Cyclization Simmons-Smith

The chemistry and utility of zinc-based Lewis acids are similar to those of their magnesium analogs. Their mild Lewis acidity promotes several synthetic reactions, such as Diels-Alder reactions, hetero Diels-Alder reactions,229 radical-mediated reactions,230 ene-type cyclization, and Simmons-Smith reactions. 

The Simmons-Smith reaction of chiral ( )-crotylsilane 192 produces 193, which subsequently undergoes a ring-opening reaction followed by cyclization under acidic conditions to give 194 (equation 161)283. 

Diphenylcyclopropane has been prepared previously by (1) the Simmons-Smith procedure (24% yleld) b,19 and modified versions of this method (up to 72%),20 (2) sulfonium ylide addition to 1,1-diphenylethene (61% yield),21 (3) reduction of 1,1-diphenyl-2,2-dihalocyclopropanes with sodium in ammonia (47% yield),22 with sodium and tert-butyl alcohol (80%), or with diethyl lithiomethanephosphonate (62%),23 (4) base-promoted cyclization of trimethyl(3,3-diphenylpropyl)ammonium iodide (78%),24 (5) boron trifluorlde-promoted cyclization of a corresponding 3-hydroxypropyistannane (97%),2 (6) reaction of 3,3-diphenylpropenoic acid with lithium aluminum hydride (62%),2 (7) reaction of... 

When the thioacetal (128) was treated with allylmagnesium bromide and subsequently with BFs etherate, nucleophilic addition on the carbonyl carbon and a subsequent cationic cyclization took place the product (129) was obtained by aromatization with loss of methanethiol (Scheme 18) <84TL5095>. The reaction of (128) under the Simmons-Smith reaction conditions gave the thienothiepine derivative (130). The proposed mechanism for the formation of (130) involves a nucleophilic attack of the initially formed sulfonium ylide intermediate, intramolecular aldol type condensation, aromatization and demethylation (Scheme 19) <89TL3093>. 

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