The catalytic construction of a monocyclic
medium-sized N,O-heterocyclic ring represents a formidable
challenge
in organic synthesis. Herein we report the synergistic palladium(0)/rhodium(II)
dual catalytic cycloaddition of vinylpropylene carbonates with N-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles to afford monocyclic nine-membered N,O-heterocycles. The catalytically generated 1,6-dipole-equivalent
zwitterionic π-allyl palladium(II) complex and the 1,3-dipole-equivalent
α-imino rhodium(II) carbenoid intermediate react with each other
in a formal [6 + 3] dipolar cycloaddition to furnish nine-membered
oxazonines, which can be transformed into cis-fused
[4.3.0] bicyclic compounds via a transannular Alder-ene rearrangement.
The tandem one-pot cycloaddition/Alder-ene rearrangement sequence
is also possible.