Primary 1-arylcyclopropylamines from aryl cyanides with diethylzinc and titanium alkoxides.

1-Aryl-substituted primary cyclopropylamines are conveniently prepared from aromatic nitriles and diethylzinc. The yields range from 40 to 56% for donor-substituted (five examples) to 62-82% for non- and acceptor-substituted substrates (nine examples).

Intramolecular titanium-mediated aminocyclopropanation of terminal alkenes: easy access to various substituted azabicyclo[n.1.0]alkanes.

[reaction: see text] A variety of substituted azabicyclo[n.1.0]alkanes were synthesized by intramolecular titanium-mediated cyclopropanation of N-benzyl-N-(2-alkylalk-3-enyl)formamides and N-benzyl-N-alkadienylformamides.

A new suzuki-heck-type coupling cascade: indeno[1,2,3]-annelation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Under palladium catalysis, o-bromobenzeneboronic acid can be coupled with 1-bromonaphthalene (6) and with oligocyclic bromoarenes to furnish indeno-annelated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 1-4 and 25 in a single operation in moderate to good yields (27-87%). Alternatively, o-dibromoarenes and 1,2-dibromocycloalkenes can be cross-coupled with 1-naphthaleneboronic acid under the same conditions to yield analogous products (6-87%), and indenocorannulene (19) can be prepared likewise in a single step from pinacol corannuleneboronate (18) (40%).

Highly stereoselective and efficient synthesis of functionalized cyclohexanes with multiple stereocenters.

Chiral 7-oxo-2-enimides 2, which were readily obtained through a silyloxy-Cope rearrangement of syn-aldol products 1, have proved to be versatile substrates for a one-step, highly efficient and stereoselective synthesis of functionalized cyclohexanes. Organocopper and organoaluminum reagents have been employed as nucleophiles that underwent a conjugate addition to the enimide structure of the Cope products. The enolates formed in situ attacked the aldehyde or iminium ion in an intramolecular aldol or Mannich reaction, respectively, to directly yield cyclohexanols 3 and 4 and cyclohexylamines 5, respectively, in moderate to good yields and with excellent stereocontrol.

Efficient synthesis of biaryl lactones by domino retro-Michael-aldol-lactonization reactions.

Biaryl lactones were prepared by novel domino retro-Michael-aldol-lactonization reactions of 2,3-dihydropyrans.

Reactivities of methylenetriangulanes and spirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidenes toward bromine. Relative stabilities of spirocyclopropanated versus methyl-substituted bromonium ions.

The bromine additions to methylenecyclopropane (1), bicyclopropylidene (2), and spirocyclopropanated methylenecyclopropanes and bicyclopropylidenes 3-6 in methanol at 25 degrees C proceed essentially with the same rate as those to the corresponding oligomethyl-substituted ethylenes. An increasing number of spiroannelated three-membered rings enhances the rate of bromination and stabilizes the intermediate cyclopropyl bromonium cations against ring opening in the course of bromine addition. Calculations at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level show that unsymmetrical bromonium ions are the intermediates, and that they are stabilized by the spiroannelation with cyclopropane rings.

Domino reactions of amidines with methyl 2-chloro-2-cyclopropylideneacetate as an efficient access to cyclobutene-annelated pyrimidinones.

[reaction: see text] An efficient one-step synthesis of 2,4-diazabicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1(6),2-dien-5-ones 3 from methyl 2-chloro-2-cyclopropylideneacetate (1) and amidines 2a-c as well as N,N-dimethylguanidine (2d) is described.

Efficient and stereoselective synthesis of bicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-ones: synthesis and palladium-catalyzed isomerization of functionalized 2-vinyl-2,3,3a,4,5,6-hexahydro-2,3-benzofurans.

A new C,O-cyclodialkylation of dilithiated cyclic beta-keto esters and beta-keto sulfones with 1,4-dibromo-2-butene is reported which results in regio- and diastereoselective formation of 2-vinyl-2,3,3a,4,5,6-hexahydro-2,3-benzofurans. The products could be efficiently transformed into functionalized bicyclo[3.2.

The first enantiomerically pure [n]triangulanes and analogues: sigma-[n]helicenes with remarkable features.

(M)-(-)- and (P)-(+)-Trispiro[2.0.0.

Efficient synthesis of tetrasubstituted alkenes by allylsilane-terminated domino-Heck double cyclisation.

The domino-Heck double cyclisation of the arylbromides 1, which contain an allylsilane and an alkyne moiety and are easily accessible by an addition of the corresponding lithiated alkynes 5 to the aldehydes 4, leads to the tetrasubstituted alkenes 2 and 3 in good yield. The reaction produces exclusively compounds with an E double bond and additionally proceeds with good to excellent induced diastereoselectivity in the case of 1e and 1f. Irradiation of 2e leads to a steady state equilibrium of the E and Z compounds in a 1:1 ratio.

Chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselective synthesis of functionalized cyclopropanes by cyclization of dilithiated nitriles with epibromohydrin.

The cyclization of 1,1-dianions with epibromohydrin results in chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselective formation of functionalized hydroxymethyl cyclopropanes. [reaction: see text]

Chameleon Thermal Behavior of Cycloadducts of Nitrones to Methyl 2-Chloro-2-cyclopropylidene- and 2-Chloro-2-spiropentylideneacetates.

