Enantioselective Organocatalytic Synthesis of Bicyclic Resorcinols via an Intramolecular Friedel-Crafts-Type 1,4-Addition: Access to Cannabidiol Analogues.

The organocatalytic transformation of resorcinols is extremely rare. In this article, we report a highly enantioselective, organocatalytic intramolecular cyclization of these systems by a Friedel-Crafts-type 1,4-addition using a Jørgensen-Hayashi-like organocatalyst with a large silyl protecting group, and show that heat improves reaction yield with virtually no detriment to enantioselectivity. A variety of bicyclic resorcinols were obtained with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 94%). To show the utility of these constructs, and as part of a wider project involving the synthesis of cannabinoid-like compounds, the resorcinol formed was used to generate both 'normal' and 'abnormal' cannabidiol (CBD) derivatives which were shown to have anticonvulsant activity.

Cupreines and cupreidines: an established class of bifunctional cinchona organocatalysts.

Cinchona alkaloids with a free 6'-OH functionality are being increasingly used within asymmetric organocatalysis. This fascinating class of bifunctional catalyst offers a genuine alternative to the more commonly used thiourea systems and because of the different spacing between the functional groups, can control enantioselectivity where other organocatalysts have failed. In the main, this review covers the highlights from the last five years and attempts to show the diversity of reactions that these systems can control. It is hoped that chemists developing asymmetric methodologies will see the value in adding these easily accessible, but underused organocatalysts to their screens.