Umamidierungsreaktionen an cyclischen Amino-amid-Systemen. 3. Mitteilung über Umamidierungsreaktionen

Transamidation Reactions with Cyclic Amino-amides Lactames which are substituted at the nitrogen atom by a 3-aminopropyl residue are transformed under base catalysis to cyclic amino-amides enlarged by 4 ring atoms. The formed ring must be at minimum 12-membered. Scheme 2 illustrates this result: the 8-membered 7 is transamidated in 96% yield to the 12-membered ring 8 (in the presence of potassium 3-aminopropylamid in 1, 3-propanediamine), the 9-membered 10 to the 13-membered ring 11 (97%) and the 11-membered 14 to the 15-membered ring 15 . Furthermore, the 13-membered ring 27 (Scheme 5) is transformed to the 17-membered 28 . In the case of the 15-membered lactame 15 it is demonstrated that 14 is not formed back under the conditions of the transamidation. Large ring lactames which are substituted at the nitrogen atom by a 3-(alkylamino) propyl group lead under base catalysis to an equilibrium mixture, e.g. the 17-membered 26 is in equilibrium with the 21-membered 29 . This result is similar to the behavior of the corresponding open-chain amino-amides [2]. Because of transannular interactions, the 11-membered ring 2 is not stable: transamidation of the 7-membered 1 (Scheme 1) doesn't give the expected 2 , but its water elimination product 3 in small yield. The N-tosyl derivative of 2 , namely 20 , is synthesized by an independent route (Scheme 3). Detosylation of 20 yields the 7-membered 1 instead of 2 . Concerning the mechanism of this interesting reaction see Scheme 4.     

Die «Zip»-Reaktion: Eine neue Ringerweiterungsreaktion. Synthese von 17-, 21- und 25-gliedrigen Polyaminolactamen. 4. Mitteilung über Umamidierungsreaktionen

The Zip-reaction: A New Method for the Synthesis of Macrocyclic Polyaminolactams The 21- and 25-membered aminolactams 11 and 25 were synthesized from the 13-membered lactam 4 . To introduce the ring enlargement unit (a propylamino group) 4 was N-alkylated using acrylonitrile and the resulting product hydrogenated. Repetition of this reaction sequence gave 3 , which was converted in the presence of base in 90% yield to the ring-enlarged macrocyclic base 11 (Scheme 2). In a similar but stepwise synthesis consisting of two separate ring-enlargement reactions 4 was transformed to 11 via 13 (Scheme 4). Introducing three ringenlargement units into 4 the 25-membered aminolactam 25 was synthesized in 84% yield (Scheme 5). The mechanism of the ring-enlargement reaction is given in Scheme 3. In comparison to a zip-fastener or zipper this reaction is called “zipreaction”.     

Enantioselective Organocatalytic Four‐Atom Ring Expansion of Cyclobutanones: Synthesis of Benzazocinones

An enantioselective Michael addition– four‐atom ring expansion cascade reaction involving cyclobutanones activated by a N‐aryl secondary amide group and ortho‐amino nitrostyrenes has been developed for the preparation of functionalized eight‐membered benzolactams using bifunctional aminocatalysts. Taking advantage of the secondary amide activating group, the eight‐membered cyclic products could be further rearranged into their six‐membered isomers having a glutarimide core under base catalysis conditions without erosion of optical purity, featuring an overall ring expansion– ring contraction strategy.     

Amidine als Zwischenprodukte bei Umamidierungsreaktionen. 9. Mitteilung über Umamidierungsreaktionen

Amidines as Intermediates in Transamidation Reactions By loss of water in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid/xylole N-aminoalkyllactames form bicyclic amidines. The corresponding N-alkylaminoalkyl-lactames' react to bicyclic amidinium salts or to transamidated products, ring-enlarged by the N-alkylamino residue, respectively (s. Scheme 1). The bicyclic amidines and amidinium salts are partially hydrolyzed by KOH/H₂O to lactames (s. Scheme 2). Which of the two possible isomeric lactames are formed is discussed.     

