An efficient and practical entry to 2-amido-dienes and 3-amido-trienes from allenamides through stereoselective 1,3-hydrogen shifts

Nucleophilic Addition of Amides to Haloalkynes: Synthesis of (Z)-β-Halovinyl Amides as Dual Precursors of Alkylidene Carbenes and Allyl Halides

Toward a regioselective method for the synthesis of β-halovinyl amides, we developed a transition-metal-free nucleophilic addition reaction of amides to haloalkynes. The regioselective nucleophilic addition was achieved under solvent-free conditions using phosphonates to protonate the intermediate alkylidene carbenoids, thus suppressing their decomposition. Furthermore, we demonstrate that β-halovinyl amides can serve as dual precursors of allyl halides and alkylidene carbenes to obtain functionalized indoles and pyrrolidones.

The Rearrangement of Alkylallenes to 1,3-Dienes

1,3-Dienes are vital building blocks in organic synthesis. They underpin many fundamental synthetic transformations and are present in numerous natural products and drug candidate molecules. The rearrangement of an alkylallene to a 1,3-diene is an atom efficient, redox neutral, transformation that provides a straightforward synthetic route to functionalized 1,3-dienes. Herein, we provide an account of this transformation using allenes that are not predisposed by the presence of heteroatoms or electron-withdrawing groups directly attached to the allene. Early reports of this skeletal rearrangement are acid-mediated approaches, with limited substrate scope, but they provide valuable mechanistic insights. More recent transition metal-mediated approaches that exhibit improved substrate scope are described, together with isolated examples that have utilized this rearrangement.

Recent progress in transition-metal-free functionalization of allenamides

With their unique reactivity, selectivity, availability and stability, allenamides are receiving increasing attention, and reports on the functionalization of allenamides are rapidly growing in number. In this review, recent developments in transition-metal-free functionalization of allenamides are highlighted. First, developments based on allenamide reactivity are simply introduced. After presenting the advantages of allenamides, recent progress in transition-metal-free functionalization of allenamides is classified and discussed in detail in four parts: chiral phosphoric-acid-catalyzed asymmetric functionalization, iodine-reagent-mediated functionalization, 1,3-H-shift reaction of allenamides, and other metal-free allenamide functionalizations. For the majority of these transformations, plausible mechanisms are presented in detail. The purpose of this review is to provide illustrations of elegant allenamide chemistry, and thereby elicit further interest from the synthetic community to develop novel allenamide methodology.

Stereoselective synthesis of isoquinuclidines through an aza-[4 + 2] cycloaddition of chiral cyclic 2-amidodienes

A highly stereoselective aza-[4 + 2] cycloaddition of chiral cyclic 2-amidodienes with N-sulfonyl aldimines is described. While this Lewis acid promoted heterocycloaddition provides an efficient strategy for constructing optically enriched isoquinuclidines, it is mechanistically intriguing. The cycloaddition favored the endo-II pathway in the absence of a viable bidentate coordination. This represents an unexpected switch from the anticipated endo-I selectivity obtained in the all-carbon cycloaddition.

A highly stereoselective Diels-Alder cycloaddition of enones with chiral cyclic 2-amidodienes derived from allenamides

Lewis acid promoted Diels-Alder cycloadditions of a series of de novo chiral cyclic 2-amidodienes are described. These cyclic 2-amidodienes are derived from chiral α-allyl allenamides via a sequence of E-selective 1,3-H shift and 6π-electron pericyclic ring closure. With enones serving as effective dienophiles, these cycloadditions can be highly diastereoselective depending upon the chiral amide substituent, thereby representing a facile entry to optically enriched [2.2.2]bicyclic manifolds.

A tandem 1,3-H-shift-6π-electrocyclization-cyclic 2-amido-diene intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition approach to BCD-Ring of atropurpuran

An approach toward the BCD-ring of atropurpuran via a sequence of allenic 1,3-H shift, 6π-electron pericyclic ring closure, and intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition of cyclic 2-amidodiene is described.