Rhodium(II)-Catalyzed Desaturative [3+2] Tandem Cyclization of Arylcycloalkanes with beta-Dicarbonyls

Synthetically important scaffolds, fused tricyclic frameworks containing a 2,3-cyclo[b]dihydrofuran unit, play a crucial role in drug discovery. In this study, we demonstrate that rhodium(II)/N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide can catalyze the in situ generation of highly reactive alkene intermediates from commonly accessible alkanes, which undergo intermolecular [3+2] tandem cyclization with the simultaneously generated beta-dicarbonyl radical to synthesize a series of fused tricyclic frameworks containing a 2,3-cyclo[b]dihydrofuran unit with a quaternary carbon center.