Metal carbene-promoted sequential transformations for the enantioselective synthesis of highly functionalized cycloheptadienes.

A two-step, three-component coupling of an alkyne, enol ether, and vinyl diazoester was accomplished by use of successive metal carbene-catalyzed transformations. This efficient approach to cycloheptadienes is both diastereo- and enantioselective. Kinetic resolution was accomplished on dienol ethers bearing a racemic chiral center at the propargylic position.

Equilibrium control in enyne metathesis: crossover studies and the kinetic reactivity of (E,Z)-1,3-disubstituted-1,3-dienes.

The stereoselectivity of diene bond formation in the ruthenium-carbene mediated intermolecular enyne metathesis was studied. Initial reaction between an alkyne and 1-hexene gave mixtures of E- and Z-isomers in the newly formed 1,3-diene. However, over time the mixtures equilibrated to form mostly the diene of the E-configuration.

Cross enyne metathesis of para-substituted styrenes: a kinetic study of enyne metathesis.

[Reaction: see text] The intermolecular enyne metathesis between alkynes and styrene derivatives was developed to study electronic effects in enyne metathesis. A Hammett plot for the overall reaction, catalyst initiation and vinyl carbene turnover was determined with the second generation Grubbs ruthenium carbene catalyst.

Ethylene-promoted intermolecular enyne metathesis.

[reaction: see text] Intermolecular enyne metathesis between functional group-rich alkynes and vinyl ethers was promoted by ethylene cometathesis. The concentration of ethylene was optimized to suppress the competing formation of butadiene through background ethylene metathesis. The role of ethylene appears to be both protective and rate enhancing.

Intermolecular enol ether-alkyne metathesis.

[reaction: see text] A new intermolecular metathesis between a variety of alkynes and alkyl enol ethers is described. The best results were obtained with the second generation Grubbs' precatalysts. The reaction occurred with a high degree of regioselectivity and provided electron-rich dienes, which underwent a variety of [4 + 2] cycloadditions.

Aromatic amination/imination approach to chiral benzimidazoles.

The powerful Buchwald-Hartwig amination was utilized for the construction of the benzimidazole nucleus with the substituted nitrogen atom bearing a chiral substituent. A successive amination/imination was followed by an acid-catalyzed ring closure step to give the benzimidazole ring. The products were deprotonated and acylated at the C2 position and could be alkylated on nitrogen to give chiral benzimidazolium salts.