Urethanes synthesis from oxamic acids under electrochemical conditions.

Urethane synthesis via oxidative decarboxylation of oxamic acids under mild electrochemical conditions is reported. This simple phosgene-free route to urethanes involves an in situ generation of isocyanates by anodic oxidation of oxamic acids in an alcoholic medium. The reaction is applicable to a wide range of oxamic acids, including chiral ones, and alcohols furnishing the desired urethanes in a one-pot process without the use of a chemical oxidant.

Copper-catalyzed oxidative benzylic C(sp3)-H amination: direct synthesis of benzylic carbamates.

A new efficient strategy to access benzylic carbamates through C-H activation is reported. The use of a catalytic amount of a Cu(i)/diimine ligand in combination with NFSI ((PhSO2)2NF) or F-TEDA-PF6 as oxidants and H2NCO2R as an amine source directly leads to the C-N bond formation at the benzylic position. The mild reaction conditions and the broad substrate scope make this transformation a useful method for the late-stage incorporation of a ubiquitous carbamate fragment onto hydrocarbons.

p-Anisaldehyde-Photosensitized Sulfonylcyanation of Chiral Cyclobutenes: Enantioselective Access to Cyclic and Acyclic Systems Bearing All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters.

The photosensitized p-anisaldehyde-mediated addition of sulfonylcyanides onto the π-system of cyclobutenes is shown to afford highly functionalized cyclobutanes in high yields and diastereocontrol. The homochiral cyclobutene precursors are accessible on multigram scale in two steps through an asymmetric [2 + 2] cycloaddition/vinyl thioether reduction sequence. The enantiopure cyclobutylnitriles can be elaborated further through SmI2-mediated ring opening or converted into new enantiopure cyclobutenes through base-mediated sulfone elimination.

An Approach towards the Synthesis of the Spiroimine Fragment of 13-Desmethylspirolide†C and Gymnodimine†A.

A general access to the spiroimine skeleton of gymnodimine and spirolides is described, relying on the construction of the cyclohexene fragment using an enantiocontrolled Diels-Alder reaction, the installation of the all-carbon quaternary stereocenter through a stereocontrolled alkylation or aldolisation and the elaboration of the lateral chains at C7 and C22 using Wittig-Horner olefinations. The spiroimine core of gymnodimine is made available through a 16-step linear sequence in a 21 % overall yield.