Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Conjugate Addition−Cyclization Reactions of Ethenetricarboxylates with Substituted Propargyl Alcohols: Stereoselectivity in the Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of Methylenetetrahydrofurans

Abstract
Oxygen-containing heterocyclic systems are important structures in organic chemistry because of their presence in many biologically active compounds. In this work, a Lewis acid-catalyzed cyclization of ethenetricarboxylate derivatives 1 with substituted propargyl alcohols to give methylenetetrahydrofurans was investigated. Reaction of 1 and γ-silicon-substituted propargyl alcohols 4 with ZnBr2 at 80−110 °C led to (Z)-silicon-substituted products stereoselectively. Reaction of 1 and γ-ester-substituted propargyl alcohol 7 in the presence of various Lewis acids gave ester-substituted methylenetetrahydrofurans stereoselectively. Interesting Lewis acid dependency on stereoselectivity for the reaction of 7 was found. Reaction of α-substituted propargyl alcohols also gave cyclized products.