RhII-Catalyzed [3+2] Cycloaddition of 2 H-Azirines with N-Sulfonyl-1,2,3-Triazoles.

Rh^II-catalyzed intermolecular [3+2] cycloaddition of 2 H-azirines with N-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles is disclosed, in which a series of fully functionalized pyrroles is produced via rhodium azavinyl carbene intermediates. A distinct feature of this reaction is that the azavinyl carbene serves as a [2 C] equivalent, instead of as [1 C] or aza-[3 C] synthons, which have been reported previously in cyclopropanations and [3+ n] cycloadditions. Moreover, this methodology has also been successfully applied in the total synthesis of URB447 as well as the formal synthesis of Atorvastatin (Lipitor). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]