Reactions of silyl-stabilised sulfur ylides with organoboranes: enantioselectivity, mechanism, and understanding.

The reaction of trimethylsilyl-substituted sulfonium ylides with organoboranes (Ph(3)B, Et(3)B) has been studied and although homologated products were obtained in good yield (after oxidation to the corresponding alcohols), the enantiomeric excesses were low with our camphor-based chiral sulfide (up to 40% ee, cf. corresponding phenyl-substituted sulfonium ylides gave >95% ee). Cross-over experiments were conducted to ascertain the nature of this difference in selectivity. Thus, aryl- and silyl-substituted sulfonium ylides (1 equiv.) were (separately) reacted with Et(3)B (1.5 equiv.) followed by Ph(3)B (1.5 equiv.) The experiments were repeated changing the order of addition of the two boranes. It was found that the aryl-substituted sulfonium ylide only trapped the first borane that was added indicating that ate complex formation was non-reversible and so was the selectivity determining step. In contrast the silyl-substituted sulfonium ylide only trapped Ph(3)B (it is more reactive than Et(3)B) indicating that ate complex formation was reversible and so 1,2-migration was now the selectivity determining step. The reactions have been studied computationally and the experimental observations have been reproduced. They have further revealed that the cause of reversibility in the case of the silyl-substituted sulfonium ylides results from ate complex formation being less exothermic and a higher barrier to 1,2-migration.

Samarium diiodide coupling of enones: a remarkable cascade sequence.

[reaction: see text] Treatment of cyclic enones with SmI(2) in THF/MeOH (4:1) led to tricyclic diol products in one step and, in the case of enone 7, gave the tetracycle 13 as a single diastereoisomer in up to 67% yield.

New synthesis of 1,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodiazepin-2(2H)-ones and 3-amino-1,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodiazepin-2(2H)-ones: Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of imidoyl chlorides with organoboronic acids.

A new approach to the synthesis of 1,4-benzodiazepines and 3-amino-1,4-benzodiazepines, which employs the Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of an imidoyl chloride with an organometallic reagent as the key step, is described. A five-step synthesis of a key intermediate is described and it is shown that in only four further steps (three couplings and a TFA-mediated BOC-deprotection) a wide variety of N1-, C3-amino-, C5-carbon-, or nitrogen-substituted 1,4-benzodiazepines can be synthesized.