Isocyanides are versatile building blocks, and have been extensively exploited in CH functionalization reactions. However, transition-metal-catalyzed direct CH functionalization reactions with isocyanides suffer from over-insertion of isocyanides. Reported herein is a radical coupling/isomerization strategy for the cross-coupling of isocyanides with active methylene compounds through silver-catalysis. The method solves the over-insertion issue and affords a variety of otherwise difficult to synthesize β-aminoenones and tricarbonylmethanes under base- and ligand-free conditions. This report presents a new fundamental CC bond-forming reaction of two basic chemicals.

Decarbonylation of saccharins by nickel catalysis enables two kinds of CC bond-forming reactions; homocoupling of saccharins to form biaryls and cycloaddition with alkynes to form benzosultams. The former represents the first reported nickel-catalyzed decarbonylative CC homocoupling reaction, whereas the latter constitutes a powerful method to pharmaceutically relevant benzosultams. The reactions proceed with good functional-group tolerance and excellent regioselectivity.

Isocyanides are versatile building blocks, and have been extensively exploited in CH functionalization reactions. However, transition-metal-catalyzed direct CH functionalization reactions with isocyanides suffer from over-insertion of isocyanides. Reported herein is a radical coupling/isomerization strategy for the cross-coupling of isocyanides with active methylene compounds through silver-catalysis. The method solves the over-insertion issue and affords a variety of otherwise difficult to synthesize β-aminoenones and tricarbonylmethanes under base- and ligand-free conditions. This report presents a new fundamental CC bond-forming reaction of two basic chemicals.

An environmentally friendly route to fully substituted 4,5-dihydropyrroles was developed through the iron-catalyzed [4C+1N] cyclization of 4-acetylenic ketones with primary amines in 1,5-pentanediol.

Differently substituted 4-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)but-1-ynes were conveniently converted into the corresponding thiophenes and dihydrothiophenes in good to high yields under mild conditions. 1,3-Dithiolan-2-ylidene acted as a masked thiolate anion and underwent tandem fragmentation and 5-exo-dig annulation with an alkyne moiety to form the five-membered sulfur heterocycles.

Cyclopentadienes are valuable intermediates in organic synthesis and also ubiquitous as the Cp ligands in organometallic chemistry. As part of ongoing efforts to develop novel organic reactions that employ functionalized alkynes, a [3+2] cycloaddition of propargylic alcohols and ketene dithioacetals has been developed, which leads to fully substituted 2,5-dialkylthio cyclopentadienes in good to excellent yields. In an unusual dethiolating Diels–Alder reaction, the cyclopentadienes were further reacted with maleimides to afford a family of novel fluorescent polycyclic compounds.

The hydroazidation of alkynes is the most straightforward pathway to synthetically useful vinyl azides. However, a general hydroazidation of alkynes remains elusive. Herein, a chemo- and regioselective transformation of ethynyl carbinols into vinyl azides is described. This reaction produces a wide variety of 2-azidoallyl alcohols with high efficiency and in good to excellent yields. These compounds constitute a new class of densely functionalized synthetic intermediates. Their synthetic potential has been demonstrated by further transformations into NH aziridines. The mechanistic aspects of the reaction will attract the attention of chemists working on alkyne chemistry and silver catalysis. The findings that are described in this paper represent significant advances in the regioselective hydroelementation of alkynes and open a new reaction manifold for exploitation.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Prof. Xihe Bi at Northeast Normal University, China. The cover illustrates the reductive deoxyallenylation of challenging sterically hindered tertiary propargylic alcohols, through the reaction with 2-nitrobenzenesulfonylhydrazide (NBSH), by the combined use of FeF₃ and HOTf catalysts. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201404692.

Reductive deoxyallenylation of sterically hindered tertiary propargylic alcohols was realized on reaction with 2-nitrobenzenesulfonylhydrazide (NBSH) by the combined use of Lewis and Brønsted acid catalysts. This method features a broad substrate scope, mild reaction conditions, and good functional-group tolerance, and affords various mono-, di-, and trisubstituted allenes in good-to-excellent yields. The synthetic utility of this method was demonstrated by the synthesis of 2H-chromenes and 1,2-dihydroquinolines.

Cross-coupling reactions between propargylic alcohols and isocyanides, by means of silver catalysis, have been described. This new reaction is both atom and step efficient and is applicable to a broad scope of substrates, allowing the synthesis of a range of synthetically valuable 2,3-allenamides in moderate to excellent yields.

Cyclopentadienes are valuable intermediates in organic synthesis and also ubiquitous as the Cp ligands in organometallic chemistry. As part of ongoing efforts to develop novel organic reactions that employ functionalized alkynes, a [3+2] cycloaddition of propargylic alcohols and ketene dithioacetals has been developed, which leads to fully substituted 2,5-dialkylthio cyclopentadienes in good to excellent yields. In an unusual dethiolating Diels–Alder reaction, the cyclopentadienes were further reacted with maleimides to afford a family of novel fluorescent polycyclic compounds.

The hydroazidation of alkynes is the most straightforward pathway to synthetically useful vinyl azides. However, a general hydroazidation of alkynes remains elusive. Herein, a chemo- and regioselective transformation of ethynyl carbinols into vinyl azides is described. This reaction produces a wide variety of 2-azidoallyl alcohols with high efficiency and in good to excellent yields. These compounds constitute a new class of densely functionalized synthetic intermediates. Their synthetic potential has been demonstrated by further transformations into NH aziridines. The mechanistic aspects of the reaction will attract the attention of chemists working on alkyne chemistry and silver catalysis. The findings that are described in this paper represent significant advances in the regioselective hydroelementation of alkynes and open a new reaction manifold for exploitation.