Triquinanes: a "one-pot" IMDA-tandem metathesis cascade strategy: ring-closing metathesis (RCM) dominates norbornene ROM!

A general route to linear triquinanes including a formal synthesis of (+/-)-Delta(9(12))-capnellene is described. This cascade strategy combines an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction tandem metathesis protocol to generate the linear cis-anti-cis-tricyclo[6.3.0.0(2,6)]undecane skeleton directly. Significantly, the ring-closing-ring-opening-cross-metathesis (RCM-ROM-CM) sequence with our norbornene adducts is the only observed mechanism.

Synthesis of 1,2-dihydropyridines using vinyloxiranes as masked dienolates in imino-aldol reactions.

[reaction: see text] The application of vinyloxiranes, substituted with an electron-withdrawing group, as masked dienolates in vinylogous imino-aldol reactions was achieved. Under the reaction conditions highly substituted 1,2-dihydropyridines were obtained in moderate to good yields. Mechanistic studies indicate that the reaction proceeds via the formation of an (E)-amino-alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde, followed by isomerization to the (Z)-isomer, cyclization, and elimination of a water molecule, leading to the formation of the 1,2-dihydropyridine.