Tandem Spirocyclopropanation/Rearrangement Reaction of Vinyl p-Quinone Methides with Sulfonium Salts: Synthesis of Spirocyclopentenyl p-Dienones

A novel base-mediated tandem spirocyclopropanation/rearrangement reaction of vinyl p-quinone methides (p-VQMs) with sulfonium salts is described. The unprecedented reactivity of p-VQMs was explored for the first time in the spiroannulation cascade, providing a stereoselective approach to the construction of synthetically interesting, densely functionalized spirocyclopentenyl p-dienones.