N-methyldithiophthalimide as a highly regioselective hetero dienophile in diels-alder reaction

N-Methyldithiophthalimide serves as a very reactive dienophile and reacts with 1,3-dienes at room temperature to give Diels-Alder products in very high regioselectivity. Stereoselectivity and retro-Diels-Alder of products are referred to.     

The Diels-Alder Reaction of 2,3-Disulfur-Substituted 1,3-Butadienes

The 2,3-disulfur-substituted 1,3-dienes (1) can be readily prepared from their stable 3-sulfolene precursors (2) by thermal extrusion of SO₂. The Diels-Alder reaction of diene (1) with several dienophiles has been studied. The substituent effect on the reactivity and regioselectivity follows the order of PhS >PhSO >PhSO₂. Lewis acid can greatly increase the regioselectivity of this reaction. The diene (1c), bearing a strong electron-withdrawing sulfonyl group, also reacted as a dienophile.     

P-Nitrosophosphate compounds: new N-O heterodienophiles and nitroxyl delivery agents

P-Nitrosophosphates, such as 9, react as N-O heterodienophiles with 1,3-dienes to form highly functionalized cycloadducts that can be directly transformed into allylic phosphoramidates. The in situ periodate oxidation of the unstable N-hydroxyphosphoramidate precursors provides an efficient preparation of these new reactive intermediates. P-Nitrosophosphate (9) regioselectively reacts with 1-methoxy-1,3-butadiene to provide cycloadduct 16. P-Nitrosophosphate (9) also reacts with 9,10-dimethylanthracene to give cycloadduct 17, which undergoes retro Diels-Alder dissociation to re-form 9. In the absence of a 1,3-diene, the decomposition of 17 produces nitrous oxide, evidence for nitroxyl, the one-electron-reduced form of nitric oxide. An asymmetric P-nitrosophosphate reacted with 1,3-cyclohexadiene to form a mixture of diastereomeric cycloadducts (19 and 20) in a 1.6:1 ratio. These results identify P-nitrosophosphates as new species that react similarly to acyl nitroso compounds, making them useful synthetic intermediates and potential nitroxyl delivery agents.     

Mass spectral cycloreversion reactions of 2-chloro-3,6-diaryl-3,4-dihydro-1,3,2-oxazaphosphorin-2-oxides

The mass spectral fragmentation modes of various 2-chloro-3,6-diaryl-3,4-dihydro-1,3,2-oxazaphosphorin-2-oxides—a novel ring system—reveal cycloreversion by two pathways. Retro Diels-Alder reaction by a stepwise mechanism is prominent in this system. The relative abundances of the enone and dienophile ions depend on the nature of the substituent attached to the double bond in this ring. Another retro Diels-Alder fragmentation process, involving the loss of PO₂Cl from the molecular ion, is preceded by a 1,3-allylic rearrangement and is the major fragmentation mode in the metastable time scale. Further fragmentation of the [M? PO₂Cl]⁺ imine ion seems to occur from cyclic dihydroquinoline intermediates by substitution elimination steps.     

A dimethylsulfonium methylide mediated highly regioselective olefination of conjugated polyolefin 1,1-dioates to conjugated polyene-2-yl-malonates and their applications in Diels-Alder reactions

The reactions between dimethylsulfonium methylide and 1,3-diene- or 1,3,5-triene-1,1-dioates under specific conditions enable the highly regioselective tandem ylide addition-eliminative olefination to provide 1,3-butadien-2-yl- or 1,3,5-hexatriene-2-yl-malonates. Alkylation at malonate methine carbon of 1,3-butadien-2-ylmalonates with a suitable alkyl halide having in-built functionalities for a dienophile generation led to quick assembly of precursors for type 2 intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction. Syntheses of functionalized bicyclo[n.3.1] alkenes (n=5 or 6) with the double bond at the bridgehead position have been achieved via the IMDA. An asymmetric version of this reaction has been developed using a MacMillan's imidazolidinone catalyst, which provided a bicyclo[5.3.1] alkene with very high enantioselectivity. In situ methylation at malonate methine carbon of 1,3,5-hexatriene-2-yl-malonates followed by intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction with N-methylmaleimide provided the cycloadduct with complete regiocontrol and high diastereoselectivity.     

