Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective Cyclopropanation of Internal Olefins with Diazomalonates.

The first enantioselective copper catalyzed cyclopropanation of internal olefins with diazomalonates is reported. This process provides a new method for the synthesis of chiral 1,1-cyclopropane diesters. With a chiral bi-side arm bisoxazoline-copper(I) complex, the reaction performed well over a series of substrates, giving the desired products in good yields (up to 95%) and excellent enantioselectivities (90-95% ee).

Highly Efficient Formal [2+2+2] Strategy for the Rapid Construction of Polycyclic Spiroindolines: A Concise Synthesis of 11-Demethoxy-16-epi-myrtoidine.

A novel formal [2+2+2] strategy for the stereoselective elaboration of polycyclic indole alkaloids is described. Upon treatment with the catalyst InCl3 (5 mol %), tryptamine-derived enamides reacted readily with methylene malonate, thus enabling rapid and gram-scale access to versatile tetracyclic spiroindolines with excellent diastereoselectivity (21 examples, up to 95 % yield, up to d.r.

Remote ester groups switch selectivity: diastereodivergent synthesis of tetracyclic spiroindolines.

Stereocontrol in the synthesis of structurally complex molecules, especially those with all-carbon quaternary stereocenters, remains a challenge. Here, we reported the preparation of a class of tetracyclic cyclopenta-fused spiroindoline skeletons through Cu(II)-catalyzed intramolecular [3 + 2] annulation reactions of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes with indoles. Both cis- and trans-diastereomers of tetracyclic spiroindolines are accessed with high selectivities by altering the remote ester groups of cyclopropanes.