Gold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular [4+2] cycloadditions of arylalkynes or 1,3-enynes with alkenes: scope and mechanism

The cyclizations of enynes substituted at the alkyne gives products of formal [4+2] cyclization with Au(I) catalysts. 1,8-Dien-3-ynes cyclize by a 5-exo-dig pathway to form hydrindanes. 1,6-Enynes with an aryl ring at the alkyne give 2,3,9,9a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[b]naphthalenes by a 5-exo-dig cyclization followed by a Friedel-Crafts-type ring expansion. A 6-endo-dig cyclization is also observed in some cases as a minor process, although in a few cases, this is the major cyclization pathway. In addition to cationic gold complexes bearing bulky biphenyl phosphines, a gold complex with tris(2,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite is exceptionally reactive as a catalyst for this reaction. This cyclization can also be carried out very efficiently with heating under microwave irradiation. DFT calculations support a stepwise mechanism for the cycloaddition by the initial formation of an anti-cyclopropyl gold(I)-carbene, followed by its opening to form a carbocation stabilized by a pi interaction with the aryl ring, which undergoes a Friedel-Crafts-type reaction.     

Verdazyl radicals as substrates for organic synthesis: a synthesis of 3-methyl-5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazolones

The synthesis of oxadiazolones under hydrolytic conditions is described for a series of 3-methyl-5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazolone compounds. The unique starting materials for the hydrolysis reaction are obtained from efficient 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of styrene and azomethine imine dipoles derived from verdazyl radicals via a disproportionation reaction. A proposed mechanism for the formation of these biologically relevant oxadiazolones includes an opening of the tetrazinone ring followed by a 5-exo-trig ring closure. In support of the mechanism, in one case the ring-opened intermediate was isolated and subsequently treated with acid to give the relevant oxadiazolone.     

Gold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular acetylenic Schmidt reaction

Substituted pyrroles were prepared by a gold(I)-catalyzed acetylenic Schmidt reaction of homopropargyl azides. The reaction allows for regiospecific substitution at each position of the pyrrole ring under mild conditions. A mechanism in which azides serve as nucleophiles toward gold(I)-activated alkynes with subsequent gold(I)-aided expulsion of dinitrogen is proposed.     

Regioselective (biomimetic) synthesis of a pentasulfane from ortho-benzoquinone

A mechanism is proposed for the formation of cyclic 5,6,7,8,9-pentathiabenzocycloheptene-1,2-diol, 4, from the reaction of o-benzoquinone with reduced elemental sulfur, H2Sx. 1,6-conjugate addition to the quinone is favored over 1,4-conjugate addition. Hydrogen bonding to the quinone oxygen enhances the nucleophilicity of H2Sx by facilitating the removal of the S-H proton. We propose that initially formed 3-polysulfidobenzene-diol intermediates are oxidized to their corresponding quinones and closure of the polysulfur ring subsequently takes place at the C3-C4 bond leading to 4. A possible mechanism for the formation of the pentasulfur linkage in 4 is discussed, which is the key moiety found in a number of natural products.     

Rhodium-catalyzed silylcarbocyclization (SiCaC) and carbonylative silylcarbocyclization (CO-SiCaC) reactions of enynes

The reaction of a 1,6-enyne with a hydrosilane catalyzed by Rh(acac)(CO)(2), Rh(4)(CO)(12), or Rh(2)Co(2)(CO)(12) under ambient CO atmosphere or N(2) gives 2-methyl-1-silylmethylidene-2-cyclopentane or its heteroatom congener in excellent yield through silylcarbocycization (SiCaC) process. The same reaction, but in the presence of a phosphite such as P(OEt)(3) and P(OPh)(3) under 20 atm of CO, affords the corresponding 2-formylmethyl-1-silylmethylidene-2-cyclopentane or its heteroatom congener with excellent selectivity through carbonylative silylcarbocycization (CO-SiCaC) process. The SiCaC reaction has also been applied to a 1,6-enyne bearing a cyclohexenyl group as the alkene moiety and a 1,7-enyne system. The functionalized five- and six-membered ring systems obtained by these novel cyclization reactions serve as useful and versatile intermediates for the syntheses of natural and unnatural heterocyclic and carbocyclic compounds. Possible mechanisms for the SiCaC and CO-SiCaC reactions as well as unique features of these processes are discussed.     

