Copper-free intramolecular alkyne-azide cycloadditions leading to seven-membered heterocycles.

Treatment of alk-2-ynyl derivatives of enantiopure phenylglycidol with NaN(3) triggers a cascade reaction consisting of stereospecific and regioselective epoxide ring opening followed by intramolecular azide-alkyne cycloaddition under strictly metal-free conditions. This simple one-pot procedure allows a fast buildup of molecular complexity, generating a wide array of triazolooxazepinols, triazolodiazepinols, and triazolothiazepinols.

New approach to the stereoselective synthesis of tertiary methyl ethers.

The Lewis acid-mediated addition of titanium enolates from 1 to dimethyl ketals of aliphatic methyl ketones followed by removal of the chiral auxiliary furnishes enantiomerically pure derivatives containing a tertiary methyl ether and a contiguous stereocenter in a straightforward manner.