Synlett 2021; 32(14): 1406-1418
DOI: 10.1055/a-1377-0346
account

Perrhenate Esters as Intermediates in Molecular Complexity-Increasing Reactions

Paul E. Floreancig
The time frame of the work reported in this Account was long, and numerous grants supported the work. We are grateful to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (R01-GM62924, P50-GM06082, and R01-GM103886) and the National Science Foundation (CHE-1151979) for generous funding of these projects.


Abstract

Allylic alcohols form perrhenate esters upon reaction with Re2O7 or HOReO3. These species undergo nonstereospecific and nonregiospecific alcohol-transposition reactions through cationic intermediates. Sequencing these nonselective processes with reversible trapping by electrophiles results in cyclization reactions where regio- and stereocontrol are dictated by thermodynamics. The cationic intermediates can also be utilized as electrophiles in intra- or intermolecular dehydrative reactions with nucleophiles. These processes serve as the basis for applications in catalytic syntheses of a wide range of heterocyclic and carbocyclic structures that often show considerable increases in molecular complexity. This Account describes a sequence of events that started from a need to solve a problem for the completion of a natural product synthesis and evolved into a central element in the design of numerous new transformations that proceed under mild conditions from readily accessible substrates.

1 Introduction

2 Exploratory Studies

3 Application to Spiroketal Synthesis

4 Reactions with Epoxides as Trapping Agents

5 Development of Dehydrative Cyclizations

6 Bimolecular Reactions

7 Spirocyclic Ether Formation

8 Conclusions



Publication History

Received: 18 December 2020

Accepted after revision: 28 January 2021

Accepted Manuscript online:
28 January 2021

Article published online:
18 February 2021

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