Benzofurans or Isochromenes via the Ring-Opening Cyclization of Cyclopropene Derivatives with Organolithiums

Construction of heterocyclic rings from cyclopropenes

Heterocyclic rings are the fundamental building blocks of biological systems and have wide applications in synthetic chemistry and medicinal science. The development of novel synthetic methodology for heterocyclic skeletons from a variety of starting materials has made great progress in the past decades. Meanwhile, highly strained cyclopropenes as reactive reagents in organic transformations have drawn much attention from chemists. The rich chemical reactivity and reaction routes have been well investigated, and some review articles related to the reactivity of cyclopropenes and the construction of carbocycles and acyclic compounds have appeared in these years. Thus, this review mainly focuses on the progress in the construction of heterocyclic rings starting from various cyclopropenes including the reactions of commonly available stable cyclopropenes, in situ generated reactive cyclopropenes and cyclopropene precursors during this decade. Firstly, the transformations of common cyclopropenes into donor-type vinyl metal carbenes via transition metal induced ring opening, direct metalation of the CC bond of metal complexes, and cycloaddition reactions with 1,3-dipoles are described. Next, the annulation reactions of reactive cyclopropenes generated in situ with donor-acceptor reagents, intramolecular nucleophilic addition, and the cycloaddition reactions with 1,3-dipoles are introduced. Then, the transformation of cyclopropene precursors such as alkyl 1-chloro- or 1-alkoxy-2-aroylcyclopropanecarboxylates into five-membered heteroaromatic compounds is also mentioned. In addition, a brief outlook of the opportunity and challenges in the field of bio-orthogonal reactions related to cyclopropenes is given.

A simple approach to C3-ethoxycarbonylmethylation of thiophenes/furans with diethyl bromomalonate

A mild and efficient method to produce C3-malonated products was developed via a visible-light-induced radical reaction of 2-substituted thiophenes/furans with diethyl bromomalonate. The C3-ethoxycarbonylmethylation of 2-substituted thiophenes/furans exhibited broad substrate...

Recent Achievement in the Synthesis of Benzo[b]furans

BACKGROUND

Benzo[b]furan derivatives are oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds consisting of fused benzene and furan rings and are present in a large number of natural and non-natural compounds. This class of compounds has a wide spectrum of biological activities, such as antiarrhythmic, anticancer, inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral. Furthermore, benzo[b]furan derivatives have also been applied in various areas, such as organic electroluminescence device materials and organic dyes, photosensitizing material, organic synthesis as building blocks or intermediates. Because of a broad range of applicability, the synthesis of benzo[b]furan derivative has drawn great attention of chemists and many studies on the synthesis of this class of compounds have been reported recently. This review will give an overview of benzo[b]furan preparation based on studies dating back to the year 2012.

OBJECTIVE

In this review, recent development in the synthesis of benzo[b]furans are discussed. There has been increasingly new methodologies for the construction of benzo[b]furans skeleton to improve efficiency or develop environmentally friendly procedures. In some studies, reaction mechanisms were also outlined.

CONCLUSION

Many methods for the synthesis of benzo[b]furans have been reported recently. Most of them involve cyclization or cycloisomerization processes. Unquestionably, more imaginative strategies for the construction of benzo[b]furan skeleton will be established in the near future. Application of known methods to natural products or drug synthesis, on industrial scale for the synthesis of economically or medicinally important benzo[ b]furans will probably be paid attention to.

Catalytic C-C Cleavage/Alkyne-Carbonyl Metathesis Sequence of Cyclobutanones

A ring-opening/alkyne-carbonyl metathesis sequence of alkyne-tethered cyclobutanones catalyzed by AgSbF₆ is realized for the first time to furnish multisubstituted naphthyl ketones under mild conditions. A range of substrates decorated with various substituents at different positions were all well accommodated. Preliminary mechanistic studies show that silver salt acted as a Lewis acid to facilitate both C-C cleavage of the cyclobutanone moiety and the subsequent metathesis between C═O and C≡C bonds.

Access to Polysubstituted (Furyl)methylthioethers via a Base-Promoted S-H Insertion Reaction of Conjugated Enynones

A convenient and applicable approach to the construction of diverse functionalized (2-furyl)methylthioether derivatives via base-promoted S-H insertion of conjugated enynones with thiophenols or thiols has been developed. This reaction features readily available starting materials, high atom economy, broad substrate scope, and versatile operation. Moreover, the synthetic utility of this method has been demonstrated by the efficient synthesis of the CNKSPR1 inhibitor precursor and late-stage functionalization of glutathione.

Copper-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of Cyclopropenylimine for Synthesis of Pyrroles

Copper-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 3-iminocyclopropenes for synthesis of pyrroles has been developed. The reaction allows regioselective construction of pyrroles with various substitution patterns, including fully substituted pyrroles. The method was successfully applied to synthesis of steroidal pyrroles as well as a N-fused pyrrole.

