Reactions of 1,3-Diphenyl Cyclopentadiene with α-Aryldiazo Ketones to Enable C-H Insertions versus [4 + 2]-Cycloadditions via Au Catalyst and P(C6F5)3 Additive, Respectively.

Two distinct reaction chemoselectivities were reported for the reactions of α-aryldiazo ketone with 1,3-diphenylcyclopentadiene using gold catalyst and phosphine additives, respectively. In the presence of gold catalyst, α-aryldiazo ketone forms gold carbenes initially that are trapped with this 1,3-disubstituted cyclopentadiene to afford C-H insertion products. In the presence of P(C6F5)3 additive, α-aryldiazo ketone forms diarylketenes initially at elevated temperature, which are further stabilized by P(C6F5)3 to secure their entity before proceeding to unprecedented [4C + 2C] cycloadditions.

Nitrene Transfer and Carbene Transfer in Gold Catalysis.

Catalytic transformations involving metal carbenes are considered one of the most important aspects of homogeneous transition metal catalysis. Recently, gold-catalyzed generation of gold carbenes from readily available alkynes represents a significant advance in metal carbene chemistry. This Review summarizes the advances in the gold-catalyzed nitrene-transfer reactions of alkynes with nitrogen-transfer reagents, such as azides, nitrogen ylides, isoxazoles, and anthranils, and gold-catalyzed carbene-transfer reactions, involving oxygen atom-transfer reactions of alkynes with nitro compounds, nitrones, sulfoxides, and pyridine N-oxides, through the presumable α-imino gold carbene and α-oxo gold carbene intermediates, respectively. Gold-catalyzed processes are reviewed by highlighting their product diversity, selectivity, and applicability, and the mechanistic rationale is presented where possible.

Gold(I)-Catalyzed [4 + 2] Annulation between Arylynes and C,N-Diaryl Nitrones for Chemoselective Synthesis of Quinoline Scaffolds via Gold Acetylide Intermediates.

Gold-catalyzed synthesis of quinoline derivatives via [4 + 2] annulation between terminal arylynes and nitrones is described. Our mechanistic analysis supports the participation of alkynylgold intermediates, instead of a typical gold-carbene species in recently reported gold catalysis. These nucleophilic alkynylgold species react with nitrones via Povarov-type reactions. Cheap, readily available materials and a broad substrate scope manifest the advantage of this method.

Gold-Catalyzed [3+2]-Annulations of α-Aryl Diazoketones with the Tetrasubstituted Alkenes of Cyclopentadienes: High Stereoselectivity and Enantioselectivity.

This work reports gold-catalyzed [3+2]-annulations of α-diazo ketones with highly substituted cyclopentadienes, affording bicyclic 2,3-dihydrofurans with high regio- and stereoselectivity. The reactions highlights the first success of tetrasubstituted alkenes to undergo [3+2]-annulations with α-diazo carbonyls. The enantioselective annulations are also achieved with high enantioselectivity using chiral forms of gold and phosphoric acid. Our mechanistic analysis supports that cyclopentadienes serve as nucleophiles to attack gold carbenes at the more substituted alkenes, yielding gold enolates that complex with chiral phosphoric acid to enhance the enantioselectivity.

Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Reaction of Alkenyl Diynes with Styrenes by Formal [3 + 2] Cycloaddition via Cu-Containing All-Carbon 1,3-Dipoles: Access to Chiral Pyrrole-Fused Bridged [2.2.1] Skeletons.

The generation of metal-containing 1,3-dipoles from metal carbenes represents a significant advance in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. However, these transformations have so far been limited to reactions based on diazo compounds or triazoles as precursors. Herein, we disclose a copper-catalyzed enantioselective reaction of alkenyl N-propargyl ynamides with styrene derivatives by formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition via Cu-containing all-carbon 1,3-dipoles, which constitutes a novel way for the generation of metal-containing 1,3-dipoles via metal carbenes. This protocol allows the practical and atom-economical synthesis of valuable chiral pyrrole-fused bridged [2.2.1] skeletons in moderate to good yields (up to 90% yield) with excellent diastereoselectivities (dr > 50/1) and generally excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee).

