An intramolecular Pd-catalyzed formal anti-carboalkoxylation reaction is presented that provides access to tetrasubstituted enol ethers. The key to success is a cascade consisting of a formal anti-carbopalladation of a carbon-carbon triple bond followed by a nucleophilic attack of a hydroxy group at the emerging vinyl organopalladium species. The desired transformation proceeded smoothly with primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols, and even with phenols. Depending on the substitution pattern of the enol ethers, a further Tsuji-Trost-type step may occur resulting in oligocyclic ketals.

Our endeavors in the design, realization and application of a formal anti-carbopalladation of alkynes are summarized. Whereas numerous examples of syn-carbopalladation steps embedded in cascade reactions are known, there have been almost no examples of the corresponding anti-carbopalladation steps. From a personal perspective, this account provides insights on the original considerations and hypotheses, and their validation or invalidation by experimental and computational means. This account also aims at clarifying how different ideas have been developed and how novel reaction sequences paving the way to a plethora of different scaffolds have been designed. The reader will recognize the importance of the interplay between elucidating reaction mechanisms and developing novel methodologies. As a result, useful methods to create homo- and heterotetrasubstituted double bonds have been developed. The broad versatility of these methods has been demonstrated by a novel total synthesis of the indole alkaloid (+)-lysergol.1 Introduction2 Initial Studies3 Various Termination Steps4 Termination with Heteronucleophiles5 Natural Product Synthesis6 anti-Carbopalladations Realized by the Lautens Lab7 Conclusion and Outlook

Highly substituted furans are generated by a cascade of formal anti-carbopalladation, attack of a nucleophilic hydroxy group, and aromatization by elimination of the emerging dihydrofuran derivative. Mono-, di-, and trisubstituted furans were obtained in good to excellent yields. When we attempted to access tetrasubstituted furan derivatives, an additional rearrangement was observed that resulted in the formation of chromenes. Follow-up chemistry shows the utility of TMS as a protecting group for the alkyne moiety.

A palladium-catalyzed intramolecular formal anti-carboamination of internal alkynes for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted enamines and pyrroles is reported. A broad range of different aniline derivatives, and also alkylated and benzylated amines, were used for the termination of the cascade. In the follow-up chemistry, we demonstrate that the TBS-protected pyrrole can be converted to a variety of other substituted pyrroles.