Cooperative Rh/Chiral Phosphoric Acid Catalysis toward the Highly Stereoselective (3 + 3)-Cycloannulation of Carbonyl Ylides and Indolyl-2-methides

Three-Component 1,3-Difunctionalization of Carbonyl Ylides with Water and Azadienes for the Synthesis of Dihydroisobenzofurans

Multicomponent reactions are an efficient and widely employed synthetic strategy, known for their capability to rapidly and effectively construct complex molecular architectures from multiple starting materials. This work presents a chemo- and diastereoselective three-component reaction for the 1,3-difunctionalization of transient carbonyl ylides with H2O and azadienes, facilitated by the synergistic catalysis of Rh2(OAc)4 and phosphoric acid. This strategy provides an efficient protocol for the synthesis of highly functionalized dihydroisobenzofurans in high yields (up to 94%) and good diastereoselectivities (up to 91:9 dr). Additionally, subsequent transformations with nucleophiles enable the synthesis of structurally diverse compounds with enhanced diastereoselectivities (dr >95:5).

Stereoselective (3 + 3)-Cycloannulation of Carbonyl Ylides and (Z)-3-Benzylidene-3H-indoles Enabled by Cooperative Rh/Chiral Phosphoric Acid Catalysis

A diastereo- and enantioselective (3 + 3)-cycloannulation of in situ generated carbonyl ylides and (Z)-3-benzylidene-3H-indoles enabled by cooperative Rh/chiral phosphoric acid catalysis is reported. This study is the first to describe an enantioselective synthesis of cyclohepta[b]indole with an oxa-bridged motif. The scope of the reaction is broad, and the oxa-bridged cyclohepta[b]indole products were obtained in moderate to good yields and with excellent diastereoselectivities and good to high enantioselectivities.

Gold(I)-Catalyzed 6-exo-dig Hydroamination/7-endo-dig Cycloisomerization Domino Approach to 3,7a-Diazacyclohepta[jk]fluorene Derivatives

A series of 3,7a-diazacyclohepta[jk]fluorene derivatives were synthesized via a gold(I)-catalyzed 6-exo-dig hydroamination/7-endo-dig cycloisomerization domino method. The method exhibits a broad substrate scope, and a plausible mechanism has been proposed. The efficacy of this strategy is further validated by the successful derivatization of 3,7a-diazacyclohepta[jk]fluorene.

Expedient (3+3)-annulation of carbonyl ylides with azaoxyallyl cations: formal access to oxa-benzo[c]azepin-3-ones

The cascade carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen bond formation between in situ generated carbonyl ylides and azaoxyallyl cations, facilitated by Rh-catalysis and a base, has been achieved to furnish oxa-benzo[c]azepin-3-ones. Substrate scope, functional group diversity, scale-up and post-synthetic utilities are the important practical features.

Synthesis of Alkene Atropisomers with Multiple Stereogenic Elements via Catalytic Asymmetric Rearrangement of 3-Indolylmethanols

Catalytic enantioselective preparation of alkene atropisomers with multiple stereogenic elements and discovery of their applications have become significant but challenging issues in the scientific community due to the unique structures of this class of atropisomers. We herein report the first catalytic atroposelective preparation of cyclopentenyl[b]indoles, a new kind of alkene atropisomers, with stereogenic point and axial chirality via an unusual rearrangement reaction of 3-indolylmethanols under asymmetric organocatalysis. Notably, this novel type of alkene atropisomers have promising applications in developing chiral ligands or organocatalysts, discovering antitumor drug candidates and fluorescence imaging materials. Moreover, the theoretical calculations have elucidated the possible reaction mechanism and the non-covalent interactions to control the enantioselectivity. This approach offers a new synthetic strategy for alkene atropisomers with multiple stereogenic elements, and represents the first catalytic enantioselective rearrangement reaction of 3-indolylmethanols, which will advance the chemistry of atropisomers and chiral indole chemistry.

Synthesis of chiral systems featuring the pyrrole unit: a review

Synthetic strategies towards pyrroles within chiral frameworks are summarised, focussing on reports published 2010-2023. The synthesis of pyrroles featuring substituents bearing chiral centres are summarised, as are those whereby pyrroles are located within axially chiral systems courtesy of restricted bond rotation.

