Direct Syntheses of Spiro‐ and Fused‐Hydrofurans by a Tunable Tandem Semipinacol Rearrangement/Oxa‐Michael Addition Protocol

Abstract

A highly chemoselective one-pot reaction has been developed involving a tandem semipinacol rearrangement/oxa-Michael addition sequence in which the in situ generated ketol diene intermediate can be transformed specifically to either the spiro- or fused-dihydrofuran products (see scheme). This one-pot tandem reaction represents a general synthetic methodology for the syntheses of the two different kinds of furan derivatives.