Versatile Syntheses of Alkynyl- and Substituted Alkynylcyclopropanes: 2-Alkoxyethynylcyclopropanes for the Anellation of Bicyclo[3.3.0]octane Fragments

Enol ethers 1a-f are brominated at - 78° C and the resulting alkyl 1,2-dibromoethyl ethers are regioselectively coupled with propargyl-magnesium bromide to give 4-alkoxy-5-bromo-1-pentynes 2a-f, which are protected at the acetylenic terminus with a trimethylsilyl group. These 4-alkoxy-5-bromo-1-trimethylsilyl-1-pentynes 3a-f readily cyclize by γ-elimination to give trimethylsilyl protected 2-alkoxyethynylcyclopropanes 4a-f in excellent overall yields. Under appropriate conditions (E)-diastereomers (E)-4a-f can be prepared selectively. The diastereoselectivity of the bromine addition onto enantiomerically pure chiral enol ethers 1e and 1f, however, is 64% (for 2f) at best. 2-Alkoxy-1-trimethylsilylethynyl-cyclopropanes (E/Z)-4 can be deprotonated with LDA or butyllithium to give configurationally stable 1-lithio derivatives (E)-6, which are trapped by reactive electrophiles (protons, carbonyl compounds, tosyl halides) with retention of configuration on the three-membered ring. 2-Alkoxy-1-ethynylcyclopropanes 5 can be used to anellate a bicyclo[3.3.0]octane fragment onto a cycloalkene in a domino-type reaction sequence, as demonstrated by the Pauson-Khand cycloaddition of (E)-5c to norbornene (14) as well as deltacyclene (20), and subsequent interconversion to the tetracyclic and hexacyclic compounds anti/syn-19 and anti/syn-25/27 with a reasonable degree of diastereoselectivity.