Solid-state and solution photocycloadditions of 4-acyloxy-2-pyrones with maleimide

Solid-state photosensitized reactions of 4-acyloxy-2-pyrones (1b,c) with maleimide (2) afforded endo-endo double-[4+2] cycloadducts (3b,c) with high stereoselectivity. Sensitized photoreactions of 1a-d with 2 in solution gave exo-endo double-[4+2] cycloadducts (4a-d). 2-Pyrones 1a-d were photolyzed to give carboxylic acids (5a-d) via their valence isomerization in the solid state and in solution. Such kinds of photoreaction of the 4-acyloxy-2-pyrones were dramatically different from regio- and stereoselective [2+2] cycloadditions of 4-alkyloxy-2-pyrones. The photoreaction mechanisms of 1 with 2 and 1 itself were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction analysis and MO calculations.     

Comparative reactivity of N′-(5-benzoyl/ethoxycarbonyl)thiazol-2-yl-N,N-dimethylformamidines with ketenes

The comparative account of the reactivities of N′-[(5-benzoyl and ethoxycarbonyl)thiazol-2-yl]-N,N-dimethylformamidines (1a and 1b), tremendously influenced by the electronic nature of the substituents on C-5 of the thiazolic ring with various monosubstituted and conjugated ketenes is reported herein. The DA cycloadditions of the dienyl pyrimidinone 3h with both symmetrical as well as unsymmetrical dienophiles leading to the formation of various thiazolic pyrimidinone derivatives are also reported.     

Synthesis of arylated highly congested indans using a domino sequence

A novel and efficient regioselective synthesis of various arylated highly congested 7-aryl-5-methylsulfanylindan-4-carbonitriles (3a-f), methyl 7-aryl-5-methylsulfanylindan-4-carboxylates (10a-e) and 7-aryl-5-methylsulfanylindan-4-carboxylic acids (11a-e) through base-catalyzed reaction of 6-aryl-4-methylsulfanyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carbonitriles (1a-f) and methyl 6-aryl-4-methylsulfanyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carboxylates (9a-e) by cyclopentanone (2) has been delineated. The synthetic potential of 2-pyranone was explored further to generate molecular diversity using 6-aryl-4-sec-amino-2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carbonitriles (7a-h), 5,6-diaryl-4-methylsulfanyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carbonitriles (5a,b) and methyl 5,6-diaryl-4-methylsulfanyl-2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carboxylates (12a,b) as precursors for the ring transformation by cyclopentanone to assess the effects of substituents on the course of the reaction to obtain highly congested indans, 6,7-diaryl-5-methylsulfanylindan-4-carbonitriles (6a,b), 7-aryl-5-(piperidin-1-yl)indan-4-carbonitriles (8a-h) and methyl 6,7-diaryl-5-methylsulfanylindan-4-carboxylates (13a,b).     

Facile synthesis of 4-phenylquinolin-2(1H)-one derivatives from N-acyl-o-aminobenzophenones

An efficient synthesis of 4-phenylquinolin-2(1H)-one derivatives has been achieved in a one-pot reaction from N-acyl-o-aminobenzophenones 1a-c (a: acyl=acetyl; b: acyl=propanoyl; c: acyl=heptanoyl) using NaH as a base. Treatment of 1 with NaH provided the quinolones 2a-c with 62-83% yields, whereas the reaction in the presence of alkyl iodide (alkyl=methyl, ethyl, n-octyl) gave the corresponding N-alkylated quinolones 3a-g in 75-95% yields. The alkylation reaction of 4-phenylquinolin-2(1H)-one 2a with alkyl halide gave a mixture of N-alkylated and O-alkylated products. Comparison of IR and NMR data of the N-alkylated and O-alkylated compounds with those of 2a-c indicated that 2a-c exist as the lactam form.     

Stereoselective synthesis of 4-C-methyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-d-ribofuranose and 4-C-methyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-l-lyxofuranose

Sugar intermediates 4-C-methyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-d-ribofuranose (8b) and 4-C-methyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-l-lyxofuranose (8a) were synthesized by addition of alkylithium reagents to pentanones 3a,b. The nucleophilic additions proceeded with good stereoselectivity and good yields to give the titled compounds in four steps from perbenzylated methyl d-ribofuranoside and methyl 5′-deoxy-d-ribofuranoside.     