Gold-Catalyzed Oxidative Aminocyclizations of Propargyl Alcohols and Propargyl Amines to Form Two Distinct Azacyclic Products: Carbene Formation versus a 3,3-Sigmatropic Shift of an Initial Intermediate.

Gold-catalyzed oxidations of propargyl alcohols with nitrones by using a P(tBu)2 (o-biphenyl)Au+ catalyst, afforded bicyclic annulation products from the Mannich reactions of gold enolates. The same reactions of propargyl amines with nitrones by using the same gold catalyst gave distinct oxoarylation products. Our DFT calculations indicate that oxidation of propargyl alcohols with nitrones by using electron-rich gold catalysts lead only to gold carbenes, which can generate gold enolates or oxoarylation intermediates with enolate species having a barrier smaller than that of oxoarylation species.

Gold-Catalyzed Iminations of Terminal Propargyl Alcohols with Anthranils with Atypical Chemoselectivity for C(1)-Additions and 1,2-Carbon Migration.

This work reports gold-catalyzed iminations of terminal propargyl alcohols with anthranils or isoxazoles to yield E-configured α-amino-2-en-1-ones and -1-als with complete chemoselectivity. These catalytic iminations occur exclusively with C(1)-nucleophilic additions on terminal alkynes, in contrast to a typical C(2)-route. For 3,3-dialkylprop-1-yn-3-ols, a methyl substituent is superior to long alkyl chains as the 1,2-migration groups toward α-imino gold carbenes. For secondary prop-1-yn-3-ols, phenyl, vinyl, and cyclopropyl substituents are better than hydrogen as the migrating groups, obviating typical gold carbene reactions. DFT calculations have been performed to rationalize the observed C(1)-regioselectivity and the preferable cyclopropyl migration based on gold carbene pathways.

Gold(I)-Catalyzed Highly Diastereo- and Enantioselective Cyclization-[4+3] Annulation Cascades between 2-(1-Alkynyl)-2-alken-1-ones and Anthranils.

This work reports gold-catalyzed [4+3]-annulations of 2-(1-alkynyl)-2-alken-1-ones with anthranils to yield epoxybenzoazepine products with excellent exo-diastereoselectivity (dr>25:1). The utility of this new gold catalysis is manifested by applicable substrates over a broad scope. More importantly, the enantioselective versions of these [4+3]-cycloadditions have been developed satisfactorily with chiral gold catalysts under ambient conditions (DCM, 0 °C); the ee levels range from 88.0-99.9 %. With DFT calculations, we postulate a stepwise pathway to rationalize the preferable exo-stereoselection.

Copper-Catalyzed Azide-Ynamide Cyclization to Generate α-Imino Copper Carbenes: Divergent and Enantioselective Access to Polycyclic N-Heterocycles.

Here an efficient copper-catalyzed cascade cyclization of azide-ynamides via α-imino copper carbene intermediates is reported, representing the first generation of α-imino copper carbenes from alkynes. This protocol enables the practical and divergent synthesis of an array of polycyclic N-heterocycles in generally good to excellent yields with broad substrate scope and excellent diastereoselectivities. Moreover, an asymmetric azide-ynamide cyclization has been achieved with high enantioselectivities (up to 98:2 e.r.) by employing BOX-Cu complexes as chiral catalysts. Thus, this protocol constitutes the first example of an asymmetric azide-alkyne cyclization. The proposed mechanistic rationale for this cascade cyclization is further supported by theoretical calculations.

Generation of Donor/Donor Copper Carbenes through Copper-Catalyzed Diyne Cyclization: Enantioselective and Divergent Synthesis of Chiral Polycyclic Pyrroles.

