Vitrimers are a new class of polymeric materials with very attractive properties, since they can be reworked to any shape while being at the same time permanently cross-linked. As an alternative to the use of transesterification chemistry, we explore catalyst-free transamination of vinylogous urethanes as an exchange reaction for vitrimers. First, a kinetic study on model compounds reveals the occurrence of transamination of vinylogous urethanes in a good temperature window without side reactions. Next, poly(vinylogous urethane) networks with a storage modulus of ≈2.4 GPa and a glass transition temperature above 80 °C are prepared by bulk polymerization of cyclohexane dimethanol bisacetoacetate, m-xylylene diamine, and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine. The vitrimer nature of these networks is examined by solubility, stress-relaxation, and creep experiments. Relaxation times as short as 85 s at 170 °C are observed without making use of any catalyst. In addition, the networks are recyclable up to four times by consecutive grinding/compression molding cycles without significant mechanical or chemical degradation.

By using a gallium(III) triflate catalyzed intramolecular (4+3) cycloaddition, a few functionalized furan-derived tricycles that share the common guaianolide sesquiterpene ring system were prepared in a stereoselective manner in only three steps from commercially available starting materials. A discussion of the formation of alternative products is included, with possible substrate requirements to achieve the key cycloaddition step in an efficient way.

A recently developed (4+3) cycloaddition between dienes and furfuryl alcohols, as precursors of oxyallyl-type cations, has been used as a key step in the racemic syntheses of two natural products: frondosin B and liphagal. This work demonstrates the synthetic potential of this cycloaddition reaction, and offers a short synthetic route to an interesting family of natural products. A full account of these synthetic studies is presented, further illustrating the mechanism, scope, and limitations of this straightforward synthetic method for seven-membered rings.

The synthesis of two new A-ring precursors, useful for the convergent assembly of 2α-ethyl and 2β-ethyl derivatives of 19-nor-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, is described. These building blocks were prepared in 14 steps from quinic acid, which led to a new and practical synthesis of 2α-ethyl-14-epi-19-nor-20-epi-23-yne-1,25(OH)₂D₃, an analog that shows a remarkably low calcemic effect in mice, while retaining the ability to promote cell differentiation and to inhibit cell proliferation in a number of human cancer cell lines.