No abstract

A nickel-catalyzed method for cyclizations of electron-deficient alkenes with tethered unsaturation in the presence of organozincs was developed. Considerable flexibility in the structure of each reactive component was observed. Enones, alkylidene malonates, unsaturated β-ketoesters, and nitroalkenes participated as the electron-deficient alkene; alkynes, enones, 1,3-dienes, and aldehydes participated as the tethered unsaturation; and a variety of sp2 and sp3-hybridized organozincs, including those that possess β-hydrogens, participated as the nucleophilic component. Substrate structure, organozinc structure, and ligand structure all played a significant role in determining product selectivities. Of particular synthetic significance was the opportunity to prepare either E or Z tri- or tetrasubstituted alkenes from a common alkyne. A discussion of probable mechanisms is provided.

No abstract

The large-scale epoxidation of the alkene 7 with the organocatalyst, Epoxone (10), and Oxone as the oxidant is described. This is the first large-scale application of the Shi epoxidation methodology. The large-scale preparation of the catalyst 10 is also described. The potassium salt of the unsaturated acid precursor 7 was prepared by a Suzuki coupling from 3-fluorobenzyl chloride and the vinylborane 8 derived from 4-pentynoic acid.

Substrates that possess an a,b-unsaturated carbonyl tethered to an alkyne have been utilized in a variety of nickel-catalyzed processes. Depending on ligand structure, reagent structure, reaction conditions, and workup conditions, several different monocyclic and bicyclic ring systems may be accessed from a common substrate. Evidence for a nickel metallacycle as a common intermediate is provided.