The generation of metal carbenes from readily available alkynes represents a significant advance in metal carbene chemistry. However, most of these transformations are based on the use of noble-metal catalysts and successful examples of such an asymmetric version are still very scarce. Here a copper-catalyzed enantioselective cascade cyclization of N-propargyl ynamides is reported, enabling the practical and atom-economical construction of diverse chiral polycyclic pyrroles in generally good to excellent yields with wide substrate scope and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97:3 e.r.). Importantly, this protocol represents the first copper-catalyzed asymmetric diyne cyclization. Moreover, mechanistic studies revealed that the generation of donor/donor copper carbenes is presumably involved in this 1,5-diyne cyclization, which is distinctively different from the related gold catalysis, and thus it constitutes a novel way for the generation of donor/donor metal carbenes.

Gold-Catalyzed Annulations of N-Propargyl Ynamides with Anthranils with Two Distinct Chemoselectivities.

Gold-catalyzed annulation of N-propargyl ynamides with anthranils can proceed by two distinct mechanisms. In the case of a terminal N-propargyl ynamide, its resulting α-imino gold carbene reacts with a tethered alkyne to generate a vinyl cation to enable hydrolysis, which ultimately yields a pyrrolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivative after treatment with p-toluenesulfonic acid. For an internal alkyne, its α-imino gold carbene reacts with a tethered alkyne via either a vinyl cation or an alkenylgold carbene; both paths ultimately lead to a 4-ketone-2-aminopyrrole derivative. Our mechanistic analysis indicates that water is a better nucleophile than anthranil for terminal ynamides, whereas water and anthranils are equally reactive for internal ynamides.

Direct access to benzofuro[2,3-b]quinoline and 6H-chromeno[3,4-b]quinoline cores through gold-catalyzed annulation of anthranils with arenoxyethynes and aryl propargyl ethers.

This work reports a facile annulation of anthranils with aryloxyethynes or aryl propargyl ethers to construct useful benzofuro[2,3-b]quinoline and 6H-chromeno[3,4-b]quinoline frameworks, respectively; these heterocycles are not readily available from literature methods despite their biological significance. This high atom- and step-economy strategy is highlighted by a broad substrate scope. The reaction mechanism is proposed to proceed through sequential cyclizations among the oxyaryl group, gold carbene and benzaldehyde of the α-imino gold carbene intermediates.

Gold-catalyzed [4+2]†Annulations of Dienes with Nitrosoarenes as 4 π Donors: Nitroso-Povarov Reactions.

This work reports the first success of the nitroso-Povarov reaction, involving gold-catalyzed [4+2] annulations of nitrsoarenes with substituted cyclopentadienes. In this catalytic sequence, nitrosoarenes presumably attack gold-π-dienes by a 1,4-addition pathway, generating allylgold nitrosonium intermediates to complete an intramolecular cyclization. Acyclic dienes are also applicable substrates, and affording oxidative nitroso-Povarov products.

Gold-Catalyzed Bicyclic Annulations of 2-Alkynylbenzaldehydes with Vinyldiazo Carbonyls that Serve as Five-atom Building Units.

This work reports gold-catalyzed bicyclic annulations of 2-alkynyl-1-carbonylbenzenes with vinyldiazo ketones that serve as five-atom building units. The importance of these reactions is to access 4,5-dihydro-benzo[g]indazoles, which form the structural cores of various bioactive molecules. According to our mechanistic analysis, we postulate initial [5+4]-cycloadditions between benzopyrilium intermediates and vinyldiazo ketones, followed by 6-π-electrocyclizations to achieve the excellent stereoselectivity.

Copper-Catalyzed Cascade Cyclization of Indolyl Homopropargyl Amides: Stereospecific Construction of Bridged Aza-[n.2.1] Skeletons.

