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Previously, we found that InCl2+ is the real catalytic species in InCl3-catalyzed type II cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes for generating nonconjugated dienes. We further used this cycloisomerization reaction as a mechanistic probe to study whether GaCl3, GaBr3, InBr3, InI3 also have GaCl2+, GaBr2+, InBr2+, and InI2+ as the real catalytic species. Experimental and computational results from the mechanistic probe reaction here support that the real catalytic species are positively charged GaCl2+, GaBr2+, InBr2+, and InI2+.

InCl3-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of 1,6-enynes can give either type-I dienes and cyclohexenes (type-III dienes), or type-II dienes, depending on the substitutions in the substrates. Previously, we studied how the type-II diene products were generated and found that the real catalytic species for the cycloisomerizations is InCl2(+) (J. Org. Chem. 2012, 77, 8527-8540). In the present paper, we used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to reveal how the type-I and type-III dienes were generated. A unified model to explain how substituents affect the regiochemistry of type-I, II, and III cycloisomerizations has been provided. Experimental and computational investigation of the InCl3-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes with both substituents at the alkyne and alkene parts has also been reported in the present study.

A practical 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ)-mediated synthesis of 1,3-disubstituted allenes from terminal alkynes and aldehydes under mild conditions in the presence of CuBr first and then ZnI2 was reported. This telescoped allene synthesis reaction includes three consecutive steps and two reactions: first, a room-temperature CuBr-catalyzed synthesis of propargylamines, exo-yne-THIQs, from terminal alkynes, aldehydes, and THIQ, then filtration of the CuBr catalyst, and finally the ZnI2-mediated allene synthesis from the generated exo-yne-THIQs under mild conditions (either at room temperature or heating at 50 or 75 °C). A wide range of aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes and terminal alkynes are tolerated, affording the allene products in up to 92% yield. Especially, temperature-sensitive aldehydes can be used in the reaction system. Preliminary exploration of the asymmetric allene synthesis has also been conducted, and a moderate enantioselectivity has been achieved. Finally, the relative reactivities of several secondary amines were compared with THIQ, showing that THIQ is the best of these amines in the synthesis of allenes under mild reaction conditions.

A novel Rh(I)-catalyzed [(3 + 2) + 1] cycloaddition, which can be regarded as a homologous Pauson-Khand reaction, was developed to synthesize bicyclic cyclohexenones and cyclohexanones, enabling a new approach for synthesis of six-membered carbocycles ubiquitously found in natural products and pharmaceutics. The significance of the Rh-catalyzed [(3 + 2) + 1] cycloaddition has been demonstrated by the total synthesis of a furanoid sesquiterpene natural product, alpha-agarofuran, in which the bicyclic skeleton was constructed by the [(3 + 2) + 1] reaction of 1-yne-VCP and CO.

A practical 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ)-mediated synthesis of 1,3-disubstituted allenes from terminal alkynes and aldehydes under mild conditions in the presence of CuBr first and then ZnI2 was reported. This telescoped allene synthesis reaction includes three consecutive steps and two reactions: first, a room-temperature CuBr-catalyzed synthesis of propargylamines, exo-yne-THIQs, from terminal alkynes, aldehydes, and THIQ, then filtration of the CuBr catalyst, and finally the ZnI2-mediated allene synthesis from the generated exo-yne-THIQs under mild conditions (either at room temperature or heating at 50 or 75 °C). A wide range of aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes and terminal alkynes are tolerated, affording the allene products in up to 92% yield. Especially, temperature-sensitive aldehydes can be used in the reaction system. Preliminary exploration of the asymmetric allene synthesis has also been conducted, and a moderate enantioselectivity has been achieved. Finally, the relative reactivities of several secondary amines were compared with THIQ, showing that THIQ is the best of these amines in the synthesis of allenes under mild reaction conditions.

