Heck-Aldol cascades

In many of the previous cases, palladium is the sole mediator of the reaction. Xiao and collaborators, however, found a catalytic two-bond-forming reaction that furnishes 1-indanones with the aid of a solvent [45]. The Heck-aldol-type cascade allows a great variety of aryl aldehydes/ketones in combination with an array of enol inputs (Scheme 14.24). The product contains the indan scaffold of the antibacterial pterosin C, which is also found in a diverse set of marketed drugs, for example, (-E)-indacrinone (hypertension) and donepezil (HIV protease inhibitor). 

Recent advances in the cyclizations catalyzed by transition metals and their complexes are reviewed. The catalytic cyclizations discussed here include various carbocyclizations, for example, cycloisomerization, cycloaddition, reductive cyclization, and so on cascade carbocyclizations, for example, cyclotrimerization, silylcarbocyclization, and Heck reaction carbonylative carbocyclizations cyclohy-drocarbonylations intramolecular hydrosilylations intramolecular silylformyla-tions and aldol cyclizations. These reactions serve as efficient and useful methods for the syntheses of a variety of heterocycles and carbocycles that are important... 

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