Synfacts 2010(4): 0395-0395  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1219507
Synthesis of Heterocycles
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Gold-Catalyzed Synthesis of THFs and Pyrrolidines by Oxidative Coupling

Contributor(s): Victor Snieckus, Timothy Hurst
G. Zhang, L. Cui, Y. Wang, L. Zhang*
University of California Santa Barbara, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
22 March 2010 (online)

Significance

Reported is the synthesis of tetra­hydrofurans and pyrrolidines 3 via a gold-catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling. The reaction is tolerant of substituted pent-4-en-1-ols, including primary and tertiary alcohols. In general, N-tosyl pent-4-en-1-amines proved superior substrates giving pyrrolidines 3 in good to excellent yields. Weakly or strongly activated arylboronic acids participated efficiently in the reaction. In contrast, poor yields were obtained using electron-rich boronic acids, most likely due to incompatibility with Selectfluor. Disappointingly, internal alkenes were found to be inert under the reaction conditions. Six-membered heterocycles 5 and 6 were also prepared using this method, although the yield of tetrahydropyran 5 was poor.