Successive Promotion of Formal [3+2] Cycloaddition of Aryl Methyl Ketones by I2 and Zn: Access to 2-Hydroxy-4-morpholin-2,5-diarylfuran-3(2H)-ones with a Quaternary Carbon Center

2-Hydroxy-4-morpholin-2,5-diarylfuran-3(2H)-one derivatives were constructed sequentially using iodine and zinc dust from simple and readily available methyl ketone and morpholine as the starting materials. Under mild conditions, C-C, C-N, and C-O bonds formed in a one-pot synthesis. A quaternary carbon center was successfully constructed, and the active drug fragment morpholine was introduced into the molecule.

En Route to CO2-Based (a)Cyclic Carbonates and Polycarbonates from Alcohols Substrates by Direct and Indirect Approaches

This review is dedicated to the state-of-the art routes used for the synthesis of CO2-based (a)cyclic carbonates and polycarbonates from alcohol substrates, with an emphasis on their respective main advantages and limitations. The first section reviews the synthesis of organic carbonates such as dialkyl carbonates or cyclic carbonates from the carbonation of alcohols. Many different synthetic strategies have been reported (dehydrative condensation, the alkylation route, the “leaving group” strategy, the carbodiimide route, the protected alcohols route, etc.) with various substrates (mono-alcohols, diols, allyl alcohols, halohydrins, propargylic alcohols, etc.). The second section reviews the formation of polycarbonates via the direct copolymerization of CO2 with diols, as well as the ring-opening polymerization route. Finally, polycondensation processes involving CO2-based dimethyl and diphenyl carbonates with aliphatic and aromatic diols are described.

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.

Catalytic enantioselective synthesis using carbon dioxide as a C1 synthon

This review summarizes the advances in catalytic enantioselective reactions using CO₂ as a C1 synthon, introduces strategies and discusses advantages and limitations, highlights the application, and outlines the synthetic opportunities.