Ruthenium-catalysed oxidative synthesis of heterocycles from alcohols

Ruthenium-catalysed hydrogen transfer has been successfully used for the conversion of alcohols into either 2,3-dihydroquinazolines or quinazolines. The choice of reaction conditions allows for the selective formation of either heterocycle and the methodology can also be applied to the sulfonamide analogue.     

New one-pot procedure for the synthesis of diprotected amino alcohols from unprotected vinyl aziridines

An unprecedented one-pot reaction that allows the synthesis of diprotected amino alcohols from unprotected vinyl aziridines is reported. The results demonstrate the possibility to use various acyl chlorides in order to obtain differently functionalised fragments. Mechanistic insights are given.     

Cyclization of vinyl ethers derived from amino alcohols

Cyclization of vinyl ethers derived from linear and cyclic α- and β-amino alcohols, catalyzed by mercury(II) acetate gave 2-methyloxazolidines and 2-methylperhydro-1,3-oxazines in 37–94% yield.     

Stereospecific synthesis of divinyl diselenides from vinyl acetyl selenides

Vinyl halides react with MeSeLi in DMF to afford vinyl methyl selenides which are demethylated by the excess of the MeSeLi; the vinyl selenide anions thus obtained react with acetyl chloride to give vinyl acetyl selenides. This three steps one pot synthesis occurs with complete retention of configuration. The vinyl acetyl selenides are cleanly fragmented by electron transfer to the vinyl selenide anions; addition of iodine to the resulting solutions produced the divinyl diselenides with retention of configuration. The transformation of vinyl acetyl selenides into divinyl diselenides can also be induced by catalytic amounts of a solution of sodium in HMPA or of sodium methanethiolate.     

Condensation of 2- and 4-fluorobenzaldehydes with vinyl ethers derived from amino alcohols

2- and 4-Fluorobenzaldehydes reacted with amino alcohol vinyl ethers to give Schiff bases, oxazolidines, and imidazolidines containing a vinyloxy group. The products attract interest as potential biologically active compounds.     

A new synthesis of sultams from amino alcohols

The base-mediated cyclization of N,O-dimesylate derivatives of cyclic and acyclic amino alcohols provides a simple access to five- and six-member sultams: isothiazolidine-1,1-dioxides and thiazinane-1,1-dioxides respectively.     

Intramolecular aminopalladation of alkenes as a key step to pyrrolidines and related heterocycles

Palladium catalysis for the intramolecular amination of alkenes is a powerful approach in heterocycle synthesis. The initial common step in this approach consists of an aminopalladation reaction. This tutorial review describes the synthesis of 2-amino alkyl-palladium compounds and renders special attention on the subsequent manipulation of the alkyl-palladium group. By carefully choosing the appropriate conditions, a wide variety of different heterocyclic structures are accessible which arise from reactions such as hydroamination, aza-Heck coupling, aminocarbonylation or oxidative processes such as aza-Wacker reaction and 1,2-difunctionalization.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of boron-derivatives of resorcinarenes from amino alcohols and triethylborane

A diastereoselective synthesis of novel boron derivatives of resorcinarenes from chiral amino alcohols and triethylborane is described.     

Selenoimidoylation of alcohols with selenium and isocyanides and its application to the synthesis of selenium-containing heterocycles

The reaction of alcohols with selenium and isocyanides in the presence of DBU gave oxyimidoylselenoates 6. Trapping of 6 with BuI resulted in high-yield formation of selenocarbonimidates 4. When alk-2-yn-1-ols 9 were allowed to react with selenium and isocyanides under similar conditions, new selenium-containing heterocycles 10, 2-imino-4-alkylidene-1,3-oxaselenolanes, were obtained via cycloaddition of oxyimidoylselenoates 13 generated in situ by intramolecular addition of selenolates to carbon-carbon triple bonds.     

Stereoselective synthesis of 3,4-trans-disubstituted pyrrolidines and cyclopentanes via intramolecular radical cyclizations mediated by CAN

The stereoselective intramolecular cyclizations of bis(cinnamyl)tosylamides and dimethyl bis(cinnamyl)malonates mediated by cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate leading to the synthesis of 3,4-trans-disubstituted pyrrolidines and cyclopentanes are described.     

Stereospecific debenzylative cycloetherification of carbohydrate-derived allylic alcohols, ethers and esters to form vinyl C-furanosides

Benzyl ether protected polyhydroxylated alkene compounds containing allylic alcohol, ether or ester functionality undergo a stereospecific cyclisation reaction upon treatment with TFA-acetonitrile-toluene with inversion of configuration at the allylic position and loss of a benzyl ether to give tetrahydrofurans.     

Stereospecific synthesis of γ-butyrolactones from acyclic vinyl sulfoxides: an asymmetric synthesis of optically pure oak lactones

The sulfoxide-directed lactonization of several trisubstituted vinyl sulfoxides with dichloroketene proceeds in a completely stereospecific manner. The lactonization of (E) -3 (R) -$\text{p}$-tolylsulfinyloctene occurs with complete enantiospecificity to produce a precursor for the synthesis of optically pure oak lactones.     

Organolithium-induced synthesis of acyclic unsaturated amino alcohols from epoxides of dihydropyrroles and tetrahydropyridines

The alkylative double ring-opening of Bus-protected 2,5-dihydropyrrole epoxides 13 and 29 with organolithiums to give 3-substituted 1-aminobut-3-en-2-ols 13-19 and 30-32 are described. Bus-protected tetrahydropyridine epoxide 38 reacts with organolithiums to give 4-substituted 1-aminobut-4-en-3-ols 39 and tetrahydropyridinol 40.     

Tandem regioselective synthesis of tetrazoles and related heterocycles using iodine

A one-pot, tandem process has been developed for the synthesis of a library of tetrazoles from aryl isothiocyanates. Condensation of aryl isothiocyanates with ammonia, and aryl amines (R-NH(2)) provided mono, 1,3-disubstituted symmetrical and unsymmetrical thioureas, which on desulfurization with molecular iodine (I(2)) led to formation of the corresponding heterocumulene (cyanamides or carbodiimides). The in situ generated heterocumulene on subsequent treatment with sodium azide at room temperature gave corresponding tetrazoles. The product regioselectivity for unsymmetrical 1,3-disubstituted thioureas was found to be correlated with the basicities (pK(a)'s) of the parent amines attached to the thiourea. Aryl-sec-alkyl unsymmetrical thioureas gave thioamido guanidino products rather than the 5-aminotetrazoles produced by HgCl(2) mediation of the reaction. Bis-thioureas derived from aryl isothiocyanates and hydrazine gave thiadiazoles exclusively.     

A one-pot method for the synthesis of 2-aminobenzimidazoles and related heterocycles

A rapid and efficient one-pot method for the synthesis of 2-aminobenzimidazoles and related heterocycles is described. The reaction is mediated by a polymer-supported carbodiimide, which simplifies product isolation. The scope and limitations of this method are described.     

Iridium-catalyzed synthesis of quinolines from 2-aminobenzyl alcohols with secondary alcohols

The quinoline derivatives were synthesized from 2-aminobenzyl alcohols and secondary alcohols by the direct one-step synthesis using the iridium complexes as catalyst. This efficient and easy method is suitable for all kinds of substituted quinolines.     

Combinatorial synthetic design. Solution and polymer-supported synthesis of heterocycles via intramolecular aza Diels-Alder and imino alcohol cyclizations

A flexible synthetic strategy for combinatorial chemical applications has been developed on the basis of an aldehyde-bridge-alkene motif as the key component in several intramolecular cycloaddition reactions. This strategy was explored most extensively with the formal aza Diels-Alder cyclization, which affords a series of configurationally and functionally diverse heterocyclic compounds. The substrates included substituted salicylaldehydes, glyoxylic esters and amides, and N-acyl-alpha-aminoaldehydes; all reacted with a variety of anilines to yield different tetrahydroquinoline products. The cyclization of the aminoaldehydes was also translated from solution and optimized for solid phase. The stepwise mechanism of this cycloaddition suggested that the cationic intermediate from initial ring closure could be trapped by a variety of nucleophiles. This suggestion was confirmed by cyclization of amino alcohols and related compounds.     

Stereospecific synthesis of mexiletine and related compounds: Mitsunobu versus Williamson reaction

Mexiletine [1-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)-2-propanamine], a chiral, orally effective antiarrhythmic agent, and several analogues substituted on either the stereogenic centre or the xylyloxy moiety, were prepared in both, highly enriched, optically active forms. According to the ‘chiral pool’ approach, the appropriate amino alcohols, protected as the corresponding phthalimide derivatives, were condensed with the desired phenols under either Mitsunobu (method A) or Williamson (method B) conditions. Generally, method A provided the most efficient route, both in terms of yields and number of steps necessary. Only when an isopropyl group was present on the stereogenic centre, i.e. when 2-amino-3-methylbutanol was used as the starting alcohol, method B proved to be the only available route, method A giving no product other than the starting phthalimide derivative. Regardless of the method used, enantiomeric excesses ranged from 91 to 99%. Given the availability of both variously substituted phenols and optically active amino alcohols, the two methods described herein, taken together, may serve as a versatile approach, useful to meet the needs of new chiral, optically active mexiletine analogues, possibly endowed with higher potency in exerting a use-dependent block on sodium channels and/or more resistant to biotransformations.