Facile access to bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes by Lewis acid-catalyzed formal cycloaddition between silyl enol ethers and bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 6128 - 9
• Main Authors: Hu, Sai, Pan, Yuming, Ni, Dongshun, Deng, Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.07.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 140/131; 140/58; 639/638/403/933; 639/638/549/884; 639/638/549/933; Bicycles; Butanes; Catalysis; Cycloaddition; Drug tolerance; Ethers; Functional groups; Hexanes; Humanities and Social Sciences; Lewis acid; multidisciplinary; Natural products; Octanes; Pharmaceutical sciences; Prominences; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50434-6

Saturated three-dimensional carbocycles have gained increasing prominence in synthetic and medicinal chemistry. In particular, bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes (BCHs) have been identified as the molecular replacement for benzenes. Here, we present facile access to a variety of BCHs via a stepwise two-electron formal (3 + 2) cycloaddition between silyl enol ethers and bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes (BCBs) under Lewis acid catalysis. The reaction features wide functional group tolerance for silyl enol ethers, allowing the efficient construction of two vicinal quaternary carbon centers and a silyl-protected tertiary alcohol unit in a streamlined fashion. Interestingly, the reaction with conjugated silyl dienol ethers can provide access to bicyclo[4.1.1]octanes (BCOs) equipped with silyl enol ethers that facilitate further transformation. The utilities of this methodology are demonstrated by the late-stage modification of natural products, transformations of tertiary alcohol units on bicyclo[2.1.1]hexane frameworks, and derivatization of silyl enol ethers on bicyclo[4.1.1]octanes, delivering functionalized bicycles that are traditionally inaccessible. Saturated three-dimensional carbocycles have gained increasing prominence in synthetic and medicinal chemistry. Here, the authors present facile access to a variety of bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes via a stepwise two-electron formal (3 + 2) cycloaddition between silyl enol ethers and bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes under Lewis acid catalysis.