An efficient synthesis of conjugation-expanded carba- and azuliporphyrins using a bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene-fused tripyrrane

A bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene-fused tripyrrane was synthesized as a first versatile reagent for the preparation of π-expanded heteroporphyrins. The reaction of the tripyrrane with 1,3-diformylindene and azulene-1,3-dicarbaldehyde afforded the corresponding heteroporphyrins, which were easily converted into tetrabenzocarbaporphyrin and tribenzoazuliporphyrin by retro Diels-Alder reaction.     

A highly stereoselective synthesis of (E)-1-substituted-1,3-dienes

(E)-1-substituted-1,3-dienes are obtained with high stereoselectivity by the thermal extrusion of SO₂ from 2-substituted-2,5-dihydrothiophene-1,1-dioxides generated by a retro Diels-Alder reaction. An application to the synthesis of (E)-9,11-dodecadien- 1-yl acetate, a sex pheromone of the red-bollworm moth is described.     

Synthesis of 1,2- and 1,4-amino alcohols from 1,3-dienes via oxazines. Rearrangements of 1,4-amino alcohol derivatives to oxazolines

Conjugated dienes were converted to 1,2-oxazines by reaction with an acyl nitroso dienophile. The oxazines were reduced to 1,4-N-acetylamino alcohols, which were rearranged to the corresponding oxazolines upon treatment with methanesulfonyl chloride or anhydride. The oxazolines yielded 1,2-N-acetylamino alcohols upon hydrolysis. Thus either 1,4- or 1,2-N-acetylamino alcohols are available from 1,3-dienes via this methodology. Experimental and spectral data are provided for all new compounds.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed diyne hydrative cyclization: synthesis of substituted 1,3-diene synthons

[reaction: see text]. A novel and versatile strategy for the synthesis of highly functionalized substituted 3-sulfolenes based on [CpRu(CH3CN)3]PF6-catalyzed hydrative cyclization has been developed. A marked ketone directing effect in ruthenium-catalyzed cyclization was observed for the first time. This provides complementary chemoselectivity for the synthesis of 3-sulfolenes and other cyclic enones. The utility of this method has been demonstrated by SO2 extrusion of 3-sulfolenes to afford 1,3-dienes and the subsequent inter- and intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction.     

Hetero Diels-Alder reactions of nitrosoamidines: an efficient method for the synthesis of functionalized guanidines

Hetero Diels-Alder reactions of transient nitrosoamidines are reported. Transient nitrosoamidines are formed by oxidation of protected N-hydroxylguanidines and are trapped in situ by 1,3-dienes to give [4 + 2] cycloadducts in good yields and regioselectivity. The resultant cycloadducts are versatile intermediates for the formation of functionalized guanidines. [reaction: see text]     

How Ionization Catalyzes Diels-Alder Reactions

The catalytic effect of ionization on the Diels-Alder reaction between 1,3-butadiene and acrylaldehyde has been studied using relativistic density functional theory (DFT). Removal of an electron from the dienophile, acrylaldehyde, significantly accelerates the Diels-Alder reaction and shifts the reaction mechanism from concerted asynchronous for the neutral Diels-Alder reaction to stepwise for the radical-cation Diels-Alder reaction. Our detailed activation strain and Kohn-Sham molecular orbital analyses reveal how ionization of the dienophile enhances the Diels-Alder reactivity via two mechanisms: (i) by amplifying the asymmetry in the dienophile's occupied π-orbitals to such an extent that the reaction goes from concerted asynchronous to stepwise and thus with substantially less steric (Pauli) repulsion per reaction step; (ii) by enhancing the stabilizing orbital interactions that result from the ability of the singly occupied molecular orbital of the radical-cation dienophile to engage in an additional three-electron bonding interaction with the highest occupied molecular orbital of the diene.     

An efficient 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between aromatic selenoaldehydes and nitrile oxides or nitrile imines: an easy access to selenium-containing five-membered heterocyclic ring system

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition between aromatic selenoaldehydes, generated by thermal retro Diels-Alder reaction of anthracene cycloadducts, and nitrile oxides or nitrile imines proceeded efficiently to give the corresponding [3+2] cycloadducts as a single isomer in good yields, being 1,4,2-oxaselenazoles or 1,3,4-selenadiazoles, respectively.     

Stereochemistry of the [2+4] cycloaddition of cyclopentyne

The [2+4] cycloaddition of cyclopentyne with a pair of diastereomeric 1,3-dienes is found to occur with high stereoselectivity. The results support the applicability of the principles of orbital symmetry even in the case of this exceedingly reactive dienophile.     

