Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade Reactions of 1-(3-Arylprop-2-ynyloxy)-2-bromo Benzene Derivatives with Organoboron Compounds

Pd-catalyzed 5-exo-dig cyclization/etherification cascade of N-propargyl arylamines for the synthesis of polysubstituted furans

A method for the synthesis of furans bearing indoline skeletons was developed via an intramolecular palladium-catalyzed 5-exo-dig cyclization/etherification cascade of N-propargyl arylamines containing a 1,3-dicarbonyl side chain. This method realized the first capture of vinyl carbopalladiums by ketones as O-nucleophiles and showed a wide range of substrate tolerability affording trisubstituted furans in various yields. The enantioselective version for this domino process and diverse derivatizations of the reaction products were also studied.

Regioselective Radical Cascade Cyclizations of Alkyne-Tethered Cyclohexadienones with Chalcogenides under Visible-Light Catalysis

Herein, we demonstrated a silver/K2S2O8-mediated highly regio- and diastereoselective 6/5-exo trig radical cascade cyclization of alkyne-tethered cyclohexadienones with sulfonyl hydrazides or sodium sulfinates and subsequent selenation to access 6,6-dihydrochromenone and 6,5-fused tetrahydro benzofuranone derivatives. This reaction protocol features high functional group compatibility and has a wide substrate scope providing a variety of dihydrochromenones and tetrahydro benzofuranone derivatives in good to excellent yields. The reaction proceeds via the attack of a sulfonyl radical to alkyne over the activated Michael acceptor. The TEMPO quenching experiment implies the presence of a radical intermediate. Further synthetic versatility of 6,6- and 5,6-fused derivatives is also showcased.

Palladium-Catalyzed Cyclization Coupling with Cyclobutanone-Derived N-Tosylhydrazones: Synthesis of Benzofuran-3-Cyclobutylidenes and Spirocyclobutanes

A palladium-catalyzed cyclization coupling of iodoarene-tethered alkynes with cyclobutanone-derived N-tosylhydrazones is reported, providing a convenient and efficient approach to benzofuran-3-cyclobutylidenes. On this basis, spirocyclobutanes can be generated smoothly in an efficient cascade manner by the addition of dienophiles. Good yields and scalability are demonstrated. Sequential intramolecular carbopalladation, palladium-carbene migratory insertion, δ-hydride elimination, and cycloaddition processes are involved.

Synthesis of Polysubstituted 1,2-Dihydro-3H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]indol-3-ones through Domino Palladium-Catalyzed Reactions of Indol-2-ylmethyl Acetates with 1,3-Dicarbonyl Derivatives

A straightforward assembly of polysubstituted 1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]indol-3-ones through a domino palladium-catalyzed reaction of indol-2-ylmethyl acetates with 1,3-dicarbonyl derivatives is described. The key role of the features of the 1,3-dicarbonyls on the reaction outcome has been explored. The employment of 2-methylcyclohexan-1,3-dione as the dicarbonyl source could allow further challenging indole nucleus functionalizations.

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.

gem-Difluorovinylation of alkynyl bromoarenes via dual nickel-/palladium-catalyzed cross-electrophile coupling

A dual nickel-/palladium-catalyzed gem-difluorovinylation of alkynyl bromoarenes is presented. This method proceeds smoothly to afford various dihydrobenzofuran compounds containing gem-difluorovinyl fragments with excellent stereoselectivities.

Pd-Catalyzed alkynyl aryl iodide cyclization/alkylation with cyclobutanols

A palladium-catalyzed cis-selective carboalkylation of internal alkynes with cyclobutanols is reported, providing a useful and facile approach to alkyl-substituted olefins with moderate to good yields and excellent stereoselectivity.

Palladium-catalyzed Tsuji-Trost-type reaction of benzofuran-2-ylmethyl acetates with nucleophiles

The palladium-catalyzed benzylic-like nucleophilic substitution of benzofuran-2-ylmethyl acetate with N, S, O and C soft nucleophiles has been investigated. The success of the reaction is dramatically influenced by the choice of catalytic system: with nitrogen based nucleophiles the reaction works well with Pd2(dba)3/dppf, while with sulfur, oxygen and carbo-nucleophiles [Pd(η3-C3H5)Cl]2/XPhos is more efficient. The regiochemical outcome shows that the nucleophilic substitution occurs only on the benzylic position of the η3-(benzofuryl)methyl complex. The high to excellent yields and the simplicity of the experimental procedure make this protocol a versatile synthetic tool for the preparation of 2-substituted benzo[b]furans.

Palladium-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective synthesis of aryl and 3-indolyl-substituted 4-methylene-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1(2H)-ones

Cascade cyclocarbopalladation of the readily available aryl/alkyl-substituted propargylic amides containing an aryl iodide moiety, followed by Suzuki–Miyaura coupling with arylboronic acids, allowed an efficient regio- and stereoselective synthesis of tetrasubstituted 4-methylene-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1(2H)-ones. Moreover, cascade cyclocarbopalladation, followed by the reaction with 2-alkynyltrifluoroacetanilides, accomplished a double cyclization to afford challenging 4-methylene-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1(2H)-ones bearing a 3-indolyl substituent through aminopalladation/reductive elimination.

Enantioselective Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Centers Structurally Related to Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids

Enantioselective synthesis of all-carbon quaternary centers remains a considerable challenge for synthetic organic chemists. Here, we report a two-step protocol to synthesize such centers including tandem cyclization/Suzuki cross-coupling followed by halocarbocyclization. During this process, two rings, three new C-C bonds and a stereochemically defined all-carbon quaternary center are formed. The absolute configuration of this center is controlled by the stereochemistry of the adjacent stereocenter, which derives from an appropriate enantioenriched starting material. Using this method, we synthesized polycyclic compounds structurally similar to Amaryllidaceae alkaloids in high enantiomeric excesses. Because these products resemble naturally occurring compounds, our protocol can be used to synthesize various potentially bioactive compounds.

Gold-Catalyzed Hydroarylation of N-Aryl Alkynamides for the Synthesis of 2-Quinolinones

A mild method for the synthesis of 2-quinolinones via hydroarylation of N-aryl alkynamides is reported. While traditional methods have relied on the use of strong Brønsted or Lewis acids, this report describes the development of mild reaction conditions that yield 2-quinolinones in good to excellent yield using a commercially available gold catalyst. Substrates bearing a variety of functional groups are presented, with N-substitution proving to be key to the reactivity of several substrates.

Regioselective access of alkylidendibenzo[c,f]oxocine framework via cyclocarbopalladation/cross-coupling cascade reactions and reductive Heck strategy

Palladium-catalyzed dual strategies of cascade cyclocarbopalladation/cross-coupling of alkynes and a reductive Heck reaction have been developed to construct dibenzo[c,f]oxocine frameworks with tri- and tetra-substituted exo-cyclic alkenes with high stereo- and regio-control.

Synthesis of aromatic functionalized cage-rearranged silsesquioxanes (T8, T10, and T12) via nucleophilic substitution reactions

Organic-inorganic hybrid nano-building blocks of aromatic nitro-, aldehyde-, and bromo-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes were easily prepared through nucleophilic substitutions, starting from the reactions between octakis(3-chloropropyl)octasilsesquioxane and phenoxide derivatives. These phenoxide anions not only supply the substitution functions to a silsesquioxane cage, but can also induce a cage-rearrangement leading to the formation of octa-, deca-, and dodecahedral silsesquioxane cages.