Hg/Pt-catalyzed conversion of bromo alkynamines/alkynols to saturated and unsaturated γ-butyrolactams/lactones via intramolecular electrophilic cyclization

Unusual Regio- and Chemoselectivity in Oxidation of Pyrroles and Indoles Enabled by a Thianthrenium Salt Intermediate

A dearomative oxidation of pyrroles to Δ3-pyrrol-2-ones is described, which employs a sulfoxide as oxidant, in conjunction with a carboxylic acid anhydride and a Brønsted acid additive. 3-substituted pyrroles undergo regioselective oxidation to give the product isomer in which oxygen has been introduced at the more hindered position. Regioselectivity is rationalized by a proposed mechanism that proceeds by initial thianthrenium introduction at the less-hindered pyrrole α-position, followed by distal attack of an oxygen nucleophile and subsequent elimination of thianthrene. The same reaction conditions are also able to effect a chemoselective oxidation of indoles to indolin-3-ones and additionally of indolin-3-ones to 2-hydroxyindolin-3-ones. Here again, the regio- and chemoselectivities are rationalized through the intermediacy of a thianthrenium salt.

Mannich-type addition of cyclic 1,3-diketones to N-acyliminium ions: Access to aza-sugars

A novel three-component strategy has been developed for the synthesis of iminosugars in good to excellent yields. This is the first report on the Mannich type addition of cyclic 1,3-diketones to aza-acetal derived from hydroxy-γ-lactone and arylamine to produce a novel series of aza-sugars with high selectivity.

BF3·OEt2-mediated syn-selective Meyer-Schuster rearrangement of phenoxy propargyl alcohols for Z-β-aryl-α,β-unsaturated esters

Synthesis of Z-β-aryl-α,β-unsaturated esters from readily available 1-aryl-3-phenoxy propargyl alcohols is achieved via a BF3-mediated syn-selective Meyer-Schuster rearrangement under ambient conditions. The reaction mechanism is postulated to involve an electrophilic borylation of an allene intermediate as the key step to kinetically control the stereoselectivity.

Synthesis of benzofuranyl and indolyl methyl azides by tandem silver-catalyzed cyclization and azidation

A tandem Ag-catalyzed 5-exo-dig cyclization and catalyst free γ-azidation for benzofuranyl/indolyl methyl azides is presented. The adducts are further transformed to useful triazole-, tetrazole-, amide-, amine-, and pyrido-derivatives.