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The NaBH4 (or TBABH4)-promoted electrochemically reductive cleavage of aryl C-O bonds in diaryl ethers to produce phenols and arenes with high yields and excellent selectivities at room temperature was reported. Air- and water-tolerable, this process also works on the cleavage of aryl alkyl and benzyl ethers. The application to break the β-O-4, α-O-4, and 4-O-5 lignin model compounds is also illustrated, which highlights the advance toward the goal of lignin conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The PdCl2-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation reaction of propargylic amines with CuCl2 and benzoquinone afforded (E)-α-chloroalkylidene-β-lactams in moderate to good yields. The formation of the corresponding Z-isomers or five-membered products was not observed. The reaction of the readily available optically active prop argylic amines provides a convenient synthesis of the corresponding (E)-α-chloroalkylidene-β-lactams with high ee values. The structure and the stereochemistry of the products were established by the X-ray single-crystal diffraction study of (E)-6d and (E)-6e, which indicates that the stereoselectivity in this reaction is different from what was observed with propargylic alcohols. A rationale for this reaction was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A good regio- and stereoselectivity was observed for the PdCl2-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation of 2-alkynols with CuCl2 affording (Z)-α-chloroalkylidene-β-lactones. The highly optically active (Z)-α-chloroalkylidene-β-lactones could be easily prepared from the readily available optically active prop argylic alcohols. The Pd(II)-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation of 2-alkynols with CuBr2 was also studied. Although the yields of (Z)-α-bromoalkylidene-β-lactones were low, due to the relatively higher activity of the C-Br bond, the coupling reactions of (Z)-α-bromoalkylidene-β-lactones were quite smooth to afford the corresponding products in high yields. A rationale for this reaction is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, highly stereoselective synthesis of an azaspirocyclic core, which contains four stereogenic carbons consistent with structures of natural halichlorine and pinnaic acid, is presented. Lipase PS-catalyzed selective acylation, asymmetric methylation on the α-methylene of the bicyclic lactone, and an asymmetric Michael addition of the tertiary nitro cyclopentane were concisely used to conquer the challenging problem of successfully constructing the C9 quarternary carbon center with complete stereocontrol. The spiropiperidine ring was formed by reduction of the δ-nitroketone, intramolecular condensation, and then highly stereoselective reduction of the cyclic nitrone with NaBH4. This spirocyclic core is a key intermediate in Danishefsky's synthesis of pinnaic acid and halichlorine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]