Directed Cu(I)-Catalyzed Carbomagnesiation of 1-Arylcycloprop-2-ene-1-carboxamides En Route to Densely Substituted Functionalized Cyclopropanes

Copper-catalyzed, directed addition of Grignard reagents across the strained C═C bond of cyclopropene-3-carboxamides was developed. It was demonstrated that the amide functionality serves as an ultimate directing group allowing for highly efficient control of diastereoselectivity of addition including stereoselectivity of electrophilic trapping with prochiral aldehydes. Also, regioselectivity of carbomagnesiation of cyclopropenes with a monosubstituted double bond is investigated. It was shown that in many cases this selectivity is controlled by steric factors and allows for preparation of products with a "reversed" regiochemistry.

Synthesis of Functionalized 3-Spiro[cyclopropa[a]pyrrolizine]- and 3-Spiro[3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane]oxindoles from Cyclopropenes and Azomethine Ylides via [3 + 2]-Cycloaddition

3-Spiro[cyclopropa[a]pyrrolizine]- and 3-spiro[3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane]oxindoles were prepared in moderate to high yields via one-pot three-component reactions using substituted isatins, α-amino acids, and cyclopropenes. The key step is an intramolecular [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction of an in situ generated azomethine ylide onto a cyclopropene. Both N-substituted and N-unsubstituted α-amino acids, dipeptide Gly-Gly, and also benzylamine were used as the amine component for the azomethine ylide generation. The anticancer activity of some of the obtained compounds against human leukemia K562 cell line was evaluated by flow cytometry in vitro.

Organolithium-mediated cyclization reactions: a practical way to access hetero- and carbocycles

Cyclization reactions are considered as one of the most important reactions in organic synthesis due to the fact that natural molecules contain cyclic components either as part of the molecule or molecular skeleton.

Synthesis of 1,3-diaryl-3-trifluoromethylcyclopropenes by transition-metal-free reaction of 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone tosylhydrazones with alkynes: the effect of the trifluoromethyl group

1,3-Diaryl-3-trifluoromethylcyclopropenes and 2-aryl- or 2-alkyl-1,3-diaryl-3-trifluoromethylcyclopropenes are prepared in a very simple way by reaction between 1,1,1-trifluoroacetophenone tosylhydrazones and terminal or internal alkynes, respectively, in a base promoted process that does not require the presence of any metal catalyst. The essential role of the trifluoromethyl group, which enables the formation of the cyclopropenes instead of the expected pyrazoles, has been computationally investigated, suggesting the participation of a free carbene.

One-Pot Synthesis of Substituted Benzo[b]furans and Indoles from Dichlorophenols/Dichloroanilines Using a Palladium-Dihydroxyterphenylphosphine Catalyst

Disubstituted benzo[b]furans were synthesized by ortho-selective Sonogashira coupling of dichlorophenols and terminal alkynes, followed by cyclization and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling in one pot, using a palladium-dihydroxyterphenylphosphine (Cy-DHTP) catalyst. The use of substoichiometric amounts of tetrabutylammonium chloride was effective in accelerating the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. This protocol was also successfully applied to the one-pot synthesis of disubstituted indoles from dichloroaniline derivatives.

Hydrazone–palladium catalyzed annulation of 1-cinnamyloxy-2-ethynylbenzene derivatives

The annulation of 1-cinnamyloxy-2-ethynylbenzene derivatives using a hydrazone–palladium catalyst system proceeded smoothly and gave the corresponding 2-substituted-3-cinnamylbenzofurans in good-to-excellent yields.

Transition-metal-free three-component reaction of cyclopropenes, aldehydes and amines

A formal [3+2] cycloaddition triggered by enamine-mediated ring-opening of cyclopropenes bearing electron-withdrawing substituents is presented.

Successive Cu/Pd transmetalation relay catalysis in stereoselective synthesis of tetraarylethenes

A new and efficient strategy for the synthesis of tetraaryl-substituted olefins with two cis furans based on a Cu/Pd catalyzed oxidative coupling reaction of cyclopropene with internal alkyne was developed. These novel tetraarylethenes were fully characterized and proved to be good AIE luminogens.

Catalytic tandem C-C bond formation/cleavage of cyclopropene for allylzincation of aldehydes or aldimine using organozinc reagents

The tandem allylation of aldehydes or an aldimine with allylzinc intermediates derived from organozinc reagents and cyclopropenes is described. The present three-component reaction involves carbozincation of cyclopropene and sequential cleavage of a cyclopropylzinc intermediate in situ without a transition-metal catalyst. The allylzinc intermediates generated in situ, which is an α,β-unsaturated acylanion equivalent, gave the corresponding homoallylic alcohols or amine in good yields.