Bromonitroalkenes as efficient intermediates in organic synthesis

Bromonitroalkenes are useful molecules in synthetic organic chemistry. They are mainly prepared from nitroalkenes via bromination reactions. In this review, the application of bromonitroalkenes as partners in the reaction with a diversity of mono- and bi-functional molecules, including aldehydes and ketones, active methylene compounds, 1,2-dicarbonyls, enamines, enols, electron-rich arenes, amidines, azomethine ylides, azirines, diazo compounds, and many others, is reviewed. By using these substrates, various biologically active scaffolds, such as heterocycles, carbocycles, spirocycles, polycyclic systems, natural products, and other useful acyclic compounds, were prepared. In addition, due to their dielectrophilic character, electrophilic and nucleophilic character, and ability to participate in cycloaddition reactions, bromonitroalkenes were efficiently applied in asymmetric cascade/domino/tandem reactions catalyzed by chiral catalysts. In this manuscript, around 55 papers are summarized and discussed during the years 2000-2023.

Padlocking dihydrofurannulation for the control of small degree of helicity built on a fused-tetracyclic core

Enantioselective construction of small molecules displaying a configurationally stable helical shape built on a fused-tetracyclic core is a daunting synthetic challenge even more pronounced when five-membered rings are incorporated in the structure. The resulting higher configurational lability strongly hampers their access, and therefore the development of new efficient methodologies is timely and highly desirable. In this context, we describe a padlocking approach via the enantioselective organocatalytic domino furannulation of appropriately designed achiral fused-tricyclic precursors resulting in the synthesis of configurationally locked helically chiral tetracyclic scaffolds featuring one or two five-membered rings with the simultaneous control of central and helical chiralities.

Water-enabling strategies for asymmetric catalysis

Water possesses unique advantages, including abundance, environmental friendliness and mild effects. Undoubtedly, it is an ideal solvent or reagent in chemical syntheses. Water also shows unique abilities in catalytic asymmetric synthesis. It can accelerate reaction rates, improve diastereo- or enantioselectivities, initiate reactions, diversify chemo, diastereo- or enantioselectivities through various effects (hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, protonation). Several reviews have demonstrated the positive effects of water in asymmetric synthesis. In this review, we summarize water-enabling strategies in the last decade, and focus on advances which reveal how water affects a reaction.

Development of Mefloquine-Based Bifunctional Secondary Amine Organocatalysts for Enantioselective Michael and Friedel-Crafts Reactions

The chiral framework based on 11-aminomefloquine has been utilized for the first time to construct bifunctional organocatalysts. These catalysts demonstrate high enantioselectivity in both Michael additions and Friedel-Crafts reactions across a variety of substrates, achieving up to >99% ee. The distinctive feature is the incorporation of a secondary amine group, offering unique tight hydrogen-bonding capabilities in the protonated state, as supported by DFT computation. The diversity of these organocatalysts suggests their broad applicability across multiple reaction classes.

Synthesis of pyrrolidin-2-ylidenes and pyrrol-2-ylidenes via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of H-bond-assisted azomethine ylides to nitrostyrenes

Hydrogen-bond-assisted azomethine ylides, generated from 2-(benzylamino)-2-(1,3-dioxo-1,3-dihydro-2H-inden-2-ylidene)acetonitriles, undergo a formal Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with β-bromo-β-nitrostyrenes to afford a diastereoselective synthesis of highly substituted pyrrolidin-2-ylidene derivatives. When β-nitrostyrenes were used as the alkene component, 2-(4,5-diaryl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ylidene)-1H-indene-1,3(2H)-diones were obtained. Efficient conversion of pyrrolidene-2-ylidenes to the corresponding pyrrol-2-ylidenes takes place in refluxing 1-propanol in the presence of excess Et₃N. Also, the structure of the pyrrolidene-2-ylidene derivative was determined by X-ray crystallography.

Preparation of Dihydronaphthofurans from α-Hydroxyl Ketones via a One-Pot Multicomponent Reaction Based on Heyns Rearrangement

Polysubstituted 1,2-dihydronaphthofurans were efficiently obtained in high yields and good diastereoselectivities with readily available substrates. The reaction proceeds smoothly via a series of tandem reactions, including Heyns rearrangement, oxidation, Friedel-Crafts reaction, and cyclization. The high stereoselectivity of the reaction is ascribed to the activation of the imine via an intramolecular hydrogen bond. Air is directly used as the oxidation medium, which makes the reaction safe and easy to perform. Moreover, the reaction features multiple components, which ensures the diversity of products.

Organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of dihydronaphthofurans and dihydrobenzofurans: reaction development and insights into stereoselectivity

Squaramide/cinchona alkaloid-derived bifunctional organocatalysts are in high demand in asymmetric transformations.

Asymmetric Synthesis of 2,3-Dihydrofurans via Squaramide Catalyzed Michael-Alkylation Reaction

Abstract:

Asymmetric Catalysis, Dihydrofuran, Michael-Alkylation Reaction, Tertiary Amine-Squaramide, Organocatalysis, α-Bromonitroalkene

Enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction of hydroxyarenes with nitroenynes to access chiral heterocycles via sequential catalysis

Naphthols, hydroxyindoles and an activated phenol are reacted with differently substituted (E)-nitrobut-1-en-3-ynes using the commercially available Rawal's chiral squaramide. The corresponding β-nitroalkynes were obtained with good yields and excellent enantioselectivities. Moreover, dihydronaphthofurans can be accessed via silver catalysed cyclization in a tandem one-pot procedure, with high preservation of the optical purity.

TfOH-Catalyzed [4 + 1] Annulation of p-Quinone Methides with α-Aryl Diazoacetates: Straightforward Access to Highly Functionalized 2,3-Dihydrobenzofurans

We have developed a methodology for the greatly efficient construction of significant 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran scaffolds bearing a quaternary carbon center at the C2 position by means of [4 + 1] annulation reactions between p-quinone methides and α-aryl diazoacetates as C1 synthons through organocatalysis by readily accessible TfOH catalyst under mild and transition metal-free conditions. This metal-free protocol furnishes an operationally simple and swift process for the free assembly of diverse highly functionalized 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans and also features broad substrate scope, excellent functional group compatibility, and environmental friendliness. Mechanistic investigation suggested that the reaction undergoes a rapid cascade protonation/intermolecular Michael addition/intramolecular substitution process.

Stereoselective synthesis of 2-trifluoromethylated and 2-difluoromethylated dihydrofurans via organocatalytic cascade Michael/alkylation reaction

A highly stereoselective cascade Michael/alkylation process has been established to construct 2-trifluoromethylated and 2-difluoromethylated dihydrofurans.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Dihydrofuranoindoles via the Friedel-Crafts Alkylation/Annulation Cascade Process

A stereoselective annulation protocol was developed to construct dihydrofuranoindoles from readily available starting materials. In the presence of a bifunctional squaramide, the Friedel-Crafts alkylation/annulation cascade process occurred smoothly to provide dihydrofuranoindoles in 26-95% isolated yields exclusively as trans-diastereomers (38-99% ee). This catalytic protocol was compatible with a range of structurally distinct hydroxyindoles bearing the hydroxyl group at different positions, providing four kinds of dihydrofuranoindoles. Moreover, gram-scale synthesis and further synthetic manipulation of the product were also demonstrated.

Dihydronaphthofurans: synthetic strategies and applications

Dihydronaphthofurans (DHNs) are an important class of arene ring-fused furans which are widely found in many natural and non-natural products and drug candidates with relevant biological and pharmacological activities. Furthermore, vinylidene-naphthofurans exhibit photochromic properties when exposed to UV or sun light at room temperature. For these reasons, a vast array of synthetic procedures for the preparation of dihydronaphthofurans including annulation of naphthols with various reagents, cycloaddition reactions ([3 + 2], [4 + 1] and Diels-Alder), intramolecular transannulation, Friedel-Crafts, Wittig, Claisen rearrangement, neophyl rearrangement and other reactions under various conditions have been developed over the past decades. This review aims to describe the different strategies developed so far for the synthesis of dihydronaphthofurans and their applications. After a brief introduction to the types of dihydronaphthofurans and their biological activities, the different synthetic approaches such as chemical, photochemical, and electrochemical, methods are described and organized on the basis of the catalysts and the other reagents employed in the syntheses. The subsequent section focuses on biological and pharmacological applications and photochromic properties of the target compounds.

Mild and efficient synthesis of trans-3-aryl-2-nitro-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans on water

A protocol to prepare trans-3-aryl-2-nitro-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans has been developed on water. The protocol avoids the use of toxic solvents, tedious work-up procedures, and chromatographic separation.

