Pure and Applied Chemistry

Abstract: Recent development in the transition metal-catalyzed cyclization reactions for organic syntheses in the author's laboratories is summarized, which includes (i) novel silylcarbocyclizations (SiCaCs) and carbonylative carbotricyclizations, (ii) intramolecular silylformylations and desymmerization of siloxydiynes by sequential double silylformylation, (iii) efficient total synthesis of (+)-prosopinine, (iv) enantioselective desymmetrization of aminodienes, and (iv) new and efficient routes to 1-azabicyclo[x.y.0]alkane amino acids. All these processes are catalyzed by Rh or Rh­Co complexes, and useful for rapid and efficient construction of a variety of heterocyclic and carbocyclic compounds. Mechanisms of these new carbocyclization and cyclohydrocarbonylation reactions are also discussed.