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A copper-catalyzed three-component reaction of dithioacetals with diazo-ketones and ketimines has been reported. This reaction proceedsivia/itrapping of the highly active sulfur ylide species, which are generated from thioacetal and carbene intermediates, with isatin-derived ketimine, providing an efficient protocol for the synthesis of acyclic thioacetal derivatives and medium-sized sulfur-containing heterocycles in good to high yields under mild reaction conditions with a broad substrate scope.

A general catalytic methodology for the synthesis of pyrazolines from α -diazo compounds and conjugated alkenes is reported. The direct hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) process of α -diazo compounds promoted by the tert -butylperoxy radical generates electrophilic diazomethyl radicals, thereby reversing the reactivity of the carbon atom attached with the diazo group. The regiocontrolled addition of diazomethyl radicals to carbon-carbon double bonds followed by intramolecular ring closure on the terminal diazo nitrogen and tautomerization affords a diverse set of pyrazolines in good yields with excellent regioselectivity. This strategy overcomes the limitations of electron-deficient alkenes in traditional dipolar [3+2]-cycloaddition of α -diazo compounds with alkenes. Furthermore, the straightforward formation of the diazomethyl radicals provides umpolung reactivity, thus opening new opportunities for the versatile transformations of diazo compounds.

An unprecedented Ag(I)-catalyzed efficient method for the coupling of β-oxoimides and enol diazoacetates through a [3+2]-cycloaddition/C-O bond cleavage/[1,5]-proton transfer cascade process is reported. The general class of imino ethers that includes oxazolines, benzoxazoles and benzimidates are applicable substrates for these reactions that provide direct access to fully substituted pyrroles with uniformly high chemo- and regioselectivity. High variability in substitution at the pyrrole 2-, 5- and N -positions characterizes this methodology that also presents an entry point for further pyrrole diversification via facile modification of resulting N -functional pyrroles.

Catalyst-directed access to divergent products involving three different metals that exclusively form three different products from the same reactants is reported. Each catalyst directs an individu...

1,2,3-Trisubstituted donor-acceptor cyclopropenes (DACPs) generated in situ from enoldiazo compounds react with nucleophiles to form α-substituted succinic acid derivatives in high yields. Initial dirhodium(II) carboxylate catalysis rapidly converts enoldiazo-acetates or -acetamides to DACPs that undergo catalyst-free Favorskii ring opening with amines, and also with anilines, alcohols, and thiols, when facilitated by catalytic amounts of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP). This methodology provides easy access to mixed esters and amides of monosubstituted succinic acids, including derivatives of naturally occurring compounds. It also affords dihydrazide, dihydroxamic acid, and diamide derivatives, as well as α-substituted tetrahydropyridazine-3,6-diones in high yields. Attempts to generate optically enriched DACPs were not successful because their populations having the R and S configurations formed with a chiral dirhodium catalyst are quite similar, and the loss of enantiocontrol likely originates from the DACP ring forming step which is reversible with its intermediate metal carbene.

Chiral copper(I) catalysts are preferred over chiral dirhodium(II) catalysts for [3 + 3]-cycloaddition reactions of γ-alkyl-substituted enoldiazoacetates compounds with nitrones. Using the In-SaBox ligand these reactions effectively produce cis-3,6-dihydro-1,2-oxazine derivatives under mild conditions in high yield and with exceptional stereocontrol, and enantioselectivity increases with the size of the γ-substituent. Mechanistic studies show that cycloaddition occurs solely through the formation of (Z)-γ-substituted metallo-enolcarbene intermediates that are catalytically gennerated from both (Z)- and (E)-γ-substituted enoldiazoactates via donor–acceptor cyclopropene intermediates.

A catalytic macrocyclization reaction of alkyne embodied diazoacetates through metal carbene intermediates is described. This method provides a variety of functionalized 13- to 20-membered cycloalk...

The all-cis stereoisomers of tetrasubstituted azetidine-2-carboxylic acids and derivatives that possess three chiral centers have been prepared in high yield and stereocontrol from silyl-protected Z-γ-substituted enoldiazoacetates and imido-sulfur ylides by asymmetric [3+1]-cycloaddition using chiral sabox copper(I) catalysis followed by Pd/C catalytic hydrogenation. Hydrogenation of the chiral p-methoxybenzyl azetine-2-carboxylates occurs with both hydrogen addition to the C=C bond and hydrogenolysis of the ester.

The influence of geometrical isomers of silyl-protected γ-substituted enoldiazoacetates has been examined in transition-metal-catalyzed vinylcarbene cycloaddition reactions. These reactions often o...