Stabilization of (N-methyleneamino)imidoylketenes: synthesis of dipyrazolo[1,2-a;1′,2′-d][1,2,4,5]tetrazines

Thermolysis of substituted methyl 1-methyleneamino-4,5-dioxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylates 2a,b led to substituted dimethyl 3,9-dioxo-1,5,7,11-tetrahydro-1H,7H-dipyrazolo[1,2-a;1′,2′-d][1,2,4,5]tetrazine-1,7-dicarboxylates 4a,b and methyl 2,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylates 5a,b as minor products. The structure of compound 4a was determined by X-ray crystallography. The proposed mechanism of this conversion includes generation of (N-methyleneamino)imidoylketenes 6a,b and its intramolecular transformation to azomethine imines—5-oxo-2,5-dihydropyrazole-1-methylium-2-ides 7a,b, which undergo dimerization in head-to-tail manner yielding products 4a,b and partially hydrolyse to compounds 5a,b.     

A two-step four-component queuing cascade involving a Heck coupling, π-allylpalladium trapping and Diels-Alder reaction

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of bicyclopropylidene (1) with iodoethene (11) in the presence of a secondary amine 12 provides allylidenecyclopropanes 13 which undergo immediate Diels-Alder reactions upon addition of dienophiles 14-18 to provide 8-(1′-aminoethyl)-substituted spiro[2.5]oct-7-ene derivatives 23a-26a in 29-66% yield. The same one-pot, two-step queuing cascade can be carried out with other iodoalkenes including cyclic ones and with cyclic dienophiles such as N-arylmaleinamides 19-22 and N-phenyl-triazolinedione 37 to furnish highly substituted spiro[2.5]oct-4-enes and spirocyclopropanated heterobicycles 47a-49a, 41a-46a (17-50%). Spirocyclopropanated heterobicycles such as 55, 56 (25 and 38% yield, respectively) can also be obtained by an inter-intra-intra-intermolecular version of this queuing cascade involving 1-hydroxyethyl- and 1-aminoethyl-substituted iodoethenes 53, 54.     

Photochemistry of benzene and quinoxaline fused Δ-1,2,3-triazolines and their trapping products

The benzene and quinoxaline fused Δ²-1,2,3-triazolines 1a and 1b were synthesized in good yields using Knoevenagel condensation and intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition as two of the key reactions. Photolysis (254 nm) of Δ²-1,2,3-triazoline 1a or 1b in acetonitrile led to the homolytic cleavage of nitrogen that generated diethyl diazomalonate 7, highly reactive intermediates aziridines 8a,b, and isoindoles B. The latter two species subsequently underwent rearrangement to give the nitrogen extrusion products 9a,b, and polymers. Furthermore, the reactive intermediates were trapped by dienophiles to give the corresponding cycloadducts. Subsequent rearrangement of the N-bridged cycloadducts gave N-substituted pyrrolo[3,4-b]quinoxalines 12b and 15b in 6% and 9% yields, respectively. Irradiation of 1a in the presence of fumaronitrile led to the isolation of cycloadduct 16a with retention of stereochemistry. Thermal reaction of 1b gave more nitrogen extruded product 9b (58-63% yield) than that by photolysis (5-23% yield), which implied that zwitterionic intermediate might be involved in the former.     

Synthesis of 8-heteroatom-substituted 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene dyes (BODIPY)

Thioketones, bis-(5-R-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-methanethiones (R=H, Me, Et), 4 react with methyl iodide or isopropyl triflate to give the pyrrolium salts, which are treated with tertiary amine and boron trifluoride to produce the 8-(thiomethyl/thioisopropyl) 4,4-difluoro-3,5-di-R-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacenes 6a-6c and 8a-8c. The reaction of the methyl thioether group of 6a and 6b with aniline gives the substitution products whose structure corresponds to formula 10. The structures of the thioethers 6a-6c and compound 10a were determined by X-ray diffraction. The thiomethyl groups in 6a-6c are close to be coplanar to the flat ring system, the strain due to the interaction of methyl with the hydrogen at C1 is released by shifting of the sulfur atom away from carbon C1 and opening of the angle C8-S-methyl. This coplanarity of the thiomethyl group with ring system agrees with the preference of the syn conformation of methyl vinyl thioether. In the structures of the aniline compound 10a the length of the nitrogen to C8 is close to that of NC double bond. Thioethers 6a-6c show high wavelength absorption at 523-530 nm and fluorescence with a Stokes shift of 12-24 nm and with a quantum yield of 0.15-0.37. In contrast the aniline substituted compounds 10a and 10b showed absorption at 410 and 430 nm, respectively, with no fluorescence. According to their spectral properties they are better described by structure 10 than 7.     

