Alkylation of aromatic rings with alkyl halides is an important transformation in organic synthesis, yet an enzymatic equivalent is unknown. Here, we report that cylindrocyclophane biosynthesis in Cylindrospermum licheniforme ATCC 29412 involves chlorination of an unactivated carbon center by a novel halogenase, followed by a previously uncharacterized enzymatic dimerization reaction featuring sequential, stereospecific alkylations of resorcinol aromatic rings. Discovery of the enzymatic machinery underlying this unique biosynthetic carbon-carbon bond formation has implications for biocatalysis and metabolic engineering.

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Rh-bound trimethylenemethane variants generated from the interaction of a Rh-carbenoid with an allene have been applied to the synthesis of substituted 3,4-fused pyrroles. The pyrrole products are useful starting points for the syntheses of various dipyrromethene ligands. Furthermore, the methodology has been applied to a synthesis of the natural product cycloprodigiosin, which demonstrates antitumor and immunosuppressor activity.

A general method for the formation of fused dihydroazepine derivatives from 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles bearing a tethered diene is reported. The process involves an intramolecular cyclopropanation of an α-imino Rh(II)-carbenoid, leading to a transient 1-imino-2-vinylcyclopropane intermediate which rapidly undergoes a 1-aza-Cope rearrangement to generate fused dihydroazepine derivatives in moderate to excellent yields. The reaction proceeds with similar efficiency on gram-scale. The use of catalyst-free conditions leads to the formation of a novel [4.4.0] bicyclic heterocycle.