Highly Regio- and Stereoselective Synthesis of Z and E Enol Esters by an Amine-Catalyzed Conjugate Addition–Rearrangement Reaction of Ynals with Carboxylic Acids

Abstract

The broad synthetic utility of labile enol esters demands efficient methods for the stereo- and regioselective synthesis of both Z and E isomers. The available synthetic methods dominated by metal catalysis cannot meet the challenge. We wish to report a metal-free organocatalytic divergent approach to both E and Z isomers of enol esters from the same reactant pools with the same catalytic system. A process involves an amine-catalyzed conjugate addition of carboxylic acids to ynals, which triggers a rearrangement leading to enol esters. The reaction proceeds highly regio- and stereoselectively. Simple manipulation of reaction temperatures enabled us to produce Z isomers at 0 °C (Z:E (15–20):1), whereas E isomers were produced at 30 °C (E:Z (15–20):1). Furthermore, the mild reaction conditions accommodate a broad array of densely functionalized carboxylic acids for the process, including complex biologically relevant structures and ynals. Therefore, synthetically valued, structurally diverse enol esters are...