Phosphine-Catalyzed (4 + 2) Annulation of Allenoates Bearing Acidic Hydrogen with 1,1-Dicyanoalkenes

α-succinimide-substituted allenoates were employed as phosphine acceptors in phosphine-catalyzed (4 + 2) annulation with 1,1-dicyanoalkenes. They served as C4 synthons in the annulation reaction under mild reaction conditions and produced hexahydroisoindole derivatives in moderate to high yields with good to excellent diastereoselectivities.

Phosphine-Catalyzed (3 + 2) Annulation of γ-Substituted Cinnamic Aldehyde-Derived Morita-Baylis-Hillman Carbonates through Remote Activation

A series of γ-substituted Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates were synthesized and subjected to phosphine-catalyzed annulations with electrophilic exocyclic alkenes, giving various valuable spirocyclopentenes in moderate to excellent yields with moderate to excellent diastereoselectivities. A large scope of MBH carbonates bearing γ-hydrogen, alkenyl, and alkynyl substituents was well tolerated. The annulation unprecedentedly involves β-, γ-, and δ-carbons of MBH carbonates.

Asymmetric α-Regioselective [3 + 2] Annulation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman Carbonates: Construction of Three Contiguous Stereocenters with Vicinal Quaternary Carbon Centers

Asymmetric α-regioselective annulation of MBH carbonates with 4-arylmethylisoxazol-5-ones has been developed to afford spirocyclic oxindole derivatives containing three contiguous stereogenic centers and vicinal all-carbon quaternary chiral centers. This reaction exhibits a broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance. Excellent yields with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities were obtained in this efficient organocatalytic reaction.

Asymmetric [3 + 2] spiroannulation of pyrazolone-derived Morita–Baylis–Hillman carbonates with alkynyl ketones: facile access to spiro[cyclopentadiene-pyrazolone] scaffolds

A tertiary amine-catalyzed asymmetric [3 + 2] spiroannulation reaction of pyrazolone-derived Morita–Baylis–Hillman carbonates with alkynyl ketones was achieved under mild conditions. This protocol offers a facile approach to chiral spiro[cyclopentadiene-pyrazolone]...

Pd-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition of cyclic ketimines and trimethylenemethanes toward N-fused pyrrolidines bearing a quaternary carbon

A Pd-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition of N-sulfonyl cyclic ketimines and trimethylenemethanes (TMM) was developed that afforded N-fused pyrrolidines bearing a quaternary carbon. Under mild reaction conditions, structurally diverse N-sulfonyl cyclic imines, including sulfamate-fused aldimines, aryl- or styryl-substituted sulfamate-derived ketimines, and N-sulfonyl cyclic ketimines, were tolerated as reactants, affording N-fused pyrrolidines with high efficiency.

A facile route to access N-fused pyrrolidines bearing a quaternary carbon from N-sulfonyl ketimines and commercially available trimethylenemethanes has been developed.

Phosphine-Catalyzed Asymmetric Tandem Isomerization/Annulation of Allyl Amines with Allenoates: Enantioselective Annulation of a Saturated C-N Bond

Under catalysis by chiral phosphine, an asymmetric isomerization/annulation cascade reaction of allylamines with allenoates was realized. A wide range of γ-substituted allenoates were tolerated to afford chiral pyrroline derivatives in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. In the reaction, isomerization of readily available N-allylamines to reactive aliphatic imines through a 1,4-proton shift is a key step, which circumvents the isolation of highly unstable alkyl N-sulfonylimines.

Phosphine-Catalyzed Cascade Annulation of MBH Carbonates and Diazenes: Synthesis of Hexahydrocyclopenta[c]pyrazole Derivatives

A phosphine-catalyzed cascade annulation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates and diazenes was achieved, giving tetrahydropyrazole-fused heterocycles bearing two five-membered rings in moderate to excellent yields. The reaction underwent an unprecedented reaction mode of MBH carbonates, in which two molecules of MBH carbonates were fully merged into the ring system.

Synthesis of heterocyclic compounds through nucleophilic phosphine catalysis

Nucleophilic phosphine catalysis is a practical and powerful tool for the synthesis of various heterocyclic compounds with the advantages of environmentally friendly, metal-free, and mild reaction conditions. The present report summarizes the construction of four to eight-membered heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur atoms through phosphine-catalyzed intramolecular annulations and intermolecular [2+2], [3+2], [4+1], [3+1+1], [5+1], [4+2], [2+2+2], [3+3], [4+3] and [3+2+3] annulations of electron-deficient alkenes, allenes, alkynes and Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates.

