Carbo- and heterocyclic compounds are of great interest to chemists. Intramolecular cyclization strategies of donor-acceptor (D-A) cyclopropanes and alkylidene malonate monoamides have excellent potential for synthesis as they offer easy access to structurally-diverse compounds. The work described in this thesis accesses the scope of the In(OTf)3-catalyzed cyclization reaction of cyclopropanes and alkylidene malonate monoamides. In(OTf)3-catalyzed reactions of alkenyl and heteroaryl cyclopropyl ketones were examined in the synthesis of functionalized cyclohexenone-based derivatives (Chapter 2). Subsequent efforts to utilize a tandem cyclopropane ring-opening/Friedel-Crafts alkylation sequence of methyl 1-(1H-indolecarbonyl)-1-cyclopropanecarboxylates to prepare functionalized hydropyrido[1,2-a]indole-6(7H)-ones is discussed in Chapter 3. The extension of this tandem protocol towards the total synthesis of (±)-deethyleburnamonine is the subject of Chapter 6. Intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation of N-indolyl alkylidene malonate monoamides was also examined. An In(OTf)3-catalyzed cyclization of substituted methyl 2-(1H-indole-1-carbonyl) acrylates afforded a series of 1H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]indole-3(2H)-ones (Chapter 4), whereas substrates with the indole 2-position blocked provided access to substituted 4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-4-ones (Chapter 5).

Alkenes can undergo a variety of chemical reactions to form more complex molecules with a range of functional groups. This makes them useful starting materials for synthesizing a wide range of organic compounds. Chapter I provided an overview of the development history of alkenyl C−H bond activation. The early reactions of C−H compounds with metal complexes, as well as stoichiometric activation of the transition metal-activated C–H bond, were discussed. Then the first successful and efficient organometallic-catalyzed transformations of a C−H bond, the first transition metal-catalyzed vinylic C–H functionalization, and the first transition metal-catalyzed olefinic C–H functionalization under mild conditions were demonstrated. Finally, enantioselective vinylic C–H functionalization was discussed. In Chapter II, a method for enantioselective vinylic C(sp2)−H bond activation using a Ru(II) catalyst and a chiral transient directing group was developed. Chiral amine was also utilized to control the Z/E stereoselectivity. The method demonstrated a broad substrate scope with good yield, high Z/E ratio stereoselectivity, and excellent enantioselectivity. Its synthetic utility was demonstrated by the synthesis of key structural motifs of particularly useful natural products and pharmaceutical compounds. Additionally, a rare vinylic C−H bond activated ruthenic complex was isolated and determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The methodology suggested in this work is expected to facilitate the further development of asymmetric vinylic C−H functionalization reactions. In Chapter III, a practical and efficient methodology for Ru(II)-catalyzed enantioselective alkenyl C–H bond functionalization of indole-substituted acrylaldehyde derivatives via the chiral transient directing group (CTDG) strategy to obtain optically active pyrrolo[1,2-a]indole derivatives was suggested. The methodology resulted in a series of optically active products with good yields (up to 80%), good stereoselectivity (up to 25.0:1 Z/E), and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 95% ee). Furthermore, synthetic transformations were explored. Chapter IV presented the first demonstration of a sequentially composed catalytic substitution reaction of alkenes for building multi-amido methylated derivatives while reserving the π- components. The process involved a simple Fe (III)-catalyst and bisamidomethane reagent, which directly and selectively transformed α-substituted styrenes into several biologically and pharmaceutically relevant N-heterocycles through tandem processes.