Yuxue Li

Highly Enantioselective Iridium-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of 2-Benzylquinolines and 2-Functionalized and 2,3-Disubstituted Quinolines

The enantioselective hydrogenation of 2-benzylquinolines and 2-functionalized and 2,3-disubstituted quinolines was developed by using the [Ir(COD)Cl](2)/bisphosphine/I(2) system with up to 96% ee. Moreover, mechanistic studies revealed the hydrogenation mechanism of quinoline involves a 1,4-hydride addition, isomerization, and 1,2-hydride addition, and the catalytic active species may be a Ir(III) complex with chloride and iodide.

An Organocatalytic Asymmetric Tandem Reaction for the Construction of Bicyclic Skeletons

Cyclic ketones react with (E)-2-nitroallylic acetates in the presence of catalytic pyrrolidine-thiourea, which affords bicyclic skeletons with four or five stereocenters in one single reaction with up to 98 % ee in moderate to high yields. The cooperative effects of both enamine and the Brønsted acid are found to be crucial for the high reactivity and enantioselectivity of this cascade reaction, which is demonstrated by both theoretical calculation and experimental data.

Highly effective and diastereoselective synthesis of axially chiral bis-sulfoxide ligands via oxidative aryl coupling.

A series of axially chiral bis-sulfoxide ligands have been efficiently synthesized via oxidative coupling with high diastereoselectivities. The axial chirality is well controlled by the tert-butylsulfinyl or the p-tolylsulfinyl group. These axially chiral bis-sulfoxides proved to be remarkably efficient ligands for the rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to 2-cyclohexenone with 99% ee.

Gold-Catalyzed Oxidative Ring Expansion of 2-Alkynyl-1,2-Dihydropyridines or -quinolines: Highly Efficient Synthesis of Functionalized Azepine or Benzazepine Scaffolds

A gold-catalyzed highly regio- and chemoselective oxidative ring expansion of 2-alkynyl-1,2-dihydropyridines and its analogues using pyridine-N-oxide as the oxidant has been developed. Ring expansion proceeds through exclusive 1,2-migration of a vinyl or phenyl group, whereas no 1,2-H and 1,2-N migration take place. The reaction provides an efficient and attractive route to various types of medium-sized azepine derivatives in generally high to excellent yields with a broad functional group tolerance. DFT studies indicate that the reaction proceeds through the formation of a cyclopropyl gold intermediate, and no gold carbene species is involved.

Design and Enantioselective Construction of Axially Chiral Naphthyl-Indole Skeletons

The first enantioselective construction of a new class of axially chiral naphthyl-indole skeletons has been established by organocatalytic asymmetric coupling reactions of 2-naphthols with 2-indolylmethanols (up to 99 % yield, 97:3 e.r.). This approach not only affords a new type of axially chiral heterobiaryl backbone, but also provides a new catalytic enantioselective strategy for constructing axially chiral biaryl scaffolds by making use of the C3-electrophilicity of 2-indolylmethanols.

Iron(III)-Catalyzed Cyclization of Alkynyl Aldehyde Acetals: Experimental and Computational Studies

FeCl(3)6 H(2)O- and FeBr(3)-catalyzed Prins cyclization/halogenation of alkynyl aldehyde acetals has been realized with acetyl chloride or bromide as halogen source in dichloromethane to afford 2-(1-halobenzylidene or alkylidene)-substituted five-membered carbo- and heterocycles, and thus provides an alternative route for vinylic C-Cl and C-Br bond formation. Five- to eight-membered cyclic enones were efficiently synthesized by FeCl(3)6.H(2)O-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of alkynyl aldehyde acetals in acetone under mild conditions. An oxocarbonium species generated in situ is proposed to initiate the reaction, and the target products are formed via vinylogous carbenium cation and oxete intermediates according to DFT calculations. Intermolecular reactions of alkynes and aldehyde acetals were also investigated with 20-40 mol% FeCl(3)6.H(2)O catalyst, and produced alpha,beta-unsaturated enones and chlorinated indene derivatives. The present protocol has applications in the synthesis of carbo-, oxa- and azacycles.

Gold(I)-catalyzed furan-yne cyclizations involving 1,2-rearrangement: efficient synthesis of functionalized 1-naphthols and its application to the synthesis of wailupemycin G.

Gold-catalyzed cascade cyclization/1,2-rearrangement of 1-(2-furanyl)phenyl propargyl alcohols has been developed, which provides a rapid and efficient access to multisubstituted 1-naphthols bearing an enal or enone moiety with high stereoselectivity. The (Z)- or (E)-stereochemistry can be easily controlled by choosing protected- or non-protected substrates. The utility of the methodology has been illustrated in the first total synthesis of wailupemycin G.

Generation of Allenic/Propargylic Zirconium Complexes and Subsequent Cross-Coupling Reactions: A Facile Synthesis of Multisubstituted Allenes

The beta-alkoxide elimination reaction of propargylic ether with Negishi reagent leads to allenes and/or alkynes after hydrolysis. The product distribution is highly dependent on the substitution pattern of starting propargylic ethers; that is, aryl- or alkyl-substituted propargylic ethers favor the allene products, whereas TMS-substituted propargylic ethers afford alkynes. DFT calculations revealed that both the large steric effect and the beta-effect of the TMS group favor the alkyne products, reversing the selectivity. Subsequent coupling reactions of the allenic/propargylic zirconium intermediates with aryl iodides in the presence of Pd(PPh(3))(4)/CuCl provide a straightforward route for the synthesis of multisubstituted allenes.

BF3⋅OEt2‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Reactions of Vinylidenecyclopropanes with Bis(p‐alkoxyphenyl)methanols: A Novel Cationic 1,4‐Aryl‐Migration Process

BF(3)OEt(2)-catalyzed reactions of vinylidenecyclopropanes (VDCPs) 1 with bis(aryl)methanols 2 were thoroughly investigated. When VDCPs 1 reacted with electron-rich bis(aryl)methanols 2, diastereomeric rotamers of indene derivatives formed in excellent yields by a novel cationic 1,4-aryl migration between two carbon atoms and the subsequent intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction pathways in the presence of BF(3).OEt(2) under mild conditions. As for electron-deficient or less-electron-rich bis(aryl)methanols 2, either trialkene products formed in good yields by direct deprotonation, or another type of indene derivative was produced by direct intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction, depending on the substituents on the cyclopropane of VDCPs. In addition, DFT calculations were carried out to explain the experimental results. Plausible mechanisms for all these transformations are proposed on the basis of the experimental and computational results.

Structures and stabilities of C60-rings

Abstract A method to construct various C60-rings is given. 36 C60-rings with D n h and C n v symmetries have been investigated using self-consistent-field molecular orbital method. Their stabilization energies (E) are mainly affected by the distortion of the C60 balls (σ), the number of double bonds introduced into pentagons per C60 (j) and the number of formed intermolecular bonds (k). Their electronic properties are discussed and compared with those of single C60.