Palladium-Catalyzed Ring Expansion Reaction of (Z)-1-(1,3-Butadienyl)cyclobutanols with Aryl Iodides. Stereospecific Synthesis of (Z)-2-(3-Aryl-1-propenyl)cyclopentanones

[reaction: see text] A novel type of cascade ring expansion process has been developed by the palladium-catalyzed reaction of (Z)-1-(1,3-butadienyl)cyclobutanols with aryl iodides. The reaction proceeds in a stereospecific manner to produce (Z)-2-(3-aryl-1-propenyl)cyclopentanones. It has also been found that regioselective alpha-arylation of alkenyl cyclopentanones proceeds to afford the alpha-arylated cyclopentanones.

[2 + 2]-Photocycloaddition of 1,1-Diethoxyethylene to Chiral Polyfunctional 2-Cyclohexenones. Regioselectivity and π-Facial Discrimination

The photochemical [2 + 2]-cycloadditions of 1,1-diethoxyethylene to chiral polyfunctional 2-cyclohexenones have been carried out leading to the production of highly constrained unusual alpha-amino acids with excellent regioselectivity and satisfactory yields. Theoretical calculations have been done to rationalize the observed regio- and diastereoselectivity and show that regiochemistry is determined by the relative rate of formation of the 1,4-biradical intermediates and not by the stability of these species.

Theoretical study of the photochemical [2 + 2]-cycloadditions of cyclic and acyclic alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds to ethylene

The ground and first triplet excited-state potential energy surfaces of the [2 + 2]-cycloadditions of 2-cyclohexenone, methyl acrylate, and methyl crotonate to ethylene have been studied by means of CASSCF and DFT-B3LYP calculations. The attack of ethylene to the (3)(pi-pi) alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compound leads to the formation of a triplet 1,4-biradical intermediate that evolves to the ground-state potential energy surface. The outcome of the reaction is governed by the competition between the deactivation of the (3)(pi-pi) alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compound itself and its reaction with ethylene to form the triplet 1,4-biradical. For 2-cyclohexenone, the potential energy barrier corresponding to the formation of the biradical intermediate is lower than for the acyclic systems. On the other hand, the energy necessary to reach the crossing point between the (3)(pi-pi) and the ground-state potential energy surfaces is lower for the acyclic systems than for 2-cyclohexenone. For methyl acrylate and methyl crotonate, the decay of the (3)(pi-pi) state of the isolated molecule is therefore expected to be faster than the formation of the 1,4-biradical, so that the [2 + 2]-cycloaddition will not take place. However, for 2-cyclohexenone the formation of the triplet 1,4-biradical is favorable, and the process will lead to the formation of the corresponding cyclobutane derivative.

Synthesis of 2-alkylidenecyclopentanones via palladium-catalyzed carbopalladation/ring expansion of 1-(1-alkynyl)cyclobutanols

The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl halides or vinylic halides or triflates and 1-(1-alkynyl)cyclobutanols affords good yields of stereoisomerically pure 2-arylidene- or 2-(2-alkenylidene)cyclopentanones, respectively. The process involves (1) oxidative addition of the organic halide or triflate to Pd(0), (2) regioselective, intermolecular carbopalladation of the carbon-carbon triple bond of the 1-(1-alkynyl)cyclobutanol to produce a vinylic palladium intermediate, (3) regioselective ring expansion to a palladacycle, and (4) reductive elimination of the 2-alkylidenecyclopentanone with simultaneous regeneration of the Pd(0) catalyst. Generally, the best results are obtained by employing 10 mol % of Pd(OAc)(2), 20 mol % of PPh(3), 2 equiv of the aryl or vinylic iodide or vinylic triflate, 2 equiv of diisopropylethylamine, and n-Bu(4)NCl in DMF as the solvent.

Facile palladium(0)-catalyzed ring expansion reactions of hydroxy methoxyallenyl cyclic compounds via hydropalladation

Palladium(0)-catalyzed one-atom ring expansion of various hydroxy methoxyallenyl compounds has been achieved in excellent yields without the use of aryl halides. Hydroxy methoxyallenylisoindolinones, -indanones, and -phthalans have been readily converted to the corresponding isoquinolones, naphthoquinones, and isochromanones in the presence of P(o-tolyl)(3).

Synthesis of 2-alkylidenecyclopentanones via palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of 1-(1-Alkynyl)cyclobutanols and aryl or vinylic halides

The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl or vinylic halides and 1-(1-alkynyl)cyclobutanols affords good yields of stereoisomerically pure 2-arylidene- or 2-(2-alkenylidene)cyclopentanones, respectively, by a process involving (1) oxidative addition of the organic iodide to Pd(0), (2) carbopalladation of the triple bond of the 1-(1-alkynyl)cyclobutanol, (3) regio- and stereoselective ring expansion to form a novel palladiacycle, and (4) reductive elimination to the 2-alkylidenecyclopentanone with simultaneous regeneration of the Pd(0) catalyst.

An Approach toward the Triquinane-Type Skeleton via Reagent-Controlled Skeletal Rearrangements. A Facile Method for Protection-Deprotection of Organomercurials, Tuning the Selectivity of Wagner-Meerwein Migrations, and a New Route to Annulated Lactones

Nonlinear triquinane-type building blocks have been synthesized using three strategic steps, namely, (1) Hg(2+)-mediated opening of a cyclopropane ring involving a skeletal rearrangement (3 --> 8), (2) an intramolecular organometallic addition across a C=O bond triggered by activation of the C-HgX group by means of Me(3)CuLi(2) (14 --> 26), and (3) selective, reagent-controlled skeletal rearrangements (43 --> 47 with Tl(3+) or Hg(2+); 43 --> 51 + 52 with Pd(2+); 44 --> 47 with Pd(2+)). A new method for protection/deprotection of organomercurials has been developed, which allows selective reduction of a carbonyl group with NaBH(4) and other hydrides (8 --> 14 --> 16 --> 20) and Tebbe methylenation (14 --> 31 --> 32). Oxidative demercuration (8 --> 11 + 28) and Pd(2+)-catalyzed carbonylation of organomercurials (20 --> 53) allowed syntheses of gamma- and delta-lactones.