Synthesis of isomeric bromo(diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)furans

Series of the previously unknown bromo(diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)furans including four of six possible regioisomers is synthesized. The target products were obtained by bromination of the corresponding (diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)furans or by a four-step synthesis including bromination of isomeric methyl-furancarboxylates, reduction of the products formed to the corresponding alcohols, substitution of hydroxy group with halogen and phosphorylation by the Michaelis-Becker reaction. It was established for the first fime that in the course of bromination of alkyl carboxylates and phosphonates of the furan series under the typical conditions of electrophilic reaction (Br₂ + 10% molar of AlCl₃, chloroform) the substituent enters not only into the heteroring, but also into the side chain. In the case of 5-methyl-2-(diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)furan only the last reaction pathway is observed. It is shown that bromo(chloromethyl)furans react with sodium diethyl phosphite not only according to the Michaelis-Becker scheme leading to phosphonates, but also by the pathway of debromination of the furan ring. The last unexpected reaction may acquire a practical use for removing a substituent protecting the α-position of the furan ring under mild conditions.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric 1,6-additions of beta-ketoesters and glycine imine

The first organocatalytic enantioselective 1,6-addition of beta-ketoesters and benzophenone imine to electron-poor delta-unsubstituted dienes using cinchona alkaloids under phase-transfer conditions is demonstrated. The scope of the reaction for the beta-ketoesters is outlined for reactions with different delta-unsubstituted dienes having ketones, esters, and sulfones as electron-withdrawing substituents giving the corresponding optically active products in good yields and enantioselectivities in the range of 90-99% ee. The 1,6-addition also proceeds with a number of cyclic beta-ketoesters having different ring sizes, ring systems and substituents in high yields and enantioselectivities. The potential of this new organocatalytic 1,6-addition for beta-ketoesters is demonstrated by a two-step synthesis of the bicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-one structure, a bicyclic bridged skeleton occurring in a variety of natural compounds. Benzophenone imines also undergo the organocatalytic asymmetric 1,6-addition to the activated dienes in high yields and with enantioselectivities from 92% to 98% ee, except in one case. The synthetic utility of this asymmetric reaction is demonstrated by the two-step transformation of the allylated alpha-amino acid derivative to highly attractive optically active pyrrolidines.     

Regioselective orthopalladation of (Z)-2-aryl-4-arylidene-5(4H)-oxazolones: scope, kinetico-mechanistic, and density functional theory studies of the C-H bond activation

Orthopalladated complexes derived from (Z)-2-aryl-4-arylidene-5(4H)-oxazolones have been prepared by reaction of the oxazolone with palladium acetate in acidic medium. The reaction is regioselective, only the ortho C-H bond of the arylidene ring being activated, producing a six-membered ring. The scope and reaction conditions of the orthopalladation are dependent on the acidity of the solvent. In CF(3)CO(2)H a large number of oxazolones can be metalated under mild conditions. As acidity decreases a lesser number of oxazolones can be efficiently palladated and harsher conditions must be used to achieve similar yields. The C-H bond activation in acidic medium agrees with an ambiphilic mechanism, as determined from kinetic measurements at variable temperature and pressure for different oxazolones substituted at the arylidene ring. The mechanism has been confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, where the formation of the six-membered ring is shown to be favored from both a kinetic and a thermodynamic perspective. In addition, the dependence of the reaction rate on the acidity of the medium has also been accounted for via a fine-tuning between the C-H agostic precoordination and the proton abstraction reaction in the overall process occurring on coordinatively saturated [Pd(κ(N)-oxazolone)(RCO(2)H)(3)](2+).     

