Selective C-C and C-H Bond Activation/Cleavage of Pinene Derivatives: Synthesis of Enantiopure Cyclohexenone Scaffolds and Mechanistic Insights

The continued development of transition-metal-mediated C-C bond activation/cleavage methods would provide even more opportunities to implement novel synthetic strategies. We have explored the Rh(I)-catalyzed C-C activation of cyclobutanols resident in hydroxylated derivatives of pinene, which proceed in a complementary manner to the C-C bond cleavage that we have observed with many traditional electrophilic reagents. Mechanistic and computational studies have provided insight into the role of C-H bond activation in the stereochemical outcome of the Rh-catalyzed C-C bond activation process. Using this new approach, functionalized cyclohexenones that form the cores of natural products, including the spiroindicumides and phomactin A, have been accessed.