Samah Simaan

Hydroformylation Reaction of Alkylidenecyclopropane Derivatives: A New Pathway for the Formation of Acyclic Aldehydes Containing Quaternary Stereogenic Carbons

The rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation reaction of methylene- and alkylidenecyclopropane derivatives proceeds under mild conditions to lead to the exclusive formation of linear aldehydes and the stereointegrity of the quaternary carbon center remains unaffected in the process.

Cyclopropenylcarbinol Derivatives as New Versatile Intermediates in Organic Synthesis: Application to the Formation of Enantiomerically Pure Alkylidenecyclopropane Derivatives

The copper-catalyzed carbomagnesiation (or hydrometalation) reaction of chiral cyclopropenylcarbinol derivatives, obtained by means of a kinetic resolution of secondary allylic alcohols, leads to an easy and straightforward preparation of enantiomerically pure alkylidenecyclopropane derivatives. The reaction mechanism is composed of a syn-carbometalation followed by a syn-elimination reaction. To gain further insight into the reaction mechanism of the carbometalation, the diastereoselective formation of cyclopropylcarbinol was also achieved and was found to be very sensitive to the nature of the organometallic species used for the addition reaction. Cyclopropylcarbinol could also be prepared through a diastereoselective reduction of cyclopropenylcarbinol derivatives. Finally, functionalization of enantiomerically enriched cyclopropenylcarbinols into the corresponding acetate or phosphinite derivatives leads, under mild conditions, to various enantiomerically pure heterosubstituted alkylidenecyclopropanes.