Stereo- and regioselectivity in dynamic gas-phase thermoisomerization (DGPTI): novel route to alpha-campholanic acid and derivatives

[reaction: see text] Dynamic gas-phase thermoisomerization (DGPTI) of (-)-2-phenylisoborneols effects stereo- and regioselective ring opening under formation of (+)-trans-alpha-campholanic acid derivatives. Similarly, (-)-alpha-2-phenylfenchol underwent under DGPTI conditions ring opening to (-)-fencholic acid derivatives. In both cases, DGPTI led to cleavage of the weakest bond in the isomeric bicyclic structures. A reaction mechanism involving a diradical intermediate is supported by a deuterium labeling study.     

Reaktionen von 3-(Dimethylamino)-2H-azirinen mit 1,3-Benzoxazol-2(3H)-thion

Reaction of 3-(Dimethylamino)-2H-azirines with 1,3-Benzoxazole-2(3H)-thione The reaction of 3-(dimethylamino)-2H-azirines 2 with 1,3-benzoxazole-2(3H)-thione ( 5 ), which can be considered as NH-acidic heterocycle (pK_aca. 7.3), in MeCN at room temperature, leads to 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-thiohydantoins 6 and thiourea derivatives of type 7 (Scheme 2). A reaction mechanism for the formation of the products via the crucial zwitterionic intermediate A ′ is suggested. This intermediate was trapped by methylation with Mel and hydrolysis to give 9 (Scheme 4). Under normal reaction conditions, A ′ undergoes a ring opening to B which is hydrolyzed during workup to yield 6 or rearranges to give the thiourea 7. A reasonable intermediate of the latter transformation is the isothiocyanate E (Scheme 3) which also could be trapped by morpholine. In i-PrOH at 55–65° 2a and 5 react to yield a mixture of 6a , 2-(isopropylthio)-1,3-benzoxazole ( 12 ), and the thioamide 13 (Scheme 5). A mechanism for the surprising alkylation of 5 via the intermediate 2-amino-2-alkoxyaziridine F is proposed. Again via an aziridine, e.g. H ( Scheme 6 ), the formation of 13 can be explained.     

Synthesis of ethyl 4,5-bis(diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)-3-furoate

Preparative procedure for 4,5-bis(diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)-3-furoate from 4-chloromethyl-3-furoate is developed. It includes substitution of chlorine with iodine, phosphorylation by means of the Arbuzov reaction, chloromethylation of 4-(diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)-3-furoate in the position 5 of the furan ring, substitution of chlorine with iodine in the obtained chloromethyl derivative, and repeated phosphorylation with triethyl phosphite. It was found that ethyl 4-(diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)-5(chloromethyl)-3-furoate reacts with sodium diethyl phosphite by two pathways. Besides usual nucleophilic substitution leading to phosphonate, transfer of the reaction center in the position 2 of the furan ring takes place. The ambident diethylphosphite anion in this case reacts at the oxygen to give tertiary phosphite. The latter is oxidized with the air oxygen to form ethyl 2-(diethoxyphosphoryloxy)-4-(diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)-5-methyl-3-furoate. Unlike that analogous iodomethyl phosphonate is phosphorylated selectively under the conditions of the Arbuzov reaction.     

A convenient synthesis of 5-(1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-diones

The synthesis of 5-heteroaryl-substituted uracil derivatives is presented. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction was applied for the construction of a heterocyclic ring. The nitrile oxides were obtained from the appropriate 4-substituted benzaldoximes using N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS) under basic conditions. [2+3] Cycloaddition of nitrile oxides with 5-cyanouracil as a dipolarophile gave the corresponding 5-(3-substituited-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)uracils in satisfactory yields under mild conditions. 5-Substituted uracils having an additional heterocyclic ring were obtained as a result of the [2+3] cycloaddition of 5-cyanouracil to nitrile oxides generated from thiophene-2-carbaldehyde and 5-formyluracil derivatives.     

