Synthesis of 1-indanones with a broad range of biological activity

This comprehensive review describes methods for the preparation of 1-indanones published in original and patent literature from 1926 to 2017. More than 100 synthetic methods utilizing carboxylic acids, esters, diesters, acid chlorides, ketones, alkynes, alcohols etc. as starting materials, have been performed. This review also covers the most important studies on the biological activity of 1-indanones and their derivatives which are potent antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimalarial, antibacterial and anticancer compounds. Moreover, they can be used in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and as effective insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.

Enantioselective syntheses of indanes: from organocatalysis to C–H functionalization

The indanyl core is ubiquitous in a large variety of drugs and natural products. Remarkable recent progress has been accomplished in the step-economical assembly of functionalization of chiral indanes by means of enantioselective catalysis, with major progress being achieved in organocatalysis and C–H activation chemistry.

An efficient route to highly enantioenriched tetrahydroazulenes and β-tetralones by desymmetrization reactions of δ,δ-diaryldiazoaceto-acetates

A highly stereoselective desymmetrization reaction of δ,δ-diaryl-α-diazo-β-ketoesters catalyzed by chiral dirhodium carboxylates forms aromatic cycloaddition products in up to 97% ee.

Stereoselective Radical C-H Alkylation with Acceptor/Acceptor-Substituted Diazo Reagents via Co(II)-Based Metalloradical Catalysis

Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis has been, for the first time, successfully applied for asymmetric intramolecular C-H alkylation of acceptor/acceptor-substituted diazo reagents. Through the design and synthesis of a new D2-symmetric chiral amidoporphyrin as the supporting ligand, the Co(II)-based metalloradical system, which operates at room temperature, is capable of 1,5-C-H alkylation of α-methoxycarbonyl-α-diazosulfones with a broad range of electronic properties, providing the 5-membered sulfolane derivatives in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. In addition to complete chemoselectivity toward allylic and allenic C-H bonds, the Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis for asymmetric C-H alkylation features a remarkable degree of functional group tolerance.

Asymmetric synthesis of neolignans (-)-epi-conocarpan and (+)-conocarpan via Rh(II)-catalyzed C-H insertion process and revision of the absolute configuration of (-)-epi-conocarpan

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of neolignan natural products (-)-epi-conocarpan and (+)-conocarpan has been achieved by exploiting an enantio- and diastereoselective intramolecular C-H insertion reaction to construct a cis-2-aryl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran ring system as a key step. The C-H insertion reaction of 5-bromoaryldiazoacetate catalyzed by Rh(2)(S-PTTEA)(4), a new dirhodium(II) carboxylate complex that incorporates N-phthaloyl-(S)-triethylalaninate as chiral bridging ligands, provided 2-aryl-5-bromo-3-methoxycarbonyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran with exceptionally high diastereoselectivity (cis/trans = 97:3) and high enantioselectivity for the cis isomer (84% ee).

Synthesis of chiral 3-substituted indanones via an enantioselective reductive-Heck reaction

An efficient intramolecular palladium-catalyzed, asymmetric reductive-Heck reaction has been developed, which allowed for the synthesis of either enantiomerically enriched 3-substituted indanones or alpha-exo-methylene indanones depending on the base used.