Asymmetric Hydroformylation of Heterocyclic Olefins Catalyzed by Chiral Phosphine-Phosphite-Rh(I) Complexes.

Asymmetric hydroformylation of heterocyclic olefins catalyzed by phosphine-phosphite-Rh(I) complexes has been investigated. Hydroformylation of symmetrical heterocyclic olefins such as 2,5-dihydrofuran, 3-pyrroline derivatives, and 4,7-dihydro-1,3-dioxepin derivatives afforded the optically active aldehydes as single products in 64-76% ee. Unsymmetrical substrates such as 2,3-dihydrofuran and N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-2-pyrroline gave a mixture of regioisomers.

Synthesis of Highly Functionalized gamma-Butyrolactones from Activated Carbonyl Compounds and Dimethyl Acetylenedicarboxylate.

A triphenylphosphine-catalyzed cyclization of alpha-keto esters, alpha-keto nitriles, or alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoroacetophenone with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate is reported to produce highly functionalized alpha,beta-unsaturated gamma-butyrolactones in moderate yields. Thus treating a mixture of methyl 4-nitrophenylglyoxylate and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate with 20 mol % of triphenylphosphine afforded 5,5'-disubstituted 3-methoxy-4-(methoxycarbonyl)-2(3H)-furanone in 94% yield. In the reaction of alpha-keto esters R(1)COCOOMe, an electron-withdrawing R(1) substituent is required for satisfactory reactivity.