Catalytic cycloisomerization-initiated cascade cyclizations of terminal alkynes have received tremendous interest, and been widely used in the facile synthesis of a diverse array of valuable complex heterocycles. However, these tandem reactions have been mostly limited to noble-metal catalysis, and are initiated by an exo-cyclization pathway. Reported herein is an unprecedented copper-catalyzed endo-cyclization-initiated tandem reaction of indolyl homopropargyl amides, where copper catalyzes both the hydroamination and Friedel-Crafts alkylation process. This method allows the practical and atom-economical synthesis of valuable bridged aza-[n.2.1] skeletons (n=3-6) with wide substrate scope, and excellent diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity by a chirality-transfer strategy. Moreover, the mechanistic rationale for this novel cascade cyclization is also strongly supported by control experiments, and is distinctively different from the related gold catalysis.

Catalytic Transformations of Alkynes into either α-Alkoxy or α-Aryl Enolates: Mannich Reactions by Cooperative Catalysis and Evidence for Nucleophile-Directed Chemoselectivity.

The catalytic formation of gold enolates from alkynes, nitrones, and nucleophiles is described, and their Mannich reactions result in nucleophile-directed chemoselectivity through cooperative catalysis. For 1-alkyn-4-ols and 2-ethynylphenols, their gold-catalyzed nitrone oxidations afforded N-containing dihydrofuran-3(2H)-ones with syn selectivity. The mechanism involves the Mannich reactions of gold enolates with imines through an O-H-N hydrogen-bonding motif. For aryloxyethynes, their gold enolates react selectively with nitrones to deliver 3-alkylidenebenzofuran-2-ones, as controlled by a C-H-O hydrogen-bonding motif.

Stereoselective annulation between an allene, an alkene, and two nitrosoarenes to access bis(isoxazoliodine) derivatives.

This work reports metal-free annulations between one allene, two nitrosoarenes and one electron-deficient alkene to afford bis(isoxazolidine) derivatives stereoselectively. This process involves an initial formation of isoxazolidin-4-imine oxides, followed by their dipolar [3 + 2]-cycloaddition with electron-deficient alkenes. To highlight the utility, the annulations of 5-alleneyl-1-enes with nitrosoarenes were also feasible to afford the desired bis(isoxazolidine) products with excellent stereocontrol. The resulting bis(isoxazolidine) products produced from two systems were reduced with Zn/MeOH to induce reductive N-O cleavages, yielding branched polyaminols stereoselectively.

Copper-Catalyzed Three-Component Annulations of Alkenes, Nitrosoarenes, and N-Hydroxyallylamines To Form Fused Oxazinane/Isoxazolidine Heterocycles.

One-pot cascade annulations among nitrosoarenes, alkenes, and N-hydroxyallylamines have been achieved with CuCl/O2 catalysts, forming fused oxazinane/isoxazolidine heterocycles with excellent diastereoselectivity (d.r. >20:1). To enhance the synthetic utility, we developed a successive cleavage of the two N-O bonds of the resulting heterocycles. A mechanism involving dipolar [3+2] cycloadditions of nitrone intermediates with their tethered alkenes is postulated for formation of these heterocycles.

Development of Gold-catalyzed [4+1] and [2+2+1]/[4+2] Annulations between Propiolate Derivatives and Isoxazoles.

Two new gold-catalyzed annulations of isoxazoles with propiolates have been developed. Most isoxazoles follow an initial O attack on the alkyne to afford a [4+1] annulation product. This process results in a remarkable alkyne cleavage of initial propiolates. Unsubstituted isoxazoles proceed through an N attack step to yield formal [2+2+1]/[4+2] annulation products. These two annulation products arise initially from two seven-membered heterocyclic intermediates, which then lead to products.

Gold-Catalyzed [4+2] Annulation/Cyclization Cascades of Benzisoxazoles with Propiolate Derivatives to Access Highly Oxygenated Tetrahydroquinolines.

This work describes gold-catalyzed annulations of electron-deficient alkynes with benzisoxazoles to yield quinoline oxides chemoselectively. Chemical functionalizations of these resulting azacyclic compounds afforded various oxygenated tetrahydroquinolines which are present as the cores of many bioactive molecules. With the same reactants, a new relay catalysis using gold and zinc(II) catalysts affords highly oxygenated tetrahydroquinoline derivatives stereoselectively.