We present a Lewis acid catalyzed nucleophilic ring-opening of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes and -butanes by sydnones, utilizing their respective 1,3- 1,4-reactivity. The same conditions can be applied for the addition sydnones to Michael acceptors. propose Friedel-Crafts like mechanism. reaction provides rare, low-temperature, transition metal-free, functional group tolerant protocol late-stage...

Novel β-aminocyclobutanecarboxylic acid derivatives were prepared via a sequential solvent-free aza-Michael addition of benzophenone imine across 3-halopropylidenemalonates and base-induced ring closure. These highly substituted cyclobutanedicarboxylic acid derivatives were subjected to a reactivity study which demonstrated the tendency of these donor-acceptor substituted four-membered rings to...

An activated Michael acceptor type of probe by an intramolecular hydrogen bond has shown a selective fluorescence turn-on response to cyanide through a conjugated addition of the nucleophilic anion to the enone probe with a 1300-fold increase in its fluorescence intensity.

An efficient method for the synthesis of a variety of pyrimidine derivatives 3a-t by reaction of barbituric acids 1a,b as Michael donor with nitroalkenes 2a-k as Michael acceptor using an aqueous medium and diethylamine is described. This 1,4-addition strategy offers several advantages, such as using an economic and environmentally benign reaction media, high yields, versatility, and shorter re...

Readily available chiral ammonium salts derived from cinchona alkaloids have proven to be effective phase transfer catalysts in the asymmetric Michael reaction of 3-substituted isoindolinones. This protocol provides a convenient method for the construction of valuable asymmetric 3,3-disubstituted isoindolinones in high yields and  moderate to good enantioselectivity. Diastereoselectivity was al...

A new asymmetric organocatalyzed intramolecular aza-Michael reaction by means of both a chiral auxiliary and a catalyst for stereocontrol is reported for the synthesis of optically active isoindolinones. A selected cinchoninium salt was used as phase-transfer catalyst in combination with a chiral nucleophile, a Michael acceptor and a base to provide 3-substituted isoindolinones in good yields a...

The first synthesis of marinopyrrole B, which is highly active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is described. The route involved constructing a pyrrole ring on the nitrogen of a 3-bromo-4,5-dichloropyrrole by N-alkylation with a special Michael acceptor having an allylic leaving group; the second pyrrole ring was then formed by a Paal-Knorr reaction.

Aza-Michael reactions between primary aliphatic and aromatic amines and various Michael acceptors have been performed under environmentally-friendly solventless conditions using acidic alumina as a heterogeneous catalyst to selectively obtain the corresponding mono-adducts in high yields. Ethyl acrylate was the main acceptor used, although others such as acrylonitrile, methyl acrylate and acryl...

A ruthenium-catalyzed hydrative cyclization of enynes has been developed. The reaction converts a range of 1,5-enynes bearing terminal alkyne and Michael acceptor moieties into cyclopentanone derivatives. From extensive catalyst screening experiments, a trinuclear ruthenium complex, [Ru3(dppm)3Cl5]PF6, has been identified to be an effective catalyst in mediating the 1,1-difunctionalization of a...