The intramolecular Diels-Alder vinylthiophen (IMDAV) reaction: An easy approach to thieno[2,3-f]isoindole-4-carboxylic acids

The reaction of readily accessible 3-(thien-2-yl)allylamines with maleic anhydride, followed by a domino sequence involving successive acylation/4+2] cycloaddition steps, leads to the formation of the thieno2,3-f]isoindole core. The key step, the intramolecular Diels-Alder vinylaren (IMDAV) reaction, proceeds with high level of diastereoselectivity and with formation of a single diastereoisomer of the target product 4,4a,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-3aH-thieno2,3-f]isoindole-4-carboxylic acids in excellent yields. If the reaction is carried out at room temperature, it occurs in 2–3 days and the proton migration (H-shift) does not take place at the last stage. In boiling benzene, the reaction is complete after three hours, but in this case a slight impurity of byproducts bearing aromatic thiophene ring – 4a,5,6,7,7a,8-hexahydro-4H-thieno2,3-f]isoindole-4-carboxylic acids is formed.