Phosphine-Catalyzed [4 + 1] Annulation of β'-Acetoxy Allenoate with α-Alkylidene Succinimides: Access to Functionalized Spirosuccinimide Derivatives.

A phosphine-catalyzed [4 + 1] annulation of β'-acetoxy allenoate with α-alkylidene succinimides is described. This method demonstrates the nucleophilic dialkylation and cyclization of α-alkylidene succinimides, resulting in the formation of functionalized spirosuccinimide derivatives. The reaction exhibits a wide substrate scope and yields ranging from moderate to excellent under the optimized conditions. In addition, the biological evaluation indicates that the cycloadduct 3u presents satisfied inhibitory activities for three human cancer cell lines (HCT116, A549, and HepG2).