Rh(I)-Catalyzed Transformation of Propargyl Vinyl Ethers into (E,Z)-Dienals: Stereoelectronic Role of trans Effect in a Metal-Mediated Pericyclic Process and a Shift from Homogeneous to Heterogeneous Catalysis During a One-Pot Reaction

Oxa-[3+3] annulation of MBH-carbonates of propiolaldehydes with α-nitro/bromo ketones to access 2H-pyrans

A novel alkyne-assisted annulation reaction of MBH-carbonates of propiolaldehydes with α-nitro/bromo ketones is reported, providing a facile synthesis of substituted 2H-pyrans in good yields. This reaction divulges the inimitable reactivity of the MBH-carbonates of propiolaldehydes as C3-synthons wherein the alkyne functionality promoted the reaction without participating in the oxa-[3+3] annulation. The obtained products, having alkyne and ester functionalities, allowed further annulations to generate diverse pyrano[3,4-c]pyran-1-ones.

Gold-Catalyzed Hydroamination of Propargylic Alcohols: Controlling Divergent Catalytic Reaction Pathways To Access 1,3-Amino Alcohols, 3-Hydroxyketones, or 3-Aminoketones

A versatile approach to the valorization of propargylic alcohols is reported, enabling controlled access to three different products from the same starting materials. First, a general method for the hydroamination of propargylic alcohols with anilines is described using gold catalysis to give 3-hydroxyimines with complete regioselectivity. These 3-hydroxyimines can be reduced to give 1,3-amino alcohols with high syn selectivity. Alternatively, by using a catalytic quantity of aniline, 3-hydroxyketones can be obtained in high yield directly from propargylic alcohols. Further manipulation of the reaction conditions enables the selective formation of 3-aminoketones via a rearrangement/hydroamination pathway. The utility of the new chemistry was exemplified by the one-pot synthesis of a selection of N-arylpyrrolidines and N-arylpiperidines. A mechanism for the hydroamination has been proposed on the basis of experimental studies and density functional theory calculations.

Enantioselective Rhodium-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of 1,6-Allenynes to access 5/6-Fused Bicycle[4.3.0]nonadienes

Transition-metal-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,n-allenynes represents a powerful synthetic tool to rapidly assemble complex polycyclic skeletons from simple linear substrates. Nevertheless, there are no reports of the asymmetric version of these reactions. Moreover, most of these reactions proceed through a 6-endo-dig cyclization pathway, which preferentially delivers the distal product (via 5/5 rhodacyclic intermediate) rather than the proximal one (via 6/5 rhodacyclic intermediate). Herein, we report an enantioselective rhodium(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,6-allenynes to provide the proximal product 5/6-fused bicycle[4.3.0]nonadienes in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities. Remarkably, this chemistry works perfectly for 1,6-allenynes having a cyclic substituent within the allene component, thereby affording synthetically formidable tricyclic products with excellent enantioselectivities. Moreover, extensive DFT calculations suggest an uncommon pathway involving 5-exo-dig cycloisomerization, ring-expansion, rate-determining alkene isomerization involving C_sp3-H activation, C-C activation of the cyclobutene moiety and finally reductive elimination. Deuterium labeling experiments support the rate-determining step involving the C–H bond activation in this transformation.

Cycloisomerization of 1,n-allenynes allows to efficiently assembly polycyclic skeletons, however its asymmetric variant remains elusive. Here, the authors report the enantioselective Rh(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,6-allenynes and disclose an uncommon 5-exo-dig pathway via DFT calculations.

Preparation of Substituted 2H-Pyrans via a Cascade Reaction from Methyl Coumalate and Activated Methylene Nucleophiles

The reaction of methyl coumalate with a wide range of methylene active compounds, such as keto-esters or keto-sulfones and cyclic or acyclic diketones, afforded more than 30 2,3,5,6-tetrasubstituted 2H-pyrans. The reaction proceeds via a cascade reaction involving a Michael addition-6π-electrocyclic ring opening-proton transfer and 6π electrocyclization, in which a variety of functional groups were tolerated.

Cooperative Catalysis: Calcium and Camphorsulfonic Acid Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of Diynols

The first transition metal-free cycloisomerization of easily accessible diynols is presented as a novel approach to bicyclic 2H-pyrans. As a one-step protocol, the reaction proceeds in a single reaction cascade by intertwining mechanistic fragments borrowed from transition metal-catalyzed Claisen rearrangment of vinyl ethers with our own work on allenyl/propargyl cation rearrangements and a 6π-oxo-electrocylization. It is enabled by a new cooperative catalytic system that combines a simple Ca(2+) catalyst with camphorsulfonic acid.