Highly efficient mesoporous polymer supported phosphine-gold(i) complex catalysts for amination of allylic alcohols and intramolecular cyclization reactions

Silica-Supported Phosphine-Gold Complexes as an Efficient Catalytic System for a Dearomative Spirocyclization

The combination of metal catalyst and inorganic silica frameworks provides a greener approach to recyclable catalysis. In this study, three phosphine-gold chloride complexes have been successfully covalently grafted onto chiral silica nanohelices. The resulting 3D ensembles showed chiroptical properties that allowed the monitoring of the supported ligands. The heterogeneous gold chloride catalysts in cooperation with silver triflate exhibited high reactivity in various reactions, especially in the spirocyclization of aryl alkynoate esters, for which a catalytic loading of 0.05 mol % could be employed. The heterogeneous catalysts could be easily recovered and recycled seven or eight times without any loss of efficiency. By adding more silver triflate, 25 cycles with full conversion were achieved owing to a complex catalytic system based on silica and metallic species.

Metal-Free Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Rearrangement of δ-Hydroxyalkynones to 2,3-Dihydro-4 H-pyran-4-ones: Total Synthesis of Obolactone and a Catechol Pyran Isolated from Plectranthus sylvestris

A metal-free, Brønsted acid, pTsOH-catalyzed intramolecular rearrangement of δ-hydroxyalkynones to substituted 2,3-dihydro-4 H-pyran-4-ones was developed. The rearrangement occurs with high regioselectivity under mild and open-air conditions. The scope of work was illustrated by synthesizing an array of aliphatic and aromatic substituted 2,3-dihydro-4 H-pyran-4-ones in up to 96% yield, 100% atom economy, and complete regioselectivity. Some of the dihydropyranones are utilized for vinylic halogenations and to complete the total synthesis of bioactive natural products, obolactone and a catechol pyran isolated from Plectranthus sylvestris ( Labiatae) .

Synthetic Studies toward (±)-Furanocembranoid 1: Construction of the Acyclic Carbon Framework

Herein, we report the synthesis of the entire acyclic carbon framework toward (±)-furanocembranoid 1 via the longest linear sequence of 12 steps from commercially available linalool and diethyl 2-isopropylmalonate. Key to the success of this synthetic approach is a silver-catalyzed enyne-annulation reaction for the formation of 2,4-disubstituted furan motif of unique furanocembranoid 1, isolated from Croton oblongifolius. Construction of macrocycle has also been explored using the ring-closing metathesis reaction.