Base-catalyzed cyclization of monofluorodienynes: a new route to substituted fluorobenzene derivatives

The Sonogashira reaction of 1-bromo-1-fluoro-4-phenyl-1,3-butadienes and terminal alkynes, followed by cyclization in the presence of DABCO in refluxing NMP affords fluorinated benzene derivatives site-specifically in good yields.     

Dearomatizing cyclization of arylsulfonylalkoxymethyl lithiums: a route to the podophyllotoxin skeleton

[reaction: see text] The phenylsulfonyl group promotes the dearomatizing cyclization of tethered organolithiums onto aromatic rings. With an ether tether, the cyclizations create a new tetrahydrofuran ring, and both cyclization and subsequent electrophilic quenches proceed with high levels of diastereoselectivity. The sulfonyl group can be removed from the cyclized products oxidatively or reductively. The dearomatizing cyclization of a naphthyl sulfone was used in the synthesis of a close structural analogue of podophyllotoxin.     

A radical cyclization route to cyclic imines

A novel route to cyclic imines based on 5-exo radical cyclization is explored. The radical precursors are imines prepared from allylamine and readily available α-phenylselenenyl ketones.     

Amino-zinc-ene-enolate cyclization: a short access to cis-3-substituted prolino-homotryptophane derivatives

Proline chimeras are useful tools for medicinal chemistry and/or biological applications. The asymmetric synthesis of cis-3-substituted prolines can be easily achieved via amino-zinc-ene-enolate cyclization followed by transmetalation of the cyclic zinc intermediate for further functionalization. Syntheses of prolino-homotryptophane derivatives were achieved through Negishi cross-coupling of the zinc intermediate with indole rings. The use of Pd catalyst derived from Fu's [(t-Bu3)PH]-BF4 was required to avoid the undesired beta-hydride elimination. Optically pure and orthogonally protected compounds were obtained readily usable for peptide synthesis.     

Anodic coupling reactions: a sequential cyclization route to the arteannuin ring skeleton

A pair of intramolecular anodic olefin coupling reactions has been used to construct the arteannuin ring skeleton. Both coupling reactions took advantage of a furan ring as one of the coupling partners. In the first, it was found that an enol ether derived from an aldehyde was not an effective initiating group for the reaction. Instead, the cyclization benefited strongly from the use of a N,O-ketene acetal initiating group. In the second cyclization, an endocyclic enol ether was coupled to the furan ring. This second electrolysis reaction generated the key tetrasubstituted carbon at the center of the arteannuin ring skeleton.     

A copper-catalyzed domino radical cyclization route to benzospiro-indolizidinepyrrolidinones

In this Letter the synthesis of benzospiro-indolizidinepyrrolidinones is described by a domino atom transfer radical cyclization reaction using a copper catalyst. The structure of one of the products was established by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The investigated precursors, bearing a homo allyl substituent on the N-indole, result in a 5-exo-trig, followed by a 6-endo-trig cyclization. When the N-indole is substituted with an allyl group, only the spiro-cyclization occurs.     

A Dieckmann cyclization route to piperazine-2,5-diones

Piperazine-2,5-diones are formed by Dieckmann cyclization (NaH, THF) of substructures of the type CH(2)-N(R)C(O)CH(2)N(R')CO(2)Ph in which the terminal methylene (CH(2)) that is adjacent to nitrogen closes onto the carbonyl group of the phenyl carbamate unit at the other end of the chain. R and R' are alkyl groups, and the terminal methylene is activated by a ketone carbonyl, a nitrile, an ester, or a phosphoryl group. The starting materials are assembled by standard acylation and oxidation processes, starting from a β-(alkylamino)alcohol, an (alkylamino)acetonitrile, an (alkylamino) ester, or an (alkylamino)methyl phosphonate.     

The intramolecular sila-Pummerer cyclization: A new route to sulfur heterocycles

The generality of the intramolecular cyclization of suitable nucleophilic sites to a  S⁺CH₂ center created by a sila-Pummerer rearrangement has been investigated. Successful nucleophilic sites included the OH group (in alcohols, carboxylic acids, and hydroxylamines) and the NH group (in amines and carbamates): attempts to produce carbon-based nucleophilic sites were not effective. Successful cyclizations were achieved to produce sulfur heterocycles with 5-, 6-, and 7-membered rings.     

Diels-alder cyclization of 2,8,10-undecatrienals as a route to 1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,8a-octahydronaphthalenes

2,8,10-Undecatrienals have been found to undergo facile Diels-Alder cyclization upon treatment with alkylaluminum chlorides in methylene chloride at low temperature. The reaction is highly endo-selective. Protected alcohol substituents at the C-4 and C-7 positions are fully accommodated and TBDMS protected alcohols show a strong axial preference. The methodology has been applied to a hydronaphthalenecarboxylic add of possible use in a projected total synthesis of the macrocyclic antitumor antibiotic, chlorothricolide.     

