[4+3] Cycloaddition of C-3 substituted furans. Stereoselectivity induced by coordination effects

Several C-3 substituted furans with chelating groups have been reacted with 2,3-dibromo-3-pentanone in the presence of a reducing metal, resulting in the formation of [4+3]-cycloadducts with complete cis–trans and endo–exo diastereoselectivity and in excellent yield. A certain variability of the conversion and reaction yield could be observed, when changing the reaction conditions, but in all cases the stereoselectivity was complete, compared to that of C-3 substituted furans with non-chelating groups. Also, a general method of assignment of stereochemistry of cycloadducts has been established by NMR, considering diagnostic patterns of signals with different multiplicity and chemical shifts depending on the stereochemistry of diastereomeric cycloadducts.