Nucleotides. Part LXXVIII

Several N(‐hydroxyalkyl)‐2,4‐dinitroanilines were transformed into their phosphoramidites (see 5 and 6 in Scheme 1) in view of their use as fluorescence quenchers, and modified 2‐aminobenzamides (see 9, 10, 18 , and 19 in Scheme 1) were applied in model reactions as fluorophors to determine the relative fluorescence quantum yields of the 3′‐Aba and 5′‐Dnp‐3′‐Aba conjugates (Aba=aminobenzamide, Dnp=dinitroaniline). Thymidine was alkylated with N‐(2‐chloroethyl)‐2,4‐dinitroaniline ( 24 ) to give 25 which was further modified to the building blocks 27 and 28 (Scheme 3). The 2‐amino group in 29 was transformed by diazotation into the 2‐fluoroinosine derivative 30 used as starting material for several reactions at the pyrimidine nucleus (→ 31, 33 , and 35 ; Scheme 4). The 3′,5′‐di‐O‐acetyl‐2′‐deoxy‐N²‐[(dimethylamino)methylene]guanosine ( 37 ) was alkylated with methyl and ethyl iodide preferentially at N(1) to 43 and 44 , and similarly reacted N‐(2‐chloroethyl)‐2,4‐dinitroaniline ( 24 ) to 38 and the N‐(2‐iodoethyl)‐N‐methyl analog 50 to 53 (Scheme 5). The 2′‐deoxyguanosine derivative 53 was transformed into 3′,5′‐di‐O‐acetyl‐2‐fluoro‐1‐{2‐[(2,4‐dinitrophenyl)methylamino]ethyl}inosine ( 54 ; Scheme 5) which reacted with 2,2′‐[ethane‐1,2‐diylbis(oxy)]bis[ethanamine] to modify the 2‐position with an amino spacer resulting in 56 (Scheme 6). Attachment of the fluorescein moiety 55 at 56 via a urea linkage led to the doubly labeled 2′‐deoxyguanosine derivative 57 (Scheme 6). Dimethoxytritylation to 58 and further reaction to the 3′‐succinate 59 and 3′‐phosphoramidite 60 afforded the common building blocks for the oligonucleotide synthesis (Scheme 6). Similarly, 30 reacted with N‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐2,4‐dinitroaniline ( 61 ) thus attaching the quencher at the 2‐position to yield 62 (Scheme 7). The amino spacer was again attached at the same site via a urea bridge to form 64 . The labeling of 64 with the fluorescein derivative 55 was straigthforward giving 65 . and dimethoxytritylation to 66 and further phosphitylation to 67 followed known procedures (Scheme 7). Several oligo‐2′‐deoxynucleotides containing the doubly labeled 2′‐deoxyguanosines at various positions of the chain were formed in a DNA synthesizer, and their fluorescence properties and the T_ms in comparison to their parent duplexes were measured (Tables 1–5).     

3-(Dimethylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-2H-azirin als α-Aminoisobuttersäure(Aib)-Äquivalent: Cyclische Depsipeptide durch direkte Amid-Cyclisierung

3-(Dimethylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-2H,-azirine as an α-Aminoisobutyric-Acid (Aib) Equivalent: Cyclic Depsipeptides via Direct Amid Cyclization In MeCN at room temperature, 3-(dimethylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-2H-azirine ( 1 ) and α-hydroxycarboxylic acids react to give diamides of type 8 (Scheme 3). Selective cleavage of the terminal N,N-dimethylcarboxamide group in MeCN/H₂O leads to the corresponding carboxylic acids 13 (Scheme 4). In toluene/Ph SH , phenyl thioesters of type 11 are formed (see also Scheme 5). Starting with diamides 8 , the formation of morpholin-2,5- diones 10 has been achieved either by direct amide cyclization via intermediate 1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-ones 9 or via base-catalyzed cyclization of the phenyl thioesters 11 (Scheme 3). Reaction of carboxylic acids with 1 , followed by selective amide hydrolysis, has been used for the construction of peptides from α-hydroxy carboxylic acids and repetitive α-aminoisobutyric-acid (Aib) units (Scheme 4). Cyclization of 14a, 17a , and 20a with HCI in toluene at 100° gave the 9-, 12-, and 15-membered cyclic depsipeptides 15, 18 , and 21 , respectively.     