Intramolecular cyclization of beta-amino and beta-ammonio radicals: a new synthetic route to the 1-azabicyclo

Treatment of 1-(2-phenylselenoethyl)-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine (15) with tributyltin hydride affords only the product of reduction, demonstrating the reluctance of the 5-hexenyl radical 9 to undergo ring closure. When the nature of the radical is modified, either by introduction of an ester group at C4 or via its quaternary ammonium salt, cyclization occurs readily; while the radical 52 gives an excellent yield of 1-methyl-1-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1.]octyl bromide (55) uncontaminated with the product of reduction, the bicyclic product from 21 is accompanied by some reduced material. Production of the unwanted alkene can be eliminated in the latter by recourse to the quaternary ammonium ester 1-(2-bromoethyl)-4-carbethoxy-1-methyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridinium bromide (35) which, when exposed to tributyltin hydride, affords a 1:1 endo/exo mixture of 4-carbethoxy-1-methyl-1-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1]octyl bromide (37) exclusively. These results support the demonstration of the powerful polar effect of an ester function when attached to the double bond of a 5-hexenyl system, a property which can be exploited in the case of the radical 58. Treatment of the precursor, 1-(2-bromoethyl)-3-carbethoxy-1-methyl-3-pyrrolinium bromide (60), with tributyltin hydride generates 58 which is found to cyclize with high regioselectivity, affording a convenient high-yielding synthesis of the endo/exo isomers of 3-carbethoxy-1-methyl-1-azoniabicyclo[2.2.1]heptyl bromide 57. The isomeric bicyclo[2.2.1]heptyl ester 63 was not detected. These observations are in accordance with predictions based upon frontier molecular orbital considerations.     

Intramolecular cyclization of pendant phenylethynyl groups as a route to solvent resistance in polyphenylquinoxalines

Biphenyl-based bisbenzil monomers which contain pendant phenylethynyl groups in the 2,2′-positions were condensed with 3,3′-diaminobenzidine to make polyphenylquinoxalines (PPQs) of high molecular weight. Thermal cure of these polymers at 193°C caused an intramolecular cyclization (IMC) of the phenylethynyl groups to give the rigid 9-phenyldibenzanthracene system in the backbone of the polymer. The initial, uncured polymers formed though films which were soluble in m-cresol and chlorinated solvents, but after thermal cure the films became insoluble in all common organic solvents and acids while maintaining their toughness. DSC scans of the cured materials showed small residual exotherms indicating that after vitrification even the intramolecular rotation required for the IMC reaction became restricted.     

A stereoselective route to multi-substituted tetrahydropyrans by vinyl radical cyclization

The tin-mediated 6-exo-trig radical cyclization of the acetylenic β-alkoxy acrylates proceeded smoothly to give fully substituted tetrahydropyrans in good yields with high equatorial selectivity irrespective of the stereochemistry of the propargylic position.     

A short synthetic route to (+)-austamide, (+)-deoxyisoaustamide,and (+)-hydratoaustamide from a common precursor by a novel palladium-mediated indole --> dihydroindoloazocine cyclization

The first synthesis of (+)-austamide (1), (+)-deoxyisoaustamide (2), and (+)-hydratoaustamide (10) by a very direct route is described (Scheme 1). Starting from tryptophan methyl ester (3) intermediate 5 is generated in two steps in >98% overall yield. The key step in the synthesis is a novel cyclization of 5 involving organopalladium intermediates which gives the dihydroazocine 6. From this key intermediate the target structures are accessible in just a few steps as shown in Scheme 1. The remarkable conversion of 5 --> 6 can be rationalized by the mechanistic pathway shown in Scheme 2 that involves a multistep sequence which includes palladation, cyclization, and rearrangement.     

A cascade cyclization route to adjacent bistetrahydrofurans from chiral triepoxyfarnesyl bromides

A number of isomeric bistetrahydrofuran analogues were prepared from triepoxy farnesyl bromides by a zinc-initiated reduction-elimination and in situ Lewis acid-promoted cascade cyclization.     

A facile tandem radical cyclization route to propellanes and its application to a total synthesis of modhephene

A facile and versatile tandem radical cyclization route to propellanes from dieneyne compounds was developed and was applied to the total synthesis of modhephene.     

A short synthetic route to the calystegine alkaloids

An efficient strategy is described for the synthesis of enantiopure calystegine alkaloids. The key step employs a zinc-mediated fragmentation of benzyl-protected methyl 6-iodo-glycosides followed by in situ formation of the benzyl imine and Barbier-type allylation with zinc, magnesium, or indium metal. Stereochemistry in the pivotal allylation is controlled by the choice of the metal. The functionalized 1,8-nonadienes, thus formed, are converted into cycloheptenes by ring-closing olefin metathesis. Regioselective hydroboration and oxidation give the corresponding cycloheptanones, which are deprotected to afford the desired calystegines. Hereby, calystegine B(2), B(3), and B(4) are prepared from D-glucose, D-galactose, and D-mannose, respectively. This route constitutes the shortest synthesis of calystegine B(2) and gives rise to the first total syntheses of calystegine B(3) and B(4).