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The successive coupling of an alkoxy(aryl/heteroaryl)carbene complex of chromium with either a ketone or an imide lithium enolate and then a 3-substituted (H, TMS, PhCH(2), PhCH(2)CH(2), Me) propargylic organomagnesium reagent has afforded novel hydroxy-substituted bicyclic [4.3.0]-γ-alkylidene-2-butenolides with three modular points that has allowed the efficient introduction of molecular complexity, including a homopropargylic alcohol core. The selective formation of these five- or six-component heterobicyclisation products is the result of the regioselective integration of the Grignard reagent as a propargyl fragment followed by a cascade CO/alkyne/CO insertion, ketene trapping and elimination sequence. By using lithium enolates of chiral N-acetyl-2-oxazolidinones and the corresponding propargylic organocerium reagents, both enantiomers of these bicyclic heterocycles were efficiently prepared with very high enantiomeric purity. Architecturally, these fused bicyclic butenolides are characterised by a highly unsaturated and oxygenated core and they exhibit strong blue fluorescence in solution.

We have developed a diastereoselective synthesis of dispiro compounds through a one-pot domino pseudo-eight-component reaction of amines, aldehydes, and Meldrum’s acid. This method resulted in the generation of complex products with four stereocentres and involves formation of 10 new bonds. Quantum mechanical calculations were undertaken in order to determine the stability of the eight diastereomer structures of compound 4a. The crystal structure of 4k was determined by X-ray crystallography. Reaction mechanism can proceed through Knoevenagel, Aldol condensations, Diels-Alder cycloaddition, and Michael addition.