Organocatalytic Asymmetric (4 + 3) Cycloaddition toward Optically Active Cyclohepta Fused Diindoles

A novel asymmetric (4 + 3) cycloaddition of indole-2,3-quinodimethanes in situ generated from 3-methyl-2-indolylmethanols with 3-indolylmethanols via chiral phosphoric acid catalysis has been established. The cycloaddition reaction exhibits a broad substrate scope affording the diverse enantioenriched cyclohepta fused diindoles in high yields with good enantioselectivities. Significantly, this work represents the first application of 3-methyl-2-indolylmethanols as 4C synthons instead of the commonly reported three-atom synthons in cycloaddition reactions.

Catalytic, Enantioselective Cycloaddition of Pyrrole-2-methides with Aldehydes toward a Synthesis of 2,3-Dihydro-1H-pyrrolizin-3-ols

An organocatalytic, highly enantioselective [6 + 2]-cycloaddition of 2-methide-2H-pyrroles with aryl acetaldehydes represents a novel and straightforward route toward densely substituted 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolizin-3-ols, which were generated with good yields and high enantio- and diastereoselectivity. This one-step process involves a BINOL-phosphoric acid catalyzed reaction of 1H-pyrrole-2-carbinols with aryl acetaldehydes via the corresponding hydrogen-bonded, chiral 2-methide-2H-pyrroles.

Cooperative Catalysis-Enabled (4 + 3) Cycloaddition of 2-Indolylmethanols with In Situ-Generated ortho-Naphthoquinone Methides

A cooperative catalysis-enabled (4 + 3) cycloaddition of 2-indolylmethanols with ortho-naphthoquinone methides (o-NQMs), which were in situ-generated from enynones, has been established in the presence of silver/Brønsted acid cocatalysts. In the reaction pathway, the key o-NQM intermediates were formed through Ag(I)-catalyzed cyclization of enynones, while the indole-based carbocation intermediates were generated via Brønsted acid-catalyzed dehydration of 2-indolylmethanols. By this approach, a wide range of seven-membered cyclohepta[b]indoles were synthesized in good yields with high efficiency under mild reaction conditions, which serves as a useful strategy toward constructing indole-fused seven-membered rings. Moreover, the catalytic asymmetric version of this (4 + 3) cycloaddition has been realized under the cooperative catalysis of Ag(I) with chiral phosphoric acid, which offered chiral cyclohepta[b]indole with a good enantioselectivity (75% ee). This work not only represents the first cooperative catalysis-enabled (4 + 3) cycloaddition of 2-indolylmethanols but also provides a good example for o-NQM-involved cycloadditions, which will contribute to the chemistry of 2-indolylmethanols and enrich the research contents of cooperative catalysis.

Cooperative Rh/Achiral Phosphoric Acid-Enabled [3+3] Cycloannulation of Carbonyl Ylides with Quinone Monoimines: Synthesis of Benzofused Dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane Scaffolds

A cooperative Rh/achiral phosphoric acid-enabled [3+3] cycloaddition of in situ-generated carbonyl ylides with quinone monoimines has been developed. With the ability to build up the molecular complexity rapidly and efficiently, this method furnishes highly functionalized oxa-bridged benzofused dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane scaffolds bearing two quaternary centers in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. Moreover, the utility of the current method was demonstrated by gram-scale synthesis and elaboration of the products into various functionalized oxa-bridged heterocycles.

Organocatalytic Diastereoselective (4 + 1) Cycloaddition of o-Hydroxyphenyl-Substituted Secondary Phosphine Oxides

The first organocatalytic diastereoselective (4 + 1) cycloaddition of o-hydroxyphenyl-substituted secondary phosphine oxides (SPOs) has been established, which makes use of o-hydroxyphenyl substituted SPOs as suitable four-atom phosphorus-containing 1,4-dinucleophiles and 3-indolylformaldehydes as competent 1,1-dielectrophiles under Bro̷nsted acid catalysis. The reaction mechanism was suggested to involve the formation of 3-indolylmethanol intermediates and vinyliminium intermediates, which played an important role in controlling the reactivity and diastereoselectivity of the (4 + 1) cycloaddition under Bro̷nsted acid catalysis. By this approach, a series of benzo oxaphospholes bearing P- and C-stereocenters were synthesized in moderate to good yields (50%-95% yields) with excellent diastereoselectivities (all >95:5 dr). This reaction not only represents the first organocatalytic diastereoselective (4 + 1) cycloaddition of o-hydroxyphenyl-substituted SPOs but also provides an efficient and diastereoselective method for the construction of phosphorus-containing benzo five-membered heterocyclic skeletons bearing both P-stereocenter and C-stereocenter.

