Bimolecular coupling reactions through oxidatively generated aromatic cations: scope and stereocontrol

Chromenes, isochromenes, and benzoxathioles react with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone to form stable aromatic cations that react with a range of nucleophiles. These oxidative fragment coupling reactions provide rapid access to structurally diverse heterocycles. Conducting the reactions in the presence of a chiral Brønsted acid results in the formation of an asymmetric ion pair that can provide enantiomerically enriched products in a rare example of a stereoselective process resulting from the generation of a chiral electrophile through oxidative carbon–hydrogen bond cleavage.