Divergent Access to Benzocycles through Copper-Catalyzed Borylative Cyclizations

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/adsc.202100812

A copper-catalyzed chemodivergent approach to five- and six-membered benzocycles from dienyl arenes tethered with a ketone has been developed. Through proper choice of coordinating ligands and catalytic conditions, copper-catalyzed borylative cyclization of a single dienyl arene can be diverted to two different pathways, leading to indanols and dihydronaphthalenols with high stereoselectivity. The chiral bidentate bisphosphine ligand (S,S)-Ph-BPE was optimal for asymmetric copper-allyl addition to a tethered ketone via a boat-like transition state, whereas NHC ligands led to boro-allyl addition producing indanols with high diastereoselectivity. (Figure presented.).