TETRAHEDRON, cilt.64, sa.6, ss.988-1001, 2008 (SCI-Expanded)
Tandem carbonyl ylide formation-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alpha-diazo N-acetyl-tetrahydro-beta-carbolin-1-one derivatives occur efficiently in the presence of a dirhodium catalyst to afford bimolecular cycloadducts in high yield. The Rh(II)-catalyzed reaction also takes place intramolecularly to give products derived from trapping of the carbonyl ylide dipole with a tethered alkene. The power of the intramolecular cascade sequence is that it rapidly assembles a pentacyclic ring system containing three new stereocenters and two adjacent quaternary centers stereospecifically in a single step and in high yield. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.