A synthetic analogue of the marine natural product cribrostatin 6 is synthesized that selectively triggers apoptosis in cancer cells via elevation of intracellular ROS.

Thermally induced rearrangements of 4-hydroxycyclo­butenones are known to provide clean and reliable access to an array of useful carbocyclic and fused heterocyclic ring systems. Rarely, such reactions have been diverted to an alternative pathway leading to furanone formation. Herein, we show that these switches in the course of the rearrangement occur when a substrate bears a bulky substituent and are due to adverse steric buttressing as the transition state for electrocyclisation is approached. We also show how the reaction provides new opportunities for furanone synthesis and how bulky proton and halogen surrogates can be used to divert classical rearrangement pathways toward furanone formation. Additionally, we show that classical rearrangement pathways can be promoted by the simple expedient of alcohol protection.

A thermal rearrangement leading to dihydrofuropyridinones and related polycyclic ring systems from furanones and cyclobutenones is described. A key feature of the reaction is the thermally induced hydride transfer from a 3°-amine to a conjugated allene to trigger cyclization.

A dichotomy between the additions of organolithiums and lithium amides to cyclobutenediones is described wherein the former give carbonyl addition products while the latter induce ring opening by enone cleavage...