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Updated: May 10, 2026

Efficient Construction of Drug-like Bispirocyclic Scaffolds Via Organocatalytic Cycloadditions of α-Imino γ-Lactones and Alkylidene Pyrazolones
Published on: February 7, 2019
Asymmetric construction of spirocyclopentenebenzofuranone core structures via highly selective phosphine-catalyzed [3
Klaus Albertshofer1, Bin Tan, Carlos F Barbas
1The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and the Departments of Chemistry and Cell and Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
Abstract:
An efficient organocatalytic asymmetric [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction between 3-substituted methylenebenzofuranone derivatives and diverse Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates to provide complex polysubstituted spirocyclopentenebenzofuranone scaffolds in a single step is reported. C2-symmetric phospholanes were efficient nucleophilic catalysts of this transformation under mild conditions, providing reaction products comprised of three consecutive stereocenters, including one all-carbon center, with excellent enantioselectivity.
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