A nucleophilic catalysis method providing a concise synthesis of di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted pyrroles is described. This regioselective one-pot method relies on nucleophilic catalysis of the intermolecular addition of oximes to activated alkynes and thermal rearrangement of the in situ generated O-vinyl oximes to form pyrroles that contain a functional group handle at the C3/C4 position.

The diastereo- and enantioselective direct vinylogous Michael addition reaction of γ-substituted butenolides to 2-enoylpyridines has been achieved. A range of γ,γ-disubstituted butenolide derivatives, bearing two consecutive tri- and tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers, were readily obtained in good yields with excellent stereoselectivities (up to >99 : 1 dr and >99% ee).

Treatment of ynol ether-tethered dialkyl acetals with catalytic quantities of scandium triflate in CH(3)CN gives rise to five-, six-, and seven-membered alkoxycycloalkene carboxylates in good to excellent yields. Tri- and tetrasubstituted carbocyclic and heterocyclic alkenes may be formed by this method, and the products obtained may serve as useful intermediates for natural product synthesis.

A diastereo- and enantioselective aldol reaction between aldehydes and a synthetically useful ketomalonate 1c as a hydrated form was developed, and either anti- or syn-aldol adducts having a chiral tetrasubstituted carbon center were obtained in high enantioselectivities by use of a tetrazole analogue of L-proline (S)-2 or an axially chiral amino sulfonamide (S)-3 as catalyst.

The development of a lead-mediated α-arylation reaction between aryl azides and β-ketoesters or γ-lactams that facilitates the formation of 3H-indoles is disclosed. Twenty-five examples are included which demonstrate the generality of this reaction to access aryl azides bearing tetrasubstituted o-alkyl substituents. When paired with a Staudinger reduction, this reaction streamlines the synthesi...

Hail boration! 2-Dimethylaminopyridine-ligated dihaloborocations [X2B(2-DMAP)](+) with a strained four-membered boracycle were used for the haloboration of terminal and dialkyl internal alkynes (see scheme). Esterification then provided vinyl boronate esters as useful precursors to tetrasubstituted alkenes. Following mechanistic studies, the scope of the haloboration was expanded simply by vari...

N-Heterocyclic carbene catalysed redox isomerisation with reduction about the carbonyl has been developed in the transformation of trienyl esters to tetrasubstituted benzaldehydes. The reaction proceeds in good to excellent yield, and in cases that provide 2,20-biaryls, enantioselectivity is observed. Mechanistic studies demonstrate the intermediacy of a cyclohexenyl b-lactone, while implicatin...

An NHC-catalyzed Michael/Michael/esterification domino reaction via homoenolate/enolate intermediates for the asymmetric synthesis of tetrasubstituted cyclopentanes bearing four contiguous stereocenters is described. A variety of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and 2-nitroallylic acetates react well with good domino yields and high stereoselectivities.

al-mcm-41 nanoreactors is found to be a remarkable efficient catalyst for one-pot multicomponent cyclocondensation of benzil, aniline or ammonium acetate and aromatic aldehydes for the synthesis of polysubstituted imidazoles under solvent-free conditions. the reaction was efficiently promoted by 10 mg nano-al-mcm-41 and the heterogeneous catalyst was recycled for four runs in this reaction with...