Unlike other types of electron-deficient alkenes, alkenyl sulfones and alkenyl sulfoxides
are excellent alkene partners in Pauson-Khand reactions (PKR). In the case of the
intramolecular PKR of appropriately substituted 1-sulfinyl-1,6-enynes and 1-sulfonyl-3-oxygenated-1,6-enynes
novel stereoselective processes and applications in asymmetric synthesis have been
developed. Furthermore, using the cobalt-chelating dimethylaminophenyl vinyl sulfoxide
as substrate, their intermolecular PKR with terminal alkynes provide the first intermolecular
asymmetric version of PKR with non-strained alkenes. The resulting 5-sulfinyl-2-cyclopentenones
are versatile intermediates in the enantioselective synthesis of natural cyclopentanoids.
Pauson-Khand reaction - alkenyl sulfones - alkenyl sulfoxides - asymmetric synthesis
- chiral auxiliary - cyclopentanoid synthesis