Synthesis of Pyrrolidines and Pyrrolizidines with α-Pseudoquaternary Centers by Copper-Catalyzed Condensation of α-Diazodicarbonyl Compounds and Aryl γ-Lactams.

N-aryl γ-lactams react intermolecularly with acceptor-acceptor diazo reagents, usually dicarbonyl compounds, in a copper-catalyzed process to yield functionalized pyrrolidines with α-pseudoquaternary centers. As 1,2-acyl or -phosphoryl migration is preferred, single regioisomers are obtained. Furthermore, in the presence of a Lewis acid, subsequent Friedel-Crafts reactions yield tricyclic pyrrolizidines in excellent yields (90-96 %) and diastereoselectivities (up to >20:1).

Synthesis of Spiro Ketals, Orthoesters, and Orthocarbonates by CpRu-Catalyzed Decomposition of α-Diazo-ß-ketoesters.

Reactions of α-diazo-ß-ketoesters with cyclic ketones, lactones, and carbonates are reported. Thanks to the combined use of salt [CpRu(CH3CN)3][BArF] and 1,10-phenanthroline as catalyst for the diazo decomposition, effective and practical syntheses of spiro bicyclic ketals, orthoesters, and orthocarbonates are afforded.

Asymmetric bromine-lithium exchange: on the importance of both the diamine ligand and the organolithium reagent.

The asymmetric bromine-lithium exchange on a series of prochiral biphenyls was investigated. As in many asymmetric organolithium reactions, the chiral ligand (here a diamine) was considered to be the enantiocontrolling element. We show here that the organolithium reagent also plays an important role.

Light-induced spin-state switching in the mixed crystal series of the 2D coordination network {[Zn1-xFex(bbtr)3](BF4)2}∞: optical spectroscopy and cooperative effects.

Depending on the iron(ii) concentration, the mixed crystals of {[Zn1-xFex(bbtr)3](BF4)2}∞, bbtr = 1,4-di(1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)butane, 0.01 ≤ x ≤ 1, show macroscopic light-induced bistability between the high-spin and the low-spin state. In the highly diluted system with x = 0.01 and up to x = 0.31, the photoinduced low-spin state always relaxes back to the high-spin state independent of the initial light-induced low-spin fraction. In the highly concentrated mixed crystals with x = 0.67, 0.87 and 1, the strong cooperative effects coupled to a crystallographic phase transition result in light-induced bistability with decreasing critical light-induced low-spin fraction and increasing hysteresis width for increasing iron(ii) concentrations. The lower limit for the light-induced bistability was estimated to be x ≈ 0.5.