The development of rhodium-catalyzed diastereoselective N-sulfonylaminoalkenylation of azulenes using N-sulfonyltriazoles is described. This procedure can be successfully applied to rhodium-catalyzed diastereoselective N-sulfonylaminoalkenylation of azulenes starting from terminal alkynes and N-sulfonylazides via a three-component semi-one-pot process.

We report the development of highly enantio- and regioselective Pd-catalyzed intermolecular hydroaminations of challenging 1,4-disubstituted acyclic dienes. Several aryl/alkyl-disubstituted dienes and a sterically differentiated alkyl/alkyl-disubstituted diene undergo coupling with a variety of secondary aliphatic amines, indoline, and primary anilines to generate allylic amines with myriad α-alkyl groups in up to 78% yield, >98:2 rr, and 98.5:1.5 er. A number of experiments, including deuterium labeling and transamination studies, shed light on mechanistic details of the reaction, such as the reversibility of individual steps of the proposed catalytic cycle and of the reaction as a whole.

Rhodium-catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions via C-H activation and annulation directed by phosphonamide and phosphinamide groups were developed under aerobic conditions, which produced benzazaphosphole 1-oxides and phosphaisoquinolin-1-oxides.

Substituted indenes can be synthesized via the Brønsted acid catalyzed cyclization of diaryl- and alkyl aryl-1,3-dienes. In this approach, treatment of symmetric or unsymmetric diaryl- and alkyl aryl-1,3-dienes with a catalytic amount of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid gives a variety of indene derivatives in good to excellent yields under mild conditions.

A rhodium-catalyzed cyclization using alkynes and arylphosphonic acid monoesters for the synthesis of phosphaisocoumarins is reported. A number of arylphosphonic acid monoesters were selectively cyclized in high yields with functional group tolerance. In addition, unsymmetrical alkynes are applied in high regioselectivity.