About the stability of sulfurous acid (H2SO3) and its dimer

The characterization and isolation of sulfurous acid (H2SO3) have never been accomplished and thus still remain one of the greatest open challenges of inorganic chemistry. It is known that H2SO3 is thermodynamically unstable. In this study, however, we show that a Ci-symmetric dimer of sulfurous acid (H2SO3)2 is 3.5 kcal mol-1 more stable than its dissociation products SO2 and H2O at 77 K. Additionally, we have investigated the kinetic stability of the sulfurous acid monomer with respect to dissociation into SO2 and H2O and the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) on this reaction by transition-state theory. At 77 K, the half-life of H2SO3 is 15 x 10(9) years, but for the deuterated molecule (D2SO3) it increases to 7.9 x 10(26) years. At room temperature, the half-life of sulfurous acid is only 24 hours; however, a KIE of 3.2 x 10(4) increases it to a remarkable 90 years. Water is an efficient catalyst for the dissociation reaction since it reduces the reaction barrier tremendously. With the aid of two water molecules, one can observe a change in the reaction mechanism for sulfurous acid decomposition with increasing temperature. The most likely mechanism below 170 K is via an eight-membered transition-state ring; yet, above 170 K, a mechanism with a six-membered transition state ring becomes the predominant one. For deuterated sulfurous acid, this change in reaction mechanism can be observed at 120 K. Consequently, between 120 and 170 K, different predominant reaction mechanisms occur for the decomposition of normal and deuterated sulfurous acid when assisted by two water molecules. However, the much longer half-life of deuterated sulfurous acid and the stability of the sulfurous acid dimer at 77 K are encouraging for future synthesis and characterization under laboratory conditions.     

A novel synthesis of 3-aminoazetidines by ring transformation of 2-(bromomethyl)aziridines

A one-step approach to the biologically interesting 3-aminoazetidines is described. The reaction concerns a ring transformation of 1-arylsulfonyl-2-(halomethyl)aziridines with aliphatic amines under various reaction conditions.     

A new synthesis of the linearly fused [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-b]isoquinoline ring. Observation of an unexpected Dimroth rearrangement

A new and general synthesis of the linearly fused [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-b]isoquinoline ring system starting from 2,3-diaminoisoquinolinium salts has been elaborated. Starting compounds bearing an alkyl group in position 4 easily reacted with aldehydes to yield the cyclized products. In the case of a lack of electron donating group in position 4 (e.g., unsubstituted or 4-cyano substituted diamino derivatives) a Dimroth rearrangement took place under the same reaction conditions to yield 3-isoquinolylhydrazones. The mechanism of this unexpected transformation has been verified by isotope labelling experiments. Clarification of the reaction mechanism allowed finding proper reaction conditions to eliminate the rearrangement route, and thus, to perfect successful ring closure to the fused triazoles.     

Electrochemical reduction of 4-(nitrophenyl)-1,2- and 4-(nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridines and the ESR spectra of the obtained free-radical particles

In the course of electrochemical generation the intermediate reaction products (free radicals of the nitro-and nitrosophenyl type, which appear on the cyclic voltammetric curves) were identified by ESR. The N-substituted derivatives are characterized by reduction of the dihydropyridine ring. The 4-nitrophenyl derivatives are characterized by the absence of intramolecular electron transfer during electrochemical reduction. In the case of the corresponding derivatives of 1,2-dihydropyridine intramolecular transfer of electrons and protons is possible under these conditions. Combined schemes of the primary and secondary chemical reactions involved in the electrochemical reduction of the investigated compounds are presented. It was established that the substances investigated with reference to the mechanism of the electrochemical transformations include the antihypertensive nifedipine (corinfar, fenigidine).Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga LV-1006. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 219–233, February, 1997.     

