Cut and sew: benzofuran-ring-opening enabled cyclopentenone ring formation

Chem Commun (Camb). 2020 Oct 28;56(84):12817-12820. doi: 10.1039/d0cc05271j. Epub 2020 Sep 23.

Abstract

A facile approach to the fully substituted cyclopentenones involving an unprecedented benzofuran-ring-opening is described. The cleavage of a benzofuran endocyclic C2-O bond proceeded smoothly in the absence of any transition metal catalyst or highly reactive organometallic reagent. Such benzofuran-ring-opening is delicately incorporated into an acid-catalyzed cascade process, orchestrating a novel synthetic strategy for complex cyclopentenones with excellent yields and diastereoselectivities.