Methyl 2-chloro-2-cyclopropylideneacetate (2) and its spiropentane analogue 3 cycloadd to dihydroisoquinoline N-oxide (9), pyrroline N-oxide (12), and C-phenyl-N-methylnitrone (16) to give 5-spirocyclopropaneisoxazolidines in good yields (58-93%). The thermal behavior of the 5-spirocyclopropaneisoxazolidines is rather differentiated, depending strongly on the constitution of the nitrone and the solvent. As nitrone 9 has the tendency to undergo cycloreversion reactions, the ketoamide rearrangement products 20 and 21 from its cycloadduct derive from the thermodynamically favored 4-spirocyclopropaneisoxazolidine regioisomers formed after the cycloreversion process.

Synthesis of radialene-shaped pyrroles by multiple-anion-capture reactions of 1,3-dianions.

A new multicomponent reaction (multiple-anion-capture reaction) of 1,3-dianions with nitriles and oxalic acid-bis(imidoyl)chlorides is reported. This process allows for an efficient and regioselective synthesis of a variety of radialene-shaped pyrroles which constitute structurally new and interesting heterocyclic systems. The cyclization products can be considered as aza-analogues of the pharmacologically relevant substance class of 3-acetyltetramic acids.

A strategy for tumor-selective chemotherapy by enzymatic liberation of seco-duocarmycin SA-derivatives from nontoxic prodrugs.

Immuno-conjugates obtained by linking enzymes with appropriate monoclonal antibodies, which bind to tumor-associated antigens, can be employed in a tumor-selective antibody directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT). For this strategy the glycosides 17a--c were prepared as prodrugs of CI-TMI 14 which is a structurally simplified analogue of the highly potent antitumor agent duocarmycin SA 2. Exposure of 17a--c to cultured carcinoma cells of line A549 displayed a very low toxicity; however, after addition of the corresponding enzymes and exposure for 24 h at prodrug concentrations of <0.

Chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective cyclizations of 1,3-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)-1,3-butadienes with alpha-chloroacetic acid chlorides and alpha-chloroacetic acetals.

Treatment of 1,3-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)-1,3-butadienes with alpha-chlorocarboxylic acid chlorides resulted in chemo- and regioselective formation of 6-chloro3,5-dioxo esters, which were regioselectively converted into functionalised 3(2H)furanones. Chemo- and regioselective condensation of 1,3-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)-1,3-butadienes with alpha-chloroacetic dimethyl acetal afforded 6-chloro-5-methoxy-3-oxo esters, which could be regio- and stereoselectively transformed into 2-alkylidene-4-methoxytetrahydrofurans.

Facial-selective allylation of methyl ketones for the asymmetric synthesis of alpha-substituted tertiary homoallylic ethers.

The asymmetric synthesis of enantiomerically pure a-substituted tertiary homoallylic ethers 4a, 11 and 12a-c by the allylation of ethyl methyl ketone (la) with gamma-substituted allylsilanes 9a-h is described. The allylsilanes were obtained by a nickel-catalysed Grignard cross-coupling reaction of (E)- and (Z)-(3-iodoallyl)trimethylsilane with various Grignard reagents. The reaction of the allylsilanes with la in the presence of the trimethylsilyl ether of N-trifluoroacetylnorpseudoephedrine (3), and catalytic amounts of a mixture of trimethylsilyl triflate and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid led to the homoallylic ethers 4a, 11 and 12a-c with two new stereogenic centres, with a selectivity of 1:9 to >20:1 for the homoallylic and of 1:99 to >60:1 for the allylic centre.

Direct transformation of silyl enol ethers into functionalized allenes.

The first elimination reactions of silyl enol ethers to lithiated allenes are reported. These reactions allow a direct transformation of readily available silyl enol ethers into functionalized allenes. The action of three to four equivalents of lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) on silyl enol ethers results in the formation of lithiated allenes by initial allylic lithiation, subsequent elimination of a lithium silanolate, and finally, lithiation of the allene thus formed.

Regio- and stereoselective synthesis of Nor-nonactinic acid derivatives--kinetic reaction control in the Lewis acid mediated domino reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl dianions with 1-bromo-2,3-epoxypropanes.

Reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl dianions with epibromohydrin derivatives results in formation of functionalized 2-alkylidene-5-hydroxymethyltetrahydrofurans. These reactions proceed by chemoselective attack of the dianion onto the carbon attached to the bromine atom and subsequent nucleophilic attack of the resultant monoanion onto the epoxide. The cyclization products, which were formed with very good regio- and stereoselectivities, are of pharmacological relevance and represent versatile building blocks for the synthesis of natural products.

Stereoselective Multiple Functionalization of Pyrylium Salts by Domino Reactions with 2-Silyloxybuta-1,3-dienes.

Six at a time! Up to six stereogenic centers can be diastereoselectively formed in one step in three-component domino reactions of 4-silyloxypyrylium triflates with 2-silyloxybuta-1,3-dienes. Annulated or bridged ring systems such as 1 and 2, respectively, can be formed with high selectivity. R =silyl group; R , R =organyl group.