An efficient approach to 2-substituted N-tosylpiperdines: asymmetric synthesis of 2-(2-hydroxy substituted)piperidine alkaloids

We have developed an efficient and a general approach to chiral 2-substituted N-tosylpiperidines starting from chiral α-substituted-N-tosylaziridines. Using this approach, we have synthesized (+)-coniine. The synthesis of chiral N-tosyl-2-piperidinylethanol 15 and ent-15, was achieved from l- and d-aspartic acids, respectively in few steps. Piperidine 15 was converted into 2-(2-hydroxysubstituted)piperidines of type 2 in optically active form. By applying this strategy, asymmetric syntheses of halosaline (R,R)-2a, (+)- and (−)-sedamine 2b, (+)- and (−)-allosedamine 2c, (+)- and (−)-sedridine 2d, (+)- and (−)-allosedridine 2e, (+)-tetraponerine T-3 3a, T-4 3c, T-7 3b, and T-8 3d have been achieved in high yields. These stereoisomers can be interconverted via Mitsunobu inversion in excellent yields.     

(R)-4-phenyloxazolidin-2-thione: an efficient chiral auxiliary for [4+2] cycloaddition of 1-aminodiene and activated phosphonodienophiles

A theoretical model for the facial selectivity of N-dienyl oxazolidin-2-(thi)one and thiazolidin-2-thione 2a-c is presented. Our analysis provides a clear understanding of factors controlling stereoselectivity in reaction of these dienes, and allows predictions of high diastereoselectivity in the case of oxazolidin-2-thionyl diene (2b). The application of this diene to the synthesis of β- and γ-aminophosphonic derivatives is then investigated. Under classical conditions or under microwave activation, the D-A reaction of diene 2b leads to aminophosphonic chirons with high regio- and stereoselectivities.     

One-pot synthesis of macrocyclic compounds possessing two cyclobutane rings by sequential inter- and intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions

Sensitized photocycloaddition reactions of 6,6′-dimethyl-4,4′-[1,3-bis(methylenoxy)phenylene]-di-2-pyrone (1) with electron-poor α,ω-diolefins such as ethylene diacrylate (2a) and polyoxyethylene dimethacrylates (2b-d) afforded site- and stereoselective macrocyclic dioxatetralactones (3a-d) and (4b) having 18- to 25-membered rings across the C5-C6 and C5′-C6′ double bonds, or C5-C6 and C3′-C4′ double bonds in 1, respectively. Similar photoreactions of 1 with electron-rich α,ω-diolefins such as poly(ethylene glycol)divinyl ether (2e and 2f) afforded crown ether-type macrocyclic compounds (5e and 5f) having 18- and 21-membered rings across the C3-C4 and C3′-C4′ double bonds in 1, respectively. The stereochemical features of 3b, 5e-xx, and 5e-nn were determined by the X-ray crystal analysis. The reaction mechanism was inferred by MO methods.     

Synthesis of sulfur-substituted quinolizidines and pyrido[1,2-a]azepines by ring-closing metathesis

Sulfur-substituted quinolizidines and pyrido[1,2-a]azepines (7) can be prepared by ring-closing metathesis (RCM) of 4-(phenylthio)-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridin-2-ones (6) bearing terminal alkenyl groups at both N-1 and C-6 positions, which are obtained from 3-(phenylthio)-3-sulfolene (1) in four steps. Some synthetic transformations of 2-(phenylthio)-1,6,9,9a-tetrahydroquinolizin-4-one (7a) and 2-(phenylthio)-1,6,9,10,10a-pentahydropyrido[1,2-a]azepin-4-one (7d) are also reported.     

Convenient synthesis of 3-fluoro-4,5-diphenylfuran-2(5H)-one from benzoin ethers : Novel and efficient Z-E isomerisation and cyclisation of 2-fluoroalkenoate precursors, substitution of vinylic fluorine

Mixtures of ethyl (E)- and (Z)-4-alkoxy-2-fluoro-3,4-diphenylbut-2-enoates (6-8) prepared from benzoin ethers and ethyl 2-(diethoxyphosphoryl)-2-fluoroacetate were transformed in high yields to the target 3-fluoro-4,5-diphenylfuran-2(5H)-one (14) using bromine in tetrachloromethane at room temperature. The non-cyclisable Z-isomers 6b-8b were gradually isomerised to the cyclisable E-isomers 6a-8a during the process. The reaction of the (E)-butenoates 6a-8a with boron trifluoride led to furanone 14, while in Z-isomers 6b-8b both alkoxy group and vinylic fluorine were substituted with bromine during the reaction. Mechanisms for both complex reactions have been proposed. Furanone 14 was transformed to 2-[tert-butyl(dimethyl)silyloxy]-3-fluoro-4,5-diphenylfuran (18) as a novel building block.     