From fullerene-mixed peroxide to open-cage oxafulleroid C(59)(O)(3)(OH)(2)(OO(t)()Bu)(2) embedded with furan and lactone motifs

[reaction: see text] Removal of one carbon atom from the C60 cage is achieved under mild conditions. The process involves the formation of fullerene-mixed peroxide, subsequent Lewis acid induced cleavage of O-O and C-O bonds, and thermolysis at 75 degrees C. In the proposed mechanism, the carbon atom is deleted as CO and an oxygen atom occupies the vacancy to form a furan ring. Single-crystal X-ray analysis confirmed the results.     

Pulse radiolysis of (RhI(CO)2Cl)2 and (RhII(CH3COO)2)2 solutions under CO or N2 atmosphere

Ethanolic solutions of (Rh^I(CO)₂Cl)₂ and aqueous solutions of (Rh^IICH₃COO)₂)₂ have been investigated by pulse radiolysis under CO or N₂ atmosphere. In the first case the reduction of the Rh^I complex is shown to proceed via CO^- formation. In the second case, several steps have been evidenced, one of them extremely fast, indicating an exceptional reactivity of such a binuclear rhodium structure towards the electron. Spectra of transient species at different times are presented. A species absorbing at 520 nm, already present at 10 ns, is assigned to a Rh^IRh^II complex resulting itself from a reaction of the initial salt with pre-solvated electrons. A mechanism is proposed to account for the decay kinetics of e^-_aq and the spectral changes. The rate constants are evaluated for each of the five steps occuring within the first microsecond.     

Organic Free Radical-Promoted Isomerization of alpha- and beta-Alkylcobinamides(1)

Anaerobic reaction of alpha- or beta-alkylcobinamides (alpha- or beta-RCbi(+)'s) with the corresponding alkyl free radical, R(*) (where R = CH(3), CH(3)CH(2), or CH(3)CH(2)OCH(2)CH(2)), generated by the Fenton reaction using Fe(2+) and an alkyl hydroperoxide, RC(CH(3))(2)OOH, causes isomerization and leads to mixtures of alpha- and beta-RCbi(+)'s. The reaction does not occur, however, under aerobic conditions or under anaerobic conditions in the presence of an excess of the free radical scavenger H-Tempo. In addition, alpha-CH(3)CH(2)Cbi(+) reacts with 50 molar equiv of tert-butyl hydroperoxide and Fe(2+) to give a mixture of alkylcobinamides that contains 6% alpha-CH(3)Cbi(+) and 94% beta-CH(3)Cbi(+), showing that multiple transalkylations occur. A Co(II)-induced isomerization and the S(H)2 mechanism are ruled out on the basis of the known reactivity of RCbi(+) and product analysis. A mechanism is proposed which involves a direct oxidative free radical displacement by an R(*) to the metal of RCbi(+) via a dialkylcobalt(IV) corrinoid species. Since the reaction leads to equilibration of the two diastereomers under mild conditions, it can be used to study the equilibria between diastereomeric RCbi(+)'s. Thus, the equilibrium for the diastereomeric ethyl-13-epicobinamides, in which the e propionamide side chain of the corrin ring has been epimerized from the alpha to the beta face of the corrinoid, lies significantly more toward the alpha diastereomer than that for the normal ethylcobinamides. This represents the most direct experimental evidence obtained to date that the corrin ring side chains control the relative steric accessibility of the two faces of the cobalt corrinoids.     

Comparison of the growth and degradation of poly(glycolic acid) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) brushes

The growth and degradation of poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) brushes were compared. Using tin (octanoate) as the catalyst, optimal conditions were found for growth of each polyester brush from the hydroxy‐terminated silicon surface via ring‐opening polymerization. PCL brushes grew thicker at elevated temperatures but the thickest PGA brushes grew at room temperature. Unlike bulk polyesters that can degrade under both acidic and basic conditions, the confined surface polyester brushes only degraded under neutral or basic conditions. The degradation mechanism of grafted polyester brushes was probed through a blocking test. It was shown that the terminal hydroxy groups of these polyester brushes were essential to the degradation process indicating a preferential backbiting mechanism. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4643–4649