Phosphine-Catalyzed [3+2] Annulation of Hepta-2,3,5-trienedioates with Alkenes for the Construction of Exocyclic Olefinic Cyclopentenes

Hepta-2,3,5-trienedioates 1 have been employed as substrates to explore Lewis base-catalyzed annulation reactions. This leads to the discovery of a phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] annulation of 1 with electron-deficient alkenes for the construction of exocyclic olefinic cyclopentenes in good yields and moderate E:Z ratios under mild conditions. The annulation is believed to proceed in a tandem [3+2] cyclization and double bond migration in which the ϵ-ester is crucial to both processes. This reaction also showcases a substrate-controlled divergent reactivity compared to that of a previous report.