Synthesis of Diels–Alder adducts of N-arylmaleimides by a multicomponent reaction between maleic anhydride, dienes, and anilines

Abstract  

We have carried out the synthesis and characterization of some hexahydroisoindolyl benzoic acids and their corresponding ethyl esters by a multicomponent reaction (MCR) between aminobenzoic acids or aminobenzoates, maleic anhydride, and isoprene in the absence of catalysts. According to additional experiments, the MCR takes place by sequential formation of N-arylmaleamic acids from the aminobenzoic acids or aminobenzoates and maleic anhydride, Diels–Alder adducts of the acids and isoprene, and finally the imides. The ¹H NMR data (coupling constants) of the adducts suggested that the preferred conformation of the corresponding cyclohexene rings is a syn-boat, a fact supported by a density functional theory (DFT) conformational analysis and DFT calculations of the spin–spin coupling constants of the corresponding conformers. Our MCR synthetic methodology was tested successfully in the synthesis of other adducts, for which cyclopentadiene and other anilines were employed.     

Ene reaction of Diels–Alder adducts of levoglucosenone and 1,3-dienes with acetaldehyde

Diels–Alder adducts of levoglucosenone with isoprene, butadiene and piperylene in the presence of AlCl₃ smoothly react with acetaldehyde or benzaldehyde to give products of the ene reaction, the hydroxy group of the primary intermediates participating in the formation of semiketal moiety. The yields of the reaction products depend both on the Lewis acid used (AlCl , BF ·Et O, ZnBr , SnCl or EtAlCl₂) and on the nature of the substrate.     

Construction of dihydropyran-bridged macrocycles by inverse-electron-demand Diels–Alder reaction

A variety of dihydropyran-bridged macrocyclic structures were constructed by the inverse-electron-demand Diels–Alder reaction of 2-oxo-4-aryl-but-3-enoates. Controlling of the tether length and the position of the activating substituent in the substrates would guide the reaction to the formation of four different types of polycyclic frames, namely bicyclic [n.3.1], bicyclic [n.2.2], tricyclic [n.3.1.1], and tricyclic [n.2.2.2] macrocycles. The intermolecular/intramolecular selectivity of the Diels–Alder reaction was virtually governed by the tether length. The reactions were carried out rapidly under mild conditions, and offered a practical method for creating bridged polycyclic structures with large rings from acyclic precursors.     

Reaction of the levoglucosenone Diels–Alder adducts with acetaldehyde under the McMurry conditions

Reactions of acetaldehyde with Diels–Alder adducts of levoglucosenone with butadiene, isoprene, and cyclohexa-diene assisted by low-valence titanium afford products of acetaldehyde addition to the acetal center with opening of the 1,6-anhydro bridge. In the case of the cyclopentadiene adduct, the reaction gives the product of addition of the ethyl substituent to the acetal center while the 1,6-anhydro bridge remains unchanged.     

Mechanistic studies of the formation of cyclopropane-bearing systems through photoconversion of tropolone Diels–Alder adducts

Irradiation of alkyltropolone Diels–Alder adducts bearing β,γ-unsaturated ketone chromophores leads to fused polycyclic systems containing cyclopropane moieties in good yields. A detailed mechanistic study, which included the use of deuterium labeling in combination with HRMS and NMR experiments, revealed that the process is highly stereoselective, proceeds through the formation of allyl radical and ketene intermediates, and involves participation of the solvent.     

Tandem intramolecular Diels–Alder/retro-Diels–Alder cycloaddition of 2H-chromen-2-one as dienes with the expulsion of CO_2

To study the intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloadditon of 2H-chromen-2-one as a diene, a series of chiral N-allyl-N-benzylamides that contain a 2H-chromen-2-one moiety were designed for the synthesis of benzo[f]isoindol-1-ones via an intramolecular Diels-Alder and a subsequent retro-Diels-Alder cycloaddition with the expulsion of CO₂. Both the yield (80%-89%) and absolute stereocontrol of the tandem reaction were high when an electron-withdrawing group was attached to the dienophile. The double bond in the styrene substructure remained in the products could be further derivatized by dihydroxylation.     

Studies on new hybrid materials prepared by both Diels–Alder and Michael addition reactions

New polyurethane chemically crosslinked networks containing silica were synthesized by both Diels–Alder polymerization and Michael addition reaction. Structural characterization of the products was evidenced by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and attenuated total reflectance in conjunction with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to demonstrate the thermally remendable character of the materials obtained through Diels–Alder polymerization. The influence of increasing silica content on the glass transition temperatures was studied. It was observed that the glass transition temperatures increased with increasing silica content. Absolute heat capacities and crosslinking densities were determined for the thermoreversible materials. A comparison between materials obtained through Diels–Alder process and Michael addition method was studied. A kinetic study was conducted via an isoconversional method. Morphological studies were conducted by atomic force microscopy technique.     

Diels–Alder dimerization of Morita–Baylis–Hillman acetates catalyzed by organocatalysts

DABCO-catalyzed dimerization of Morita–Baylis–Hillman acetates to synthesize a series of 3-alkyl-4-(E)-alkenyl-cyclohex-1-ene-1,4-dicarbonyl compounds in excellent yields with modest to excellent diastereoselectivity is reported. A plausible reaction mechanism is also proposed on the basis of previous literature and preliminary investigation the asymmetric version of the reaction.     

Aluminosilicate Catalysis of Chalcone Diels–Alder Reactions

Previously unreported Diels–Alder adducts of substituted chalcones with isoprene and myrcene have been formed at more than 0°C by employing a nanoporous aluminosilicate catalyst. This catalyst eliminates problems with diene polymerization that are encountered with many other Lewis acids. The chalcone component has some size restrictions.     

Diels–Alder Reactions of β-Acylacrylic Acids

The Diels–Alder reaction of β-acylacrylic acids with dienes gave good yields and good regio- or stereoselectivity of the corresponding cycloaddition products with the use of Lewis acids.     

Dual Activation of Aromatic Diels–Alder Reactions

The unusually fast Diels–Alder reactions of [5]cyclophanes were analyzed by DFT at the BLYP-D3(BJ)/TZ2P level of theory. The computations were guided by an integrated activation-strain and Kohn–Sham molecular orbital analysis. It is revealed why both [5]metacyclophane and [5]paracyclophane exhibit a significant rate enhancement compared to their planar benzene analogue. The activation strain analyses revealed that the enhanced reactivity originates from 1) predistortion of the aromatic core resulting in a reduced activation strain of the aromatic diene, and/or 2) enhanced interaction with the dienophile through a distortion-controlled lowering of the HOMO–LUMO gap within the diene. Both of these physical mechanisms and thus the rate of Diels–Alder cycloaddition can be tuned through different modes of geometrical distortion (meta versus para bridging) and by heteroatom substitution in the aromatic ring. Judicious choice of the bridge and heteroatom in the aromatic core enables effective tuning of the aromatic Diels–Alder reactivity to achieve activation barriers as low as 2 kcal mol⁻¹, which is an impressive 35 kcal mol⁻¹ lower than that of benzene.     

Stereoselective synthesis of chiral hydrocarbazoles via the catalytic Diels–Alder reaction of siloxyvinylindole and cyclic Z-olefin

The catalytic Diels–Alder reaction of siloxyvinylindole and cyclic Z-olefin derived from pyroglutamic acid gave optically active substituted hydrocarbazoles. The exo/endo selectivity of this reaction could be controlled by using an appropriate Lewis acid. Scandium triflate gave high exo-selectivity and copper triflate gave moderate endo-selectivity. Subsequent stereoselective alkylation of the cycloadduct led to the synthesis of highly substituted hydrocarbazoles with five continuous chiral centers including a quaternary carbon.     

Highly Enantioselective Diels–Alder Reaction Catalyzed by Chiral Imidazolidinone

New chiral imidazolidinone with an indole group was synthesized and used to catalyze the Diels–Alder reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehyde with diene. High enantiomeric excesses and good yields were obtained. The reaction media were also surveyed. The best result in terms of enantioselectivity was achieved using acrolein and 2,3-dimethylbutdiene (up to 95% ee) in CH₃OH/H₂O.     

Water-soluble graphene dispersion functionalized by Diels–Alder cycloaddition reaction

Water-soluble graphene dispersions were fabricated by the exfoliation of graphite functionalized with furfuryl alcohol by Diels–Alder cycloaddition reaction. The pristine graphite was firstly heat-treated in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) before it was functionalized with furfuryl alcohol, and then, the increased interlayer spacing is propitious for furfuryl alcohol to enter into the lattice and react with graphite. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy indicate that the functional graphene is a high-quality product without any significant defects, and atomic force microscopy shows that the functional graphene consists of single to few layers graphene. Moreover, the grafting ratio onto graphene is up to 1.52 mmol/g. Therefore, the method provides a feasible route to produce functional graphene.     

Surface modification of activated carbon and fullerene black by Diels–Alder reaction

Activated carbon and fullerene black react with cyclopentadiene at room temperature or slightly elevated temperature. At higher temperature a retro-Diels–Alder reaction takes place. The reaction with the diene and the retro-Diels–Alder reaction could be repeated. As a consequence of the reaction with cyclopentadiene or other suitable dienes and the retro reaction, the surface structure of different carbons changed considerably. The surface area of micropores on fullerene black was much higher than for the original sample. The influence on the surface area of porosity is reported for two different types of carbon.     

Diels–Alder Reactions During the Biosynthesis of Sorbicillinoids

The sorbicillinoids are a class of biologically active and structurally diverse fungal polyketides arising from sorbicillin. Through co-expression of sorA, sorB, sorC, and sorD from Trichoderma reesei QM6a, the biosynthetic pathway to epoxysorbicillinol and dimeric sorbicillinoids, which resemble Diels–Alder-like and Michael-addition-like products, was reconstituted in Aspergillus oryzae NSAR1. Expression and feeding experiments demonstrated the crucial requirement of the flavin-dependent monooxygenase SorD for the formation of dimeric sorbicillinoids, hybrid sorbicillinoids, and epoxysorbicillinol in vivo. In contrast to prior reports, SorD catalyses neither the oxidation of 2′,3′-dihydrosorbicillin to sorbicillin nor the oxidation of sorbicillinol to oxosorbicillinol. This is the first report that both the intermolecular Diels–Alder and Michael dimerization reactions, as well as the epoxidation of sorbicillinol are catalysed in vivo by SorD.     

Dynamics of Diels–Alder reactions involving 2-trialkylsilyloxyfurans

Increasing the size of the silyl group on 2-trialkylsilyloxyfurans reduces the rate of Diels–Alder reactions with maleic acid derivatives. While the exo-adduct resulted from the reaction between 2-silyloxyfurans and maleic anhydride, endo-adducts resulted from the reactions with maleate esters. Analysis of transition state structures for the cycloaddition, calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G1 level of theory, revealed significant stretch-mode asynchronicity in the forming bonds, with selectivity arising from steric interactions that affect torsional strain about the shorter of the forming bonds.     

Enthalpies of the Diels–Alder reactions of a series of dienes with tetracyanoethylene and 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione

Russian Chemical Bulletin - The enthalpies of the Diels–Alder reactions of twenty dienes with two active dienophiles, tetracyanoethylene and 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione, are compared,...