Synthesis of Multi-Substituted Bicycloalkyl Boronates: An Intramolecular Coupling Approach to Alkyl Bioisosteres

Bicyclic hydrocarbons, bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes (BCPs) in particular, play an emerging role as saturated bioisosteres in pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and material chemistry. Taking advantage of strain release strategies, prior synthetic studies have featured the synthesis of bridgehead-substituted (C1, C3) BCPs from [1.1.1]propellane. This work describes a novel approach to accessing multi-substituted BCPs via a new type of intramolecular cyclization. In addition to the C1, C3-disubstituted BCPs, this method also enables the construction of yet underexplored tri-substituted (C1, C2 and C3) BCPs from readily accessible cyclobutanones. The broad generality of this cyclization is examined through synthesis of a variety of caged bicyclic molecules, ranging from [1.1.1] to [3.2.1] scaffolds. The modularity afforded by the pendant bridgehead Bpin resulted from the cyclization is demonstrated via several downstream functionalizations, highlighting the ability of this approach for programmed and divergent synthesis of multi-substituted bicyclic hydrocarbons.