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Palladium-catalyzed decarboxylation of 5-methylene-1,3-oxazinan-2-ones and 5-methylene-1,3-dioxan-2-ones to generate aza-π-allylpalladium and oxa-π-allylpalladium 1,4-dipoles for [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction with 1,3,5-triazinanes was developed, affording a wide range of hexahydropyrimidine and 1,3-oxazinane derivatives in good to excellent yields (up to 99%). The acyclic sulfonamido-substituted allylic carbonates as aza-π-allylpalladium 1,4-dipole precursors also apply to the developed synthesized strategy, achieving the synthesis of hexahydropyrimidines. Moreover, the in situ-generated aza-π-allylpalladium 1,4-dipoles undergoing dimeric [4 + 4] cycloaddition were also demonstrated by the construction of 1,5-diazocane derivatives.

An efficient Cu-catalyzed annulation reaction of ketone oxime acetates with ortho -trifluoroacetyl anilines has been disclosed. With the developed protocol, a series of 4-trifluoromethyl quinolines were obtained in good to excellent yields (58-99%) under redox-neutral conditions. The protocol also could be extended to ferrocene-based ketone oxime acetates for the construction of ferrocene-substituted fluorine-containing quinolines.

A dearomatization process of 3-nitroindoles enabled using palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative [4 + 2] cycloaddition of either 2-alkylidenetrimethylene carbonates or 2-(hydroxymethyl)-3-arylallyl carbonates has been developed, affording a wide range of indoline-fused tetrahydropyrans in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities. This reaction features a wide substrate scope and mild conditions and represents the first example of the application of π-allyl palladium 1,4-[ O , C ]-dipole species for the dearomative cycloaddition of electron-deficient heteroarenes.

A highly regioselective inverse electron-demand aza-Diels-Alder reaction of α,β -unsaturated thioesters with 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes generated in situ from α-halogeno hydrazones was developed. With α,β-unsaturated thioesters as C═S dienophiles, the developed protocol enables the formation of diverse 3,6-dihydro-2 H -1,3,4-thiadiazine derivatives in excellent yields. In the presence of lithium aluminum hydride, 3,6-dihydro-2 H -1,3,4-thiadiazine derivatives could be further transformed into 5,6-dihydro-4 H -1,3,4-thiadiazines in good yields.

An inexpensive copper-catalyzed sequential reaction process, proceeding via a nucleophilic attack of amine to Cu-carbene generated in situ from heterocyclic N -tosylhydrazone precursors followed by a 1,2-H shift/oxidative cyclization cascade of N -ylides, has been described, smoothly generating the corresponding structurally various spiro-dihydropyrrolo[1,2- a ]quinoxaline derivatives. Furthermore, the significance of this protocol can be also highlighted by its diverse conversions of the synthetic compounds to the potentially bioactive molecules such as the 2-substituted pyrrolo[1,2- a ]quinoxalins.

An efficient inverse electron-demand aza-Diels-Alder reaction of cyclic enamides and 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes, which could be readily formed in situ from α-halogeno hydrazones and a base, has been successfully developed. With the developed approach, a wide range of fused polycyclic tetrahydropyridazines were smoothly obtained in up to 99% yield under benign reaction conditions. This reaction concept was also extended to acyclic enamide substrates for accessing 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridazines. A gram-scale experiment and further derivatizations of the polycyclic tetrahydropyridazine products were also conducted to verify the practicability of the methodology.

The first CuI-catalyzed decarboxylative thiolation of terminal alkyne-substituted cyclic carbonates/carbamates to access allenes has been developed. A wide range of hydroxymethyl- and aminomethyl-containing allenyl thioethers were smoothly obtained in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. The copper-allenylidene intermediate among the process is crucial to the decarboxylative thiolation reaction. This method opens up a new channel to access allenyl thioether compounds.

A highly diastereo- and enantioselective cyclopropanation reaction of 3-acylcoumarins with 3-halooxindoles catalyzed by an organocatalyst through a [2 + 1] Michael/intramolecular cyclization process was developed. This scenario provides a facile strategy to access spirooxindole-cyclopropa[ c ]coumarin compounds bearing three continuous stereocenters, including two vicinal quaternary all-carbon stereocenters with high to excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The HRMS study revealed the vital importance of the ammonium ylide intermediate in the catalytic process.

An efficient decarboxylative [3 + 2] annulation reaction of ethynylethylene carbonates and azlactones has been developed with a copper salt as catalyst. This practical methodology gives access to a diverse library of γ-butyrolactones bearing α,β-two vicinal quaternary carbon centers in good to high yields with good levels of diastereoselectivities (up to 98% yield, >95:5 dr). Preliminary trials on enantioselective variant with a chiral PyBox ligand provided chiral products in up to 71% ee. This synthetic method features mild reaction conditions, broad functional group tolerance, large-scale synthesis, and versatile products transformation. A plausible catalytic cycle for the protocol is proposed based on previous related studies and our experimental observations.