A robust and efficient synthesis of triisopropylsilyl (TIPS)-protected γ-substituted enoldiazoacetates with excellent Z stereocontrol by using lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)azanide (LiHMDS) as a base and TIPSOTf as a silyl transfer reagent is reported. Despite their increased size compared to previously tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBS)-protected γ-unsubstituted enoldiazoacetates, a high product yield with exceptional stereocontrol has been achieved in copper-catalyzed [3+3] cycloaddition reaction with nitrones by using a chiral indeno bisoxazoline ligand.

A copper-catalyzed selective cascade reaction of alkyne-tethered diazo compounds is reported for the direct and efficient construction of dihydrocyclohepta[b]indole skeletons under mild reaction conditions. A vinyl copper carbene is the key intermediate, which is generated in situ via carbene/alkyne metathesis (CAM) and terminated with the Buchner reaction.

An unprecedented Ag

A nucleophilic retro-Claisen ring-opening of donor-acceptor cyclobutenes, formed with high stereocontrol by [3 + 1]-cycloaddition of TIPS-protected enoldiazoacetates with α-acyl sulfur ylides, has been developed. Removal of the TIPS group to form the isolable β-keto ester precedes the strain-induced ring-opening. Various amines, alcohols, thiols, and amino acid derivatives are effective nucleophiles, and their products are formed in very high yields via stoichiometric reactions. The chirality of the reactant donor-acceptor cyclobutenes is fully retained in the ring-opening reactions. The 3-acylglutaric acid products are converted to various valuable structures, including amido-diols, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivatives, and heterocycles.

In catalytic asymmetric reactions, the formation of chiral molecules generally relies on a direct chirality transfer (point or axial chirality) from a chiral catalyst to products in the stereo-determining step. Herein, we disclose a transient-axial-chirality transfer strategy to achieve asymmetric reaction. This method relies on transferring point chirality from the catalyst to a dirhodium carbene intermediate with axial chirality, namely a transient-axial-chirality since this species is an intermediate of the reaction. The transient chirality is then transferred to the final product by C(sp2)-H functionalization reaction with exceptionally high enantioselectivity. We also generalize this strategy for the asymmetric cascade reaction involving dual carbene/alkyne metathesis (CAM), a transition-metal-catalyzed method to access chiral 9-aryl fluorene frameworks in high yields with up to 99% ee. Detailed DFT calculations shed light on the mode of the transient-axial-chirality transfer and the detailed mechanism of the CAM reaction.

A general access to chiral dihydroindole derivatives in high yields is achieved by C–H functionalization in a highly site- and enantioselective cascade reaction of propargyl diazoacetates. Highly site-selective intramolecular C(sp3)–H bond insertions are realized by catalyst control. Sterically demanding dirhodium carboxylates, optimized with Rh2(S-BTPCP)4, favor C–H insertion into 1° C–H bonds with regioselectivities reaching >95:5 (1° > 2° benzylic) and >90% ee. With Rh2(S-TBPTTL)4, preferential 2° and 3° C–H bond insertion occurs due to the configuration of catalyst and electronic effects. The chiral dirhodium catalyst not only promotes carbene/alkyne metathesis (CAM) to generate the donor/donor carbene intermediate, but is also responsible for the observed asymmetric induction in the terminating C–H bond insertion reaction.

Coupling reactions of amines and alcohols are of central importance for applications in chemistry and biology. These transformations typically involve the use of a reagent, activated as an electrophile, onto which nucleophile coupling results in the formation of a carbon-nitrogen or a carbon–oxygen bond. Several promising reagents and procedures have been developed to achieve these bond forming processes in high yields with excellent stereocontrol, but few offer direct coupling without the intervention of a catalyst. Herein, we report the synthesis of chiral donor–acceptor azetines by highly enantioselective [3 + 1]-cycloaddition of enoldiazoacetates with aza-ylides and their selective coupling with nitrogen and oxygen nucleophiles via 3-azetidinones to form amino acid derivatives, including those of peptides and natural products. The overall process is general for a broad spectrum of nucleophiles, has a high degree of electronic and steric selectivity, and retains the enantiopurity of the original azetine., Chiral 3-azetidinones are structural analogues of medicinally relevant β-lactams, however their synthesis and reactivity are underexplored. Here, the authors show a highly enantioselective copper-catalyzed [3 + 1]-cycloaddition generating 2-azetidines, which react with nucleophiles yielding amino acids via 3-azetidinones.