Three-component synthesis of 2-imino-1,4-benzoxazines

A series of 2-imino-1,4-benzoxazines (8a-e) were prepared by the one-pot, three-component, condensation of salicylaldehyde (4), various ortho-aminophenols (5), and 2,6-dimethylphenylisonitrile (6). The structures of four of the crystalline benzoxazine derivatives (8b-e) were unambiguously established by X-ray analysis.     

Stereocontrolled conversion of some optically active (4S,5R)-dihydroisoxazoles into acyclic 3-acetamido-1,2-diols

Optically active (4S,5R)-dihydroisoxazoles 5a-c (90-91% ee) have been prepared by reaction of the epoxyketones 4a-c with hydroxylamine. Reduction of compounds 5a and 5b using lithium aluminium hydride took place exclusively from the Re face to give (1R,2S,3S)-1,3-disubstituted-3-aminopropane-1,2-diols 6a and 6b. These amino-diols were characterised by N-acetylation and the stereochemical sense of the hydride reduction was confirmed by conversion of amides 7a and 7b into α-amino acid derivatives 10a and 10b.     

Microwave assisted synthesis of novel imidazo [2,1-b]thiazole derivative attached to quinoxalinones

3-(6-Phenylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazol-5-yl)quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones (qunoxalinone) (6a-q) have been synthesized by the reaction of ethyl 2-oxo-2-(6-phenylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazol-5-yl)acetates (4a-e) with suitably substituted o-phenylenediamines (5a-f) under microwave heating. The ethyl 2-oxo-2-(6-phenylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazol-5-yl)acetates (4a-e) were prepared by the reaction of 6-phenylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazoles (3a-e) with ethyl chlorooxoacetate in refluxing 1,4-dioxane whereas the thiazoles (3a-e) were synthesized by the reaction of 2-bromo-1-phenylethanones (2a-e) with thiazol-2-amine in refluxing acetone.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of novel bis(2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one) derivatives as potential GSK-3 inhibitors

(5Z,5′Z)-3,3′-(1,4-Phenylenebis(methylene)-bis-(5-arylidene-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one) derivatives (5a-r) have been synthesized by the condensation reaction of 3,3′-(1,4- or 1,3-phenylenebis(methylene))bis(2-thioxothiazolidin-4-ones) (3a,b) with suitably substituted aldehydes (4a-f) or 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)2-oxoacetaldehydes (8a-c) under microwave conditions. The bis(2-thioxothiazolidin-4-ones) were prepared from the corresponding primary alkyl amines (1a,b) and di-(carboxymethyl)-trithiocarbonyl (2). The 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-oxoacetaldehydes (8a-c) were synthesized from the corresponding acid chlorides (7a-c) using HSnBu₃.     

Microwave-assisted manganese(III) acetate based oxidative cyclizations of alkenes with β-ketosulfones

The microwave-assisted synthesis of 5-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-phenyl-4-(phenylsulfonyl)-2,3-dihydrofuran (5a) was performed via manganese(III) acetate based oxidative cyclization of 1-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-(phenylsulfonyl)ethanone (3a) with vinylbenzene (4a). This new protocol was applied to four sulfone derivatives (3a-d), using vinylbenzene (4a) and diphenylethene (4b), affording a series of 2,3-dihydrofurans (5a-d, 6a-d) in moderate to good yields (26-55%). Similar methodology, applied on allylbenzene (4c), surprisingly, led to dehydronaphthalene derivatives (7a-d) in moderate yields. The unexpected mechanism and the role of allylbenzene (4c) are herein discussed.     

Synthesis of N,N′-bis and N,N,N′,N′-tetra-[(3,5-di-substituted-1-pyrazolyl)methyl]para-phenylenediamines: new candidate ligands for metal complex wires

A series of tridentate ligands N,N-bis-[(di-substituted-1-pyrazolyl)methyl]arylamines 2-3a,b and benzylamine 4a,b, tetradentate N,N′-bis-[(di-substituted-1-pyrazolyl)methyl]para-phenylenediamines 7a,b and hexadentate N,N,N′,N′-tetra-[(di-substituted-1-pyrazolyl)methyl]para-phenylenediamines 8a,b has been prepared in good yield by condensation of arylamines, benzylamine or para-phenylenediamine with N-hydroxymethyl disubstituted pyrazoles 1a,b. The synthesis and characterisation of these various polydentate ligands are described.