Controllable Phosphine-Catalyzed Three-Component Domino Reaction of Activated Alkenes with Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) Carbonates: Divergent Synthesis of Densely Functionalized Cyclopentanes and Diquinanes

An unexpected phosphine-catalyzed controllable three-component domino reaction involving [1 + 2 + 2] annulation and [1 + 2 + 2]/[3 + 2] sequential annulation reaction of 2-arylmethylidene cyanoacetates/malononitriles with Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates has been developed. A broad range of densely functionalized cyclopentanes and diquinanes bearing five or four consecutive stereogenic centers, including two all-carbon quaternary stereocenters, were smoothly acquired in moderate to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions from readily available materials. Moreover, this divergent transformation enables the simultaneous generation of three or four new C-C bonds and one or two carbocyclic rings in only one step.