Stereoselective synthesis of hydrazinodihydrofurans via cascade Michael addition-substitution involving the reaction of curcumin and other β-dicarbonyls with α-hydrazinonitroalkenes

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of 2-hydrazinated 2,3-dihydrofurans in good to excellent yields involving an interrupted Feist-Bénary type reaction by treating a wide variety of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, including curcumins, with α-hydrazinated nitroalkenes is reported here. The first ever enantioselective reaction of α-hydrazinonitroalkenes has also been carried out with two selected 1,3-dicarbonyls, dimedone and cyclohexanone by employing an l-t-leucine derived squaramide as the chiral organocatalyst to afford the enantio-enriched 2-hydrazinodihydrofurans as single diastereomers in good yields and with good enantioselectivities.

Bidirectional enantioselective synthesis of bis-benzofuran atropisomeric oligoarenes featuring two distal C-C stereogenic axes

We report the bidirectional enantioselective synthesis of bis-benzofuran atropisomeric oligoarenes featuring two distal C–C stereogenic axes. These are controlled by a two-fold central-to-axial chirality conversion upon oxidative aromatization.

We report the bidirectional enantioselective synthesis of bis-benzofuran atropisomeric oligoarenes featuring two distal C–C stereogenic axes obtained by a two-fold central-to-axial chirality conversion upon oxidative aromatization. The key enantioenriched centrally chiral bis-dihydrobenzofuran precursors were synthesized via a bidirectional diastereo- and enantio-selective organocatalyzed domino reaction between simple achiral and easily accessible dihydroxylated aromatics and chloronitroalkenes. Moreover, the stereodivergent nature of the methodology was established by synthesizing both diastereomers of a non-symmetrically functionalized bis-axially chiral oligoarene.

Highly stereoselective synthesis of 2,3-dihydrofurans via a cascade Michael addition-alkylation process: a nitro group as the leaving group

The Michael addition-alkylation process between gem-benzoyl-nitrostyrenes and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds proceeded smoothly in the presence of a bifunctional squaramide, exclusively providing 2,3-dihydrofurans as trans-diastereomers in 33-92% isolated yields and excellent enantioselectivities (29->99% ee).

2-Hydroxybenzophenone as a Chemical Auxiliary for the Activation of Ketiminoesters for Highly Enantioselective Addition to Nitroalkenes under Bifunctional Catalysis

An organocatalytic system is presented for the Michael addition of monoactivated glycine ketimine ylides with a bifunctional catalyst. The ketimine bears an ortho hydroxy group, which increases the acidity of the methylene hydrogen atoms and enhances the reactivity, thus allowing the synthesis of a large variety of α,γ-diamino acid derivatives with excellent stereoselectivity.

Asymmetric vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction of isatins under bifunctional organocatalysis: enantioselective synthesis of substituted 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles

A highly enantioselective organocatalytic vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction of silyloxy dienes and isatins under bifunctional organocatalysis is presented.

Phosphine-mediated enantioselective [4 + 1] annulations between ortho-quinone methides and Morita–Baylis–Hillman carbonates

First example of phosphine catalyzed enantioselective [4 + 1] annulations of o-QMs and MBH carbonates for chiral 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Rauhut-Currier type Products by a Regioselective Mukaiyama Reaction under Bifunctional Catalysis

The reactivity and the regioselective functionalization of silyl-diene enol ethers under a bifunctional organocatalyst provokes a dramatic change in the regioselectivity, from the 1,5- to the 1,3-functionalization. This variation makes possible the 1,3-addition of silyl-dienol ethers to nitroalkenes, giving access to the synthesis of tri- and tetrasubstituted double bonds in Rauhut-Currier type products. The process takes place under smooth conditions, nonanionic conditions, and with a high enantiomeric excess. A rational mechanistic pathway is presented based on DFT and mechanistic experiments.

(1R,2R)-8-Bromo-1-[(E)-2-(4-bromophenyl)ethenyl]-2-nitro-1,2-dihydronaphtho[2,1-b]furan

The title compound,C20H13Br2NO3, contains the dihydrobenzofuran moiety, which is present in the physiologically active components of many medicinal plants. The naphthyl ring system is nearly perpendicular to the phenyl ring, while the mean plane of the double bond is almost coplanar with the phenyl ring [dihedral angles of 79.14 (3) and 13.56 (1)°, respectively]. The nitro group and bromobenzene alkenyl group aretransto one another on opposite sides of the furan ring. There are two stereogenic centres, and each has theRconfiguration. In the crystal, there are very weak intermolecular C—H...Br interactions.