Insights into the multifaceted applications of vinyl sulfoxonium ylides

Sulfoxonium ylides are important synthetic precursors in various organic transformations. Their synthetic potential was well explored in the synthesis of various bioactive natural products and pharmaceuticals. Vinyl sulfoxonium ylide is a stabilized sulfoxonium ylide containing an electron-deficient alkene at the ylidic carbon. Similar to α-keto sulfoxonium ylides, these reagents can generate vinyl carbenes in the presence of metals under suitable conditions. These vinyl carbenes can be used for various organic transformations such as X-H (X = C, N, O, S) insertions, annulations, and rearrangement reactions. Due to the dipole structure of the vinyl sulfoxonium ylide, it can undergo electrophilic addition with electrophiles at the α-position. These reagents are used as synthons for various aromatic and heteroaromatic compound syntheses. Moreover, their stability and convenient handling make them potential replacements for thermally less stable vinyl diazo compounds. Herein, we provide an overview of early efforts in this area, with particular emphasis on our own recent development of vinyl sulfoxonium ylide-mediated transformations in the presence and absence of metal catalysis, and also give personal perspectives on the challenges and future scope for improving the application of vinyl sulfoxonium ylides.

Asymmetric (4+n) Cycloadditions of Indolyldimethanols for the Synthesis of Enantioenriched Indole-Fused Rings

Catalytic asymmetric construction of chiral indole-fused rings has become an important issue in the chemical community because of the significance of such scaffolds. In this work, we have accomplished the first catalytic asymmetric (4+2) and (4+3) cycloadditions of 2,3-indolyldimethanols by using indoles and 2-naphthols as suitable reaction partners under the catalysis of chiral phosphoric acids, constructing enantioenriched indole-fused six-membered and seven-membered rings in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. In addition, this approach is used to realize the first enantioselective construction of challenging tetrahydroindolocarbazole scaffolds, which are found to show promising anticancer activity. More importantly, theoretical calculations of the reaction pathways and activation mode offer an in-depth understanding of this class of indolylmethanols. This work not only settles the challenges in realizing catalytic asymmetric cycloadditions of indolyldimethanols but also provides a powerful strategy for the construction of enantioenriched indole-fused rings.

Bronsted Acid-Catalyzed Regioselective Carboxamidation of 2-Indolylmethanols with Isonitriles

A regioselective direct carboxamidation reaction of 2-indolylmethanols with readily available isocyanoesters/isocyanides has been reported in this work. The reaction was catalyzed by Bronsted acid such as p-TsOH to deliver the benzylic regioselective amides in 67-86% yield under mild conditions. The developed methodology provides alternative access to traditional metal-free carboxamidation via C-C and C-O bond formation with high atom economy. Furthermore, the developed approach was diversified to synthesize chiral indole-2-carboxamide derivatives with a moderate enantiomeric excess (61-73% ee) using an (R)-chiral phosphoric acid.

Ir(I)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Furanones from Vinyl Sulfoxonium Ylides

A method for the synthesis of allyl substituted γ-butenolides via carbonyl ylide rearrangement of vinyl sulfoxonium ylide-derived carbenes has been developed. At rt, the mechanism involves a carbonyl ylide generation/allyloxy furan formation/[3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement/isomerization sequence for the generation of 3-allyl butenolides. At 70 °C, instead of the final isomerization step, the resulting [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement product undergoes further [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement to produce 5-allyl butenolide. In the absence of the catalyst, the reaction affords a diene via [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement.

Reactivity of quinone methides with carbenes generated from α-diazocarbonyl compounds and related compounds

Over the years, quinone methides have broadly been applied in synthesis and biological systems for synthesizing heterocyclic compounds and biologically active molecules. In this feature article, we have discussed the novel and uncovered reactivity of o-quinone methides, p-quinone methides, aza-o-quinone methides, and indolyl-2-methides with carbenes generated from α-diazocarbonyl compounds and related compounds. Two in situ-generated transient intermediates undergo cycloannulation reactions, metathesis-type reactions, 1,6-conjugate addition reactions, cyclopropanation reactions, and many other transformations to access nitrogen- and oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds and beyond. The reactivity of quinone methides and carbenes is observed in various metal catalysts, Brønsted-acids, Lewis acids, phase transfer catalysts, additives, and visible-light-induced transformations.

