Mn(III)-mediated formal [3+3]-annulation has been developed using readily available vinyl azides and cyclopropanols with a wide range of substituents. Vinyl azides were successfully applied as a three-atom unit including one nitrogen to prepare pyridines and δ-lactams by the reactions with monocyclic cyclopropanols as well as to construct 2-azabicyclo[3.3.1] and 2-azabicyclo[4.3.1] frameworks with bicyclic cyclopropanols, bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-1-ols, and bicyclo[4.1.0]heptan-1-ols. These reactions were initiated by a radical addition of β-carbonyl radicals, generated by the one-electron oxidation of cyclopropanols with Mn(III), to vinyl azides to give iminyl radicals, which cyclized with the intramolecular carbonyl groups. In addition, application of the present methodology to a synthesis of the quaternary indole alkaloid, melinonine-E, was accomplished.

Synthetic methods for 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-enes and 4-carbonylpyrroles have been developed that use copper-mediated/catalyzed reactions of N-allyl/propargyl enamine carboxylates under an O(2) atmosphere and involve intramolecular cyclopropanation and carbooxygenation, respectively. These methodologies take advantage of orthogonal modes of chemical reactivity of readily available N-allyl/propargyl enamine carboxylates; the complementary pathways can be accessed by slight modification of the reaction conditions.

Catalysts in a relay: A synthetic method for delivering highly substituted isoquinolines has been developed (see scheme; Cp*=C5Me5, DMF=N,N‐dimethylformamide, TEMPO=2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl). A preliminary mechanistic study showed that the rhodium and copper cooperate synergistically in the multistep sequence.

Polysubstituted N-H pyrroles with a wide variety of substituents were prepared from vinyl azides and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds by using Mn(III) complexes as catalysts.

A synthetic method of highly substituted quinolines has been developed from N-(2-alkynylaryl)enamine carboxylates under Cu-catalyzed aerobic conditions via intramolecular carbo-oxygenation of alkynes. This strategy was further applied for N-alkynylamidines for amino-oxygenation of alkynes, leading to imidazole and quinazoline derivatives.