Synthesis of hetero- and carbocycles by nucleophilic substitution at sp2 carbon

Vinylic halides having alcohol, sulfonamide, active methine, and thiol moieties as nucleophiles cyclize to hetero- and carbocycles by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution at the sp2 carbon centers. The density functional theory calculations suggest that the cyclization proceeds through SN2-type substitution (the in-plane vinylic nucleophilic substitution, SNVσ), when vinyl halides are substituted with oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon nucleophiles. The substitution with sulfur nucleophiles, in contrast, proceeds through both routes of SNVσ and out-of-plane vinylic nucleophilic substitution (SNVπ).