Eine neue Aminoazirin-Reaktion. Bildung von 3,6-Dihydropyrazin-2(1H)-onen

A New Aminoazirine Reaction. Formation of 3,6-Dihydropyrazin-2(1H)-ones The reaction of 3-(dimethylamino)-2H-azirines 1 and 2-(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-oxazol-5(2H)-ones 5 in MeCN or THF at 50–80° leads to 5-(dimethylamino)-3,6-dihydropyrazin-2(1H)-ones 6 (Scheme 3). Reaction mechanisms for the formation of 6 are discussed: either the oxazolones 5 react as CH-acidic heterocycles with 1 (Scheme 4), or the azirines 1 undergo a nucleophilic attack onto the carbonyl group of 5 (Scheme 6). The reaction via intermediate formation of N-(trifluoroacetyl)dipeptide amide 8 (Scheme 5) is excluded.     

Reaktionsprodukte aus 3-Dimethylamino-2, 2-dimethyl-2H-azirin und Phthalohydrazid bzw. Maleohydrazid

Reaction Products from 3-Dimethylamino-2,2-dimethyl-2H-azirine and Phthalohydrazide or Maleohydrazide 3-Dimethylamino-2, 2-dimethyl-2H-azirine (1) reacts in dimethylformamide at room temperature with the six-membered cyclic hydrazides 2, 3-dihydrophthalazin-1, 4-dione (2) and 1, 2-dihydropyridazin-3, 6-dione (15) to give the zwitterionic compounds 3 and 16 , respectively (Scheme 1 and 7). The mechanism of these reactions is outlined in Scheme 1 for compound 3 (cf. also Scheme 8). The first steps are thought to be similar to the known reactions of 1 with the NH-acidic compounds saccharin and phthalimide (cf. [1]). Instead of ring expansion to the nine-membered heterocycle i (X=CONH, Scheme 8), a proton transfer followed by the loss of water gives 3 (Scheme 1). The structure of the zwitterionic compounds 3 and 16 is deduced from spectral data and the reactions of these compounds (see Schemes 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7). Methylation of 3 yields the iodide 4 , which is hydrolysed easily to the 2-imidazolin-5-one derivative 5 (Scheme 2). Hydrolysis of 3 under basic conditions leads to the amide 6 , which undergoes cyclization to 7 at 220–230° (Scheme 3). The analogous cyclization has been realized under acidic conditions in the case of 17 (Scheme 7). Catalytic reduction of 3 yields the tertiary amine 14 (Scheme 6), whereas the reduction with sodium borohydride leads to a mixture of 14 and the 2-imidazoline derivative 13 . The alcohol 11 , corresponding to the amine 14 , is obtained by sodium borohydride reduction of the 2-imidazolin-5-one 7 or of the amide 6 (Scheme 3). This remarkably easy reaction of 7 shows the unusual electrophilicity of the lactamcarbonyl group in this compound. The reduction of 6 to 11 is understandable only by neighbouring group participation of N (2′) in the dihydrophthalazine residue.     

Les β-cétonitriles groupes protecteurs de la fonction amine. Préparation d'amino-alcools

β-Ketonitrile-Derived Protecting Groups of the Amino Function. Synthesis of Amino Alcohols The amino group of natural L -amino acid esters is protected by condensation with 2-oxocyclopentanenitrile ( 1 ) or 2-formyl-2-phenylacetonitrile ( 10 ). Only the ester group of the formed cyanoenamino esters 2 and 11 reacts with nucleophilic reagents such as organometallics (RMgX, RLi), borohydrides, or metal amides, whereas the cyanoenamino group is unchanged (Schemes 1 and 2). Cyanoenamino alcohols obtained by reduction of cyanoenamino esters 2 are hydrolyzed under acidic conditions to amino alcohols with retention of the configuration of the starting amino acid. This sequence of reactions allows to prepare derivatives of L -tyrosinol from (?)-L -tyrosine (see, e.g., Scheme 4). Cyanoenamino esters 11 are readily methylated at the N-atom to give N-methylated cyanoenamino esters (Scheme 3). This property is exploited on the way of a multistep procedure to obtain N-methylated amino alcohols homologous to natural (?)-(1R,2S)-ephedrine.     

Enantioselective Syntheses of Conformationally Rigid,Highly Lipophilic Mesityl‐Substituted Amino Acids

Three N‐Boc‐protected amino acids substituted with a mesityl (=2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl) group were synthesized in enantiomerically pure form, either by asymmetric epoxidation or by aminohydroxylation as the source of chirality. The 3‐mesityloxirane‐2‐methanol 7 , easily available in high enantiomer purity by Sharpless epoxidation, was converted into 3‐{[(tert‐butoxy)carbonyl]amino}‐3‐mesitylpropane‐1,2‐diol 9 by a regio‐ and stereoselective ring opening with an ammonia equivalent (sodium azide or benzhydrylamine), followed by hydrogenation and in situ treatment with (Boc)₂O (Boc=[(tert‐butoxy)carbonyl]) (Scheme 3). Oxidative cleavage of the diol fragment in 9 afforded N‐[(tert‐butoxy)carbonyl]‐α‐mesitylglycine 1 of >99% ee. This amino acid was also prepared in enantiomerically pure form starting from 2,4,6‐trimethylstyrene ( 11 ) by a regioselective Sharpless asymmetric aminohydroxylation, followed by a 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐yloxyl (TEMPO)‐catalyzed oxidation (Scheme 4). On the other hand, 1‐[(tert‐butoxy)carbonyl]‐2‐{{[(tert‐butyl)dimethylsilyl]oxy}methyl}‐3‐mesitylaziridine 14 was prepared from 9 by a sequence involving selective protection of the primary alcohol (as a silyl ether), activation of the secondary alcohol as a mesylate, and base‐induced (NaH) cyclization (Scheme 5). The reductive cleavage of the aziridine ring (H₂, Pd/C), followed by alcohol deprotection (Bu₄NF/THF) and oxidation (pyridinium dichromate (PDC)/DMF or (TEMPO)/NaClO) provided, in high yield and enantiomeric purity, N‐[(tert‐butoxy)carbonyl]‐β‐mesitylalanine 2 . Alternatively, the regioselective ring opening of the aziridine ring of 14 with lithium dimethylcuprate, followed by silyl‐ether cleavage and oxidation lead to N‐[(tert‐butoxy)carbonyl]‐β‐mesityl‐β‐methylalanine 3 . A conformational study of the methyl esters of the N‐Boc‐protected amino acids 1 and 3 carried out by variable‐temperature ¹H‐NMR and semi‐empirical (AM1) calculations shows the strong rotational restriction imposed by the mesityl group.     

Synthesis and Screening of New Chiral Ligands for the Copper‐Catalysed Enantioselective Allylic Substitution

The synthesis of the new chiral ligands 6ae, 8ae, 9ae , and 11ae starting from the chiral β‐[(Boc)amino]sulfonamide 3ae is reported. The β‐amino group of 3ae was deprotected and condensed with 3,5‐dichlorosalicylaldehyde ( 4 ) to yield the known Schiff base 5ae , which was then reduced to the amino compound 6ae (Scheme 3). Alternatively, condensation of the free amino compound with 2‐(diphenylphosphanyl)benzaldehyde ( 7 ) afforded the imino ligand 8ae which upon reduction yielded the amino ligand 9ae (Scheme 4). The free amino compound derived from 3ae was also coupled with 2‐(diphenylphosphanyl)benzoic acid ( 10 ) to give ligand 11ae (Scheme 5). These ligands were tested in the copper‐catalysed allylic substitution reaction of cinnamyl (=3‐phenylprop‐2‐enyl) phosphate 12 with diethylzinc as a nucleophile. Ligands 5ae, 6ae, 8ae , and 11ae gave excellent ratios (100 : 0) of the S_N2′/S_N2 products (Scheme 6 and Table 1). Ligand 11ce , identified from the screening of a small library of ligands of general formula 11 , promoted the allylic substitution reaction with moderate enantioselectivity (40% for the S_N2′ product 13 (Scheme 8 and Table 3)).     

Reaktion von 3-(Dimethylamino)-2H-azirinen mit 1,3-Thiazolidin-2-thion

Reaction of 3-(Dimethylamino)-2H-azirines with 1,3-Thiazolidine-2-thione Reaction of 3-(dimethylamino)-2H-azirines 1 and 1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione ( 6 ) in MeCN at room temperature leads to a mixture of perhydroimidazo[4,3-b]thiazole-5-thiones 7 and N-[1-(4,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)alkyl]-N′,N′-dimethylthioureas 8 (Scheme 2), whereas, in i-PrOH at ca. 60°, 8 is the only product (Scheme 4). It has been shown that, in polar solvents or under Me₂NH catalysis, the primarily formed 7 isomerizes to 8 (Scheme 4). The hydrolysis of 7 and 8 leads to the same 2-thiohydantoine 9 (Scheme 3 and 5). The structure of 7a, 8c , and 9b has been established by X-ray crystallography (Chapt. 4). Reaction mechanisms for the formation and the hydrolysis of 7 and 8 are suggested.     

Derivatives from Isoselenocyanates: Synthesis of 2‐Phenyl‐6H‐[5,1,3]benzoselenadiazocine

The reaction of N‐phenylbenzimidoyl isoselenocyanates 8 with primary and secondary amines in acetone at room temperature, followed by treatment with a base, led to 6H‐[5,1,3]benzoselenadiazocine derivatives of type 10 (Scheme 3). An analogous cyclization was observed when 8a and 8b were reacted with the Na salt of diethyl malonate in EtOH at room temperature, which yielded the eight‐membered selenaheterocycles 11 (Scheme 5). The molecular structures of some of the products, as well as that of a sulfur analogue, have been established by X‐ray crystallography (Figs. 1–4). The isoselenocyanates 8 have been prepared from N‐(2‐methylphenyl)benzamides 5 in a three‐step procedure via the corresponding imidoyl chlorides 6 , side‐chain chlorination to give 7 , and treatment with KSeCN (Scheme 2).     

Synthesis of Nitrogen‐Containing Derivatives of (18α,19β)‐19‐Hydroxy‐2,3‐secooleanane‐2,3,28‐trioic Acid 28,19‐Lactone

The object of this study is the interaction of the cyclic anhydride 2 of (18α,19β)‐19‐hydroxy‐2,3‐secooleanane‐2,3,28‐trioic acid 28,19‐lactone ( 1 ) with primary and secondary amines. It was shown that the products of steric control (the corresponding 2‐amino‐2‐oxo‐3‐oic acids=2‐amides) were formed solely upon the opening of the anhydride cycle by secondary amines (Scheme 2), whereas the interaction with primary amines yielded a mixture of isomeric amides (Scheme 10). In the latter case, the solvent provided a noticeable effect on the reaction selectivity, which was demonstrated in the case of 4‐methoxybenzylamine. The interaction between the resulting 3‐amides and oxalyl chloride yielded the corresponding cyclic imides, whereas under these conditions, 2‐amides formed spiropyrrolidinetriones (Scheme 4).     

Design,Synthesis, NMR‐Solution and X‐Ray Crystal Structure of N‐Acyl‐γ‐dipeptide Amides That Form a βII′‐Type Turn

Conformational analysis of γ‐amino acids with substituents in the 2‐position reveals that an N‐acyl‐γ‐dipeptide amide built of two enantiomeric residues of unlike configuration will form a 14‐membered H‐bonded ring, i.e., a γ‐peptidic turn (Figs. 1 – 3). The diastereoselective preparation of the required building blocks was achieved by alkylation of the doubly lithiated N‐Boc‐protected 4‐aminoalkanoates, which, in turn, are readily available from the corresponding (R)‐ or (S)‐α‐amino acids (Scheme 1). Coupling two such γ‐amino acid derivatives gave N‐acetyl and N‐[(tert‐butoxy)carbonyl] (Boc) dipeptide methyl amides ( 1 and 10 , resp.; Fig. 2, Scheme 2); both formed crystals suitable for X‐ray analysis, which confirmed the turn structures in the solid state (Fig. 4 and Table 4). NMR Analysis of the acetyl derivative 1 in CD₃OH, with full chemical‐shift and coupling assignments, and, including a 300‐ms ROESY measurement, revealed that the predicted turn structure is also present in solution (Fig. 5 and Tables 1 – 3). The results described here are yet another piece of evidence for the fact that more stable secondary structures are formed with a decreasing number of residues, and with increasing degree of predictability, as we go from α‐ to β‐ to γ‐peptides. Implications of the superimposable geometries of the actual turn segments (with amide bonds flanked by two quasi‐equatorial substituents) in α‐, β‐, and γ‐peptidic turns are discussed.     

Reaction of 3-Amino-2H-azirines with 2-Amino-4,6-dinitrophenol (Picramic Acid): Synthesis of Quinazoline- and 1,3-Benzoxazole Derivatives

The reaction of 3-(dimethylamino)-2H-azirines 1a–c and 2-amino-4,6-dinitrophenol (picramic acid, 2 ) in MeCN at 0° to room temperature leads to a mixture of the corresponding 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinazoline-2-one 5 , 3-(dimethylamino)-1,2-dihydroquinazoline 6 , 2-(1-aminoalkyl)-1,3-benzoxazole 7 , and N-[2-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-α-aminocarboxamide 8 (Scheme 3). Under the same conditions, 3-(N-methyl-N-phenyl-amino)-2H-azirines 1d and 1e react with 2 to give exclusively the 1,3-benzoxazole derivative 7 . The structure of the products has been established by X-ray crystallography. Two different reaction mechanisms for the formation of 7 are discussed in Scheme 6. Treatment of 7 with phenyl isocyanate, 4-nitrobenzoyl chloride, tosyl chloride, and HCl leads to a derivatization of the NH₂-group of 7 (Scheme 4). With NaOH or NaOMe as well as with morpholine, 7 is transformed into quinazoline derivatives 5 , 14 , and 15 , respectively, via ring expansion (Scheme 5). In case of the reaction with morpholine, a second product 16 , corresponding to structure 8 , is isolated. With these results, the reaction of 1 and 2 is interpreted as the primary formation of 7 , which, under the reaction conditions, reacts with Me₂NH to yield the secondary products 5 , 6 , and 8 (Scheme 7).     

Novel Heterospirocyclic 3-Amino-2H-azirines as Synthons for Heterocyclic α-Amino Acids

The heterospirocyclic N-methyl-N-phenyl-2H-azirin-3-amines (3-(N-methyl-N-phenylamino)-2H-azirines) 1a - d with a tetrahydro-2H-thiopyran, tetrahydro-2H-thiopyran, and a N-protected piperidine ring, respectively, were synthesized from the corresponding heterocyclic 4-carboxamides 2 by consecutive treatment with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA), diphenyl phosphorochloridate (DPPCI), and sodium azide (Scheme 4). The reaction of these aminoazirines with thiobenzoic acid in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature gave the thiocarbamoyl-substituted benzamides 13a - d in high yield. The azirines 1a-d were used as synthons for heterocyclic α-amino acids in the preparation of tripeptides of the type Z-Aib-Xaa-Aib-N(Ph)Me ( 18 ) by following the protocol of the ‘azirine/oxazolone method’: treatment of Z-Aib with 1 to give the dipeptide amide 15 , followed by selective hydrolysis to the corresponding acid 16 and coupling with the 2,2-dimethyl-2H-azirin-3-amine 17 gave 18 , again in high yield (Scheme 5). With some selected examples of 18 , the selective deprotection of the amino and the carboxy group, respectively, was demonstrated (Scheme 6). The solid-state conformations of the protected tripeptides 18a - d , as well as that of the corresponding carbocyclic analogue 18e , were determined by X-ray crystallography (Figs. 1-3 and Tables 1-3). All five tripeptides adopt a β-turn conformation of type III or III′. The solvent dependence of the chemical shifts of the NH resonances (Fig. 6) suggests that there is an intramolecular H-bond between H-N(4) and O(11) in all cases, which is an indication that a relatively rigid β-turn structure also persists in solution. Surprisingly, the tripeptide acid 20a shows no intramolecular H-bond in the crystalline state (Fig. 7); O(11) is involved in an intermolecular H-bond with the OH group of the carboxy function.     

Photochemical Ring Enlargement of Macrocyclic N‐Phenyl Imides into Cyclophanes

Allylic N‐phenyl imides containing 12‐ and 14‐membered rings, such as compounds 3 and 12 , are easily synthesized by ring enlargement from cycloalkanones and phenyl isocyanates. Irradiation of 3 and 12 in EtOH and MeCN, with high‐ and low‐pressure Hg lamps, led, via the photo‐Fries rearrangement, to the same primary products: the orthocyclophane 8 and the paracyclophane 9 from 3 (Scheme 2), and the corresponding compounds 13 and 14 from 12 (Scheme 3). Besides the primary photorearrangement products, secondary products, the aminocyclophanes 10 and 11 , or 15 and 16 , respectively, were also formed. The total yields of the four products were very high when the N‐phenyl imides were irradiated in MeCN with a low‐pressure Hg lamp: 97 and 93%, respectively. If the para‐position in 3 or 12 is blocked by a Me group, the para‐photo‐Fries rearrangement is prevented. In this case, only one primary photoproduct is formed: the corresponding orthocyclophane ( 17 or 23 , resp.). The most remarkable result was observed on irradiation of the 12‐membered N‐(4‐tolyl) imide 5 in MeCN (low‐pressure lamp). It reacted nearly quantitatively to give only two products: 15‐methyl‐1‐aza[12]orthocyclophane‐2,12‐dione (=16‐methyl‐2‐azabicyclo[12.4.0]octadeca‐1(14),15,17‐triene‐3,13‐dione; 17 ) in 80% yield and 17‐amino‐14‐methyl[11]metacyclophane‐1,11‐dione (=17‐amino‐15‐methylbicyclo[11.3.1]heptadeca‐1(17),13,15‐triene‐2,12‐dione; 19 ) in 16% yield (Scheme 5).     

Novel Fluoride‐Labile Nucleobase‐Protecting Groups for the Synthesis of 3′(2′)‐O‐Aminoacylated RNA Sequences

With the aim to develop a general approach to a total synthesis of aminoacylated t‐RNAs and analogues, we describe the synthesis of stabilized, aminoacylated RNA fragments, which, upon ligation, could lead to aminoacylated t‐RNA structures. Novel RNA phosphoramidites with fluoride‐labile 2′‐O‐[(triisopropylsilyl)oxy]methyl (=tom) sugar‐protecting and N‐{{2‐[(triisopropylsilyl)oxy]benzyl}oxy}carbonyl (=tboc) base‐protecting groups were prepared (Schemes 4 and 5), as well as a solid support containing an immobilized N⁶‐tboc‐protected adenosine with an orthogonal (photolabile) 2′‐O‐[(S)‐1‐(2‐nitrophenyl)ethoxy]methyl (=(S)‐npeom) group (Scheme 6). From these building blocks, a hexameric oligoribonucleotide was prepared by automated synthesis under standard conditions (Scheme 7). After the detachment from the solid support, the resulting fully protected sequence 34 was aminoacylated with L ‐phenylalanine derivatives carrying photolabile N‐protecting groups (→ 42 and 43 ; Scheme 9). Upon removal of the fluoride‐labile sugar‐ and nucleobase‐protecting groups, the still stabilized, partially with the photolabile group protected precursors 44 and 45 , respectively, of an aminoacylated RNA sequence were obtained (Scheme 9 and Fig. 3). Photolysis of 45 under mild conditions resulted in the efficient formation of the 3′(2′)‐O‐aminoacylated RNA sequence 46 (Fig. 4). Additionally, we carried out model investigations concerning the stability of ester bonds of aminoacylated ribonucleotide derivatives under acidic conditions (Table) and established conditions for the purification and handling of 3′(2′)‐O‐aminoacylated RNA sequences and their stabilized precursors.     

Synthesis and Reactivity of π‐Electron‐Deficient (Arylsulfonyl)acetates

Different π‐electron‐deficient (arylsulfonyl)acetates 9 were synthesized (Scheme 1, Table 1), and their behavior as soft nucleophiles in the dialkylation reaction under phase‐transfer catalysis conditions was studied (Schemes 2 and 3, Tables 2 and 3). The [3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]sulfonyl group was shown to be the best substituent for the stereoselective synthesis of (E)‐aconitates 18 via an alkylation hydro‐sulfonyl‐elimination integrated process under very mild phase‐transfer‐catalysis conditions (Scheme 5, Table 4). Sulfonylacetates 9h , i also underwent smooth Diels‐Alder reactions with acyclic and cyclic dienes via in situ formation of the appropriate dienophile through a Knoevenagel condensation with paraformaldehyde (Scheme 6). Reductive desulfonylation with Zn and NH₄Cl in THF was shown to be an efficient method for removal of the synthetically useful sulfonyl moiety (Scheme 7).