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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Efficient Construction of Drug-like Bispirocyclic Scaffolds Via Organocatalytic Cycloadditions of α-Imino γ-Lactones and Alkylidene Pyrazolones
Published on: February 7, 2019
An unexpected Michael-aldol-smiles rearrangement sequence for the synthesis of versatile optically active bicyclic
Nicole Holub1, Hao Jiang, Marcio W Paixão
1Center for Catalysis, Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Abstract:
A facile and simple organocatalytic procedure to generate optically active 6-alkyl- and 6-aryl-substituted bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-ones is presented. The reaction is catalysed by a 9-amino-9-deoxyepiquinine trifluoroacetic acid salt, which activates alpha,beta-unsaturated cyclic ketones for the 1,4-addition of beta-keto benzothiazoyl sulfones in a stereoselective fashion. Subsequent intramolecular aldol reaction and Smiles rearrangement gives rise to important optically active bicycles, which are a common motif in natural products, ligands in asymmetric catalysis and substrates for Cope rearrangements, photochemical reactions, radical cyclisations and metathesis. Different bicyclic structures were obtained by utilisation of various cyclic enones or by performing ring-expanding reactions. Furthermore, two possible mechanistic pathways are outlined and discussed.
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