Formal regiocontrolled hydroboration of unbiased internal alkynes via borylation/allylic alkylation of terminal alkynes.

In accessing trisubstituted vinyl boronates from terminal alkynes, a propargyl directing (2-pyridyl)sulfonyl group allows terminal alkynes to undergo Cu-catalyzed B2(pin)2-borylation and subsequent Cu-catalyzed allylic alkylation with Grignard reagents without affecting the pinacolboronate moiety, thereby formally enabling a highly stereo- and regiocontrolled access to hydroboration products of unbiased dialkyl internal alkynes.

Pd(II)-catalyzed di-o-olefination of carbazoles directed by the protecting N-(2-pyridyl)sulfonyl group.

Despite the significance of carbazole in pharmacy and material science, examples of the direct C-H functionalization of this privileged unit are quite rare. The N-(2-pyridyl)sulfonyl group enables the Pd(II)-catalyzed ortho-olefination of carbazoles and related systems, acting as both a directing and readily removable protecting group. This method features ample structural versatility, affording typically the double ortho-olefination products (at C1 and C8) in satisfactory yields and complete regiocontrol. The application of this procedure to related heterocyclic systems, such as indoline, is also described.

Pd(II)-catalysed C-H functionalisation of indoles and pyrroles assisted by the removable N-(2-pyridyl)sulfonyl group: C2-alkenylation and dehydrogenative homocoupling.

The easily installed and removed N-(2-pyridyl)sulfonyl group exerts complete C2 regiocontrol over the Pd(II)-catalysed C-H alkenylation of indoles and pyrroles, affording the corresponding products in good isolated yields (typically > or = 70 %). A remarkable feature of this catalyst system is that it tolerates a wide variety of substituted alkenes, including conjugated electron-deficient alkenes, styrenes and 1,3-dienes, as well as conjugated 1,1- and 1,2-disubstituted olefins. The final reductive desulfonylation affords the C2-substituted, free-NH indoles and pyrroles in good yield. This N-(2-pyridyl)sulfonyl-directing strategy has also been extended to the development of a protocol for the intermolecular, dehydrogenative homocoupling of indoles, providing 2,2'-biindoles. Mechanistic work based upon reactions with isotopically labelled starting materials and competitive kinetic studies of electronically varied substrates suggests a chelation-assisted electrophilic aromatic substitution palladation mechanism.

Pyrrole and oligopyrrole synthesis by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with sulfonyl dipolarophiles.

A procedure for the synthesis of functionalized, substituted pyrroles by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides has been developed. This protocol is based on the metal-catalyzed cycloaddition of alpha-iminoesters with sulfonyl dipolarophiles, followed by the base-promoted elimination of the sulfonyl groups. A wide variety of 2,5-disubstituted and 2,3,5- and 2,4,5-trisubstituted pyrroles have been prepared in satisfactory yields from 1,2-bis(sulfonyl ethylene), beta-sulfonylenones, and beta-sulfonylacrylates. This method can be applied in an iterative and straightforward manner to the construction of oligopyrroles, from bipyrroles to pentapyrroles. Iterative [n+1] and [n+2] approaches have been devised, the latter involves double 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition from pyrrolyl-based bis(iminoesters).

Recent applications of chiral ferrocene ligands in asymmetric catalysis.

Despite the impressive progress achieved in asymmetric catalysis during the last decade, an increasing number of new catalysts, ligands, and applications are reported every year to satisfy the need to embrace a wider range of reactions and to improve the efficiency of existing processes. Because of their availability, unique stereochemical aspects, and wide variety of coordination modes and possibilities for the fine-tuning of the steric and electronic properties, ferrocene-based ligands constitute one of the most versatile ligand architectures in the current scenario of asymmetric catalysis. Over the last few years ferrocene catalysts have been successfully applied in an amazing variety of enantioselective processes. This Review documents these recent advances, with special emphasis on the most innovative asymmetric processes and the development of novel, efficient types of ferrocene ligands.

Gold-catalyzed synthesis of alkylidene 2-oxazolidinones and 1,3-oxazin-2-ones.

