Enantioselective Rhodium-Catalyzed Atom-Economical Macrolactonization.

A highly attractive route toward macrolactones, which form the cyclic scaffold of a multitude of diverse natural compounds, is described. Although many chemical approaches to this structural motif have been explored, an asymmetric variant of the cyclization is unprecedented. Herein we present an enantioselective macrolactonization through an intramolecular atom-economical rhodium-catalyzed coupling of ω-allenyl-substituted carboxylic acids. The use of a modified diop ligand, chiral DTBM-diop, led to high enantioselectivity (up to 93 % ee). The reaction tolerated a large variety of functionalities, including α,ß-unsaturated carboxylic acids and depsipeptides, and provided the desired macrocycles with very high enantio- and diastereoselectivity.

C2-selective direct alkynylation of indoles.

The first C2-selective alkynylation of indoles using the hypervalent iodine reagent triisopropylsilylethynyl-1,2-benziodoxol-3(1H)-one (TIPS-EBX) with Pd(II) as a catalyst is described. This convenient and robust method gives a single-step access to substituted alkynyl indoles with very high C2 selectivity. The reaction is orthogonal to classical Pd(0) cross-coupling reactions, as it is tolerant to bromide and iodide substituents. The used silyl protecting group can be easily removed to give terminal acetylenes.