We report a formal [4+2] cycloaddition reaction of styrenes under visible-light catalysis. Two styrene molecules with different electronic or steric properties were found to react with each other in good yield and excellent chemo- and regioselectivity. This reaction provides direct access to polysubstituted tetralin scaffolds from readily available styrenes. Sophisticated tricyclic and tetracyclic tetralin analogues were prepared in high yield and up to 20/1 diasteroselectivity from cyclic substrates.

Aldehydes are among the most versatile functional groups for synthetic chemistry. However, access to polysubstituted alkyl aldehydes is very limited and requires lengthy synthetic routes that involve multiple-step functional-group conversion. This paper reports a one-step synthesis of polysubstituted aldehydes from readily available olefin substrates using visible-light photoredox catalysis. Despite a number of competing reaction pathways, commercial styrenes react with vinyl ethers selectively in the presence of an acridinium salt photooxidant and a disulfide hydrogen-atom-transfer catalyst under blue LED irradiation. Alkyl aldehydes with different substitution patterns are prepared in good yields. This strategy can be applied to structurally sophisticated substrates.

No abstract

We report a formal [4+2] cycloaddition reaction of styrenes under visible‐light catalysis. Two styrene molecules with different electronic or steric properties were found to react with each other in good yield and excellent chemo‐ and regioselectivity. This reaction provides direct access to polysubstituted tetralin scaffolds from readily available styrenes. Sophisticated tricyclic and tetracyclic tetralin analogues were prepared in high yield and up to 20/1 diasteroselectivity from cyclic substrates.

Alkyl chromium(0) carbene complexes typically undergo cycloadditions with alkynes to afford carbo- or heterocyclic compounds. In the presence of Pd catalyst, it is demonstrated that a traditional cycloaddition pathway is completely altered: instead of cycloaddition, oxidative cross-coupling reaction of alkyl chromium(0) carbene complexes with terminal alkynes occurs. The coupling reaction exhibits excellent functional group tolerance and good efficiency.

Summary Polysubstituted bicyclic acetals are a class of privileged pharmacophores with a unique 3D structure and an adjacent pair of hydrogen bond acceptors. The key, fused acetal functionality is often assembled, via intramolecular cyclization, from linear substrates that are not readily available. Herein, we report a formal cycloaddition between cinnamyl alcohols and cyclic enol ethers under ambient photoredox catalysis conditions. Polysubstituted bicyclic acetals can be prepared in one step from readily available building blocks. Employment of sugar-derived enol ethers allows easy access to a library of scaffolds with intriguing conformation and medicinal chemistry potential.

Aldehydes are among the most versatile functional groups for synthetic chemistry. However, access to polysubstituted alkyl aldehydes is very limited and requires lengthy synthetic routes that involve multiple‐step functional‐group conversion. This paper reports a one‐step synthesis of polysubstituted aldehydes from readily available olefin substrates using visible‐light photoredox catalysis. Despite a number of competing reaction pathways, commercial styrenes react with vinyl ethers selectively in the presence of an acridinium salt photooxidant and a disulfide hydrogen‐atom‐transfer catalyst under blue LED irradiation. Alkyl aldehydes with different substitution patterns are prepared in good yields. This strategy can be applied to structurally sophisticated substrates.