An unprecedented [4 + 2] annulation reaction between in situ formed azoalkenes and azlactones has been developed. This reaction provides a facile access to an array of 4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2 H )-one derivatives, which are very promising in medicinal applications as potential biologically active candidates. Notably, these dihydropyridazinones could also be synthesized via a one-pot reaction protocol by using the in situ formed azlactones from N -acyl amino acids and in situ generated azoalkenes from α-halogeno hydrazones. The potential applications of the methodology were also demonstrated by gram-scale experiments and the versatile conversions of the products into other nitrogen-containing compounds.

A highly diastereo- and enantioselective Michael/aldol cascade reaction of 2-mercaptobenzaldehyde and α,β-unsaturated 7-azaindoline amides has been developed. Using as low as 1 mol % cinchonidine-derived bifunctional squaramide as the catalyst, a range of enantioenriched thiochromenes containing three contiguous stereogenic centers were smoothly obtained in excellent results (all cases >20:1 dr, 88-99% yield and ≥99% ee). The 7-azaindoline moiety of α,β-unsaturated 7-azaindoline amides has been demonstrated to be vital for the high reactivity and excellent stereoselectivity.

An organocatalyzed dearomative aza-Michael/Michael addition cascade of 2-nitrobenzofurans and 2-nitrobenzothiophenes with 2-aminochalcones has been developed, opening a new channel to access a series of optically active tetrahydrobenzofuro[3,2- b]quinolines and tetrahydrobenzo[4,5]thieno[3,2- b]quinolines bearing three contiguous stereocenters with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (all cases >20:1 dr, up to 99% ee). This study features the first asymmetric dearomative cascade reaction of 2-nitrobenzofurans and 2-nitrobenzothiophenes beginning with aza-Michael addition. The potential applications of the methodology were demonstrated by the preparative-scale experiment and the versatile transformations of the products.

A highly regio- and stereoselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction for constructing novel 3,3'-cyclopentenyldispirooxindoles incorporating two adjacent quaternary spirostereocenters is reported. Under the mild conditions, the asymmetric annulation of isatin-derived MBH carbonates with 3-methyleneoxindoles involving a chiral tertiary amine catalyst provides the corresponding dispirooxindole frameworks with an extraordinary level of enantioselective control. Further synthetic utility of this method was demonstrated by the gram-scale experiment and simple transformation of the obtained product. Moreover, a plausible mechanism for this annulation reaction was also proposed on the basis of the control experiments.

An efficient organocatalyzed enantioselective conjugated addition of sodium bisulfite to β-trifluoromethyl-α,β-unsaturated ketones using a cinchona alkaloid-derived squaramide catalyst is presented. A series of optically active sulfonic acids, bearing a tertiary stereocenter connecting a CF 3 group and a SO 3 H group, were obtained in excellent yields with high enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield and 97% ee) under mild conditions. This method will provide an efficient, economic, and green route to access chiral sulfonic acid compounds.

An organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition reaction of 3-pyrrolyloxindoles to β-phthalimidonitroethene has been developed with a bifunctional thiourea-tertiary amine as the catalyst. A range of 3,3'-disubstituted oxindoles bearing contiguous 3,α,β-triamino functionality could be obtained in high yields with good diastereoselectivities and high enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield, 99:1 dr, and 98% ee). The higher reactivity of β-phthalimidonitroethene compared to the reactivity of ordinary nitroalkenes in the reaction with 3-pyrrolyloxindoles was demonstrated by contrast experiments.

Enantioselective Michael/cyclization cascade reactions of 3-hydroxyoxindoles/3-aminooxindoles with α,β-unsaturated acyl phosphonates by using a cinchonine derived squaramide as the catalyst were developed. A broad range of spirocyclic oxindole-γ-lactones/lactams could be obtained in moderate to excellent yields (up to 98%) with good to excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to >99:1 dr and 97% ee) under mild conditions. This work represents the first example about the α,β-unsaturated acyl phosphonates for the asymmetric construction of spirocyclic oxindoles.

Catalytic asymmetric sulfenylation and selenenylation of 3-pyrrolyl-oxindoles for the synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles bearing two different heteroatoms at the C3 position have been achieved with commercially available cinchonidine as catalyst. A wide range of optically active 3-thio-3-pyrrolyl-oxindoles and 3-seleno-3-pyrrolyl-oxindoles could be smoothly obtained under mild conditions with satisfactory results. The promising applicability of the protocol was also demonstrated by large-scale production.

