Rhodium-Catalyzed Annulation of ortho-Alkenyl Anilides with Alkynes: Formation of Unexpected Naphthalene Adducts.

o-Alkenyl N-triflylanilides underwent rhodium(III)-catalyzed oxidative annulations with alkynes to produce different types of naphthylamides in a process which involves the cleavage of two C-H bonds. Remarkably, besides formal dehydrogenative (4C+2C) cycloadducts, the reaction also produces variable amounts of isomeric naphthylamides, whose formation requires a formal migration of the alkenyl moiety from the ortho to the meta position of the anilide. The annulation reaction can be efficiently carried out in the absence of external oxidants, such as Cu(OAc)2 .

Rhodium-catalyzed (5+1) annulations between 2-alkenylphenols and allenes: a practical entry to 2,2-disubstituted 2H-chromenes.

Readily available alkenylphenols react with allenes under rhodium catalysis to provide valuable 2,2-disubstituted 2H-chromenes. The whole process, which involves the cleavage of one C-H bond of the alkenyl moiety and the participation of the allene as a one-carbon cycloaddition partner, can be considered a simple, versatile, and atom-economical (5+1) heteroannulation. The reaction tolerates a broad range of substituents both in the alkenylphenol and in the allene, and most probably proceeds through a mechanism involving a rhodium-catalyzed C-C coupling followed by two sequential pericyclic processes.

Straightforward assembly of benzoxepines by means of a rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H functionalization of o-vinylphenols.

Readily available o-vinylphenols undergo a formal (5 + 2) cycloaddition to alkynes when treated with catalytic amounts of [Cp*RhCl2]2 and Cu(OAc)2. The reaction, which involves the cleavage of the terminal C-H bond of the alkenyl moiety, generates highly valuable benzoxepine skeletons in a practical, versatile, and atom-economical manner. Using carbon monoxide instead of an alkyne as reaction partner leads to coumarin products which formally result from a (5 + 1) cycloaddition.

Rhodium(III)-catalyzed dearomatizing (3 + 2) annulation of 2-alkenylphenols and alkynes.

Appropriately substituted 2-alkenylphenols undergo a mild formal [3C+2C] cycloaddition with alkynes when treated with a Rh(III) catalyst and an oxidant. The reaction, which involves the cleavage of the terminal C-H bond of the alkenyl moiety and the dearomatization of the phenol ring, provides a versatile and efficient approach to highly appealing spirocyclic skeletons and occurs with high selectivity.

Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Intramolecular Annulations of Acrylic and Benzoic Acids to Alkynes.

Rh(III) catalysts can promote a formal (4 + 2) intramolecular oxidative annulation between acrylic or benzoic acid derivatives and alkynes. The reaction, which involves a C-H activation process, allows for a rapid assembly of appealing bicyclic pyran-2-ones and tricyclic isocoumarin derivatives in moderate to good yields. The α-pyrone moiety of the products provides for further manipulations to obtain relatively complex cyclic skeletons in a very simple manner.

Palladium-Catalyzed Formal (5 + 2) Annulation between ortho-Alkenylanilides and Allenes.

2-Alkenyltriflylanilides react with allenes upon treatment with catalytic amounts of Pd(OAc)2 and Cu(II) to give highly valuable 2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[b]azepines, in good yields, and with very high regio- and diastereoselectivities. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the C-H activation of the alkenylanilide involves a classical concerted metalation-deprotonation (CMD) mechanism.

Amide-Directed Formation of Five-Coordinate Osmium Alkylidenes from Alkynes.

The amide-directed synthesis of five-coordinate osmium alkylidene derivatives from alkynes is reported. These types of complexes, which have been elusive until now because of the tendency of osmium to give hydride alkylidyne species, are prepared by reaction of the dihydride OsH2Cl2(PiPr3)2 (1) with terminal alkynes containing a distal amide group. Complex 1 reacts with N-phenylhex-5-ynamide and N-phenylhepta-6-ynamide to give OsCl2{=C(CH3)(CH2) n NH(CO)Ph}(PiPr3)2 (n = 3 (2), 4 (3)). The relative position of carbonyl and NH groups in the organic substrates has no influence on the reaction. Thus, treatment of 1 with N-(pent-4-yn-1-yl)benzamide leads to OsCl2{=C(CH3)(CH2)3NHC(O)Ph}(PiPr3)2 (4). The new compounds are intermediate species in the cleavage of the C-C triple bond of the alkynes. Under mild conditions, they undergo the rupture of the Cα-CH3 bond of the alkylidene, which comes from the alkyne triple bond, to afford six-coordinate hydride-alkylidyne derivatives. In dichloromethane, complex 2 gives a 10:7 mixture of OsHCl2{≡C(CH2)3C(O)NHPh}(PiPr3)2 (5) and OsHCl2{≡CCH(CH3)(CH2)2C(O)NHPh}(PiPr3)2 (6). The first complex contains a linear separation between the alkylidyne Cα atom and the amide group, whereas the spacer is branched in the second complex. In contrast to the case for 2, complex 4 selectively affords OsHCl2{≡C(CH2)3NHC(O)Ph}(PiPr3)2 (7). In spite of their instability, these compounds give the alkylidene-allene metathesis, being a useful entry to five-coordinate vinylidene complexes, including the dicarbon-disubstituted OsCl2(=C=CMe2)(PiPr3)2 (8) and the monosubstituted OsCl2(=C=CHCy)(PiPr3)2 (9).

Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Annulation between ortho-Alkenylphenols and Allenes. Key Role of the Metal Geometry in Determining the Reaction Outcome.

2-Alkenylphenols react with allenes, upon treatment with catalytic amounts of Pd(II) and Cu(II), to give benzoxepine products in high yields and with very good regio- and diastereoselectivities. This contrasts with the results obtained with Rh catalysts, which provided chromene-like products through a pathway involving a ß-hydrogen elimination step. Computational studies suggest that the square planar geometry of the palladium is critical to favor the reductive elimination process required for the formation of the oxepine products.