Enantioselective [6 + 2]-Cycloaddition of Transient 3-Methide-3H-pyrroles with 2-Vinylindoles under Chiral Brønsted Acid Catalysis

An organocatalytic, highly diastereo- and enantioselective [6 + 2]-cycloaddition of 3-methide-3H-pyrroles with 2-vinylindoles has been developed. This BINOL phosphoric acid-catalyzed reaction utilizes pyrrole-3-carbinols as precursors for the in situ generation of 3-methide-3H-pyrroles to access densely substituted cyclopenta[b]pyrroles bearing three contiguous stereogenic centers as single diastereomers in good yields with excellent enantioselectivity.

Asymmetric Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Cycloadditions of ortho-Quinone Methides and Related Compounds

This review summarizes recent developments in the area of Brønsted acid catalyzed, enantioselective cycloadditions of ortho-quinone methides, ortho-quinone methide imines as well as heterocyclic indole- and pyrrole-based methides. In a straightforward and single-step transformation complex polycyclic N- and O-heterocyclic scaffolds are accessible, with typically good yields and excellent stereocontrol, from simple benzyl and heterobenzyl alcohols upon acid-catalyzed dehydration. The transient precursors are hydrogen-bonded to a chiral Brønsted acid which controls the enantioselectivity of the process.

1 Introduction

2 Cycloadditions of ortho-Quinone Methides

2.1 Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Processes

2.2 Cooperative Brønsted Acid/Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Processes

3 Cycloadditions of ortho-Quinone Methide Imines

4 Cycloadditions of Indolyl-3-methides

5 Cycloadditions of Indolyl-2-methides

5.1 Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Processes

5.2 Cooperative Brønsted Acid/Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Processes

6 Cycloadditions of Pyrrolyl-2-methides

7 Cycloadditions of Pyrrolyl-3-methides

8 Conclusions

Construction of Oxo-Bridged Diazocines via Rhodium-Catalyzed (4+3) Cycloaddition of Carbonyl Ylides with Azoalkenes

Developing efficient strategies for synthesizing novel diazocine compounds is valuable because their use has been limited by their synthetic accessibility. This work describes the catalytic (4+3) cycloaddition reaction of carbonyl ylides with azoalkenes generated in situ. The rhodium-catalyzed cascade reaction features good atom and step economy, providing the first access to oxo-bridged diazocines. The product could be synthesized on a gram scale and converted into diversely substituted dihydroisobenzofurans.

Cooperative Rh(II)/Pd(0) Dual Catalysis: Synthesis of Highly Substituted 3(2H)-Furanones with a C2-Quaternary Center via a Cyclization/Allylic Alkylation Cascade of α-Diazo-δ-keto-esters

A cooperative Rh(II)/Pd(0) dual-catalysis strategy that promotes a cyclization/allylic alkylation cascade of stable α-diazo-δ-keto-esters has been developed. Highly substituted 3(2H)-furanones with a C2-quaternary center can be obtained efficiently under mild conditions via one-pot synthesis. Remarkably, this binary catalytic system shows high chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity and excellent tolerance to various functionalities.

Enabling Cyclization Strategies through Carbonyl-Ylide-Mediated Synthesis of Malonate Enol Ethers

Malonate enol ethers are afforded in one step by condensation of cyclic ketones with α-diazomalonates under [CpRu(CH3CN)3][BArF] catalysis. The dual reactivity of these 2-vinyloxymalonates can be used to expand the classical range of cyclizations derived from carbonyl ylide intermediates.

Straightforward Stereoselective Synthesis of Seven-Membered Oxa-Bridged Rings through In Situ Generated Cycloheptenol Derivatives

An iodine-mediated stereoselective synthesis of seven-membered oxa-bridged rings via in situ generated cycloheptenols was reported. This process was realized through the combination of C-C σ-bond cleavage and C-O bond-forming reactions in a one-pot fashion from simple and easily accessible raw materials. The formation of carbon radicals initiated by I₂ was the key to the reaction.

2-Indolymethanols as 4-atom-synthons in oxa-Michael reaction cascade: access to tetracyclic indoles

The first Brønsted acid-catalyzed oxa-Michael reaction cascade of 2-indolylmethanols with trione alkenes was accomplished. By using this practical approach, a variety of tetracyclic indoles were readily created in an ordered sequence with excellent regio- and diastereoselectivity. 2-Indolylmethanols commendably served as four-atom synthons, as opposed to the common three-atom synthons in the previous literature reports. The regioselectivity issue was well handled by the employment of a strong Brønsted acid catalyst. In addition, its dual role in activation of substrates via hydrogen-bonding interaction and acceleration of subsequent intramolecular cyclization and dehydration was proposed to account for the high reaction efficiency.