In catalytic asymmetric reactions, the formation of chiral molecules generally relies on a direct chirality transfer (point or axial chirality) from a chiral catalyst to products in the stereo-determining step. Herein, we disclose a transient-axial-chirality transfer strategy to achieve asymmetric reaction. This method relies on transferring point chirality from the catalyst to a dirhodium carbene intermediate with axial chirality, namely a transient-axial-chirality since this species is an intermediate of the reaction. The transient chirality is then transferred to the final product by C(sp2)-H functionalization reaction with exceptionally high enantioselectivity. We also generalize this strategy for the asymmetric cascade reaction involving dual carbene/alkyne metathesis (CAM), a transition-metal-catalyzed method to access chiral 9-aryl fluorene frameworks in high yields with up to 99% ee. Detailed DFT calculations shed light on the mode of the transient-axial-chirality transfer and the detailed mechanism of the CAM reaction., The formation of chiral molecules generally relies on direct chirality transfer from catalyst to products. Here, the authors report a strategy based on point chirality transfer from the catalyst to a dirhodium carbene intermediate with axial chirality, which is then transferred to products via C(sp2)-H functionalization.

A copper-catalyzed [4+1]-annulation of 2-vinylindoles with diazoacetates has been developed that provides a straightforward access to the dihydrocyclopenta[b]indoles bearing two contiguous all-carbon quaternary centers in good yields. Mechanistic studies indicate that the reaction goes through a concerted and asynchronous annulation process via the key zwitterionic intermediate.

A synthetically useful reaction via NBS-mediated dinitrogen extrusion of N-aryl diazoacetamides under catalyst-free conditions is disclosed, which gives the 3-bromooxindoles in high to excellent yields with high selectivity via a non carbene process.

An enantioselective Mannich-type reaction of 3-butynol and nitrones is described, which affords dihydrofuran-3-ones in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities. The reaction is initiated by gold-catalyzed alkyne oxidation and modification of the resulting gold carbene species with a tethered hydroxy group to form enolate species; the reaction terminates with an enantioselective Mannich-type addition with the assistance of chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) and hydrogen bonding. This novel pattern of alkyne transformation involving chemical bond cleavage, and a fragment modification and reassembly process, provides an atom- and step-economic method, and is the first example of cooperative asymmetric catalysis in gold-catalyzed alkyne oxidations via an α-oxo gold carbene route.

Catalyst-dependent [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions of azoalkenes from α-halohydrazones with enol diazoacetates have been developed. A [4 + 2]-cycloaddition of enol diazoacetates with in situ formed azoalkenes produces tetrahydropyridazinyl-substituted diazoacetates promoted by only Cs2CO3. In contrast, donor–acceptor cyclopropenes, which are formed in situ from enol diazoacetates by Rh2(OAc)4-catalyzed dinitrogen extrusion, undergo [4 + 2]-cycloaddition with azoalkenes to yield bicyclo[4.1.0]tetrahydropyridazines. These stable cycloaddition products undergo subsequent one-step transformations to form 6-alkylidenetetrahydropyridazines and 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1,2-diazepine derivatives in good yields.

An efficient transition-metal-free fluoroarylation reaction of N-aryl diazoacetamides with NFSI (N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide) is described. This reaction directly provides 3-fluorooxindole derivatives in yields of 67–93% with high selectivity via a carbene-free process under mild reaction conditions.

A synthetically useful transformation arises from NBS-mediated dinitrogen extrusion of N-aryl diazoacetamides under catalyst-free conditions, which gives 3-bromooxindoles in high to excellent yields with high selectivity via a non-carbene process.

An example of a transition-metal-free, direct, and efficient acetamidosulphenylation reaction of alkenes using nitriles as the nucleophiles via a radical process is presented. This reaction shows a broad substrate scope and high regioselectivity and provides straightforward access to acetamidosulfide derivatives in moderate to high yields.

A palladium-catalyzed efficient synthesis of 5-methylisoxazoles via oxime-mediated functionalization of unactivated olefins is described. The reaction affords a variety of 5-methylisoxazoles in moderate to good yields. To further demonstrate the utility of the method, the rapid synthesis of valdecoxib and oxacillin is reported.

An example of a transition-metal-free, direct, and efficient acetamidosulphenylation reaction of alkenes using nitriles as the nucleophiles via a radical process is presented. This reaction shows a broad substrate scope and high regioselectivity and provides straightforward access to acetamidosulfide derivatives in moderate to high yields.

A wide range of chlorinated and brominated isoxazolines is prepared through Pd-catalyzed cyclization of oxime substrates in the presence of CuCl2 or CuBr2.

A palladium-catalyzed efficient synthesis of 5-methylisoxazoles via oxime-mediated functionalization of unactivated olefins is described. The reaction affords a variety of 5-methylisoxazoles in moderate to good yields. To further demonstrate the utility of the method, the rapid synthesis of valdecoxib and oxacillin is reported.