3.0], and Bicyclo[5.2.0] Ring Systems

Substituent-dependent generation of tricyclic frameworks by the rhodium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of homopropargyl allene-alkynes: a theoretical study

Polycyclic compounds having biological activities can be modified by employing different substituents.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Pauson-Khand-Type Cyclization of 1,5-Allene-Alkynes: A Chirality Transfer Strategy for Optically Active Bicyclic Ketones

An efficient chirality transfer in the [RhCl(CO)₂ ]₂ -catalyzed [2+2+1] cyclization of optically active axially chiral 1,3-disubstituted allenynes with CO to access optically active bicyclopentenone compounds has been developed. The distal C=C bond of allenes reacted with the alknye unit and CO to afford [4.3.0]-bicyclic products with high ee values under mild reaction conditions with an excellent selectivity.

Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of Homopropargylallene-Alkynes through C(sp3 )-C(sp) Bond Activation

Upon exposure to a catalytic amount of [RhCl(CO)₂ ]₂ in 1,4-dioxane, homopropargylallene-alkynes underwent a novel cycloisomerization accompanied by the migration of the alkyne moiety of the homopropargyl functional group to produce six/five/five tricyclic compounds in good yields. A plausible mechanism was proposed on the basis of an experiment with ¹³ C-labeled substrate. The resulting tricyclic derivatives were further converted into the corresponding bicyclo[3.3.0] skeletons with vicinal cis dihydroxy groups.

Mechanistic Investigation of RhI-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of Benzylallene-Internal Alkynes via C-H Activation

Treatment of the benzylallene-internal alkynes with [RhCl(CO)₂]₂ effected a cycloisomerization via a C_sp2-H bond activation to produce the tricyclo[9.4.0.0^3,8]pentadecapentaene skeleton. The reaction mechanism via formation of the rhodabicyclo[4.3.0] intermediates and σ-bond metathesis between the C_sp2-H bond on the benzene ring and the C_sp2-Rh^III bond was proposed. In addition, a plausible alternative mechanism for the previously reported cycloisomerization of the benzylallene-terminal alkynes could also be proposed.

Creation of Novel Cyclization Methods Using sp-Hybridized Carbon Units and Syntheses of Bioactive Compounds

Some recent results on the development of new and reliable procedures for the construction of diverse ring systems based on the chemistry of sp-hybridized species, especially allene functionality, are described. This review includes: (i) synthesis of the multi-cyclic skeletons by combination of the π-component of allene with suitable other π-components such as alkyne, alkene, or additional allene under Rh-catalyzed conditions; (ii) synthesis of heterocycles as well as carbocycles by reaction of the sp-hybridized center of allene with some nucleophiles in an endo-mode manner; and (iii) total syntheses of natural products and related compounds from the sp-hybridized starting materials.

Conditions for a Rh(I)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition reaction with methyl substituted allenes and alkynes

The direct installation of the C4 and C10 methyl groups present in the 6,12-guaianolide framework using a Rh(I)-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation reaction of methyl subsituted allenes and alkynes is described. High yields of bicyclo[5.3.0]decanes are afforded when low reaction concentrations involving syringe pump addition of the allene-yne to the catalyst are used.

Reactivity and chemoselectivity of allenes in Rh(I)-catalyzed intermolecular (5 + 2) cycloadditions with vinylcyclopropanes: allene-mediated rhodacycle formation can poison Rh(I)-catalyzed cycloadditions

Allenes are important 2π building blocks in organic synthesis and engage as 2-carbon components in many metal-catalyzed reactions. Wender and co-workers discovered that methyl substituents on the terminal allene double bond counterintuitively change the reactivities of allenes in [Rh(CO)2Cl]2-catalyzed intermolecular (5 + 2) cycloadditions with vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs). More sterically encumbered allenes afford higher cycloadduct yields, and such effects are also observed in other Rh(I)-catalyzed intermolecular cycloadditions. Through density functional theory calculations (B3LYP and M06) and experiment, we explored this enigmatic reactivity and selectivity of allenes in [Rh(CO)2Cl]2-catalyzed intermolecular (5 + 2) cycloadditions with VCPs. The apparent low reactivity of terminally unsubstituted allenes is associated with a competing allene dimerization that irreversibly sequesters rhodium. With terminally substituted allenes, steric repulsion between the terminal substituents significantly increases the barrier of allene dimerization while the barrier of the (5 + 2) cycloaddition is not affected, and thus the cycloaddition prevails. Computation has also revealed the origin of chemoselectivity in (5 + 2) cycloadditions with allene-ynes. Although simple allene and acetylene have similar reaction barriers, intermolecular (5 + 2) cycloadditions of allene-ynes occur exclusively at the terminal allene double bond. The terminal double bond is more reactive due to the enhanced d-π* backdonation. At the same time, insertion of the internal double bond of an allene-yne has a higher barrier as it would break π conjugation. Substituted alkynes are more difficult to insert compared with acetylene, because of the steric repulsion from the additional substituents. This leads to the greater reactivity of the allene double bond relative to the alkynyl group in allene-ynes.

Rhodium(i)-catalysed “ene-type” cycloisomerization of N-[2-(2-alkyn-1-yl)phenyl]carbodiimides leading to 3-(cis-alken-1-yl)-2-aminoquinolines

cis-Selective 3-(1-alkenyl)quinoline synthesis via rhodium catalyzed cycloisomerization has been developed.

[Intramolecular cyclization reaction of multiple bonds and its application]

The cycloaddition and cycloisomerization of the allene with an alkyne, alkene, or an additional allene for construction of various monocyclic and bicyclic ring systems has been developed. The characteristic features of these methods using allene functionality instead of a simple alkene or alkyne include the reaction mode that originated from the double function as well as the high efficiency for the constructions of medium-sized rings. Furthermore, asymmetric formal synthesis of (+)-nakadomarin A and total synthesis of (+)-fawcettimine and (+)-lycoposerramine-B based on highly stereoselective Pauson-Khand reaction of alkene-alkynes were completed.

Rh(I)-catalyzed intramolecular [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition of allenenes: Construction of bicyclo[4.3.0]nonenones with an angular methyl group and tricyclo[6.4.0.0]dodecenone

The [RhCl(CO)dppp]₂-catalyzed intramolecular carbonylative [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition of allenenes was developed to prepare bicyclo[4.3.0]nonenones possessing a methyl group at the ring junction, which is difficult to achieve by the Pauson–Khand reaction of the corresponding enynes. This method also provided a new procedure for the construction of the tricyclo[6.4.0.0^1,5]dodecenone framework in a satisfactory yield.

Synthesis of a core carbon framework of cyanosporasides A and B

Treatment of 3-(2-ethynylphenyl)prop-2-ynyl benzenesulfinate with 2.5 mol % of [RhCl(CO)(2)](2) at 40 degrees C under an atmosphere of CO effected the successive 2,3-sigmatropic rearrangement and carbonylative [2 + 2 + 1] ring-closing reaction to afford the 8-(phenylsulfonyl)-1H-cyclopent[a]-inden-2-one in a high yield. Chemical modification of the ring-closed product via lipase-mediated optical resolution produced the optically active 3-acetoxy-3a-cyclohexyloxy-3,3a-dihydrocyclopent-[a]indene skeleton, the core carbon framework of cyanosporasides A and B.