N-Boc-protected alkynylamines are converted into the corresponding alkylidene 2-oxazolidinones or 2-oxazinones under very mild reaction conditions in the presence of 1-5 mol % of a cationic Au(I) complex. The scope of the reaction is very general, providing the cyclic carbamates in high yield regardless of the substitution at nitrogen and alkyne terminus.

Ferrocenylphosphines as new catalysts for Baylis-Hillman reactions.

[reaction: see text] Readily available ferrocenyldialkylphosphines are effective air-stable catalysts for Baylis-Hillman reaction between aldehydes and acrylates, affording the corresponding adducts in high yields and short reaction times. A set of readily accessible planar chiral ferrocenyldialkylphosphines have been tested in asymmetric Baylis-Hillman reactions. The best enantioselectivities were obtained using Mandyphos as chiral catalyst (up to 65% ee).

Mild and efficient molybdenum-mediated Pauson-Khand-type reaction.

[reaction: see text] The molybdenum-mediated Pauson-Khand reaction promoted by Mo(CO)3(DMF)3 takes place under very mild conditions in the absence of any promoter. High yields in Pauson-Khand adducts are obtained in the cyclization of a wide variety of functionalized 1,6- and 1,7-enynes. Enynes bearing electron withdrawing groups at the alkene terminus are particularly good substrates.

Asymmetric intermolecular Pauson-Khand reactions of unstrained olefins: the (o-dimethylamino)phenylsulfinyl group as an efficient chiral auxiliary.

The first asymmetric version of intermolecular Pauson-Khand reactions of unstrained alkenes is described. Generally simple acyclic alkenes exhibit low reactivity and regioselectivity in intermolecular Pauson-Khand reactions; however, o-(dimethylamino)phenyl vinyl sulfoxide reacts under very mild conditions with a wide variety of terminal alkynes in a completely regioselective and highly stereoselective manner. The utility of the resulting 5-sulfinyl-2-cyclopentenones in asymmetric synthesis is illustrated by a very short enantioselective synthesis of the antibiotic (-)-pentenomycin I.

1-Phosphino-2-sulfenylferrocenes as planar chiral ligands in enantioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic substitutions.

The synthesis of a wide structural variety of enantiopure 1-phosphino-2-sulfenylferrocene ligands 1 possessing exclusively planar chirality is described. In the case of the readily available tert-butylsulfenyl derivatives very high enantioselectivities were obtained in the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethyl malonate (ee's up to 97%) and nitrogen nucleophiles (ee's up to 99.5%). Palladium complexes of these ferrocenes were characterized by NMR and X-ray diffraction, revealing the P,S-bidentate character of the ligands 1 and the formation of a single epimer on the stereogenic sulfur atom resulting from the complexation with palladium. A model justifying the observed asymmetric induction exerted by this novel family of chiral ferrocenes, supported by solution NMR studies on a palladium allylic complex, is discussed.

Intramolecular Pauson-Khand reactions of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters and related electron-deficient olefins.

The intramolecular Pauson-Khand (PK) reaction of a variety of electron-poor enynes having an ester, cyano, or phosphonate group at the olefin terminus is described. Depending on the reaction conditions and substitution at the enyne, their dicobalthexacarbonyl complexes led preferentially to the exocyclic 1,3-diene or to the PK cyclopentenone product. In general, the 1,3-diene was obtained as the major product under N-oxide-promoted conditions, while the PK product was selectively formed in refluxing acetonitrile.

2-amino-substituted 1-sulfinylferrocenes as chiral ligands in the addition of diethylzinc to aromatic aldehydes.

A simple and modulable access to a structural variety of enantiopure amino-substituted ferrocenyl sulfoxides and their use as chiral catalysts in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aromatic aldehydes is described. Moderate to high enantioselectivities (up to 96% ee) were obtained in the case of the arylsulfonamide ligands (R(Fc), R(S))-4h and (R(Fc), R(S))-4i. It has been demonstrated that the planar chirality of the ferrocene unit is the decisive chiral element involved in the reaction.