Organocatalytic diastereoselective [3+2] cyclization of MBH carbonates with dinucleophiles: synthesis of bicyclic imidazoline derivatives that inhibit MDM2–p53 interaction

MBH carbonates were successfully applied to a stereoselective [3+3] annulation with N,C-dinucleophiles for the first time, yielding a collection of pharmacologically interesting bicyclic imidazolines which were found to inhibit MDM2–p53 binding.

Chemoselective cyclization of N-sulfonyl ketimines with ethenesulfonyl fluorides: access to trans-cyclopropanes and fused-dihydropyrroles

A stereo- and chemoselective ring closing reaction of N-sulfonyl ketimines with ethene sulfonyl fluorides promoted by DBU is reported. This selective C–C vs. C–N bond cyclization process delivers to trans-cyclopropanes (dr up to ≤99 : 1) and fused-dihydropyrroles.

Phosphine Organocatalysis

The hallmark of nucleophilic phosphine catalysis is the initial nucleophilic addition of a phosphine to an electrophilic starting material, producing a reactive zwitterionic intermediate, generally under mild conditions. In this Review, we classify nucleophilic phosphine catalysis reactions in terms of their electrophilic components. In the majority of cases, these electrophiles possess carbon-carbon multiple bonds: alkenes (section 2), allenes (section 3), alkynes (section 4), and Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) alcohol derivatives (MBHADs; section 5). Within each of these sections, the reactions are compiled based on the nature of the second starting material-nucleophiles, dinucleophiles, electrophiles, and electrophile-nucleophiles. Nucleophilic phosphine catalysis reactions that occur via the initial addition to starting materials that do not possess carbon-carbon multiple bonds are collated in section 6. Although not catalytic in the phosphine, the formation of ylides through the nucleophilic addition of phosphines to carbon-carbon multiple bond-containing compounds is intimately related to the catalysis and is discussed in section 7. Finally, section 8 compiles miscellaneous topics, including annulations of the Hüisgen zwitterion, phosphine-mediated reductions, iminophosphorane organocatalysis, and catalytic variants of classical phosphine oxide-generating reactions.

Multifunctional chiral phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] annulation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates with cyclopentenones: asymmetric synthesis of 4-oxo-hexahydropentalenes

A multifunctional chiral phosphine-catalyzed enantioselective [3+2] annulation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates with cyclopentenones provides a direct approach to access functional 4-oxo-1,3a,4,5,6,6a-hexahydropentalene compounds. Moderate to good yields and excellent enantioselectivities (>90% ee) were obtained for a series of substrates under mild reaction conditions.

Effective and diastereoselective preparation of dispiro[cyclopent-3′-ene]bisoxindoles via novel [3 + 2] annulation of isoindigos and MBH carbonates

Efficient, one-step preparation of highly steric dispiro[cyclopent-3′-ene]bisoxindoles with two all-carbon quaternary spirocenters and three adjacent cycles in excellent yields and diastereoselectivities under mild conditions.

Pd-Catalyzed diastereoselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition of vinylcyclopropanes with sulfamate-derived cyclic imines

The palladium-catalyzed diastereoselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of vinylcyclopropanes with sulfamate-derived cyclic imines worked efficiently under mild conditions, providing sulfamate-fused pyrrolidines in good to excellent yields.

Recent advances in the annulation of Morita–Baylis–Hillman adducts

In this review, we summarize some of the most recent advances in the construction of cyclic compounds from the annulation of Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) adducts, which have demonstrated their importance by possessing diverse functional groups.

Phosphine-catalyzed highly enantioselective [3 + 3] cycloaddition of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates with C,N-cyclic azomethine imines

The first phosphine-catalyzed highly enantioselective [3 + 3] cycloaddition of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates with C,N-cyclic azomethine imines is described. Using a spirocyclic chiral phosphine as the catalyst, a novel class of pharmaceutically interesting 4,6,7,11b-tetrahydro-1H-pyridazino[6,1-a]iso-quinoline derivatives were obtained in high yields with good to excellent diastereoselectivities and extremely excellent enantioselectivities (98->99% ee).

Efficient and practical synthesis of enantioenriched 2,3-dihydropyrroles through gold-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of chiral homopropargyl sulfonamides

A direct gold-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of chiral homopropargyl sulfonamides has been developed. A range of enantioenriched 2,3-dihydropyrroles are readily accessed by utilizing this approach.

Intramolecular Morita–Baylis–Hillman and Rauhut–Currier reactions. A catalytic and atom economic route for carbocycles and heterocycles

Intramolecular MBH and RC reactions: glorious past and future opportunities.