Allenylmethylsilanes as nucleophiles in N-acyliminium ion chemistry

Treatment of a variety of N-acyliminium ion precursors with 2,3-butadienyl(trimethyl)silane and related allenes in the presence of BF(3).OEt(2) provides good yields of N-protected 2-(aminomethyl)-substituted 1,3-dienes, which prove to be useful substrates for subsequent Diels-Alder and alkene metathesis reactions. [reaction: see text]     

Diastereoselective Diels-Alder reactions of a novel cyclopropenyl-containing chiral auxiliary

A novel cyclopropenyl-containing 1,3-spiroaminoalcohol auxiliary has been used in a variety of asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions providing endo adducts with diastereomeric ratios ranging from 2:1 up to >99:1. In addition, unexpected regiochemistry was observed for a Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopropenyl dienophile and 4-vinyl-1,2-dihydronapthalene.     

Biomimetic macrocycle-forming Diels-Alder reaction of an iminium dienophile: synthetic studies directed toward gymnodimine

The macrocyclic core of gymnodimine has been constructed via an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of an alpha,beta-unsaturated iminium dienophile in water. The cycloaddition furnished a single exo-product, along with two endo-products. Through X-ray analysis of a suitable derivative, the stereochemistry of the exo-product was established, thereby demonstrating that its stereochemistry matches that of gymnodimine. In contrast, macrocyclization of an analogous alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone dienophile gave only undesired endo-products. Interestingly, the imine dienophile shows remarkable stability in water. [reaction: see text]     

Predicting Dinitrogen Activation via Transition-Metal-Involved [4+2] Cycloaddition Reaction

As the strongest triple bond in nature, the N≡N triple bond activation has always been a challenging project in chemistry. On the other hand, since the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1950, the Diels-Alder reaction has served as a powerful and widely applied tool in the synthesis of natural products and new materials. However, the application of the Diels-Alder reaction to dinitrogen activation remains less developed. Here we first demonstrate that a transition-metal-involved [4+2] Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction could be used to activate dinitrogen without an additional reductant by density functional theory calculations. Further study reveals that such a dinitrogen activation by 1-metalla-1,3-dienes screened out from a series of transition metal complexes (38 species) according to the effects of metal center, ligand, and substituents can become favorable both thermodynamically (with an exergonicity of 28.2 kcal mol⁻¹) and kinetically (with an activation energy as low as 13.8 kcal mol⁻¹). Our findings highlight an important application of the Diels-Alder reaction in dinitrogen activation, inviting experimental chemists’ verification.     

β-Olefination of 2-alkynoates leading to trisubstituted 1,3-dienes

A phosphine-mediated olefination of 2-alkynoates with aldehydes forming 1,3-dienes with high E-selectivity and up to 88% yield is described. Reaction conditions are optimized and reactions are demonstrated for various aryl, alkyl, and alkenyl aldehydes and for ethyl 2-alkynoates with different substituents in the δ-position. Proof of concept is shown for the generation of a β,γ-unsaturated lactone by intramolecular olefination, and furthermore the use of the generated 1,3-dienes in the Diels-Alder reaction has been demonstrated.     

Fragmentation de Benzodioxannes-1,3 Diversement Substitues en 2,4

Under electron-impact, two ‘retro’ Diels-Alder fragmentation paths are observed in the spectra of 2,4- substituted 1,3-benzodioxan; one with normal ‘retro’ Diels-Alder reaction and the other with hydrogen transfer.     

Unexpected one-pot synthesis of new polycyclic coumarin[4,3-c]pyridine derivatives via a tandem hetero-Diels-Alder and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction

O-Methyl-4-coumarincarbaldehyde oxime reacted as an azadiene with electron-deficient and electron-rich dienophiles to give, via one-step hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition reactions, the corresponding 5H-coumarin[4,3-c]pyridin-5-ones. When excess of the dienophile was used, fused azatetracyclo derivatives were also formed via a tandem Diels-Alder and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of the dienophile to an azomethine ylide formed by the intermediate 2,3-dihydro-5H-coumarin[4,3-c]pyridine-5-one. The regio- and stereoselectivities of the new compounds correspond well with spectroscopic (2D NMR) and theoretical data. A possible mechanistic scheme is provided.