An expeditious and high-yield formal synthesis of hirsutene has been achieved. This synthesis features Rh(I)-catalyzed [(5+2)+1] cycloaddition to construct a bicyclic cyclooctenone, which can be efficiently transformed to bicyclic diketone, an advanced intermediate for racemic and asymmetric syntheses of hirsutene. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing olefin isomerization reactions to reach kinetically controlled Z-alkenes is challenging because formation of trans-alkenes is thermodynamically favored under the traditional catalytic conditions using acids, bases, or transition metals as the catalysts. A new synthesis of Z-alkenes from Rh(I)-catalyzed olefin isomerization of β,γ-unsaturated ketones to α,β-unsaturated ketones was developed, providing an easy and efficient way to access various Z-enones.

InCl(3) and other In(III) species have been widely applied as catalysts in many reactions. However, what are the real catalytic species of these reactions? Through DFT calculations and experimental investigation of the mechanism and regioselectivity of InCl(3)-catalyzed cycloisomerization reactions of 1,6-enynes (here all discussed 1,6-enynes are ene-internal-alkyne molecules), we propose that the catalytic species of this reaction is the in situ generated InCl(2)(+). Further electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectroscopy (ESI-HRMS) supported the existence of InCl(2)(+) in acetonitrile solution. This finding of InCl(2)(+) as the catalytic species suggests that other reactions catalyzed by In(III) species could also have cationic In(III) species as the real catalysts. DFT calculations revealed that the catalytic cycle of the cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes catalyzed by InCl(3) starts from InCl(2)(+) coordination to the alkyne of the substrate, generating a vinyl cation. Then nonclassical cyclopropanation of the vinyl cation to the alkene part of the substrate gives a homoallylic cation, which undergoes a novel homoallylic cation rearrangement involving a [1,3]-carbon shift to give the more stable homoallylic cation 15. Finally InCl(2)(+) cation coordination assisted nonconjugated [1,2]-hydride shifts deliver the final nonconjugated diene products. The preference of generating nonconjugated dienes instead of conjugated dienes in the cycloisomerization reaction is mainly due to two reasons: coordination of the InCl(2)(+) to the alkene part in [1,2]-H shift transition states disfavors the conjugated [1,2]-H shifts that generate cations adjacent to the positively charged alkene, and coordination of InCl(2)(+) to the nonconjugated diene product is stronger than coordination to the conjugated diene, making nonconjugated [1,2]-H shift transition states lower in energy than conjugated [1,2]-H shift transition states, on the basis of the Hammond postulate. DFT calculations predicted that the conjugated [1,2]-H shifts could become favored if the electron-donating methyl substituent in the alkyne moiety of the 1,6-enyne is replaced by a H atom. This prediction of producing a conjugated diene has been verified experimentally. Rationalization about why type II rather than type I products were obtained using InCl(3) as the catalyst in the cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes has also been investigated computationally.

Chiral cationic η6-arene Ru(II) complexes are applied to a wide range of quinolines including 2-alkyl, 2-aryl, and 2,3-disubstituted derivatives.

Asymmetric hydrogenation of quinolines catalyzed by chiral cationic η(6)-arene-N-tosylethylenediamine-Ru(II) complexes have been investigated. A wide range of quinoline derivatives, including 2-alkylquinolines, 2-arylquinolines, and 2-functionalized and 2,3-disubstituted quinoline derivatives, were efficiently hydrogenated to give 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines with up to99% ee and full conversions. This catalytic protocol is applicable to the gram-scale synthesis of some biologically active tetrahydroquinolines, such as (-)-angustureine, and 6-fluoro-2-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline, a key intermediate for the preparation of the antibacterial agent (S)-flumequine. The catalytic pathway of this reaction has been investigated in detail using a combination of stoichiometric reaction, intermediate characterization, and isotope labeling patterns. The evidence obtained from these experiments revealed that quinoline is reduced via an ionic and cascade reaction pathway, including 1,4-hydride addition, isomerization, and 1,2-hydride addition, and hydrogen addition undergoes a stepwise H(+)/H(-) transfer process outside the coordination sphere rather than a concerted mechanism. In addition, DFT calculations indicate that the enantioselectivity originates from the CH/π attraction between the η(6)-arene ligand in the Ru-complex and the fused phenyl ring of dihydroquinoline via a 10-membered ring transition state with the participation of TfO(-) anion.