Nonsymmetrical 3,4-dithienylmaleimides by cross-coupling reactions with indium organometallics: synthesis and photochemical studies.

The synthesis and photochemical study of novel nonsymmetrical 1,2-dithienylethenes (DTEs) with a maleimide bridge have been carried out. The synthetic approach to the DTEs was based on successive selective palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of 5-susbtituted-2-methyl-3-thiophenyl indium reagents with 3,4-dichloromaleimides. The required organoindium reagents were prepared from 2-methyl-3,5-dibromothiophene by a selective (C-5) coupling reaction with triorganoindium compounds (R3 In) and subsequent metal-halogen exchange.

Nature of the intermediates in gold(I)-catalyzed cyclizations of 1,5-enynes.

The carbene or carbocationic nature of the intermediates in the gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,5-enynes can be revealed, depending on the ligands on the gold catalysts. Gold complexes with highly electron-donating ligands promote reactions that proceed via intermediates with carbene-like character, leading to products with a bicyclo[3.1.

Cross-coupling reactions of indium organometallics with 2,5-dihalopyrimidines: synthesis of hyrtinadine A.

The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of triorganoindium reagents (R3In) with 5-bromo-2-chloropyrimidine proceeds chemoselectively, in good yields, to give 5-substituted-2-chloropyrimidines or 2,5-disubstituted pyrimidines using 40 or 100 mol % of R3In, respectively. Sequential cross-couplings are also performed, in one pot, using two different R3In. This method was used to achieve the first synthesis of the alkaloid hyrtinadine A.