Palladium-catalyzed reactions of enol ethers: access to enals, furans, and dihydrofurans

α-Functionally Substituted α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes as Fine Chemicals Reagents: Synthesis and Application

α-Functionalized α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is an important class of compounds, which are widely used in fine organic synthesis, biology, medicine and pharmacology, chemical industry, and agriculture. Some of the 2-substituted 2-alkenals are found to be the key metabolites in plant and animal cells. Therefore, the development of efficient methods for their synthesis attracts the attention of organic chemists. This review focusses on the recent advances in the synthesis of 2-functionally substituted 2-alkenals. The approaches to the preparation of α-alkyl α,β-unsaturated aldehydes are not included in this review.

Alkyl Enol Ethers: Development in Intermolecular Organic Transformation

Alkyl enol ethers (AEE) are versatile synthetic intermediates with a unique reactivity pattern. This review article summarizes the synthesis of AEE as well as its reactivity and how enol ether undergoes intermolecular reactions for various bond formation, leading to the construction of several useful organic molecules. The synthetic applications of alkyl enol ethers towards intermolecular bond-forming reactions include metal-catalyzed reactions, cycloaddition and heterocycle formation as well as rwactions in the field of natural products synthesis. The achievement of these impressive transformations prove the countless synthetic potential of AEE. The main objective of this review is to bring attentiveness among synthetic chemists to show how AEE extensively can be used to react with both electrophiles as well as nucleophiles, thereby behaving as an ambiphilic reactant. We trust that the unique reactivity pattern of alkyl enol ethers and the fundamental mechanistic idea can attract chemists in AEE chemistry. Exclusively, intermolecular reactions of AEE with other functionalized moieties have not been reviewed to the best of our knowledge.

Saegusa Oxidation of Enol Ethers at Extremely Low Pd-Catalyst Loadings under Ligand-free and Aqueous Conditions: Insight into the Pd(II)/Cu(II)-Catalyst System

A highly efficient and practical Pd(II)/Cu(OAc)₂-catalyst system of Saegusa oxidation, which converts enol ethers to the corresponding enals with a number of diverse substrates at extremely low catalyst loadings (500 mol ppm) under ligand-free and aqueous conditions, is described. Its synthetic utility was demonstrated by large-scale applications of the catalyst system to important nature molecules. This work allows Saegusa oxidation to become a highly practical approach to preparing enals and also suggests new insight into the Pd(II)/Cu(II)-catalyst system for dehydrogenation of carbonyl compounds and decreasing Pd-catalyst loadings.

Chemiluminescence-promoted oxidation of alkyl enol ethers by NHPI under mild conditions and in the dark

The hydroperoxidation of alkyl enol ethers using N-hydroxyphthalimide and molecular oxygen occurred in the absence of catalyst, initiator, or light. The reaction proceeds through a radical mechanism that is initiated by N-hydroxyphthalimide-promoted autoxidation of the enol ether substrate. The resulting dioxetane products decompose in a chemiluminescent reaction that allows for photochemical activation of N-hydroxyphthalimide in the absence of other light sources.

Unravelling mechanistic insights in the platinum-catalysed dihydroalkoxylation of allenes

The mechanism of the platinum-catalysed dihydroalkoxylation of allenes to give acetals has been studied experimentally and by computational methods. Our findings further explain divergent reactivity encountered for platinum- and gold-vinyl intermediates after the first nucleophilic attack onto the coordinated allene, as well as provide new details on the catalytic cycle with platinum, uncovering enol ethers as resting states of the catalytic cycle, a SEOx process via Pt(IV)–H as the final protodemetallation step after the second nucleophilic attack when neutral platinum complexes are used, and a fast acid promoted addition of methanol to enol ethers when cationic platinum complexes are employed.

Silver-Catalyzed Olefination of Acetals and Ketals with Diazoesters to β-Alkoxyacrylates

The first silver-catalyzed reaction of acetals or ketals with diazoesters leading to trisubstituted or tetrasubstituted β-alkoxyacrylates is now reported. A broad range of acetals and ketals bearing different substituents is compatible with this protocol and thus provides an attractive approach for the synthesis of complex β-alkoxyacrylates. The power of this method was further demonstrated by the successful synthesis of picoxystrobin, which is one of the most popular agricultural fungicides commercialized by Dupont.

O-Heterocycles from Unsaturated Carbonyls and Dimethoxycarbene

The (4+1)-annulation of dimethoxycarbene with readily accessible α,β-unsaturated carbonyls gives cyclic orthoesters, which can then be converted in just a few steps to other O-heterocycles, including methoxyfurans, furanones, and furans.

A co-operative effect of visible light photo-catalysis and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles for green synthesis of furans in water

A novel approach to poly-functionalized furan synthesis is disclosed via oxidative decarboxylative [3+2] cycloaddition using co-operative catalysis by visible light and CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles.