Studies on the transition metal-catalyzed synthesis of variously substituted (E)-3-[1-(aryl)methylidene]- and (E)-3-(1-alkylidene)-3H-furan-2-ones

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(97)10265-4

5-Aryl and 5-alkyl substituted (E)-3-[1-(aryl)methylidene]- and (E)-3-(1-alkylidene)-3H-furan-2-ones, (E)-9, have been selectively synthesized by cyclization of the corresponding (E)-2-(1-alkynyl)-3-aryl/alkylpropenoic acids, (E)-11, in the presence of AgNO₃ or Pd-catalysts such as trans-di(μ-acetato)bis[(di-o-tolylphosphino)benzyl]dipalla-dium(II) or that constituted of a mixture of Et₃N and PdCl₂(PhCN)₂ or PdCl₂(CH₃CN)_2. in a 3:1 molar ratio, respectively. A representative (E)-5-aryl-3-[1-(aryl)methylidene]-3H-furan-2-one, i.e. (E)-9i, has been also prepared by a tandem process involving a Pd(0)- and Cu(I)-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between an 1-alkyne and a (Z)-3-aryl-2-bromopropenoic acid followed by a catalytic intramolecular oxypalladation of the resulting cross-coupled product. However, when this same approach was used to prepare an (E)-5-alkyl-3-[1-(aryl)methylidene]-3H-furan-2-one, i.e. (E)-9j, a mixture of (E)-9j and the corresponding (E)/(Z)-5-(1-alkylidene)-3-(aryl)methyl-5H-furan-2-one, i.e. (E)/(Z)-20, was obtained. Finally, in an attempt to prepare an (E)-4-alkyl-5-aryl-3-[1-(aryl)methylidene]-3H-furan-2-one, i.e. (E)-14a, by a tandem process involving the intramolecular oxypalladation of an (E)-enynoic acid, (E)-11, followed by a cross-coupling reaction of the resulting compound with aryl iodide, a (Z)-5-(1-alkynyl)-4-aryl-3-arylmethyl-5H-furan-2-one, i.e. (Z)-22, has been stereoselectively obtained.