Organocatalyzed conjugate addition of carbonyl compounds to nitrodienes/nitroenynes and synthetic applications

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/adsc.200900814

The purpose of this study is to point out the synthetic utility of a new class of Michael acceptors (nitrodienes and nitroenynes). The highly enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition of carbonyl compounds to these functionalized nitroolefins has been carried out in the presence of (S)-diphenylprolinol silyl ether to achieve some interesting building blocks in high selectivities. The adducts thus obtained can be easily converted by taking advantage of the corresponding unsaturated carbon-carbon bond. In presence of the double bond, metathesis or electrophilic activation could be carried out whereas in the presence of the triple bond electrophilic acti-vation could be conducted. We thus focused on a gold-catalyzed cyclization of the bis-homopropargylic alcohol to afford the corresponding substituted tetrahydrofuran. Then, we also demonstrated that organic and gold catalysts were compatible in a one-pot process. Indeed, we developed a one-pot enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition to a nitroenyne followed by a gold-catalyzed acetalization/cyclization to achieve tetrahydrofuranyl ethers in high diastereoand enantioselectivities with excellent yields.