An efficient and unprecedented organocatalytic asymmetric reaction of 3-pyrrolyl-oxindoles with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to generate spirocyclic oxindole compounds was developed. The reactions were catalyzed by diphenylprolinol silyl ether and 2-fluorobenzoic acid via an asymmetric Michael/Friedel-Crafts cascade process, followed by dehydration with p-toluenesulfonic acid to afford a wide variety of structurally diverse spiro[5,6-dihydropyrido[1,2-a]pyrrole-3,3'-oxindole] derivatives in high yields (up to 93%) and with high to excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to >99:1 dr and 97% ee).

An efficient method for the preparation of 3-sulfonylated 3,3-disubstituted oxindole derivatives has been developed. The protocol involves a base-catalyzed addition of sulfinate salts to 3-halooxindoles, affording a wide range of 3-sulfonylated 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. A preliminary trial of asymmetric catalytic version was conducted and gave promising enantioselectivity. The mechanism for the reaction was tentatively explored with the help of mass spectrometric analysis.

An efficient method for the direct construction of two classes of spirocyclic oxindoles by the reactions of 3-hydroxyoxindoles/3-aminooxindoles and (Z)-olefinic azlactones through a tandem Michael addition-ring transformation process has been developed. With DBU as the catalyst, a range of spiro-butyrolactoneoxindoles and spiro-butyrolactamoxindoles, containing an oxygen or a nitrogen heteroatom, respectively, in the spiro stereocenter, were smoothly obtained with good to excellent diastereoselectivities in high yields.

α-Isothiocyanato phosphonates are first used as nucleophiles to react with aldehydes for the asymmetric synthesis of β-hydroxy-α-amino phosphonic acid derivatives. The process is catalyzed by a quinine-derived thiourea via cascade aldol/cyclization reaction, affording a wide range of protected β-hydroxy-α-amino phosphonates containing adjacent quaternary-tertiary stereocenters in up to 93% yield, up to 81% ee, and >99:1 dr. This work represents the first example of α-isothiocyanato phosphonates serving as nucleophiles that are used in the catalytic asymmetric synthesis.

An enantioselective synthesis of quaternary 3-aminooxindoles with 3-monosubstituted 3-aminooxindoles as nucleophiles is first presented. A Michael addition reaction of 3-monosubstituted 3-aminooxindoles to nitroolefins has been developed with a bifunctional thiourea-tertiary amine as a catalyst to afford a range of 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles bearing adjacent quaternary-tertiary centers in good results (up to 98% yield, >99:1 dr, and 92% ee). We also demonstrate the potential synthetic utility of this methodology by a transformation of the product into a spirocyclic oxindole compound.

An unprecedented method for the construction of optically active 3,3'-disubstituted oxindoles via an organocatalyzed decarboxylative stereoablation reaction has been developed. We describe the first asymmetric reaction between β-ketoacids and 3-halooxindoles utilizing an organocatalyst. This method allows for the formation of a variety of 3,3'-disubstituted oxindoles bearing a keto-carbonyl group, which are not easily accessible using other methodologies, in moderate to good yields with high enantioselectivities.

An enantioselective 1,6-Michael addition reaction of arylthiols to a wide range of 3-methyl-4-nitro-5-alkenyl-isoxazoles catalyzed by readily available Takemoto's thiourea catalyst has been developed. This reaction provides a useful catalytic method for the synthesis of optically active chiral sulfur compounds bearing a 4-nitroisoxazol-5-yl moiety in high to excellent yields (up to 97%) and high enantioselectivities (up to 91% ee). Significantly, the potential utilities of the protocol had been further demonstrated by gram-scale reaction and the versatile conversions of some resulting products into other functionalized and useful compounds.

An organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition reaction of 3-substituted oxindoles to protected 2-amino-1-nitroethenes has been developed. The reaction is catalyzed by a simple and readily available amino-indanol derivative and affords the desired products in very high yields (up to 99%) with excellent diastereoselectivities (up to >99:1) and very good enantioselectivities (up to 90%). Significantly, this study provides a general catalytic method for the construction of 3,3'-disubstituted oxindoles bearing α,β-diamino functionality as well as vicinal chiral quaternary/tertiary stereocenters. The potential utility of the protocol also had been demonstrated by gram-scale reaction and the versatile conversion of product. Furthermore, On the basis of the comprehensive experimental results and the absolute configuration of one of the Michael adducts, a work model was also proposed to explain the origin of asymmetric induction.

A bifunctional thiourea-tertiary amine-catalyzed asymmetric hydroxymethylation of 3-substituted oxindoles using paraformaldehyde as the C1 unit was developed. A wide scope of oxindoles, bearing C3 sterically congested quaternary carbon centers, were smoothly obtained in good to excellent yields (up to 99%) and high enantioselectivities (up to 91% ee) under mild reaction conditions. A more significant feature of this approach employs cheap and readily available paraformaldehyde as a hydroxymethylation C1 unit, which is activated by chiral bifunctional thiourea organocatalysts.