Piacentini P, Bingham TW, Sarlah D. Dearomative Ring Expansion of Polycyclic Arenes.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022;
61:e202208014. [PMID:
35802860 PMCID:
PMC9543877 DOI:
10.1002/anie.202208014]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Benzocycloheptenes constitute a common structural motif embedded in many natural products and biologically active compounds. Herein, we report their concise preparation from non‐activated polycyclic arenes using a two‐step sequence involving dearomative [4+2]‐cycloaddition with arenophile in combination with palladium‐catalyzed cyclopropanation, followed by cycloreversion‐initiated ring expansion. The described strategy provides a working alternative to the Buchner reaction, which is limited to monocyclic arenes. Overall, this methylene‐insertion molecular editing approach enables rapid and direct conversion of simple (hetero)arenes into a range of substituted (aza)benzocycloheptatrienes, which can undergo a myriad of downstream functionalizations.
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