TMSOTf‐Mediated Alkene Cyclization for the Construction of Indane and Polycyclic Terpene Skeletons

ABSTRACT

Five‐ and six‐membered saturated carbocyclic skeletons serve as core structural units in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, materials science, and life sciences. Herein, a metal‐free, mild, and efficient TMSOTf‐mediated alkene transformation method was developed, which enables the highly selective self‐dimerization cyclization of α ‐methylstyrene to efficiently afford multisubstituted indane derivatives. This system can be further extended to the tandem cyclization of polyenes, constructing complex polycyclic terpenoid skeletons with excellent diastereoselectivity (d.r. > 20:1).