Copper-catalyzed skeletal rearrangement of o -propargylic aryloximes into four-membered cyclic nitrones - Chirality transfer and mechanistic insight

Copper-catalyzed skeletal rearrangement of O-propargylic aryloximes (E)-1 were carried out to afford the corresponding four-membered cyclic nitrones 2 in good to excellent yields. The optimal reactions conditions of the highly regioselective reactions involved the use of [CuCl(cod)]in acetonitrile at 70C. In the case of (Z)-1, however, the reaction proceeded in the absence of the copper catalysts to afford the identical compound 2 in good yields. Furthermore, the reactions were also carried out using chiral substrates (R)-1 in the presence of Cu catalysts to afford (R)-2 with good levels of chirality transfer.