Conjugate addition of aromatic amines to ethenetricarboxylates

The conjugate addition of amines is considered to be a useful reaction in synthetic organic chemistry. The reaction of reactive electrophilic olefins, ethenetricarboxylates, and aromatic amines with and without catalytic Lewis acids such as ZnCl₂ and ZnBr₂ at room temperature gave amine adducts in high yields. The products were converted to α-amino acid, dl-aspartic acid derivatives. Using Lewis acids such as Sc(OTf)₃ and Zn(OTf)₂ at higher temperature (40-80 °C), the reaction of ethenetricarboxylates and N-methylaniline gave an aromatic substitution product. A catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition using a chiral Lewis acid was also investigated. For example, the reaction of 1,1-diethyl 2-tert-butyl ethenetricarboxylate with N-methylaniline in the presence of chiral bisoxazoline-Cu(II) complex in THF at −20 °C for 17 h gave an amine adduct in 91% yield and 78% ee. On the other hand, the reaction with aniline and primary aniline derivatives gave adducts with almost no ee%.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of diaryl or aryl-alkyl sulfones without catalyst

The microwave-assisted coupling reaction of electrondeficient aryl halides with sulfmic acid salts through SNAr-based addition reactions within 5-30 min. No catalysts were required under our conditions.     

Conjugate addition of amines to chiral 3-aziridin-2-yl-acrylates

Conjugate addition of benzylamine to chiral methyl cis-3-aziridin-2-yl-acrylates was successfully proceeded to yield 3-aziridin-2-yl-3-benzylaminopropionates in high yield with high stereoselectivity. The addition products were used for the asymmetric synthesis of vicinal diamine derivatives including 4-amino-5-methylpyrrolidin-2-one, 3,4-diaminopentanoate, and 5-chloromethyl-4-alkoxycarbonylmethylimidazolidin-2-one.     

Conjugate addition nitro-Mannich reaction of carbon and heteroatom nucleophiles to nitroalkenes

The conjugate addition nitro-Mannich reactions of ethyl-β-nitroacrylate (1) and β-nitrostyrene (2) with electron rich aromatic nucleophiles, stabilized carbanions, alcohols, amines, thiols, and diphenyl phosphine oxide were investigated. The one pot conjugate addition nitro-Mannich reaction was unsuccessful except for the addition of alkoxides to 2 in alcohol as solvent. Isolation of the conjugate addition products followed by deprotonation with ⁿBuLi and treatment with a simple imine in the presence of TFA led to β-nitroamine derived products. Products derived from 1 spontaneously cyclised in only a few examples and on the whole led to inherently unstable products. Products derived from 2 were isolated as their trifluoroacetamides, gave good yields of single diastereoisomers for aromatic and alkoxide nucleophiles and the structures were verified by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Products derived from amine nucleophiles were isolated in low yields while sulfur nucleophiles gave poor diastereoselectivities.     

Nucleophilic addition to nitroacrylates: application towards the synthesis of 2,3-dehydroamino acids and 2,3-diamino acids

The addition of the N-pronucleophiles to 2- or 3-nitro-2-alkenoates in the presence of base provided Michael addition products. In the case of 3-nitro compounds, reaction occurred via the formation of α-adducts and the subsequent elimination of nitrous acid to produce olefins with high Z stereoselectivity. 3-Phthalimido-2-nitrocinnamate adduct 8a was converted into 2,3-diamino ester 11a.     

Highly efficient, catalytic bis addition reactions of allyl phenyl sulfone to vinyl sulfones

Highly efficient, electrocatalytic additions of allyl phenyl sulfone to a variety of vinyl sulfones have been accomplished. The additions are catalyzed by electrogenerated bases derived from the reactant itself, and furnish 90-94% yields of highly polar molecules in which 1 mol of allyl phenyl sulfone has added consecutively, selectively, and in a linear addition mode to 2 mol of the vinyl sulfone. Essentially no products are observed which incorporate other than 2 mol of the vinyl sulfone. An addition to a difunctional alkene, divinylsulfone, yields a novel cyclization product, albeit in more moderate yield (41%). The use of tetraalkylammonium salts, as opposed to lithium salts, as electrolytes has been found to provide electrogenerated bases of especially high reactivity.     

Conjugate addition of pyrroles to α,β-unsaturated ketones using copper bromide as a catalyst

Copper bromide was used as a catalyst for the addition of pyrroles to enones. When both the reactants were used in equimolar amounts, mono and dialkylated products were obtained. However, the use of excess enone furnished only dialkylated products. Thus, copper bromide was shown to be an efficient catalyst for the dialkylation of pyrroles.     

Oxa-Michael addition promoted by the aqueous sodium carbonate

An efficient Michael addition of alcohols to activated alkenes promoted by sodium carbonate with water as reaction medium has been developed. The reaction provides a general, economical and environmentally friendly approach for the synthesis of β-alkoxycarbonyl compounds.     

Palladium(II)-catalyzed tandem intramolecular aminopalladation of alkynylanilines and conjugate addition for synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted indole derivatives

An efficient method for the synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted indoles with high selectivity from 2-ethynylaniline derivatives and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds was developed. This Pd(II)-catalyzed reaction involves tandem intramolecular aminopalladation, olefin insertion and protonolysis of the carbon-palladium bond with the regeneration of Pd(II) species in the presence of halide ions.     

Aza-Michael addition of chiral hydrazines to alkylidene malonates

The conjugate spontaneous addition of chiral N,N-dialkylhydrazines 1 to dimethyl alkylidene/arylidene malonates 2, 5-10 affords the corresponding β-hydrazino esters in moderate-to-good yields and selectivities. d-Mannitol-derived hydrazine 1a afforded best results, mainly due to the higher stability of the products 3, 11-16.     

Perfluoroalkylation of 2-mercaptoethanol as a key step for a new synthesis of perfluoroalkyl vinyl sulfides, sulfoxides and sulfones

We have developed a new method of perfluoroalkylation of thiols, using a mixture of sodium formate/sodium sulfite to generate a sulfoxylate radical anion. This method is compatible with alcoholic functionality and was applied to mercaptoethanol. The obtained compounds were transformed into perfluoroalkyl vinyl sulfides, sulfoxides and sulfones.     

DABCO-mediated aza-Michael addition of 4-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles to cycloalkenones. Regioselective synthesis of disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles

Aza-Michael addition of 4-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles to 2-cycloalken-1-ones has been studied in the presence of DABCO as organic base. The reactions were carried out in acetonitrile at room temperature to provide 2,4-disubstituted 2H-1,2,3-triazoles as major adducts and 1,4-disubstituted 1H-1,2,3-triazoles as minor adducts. Though the reaction times are longer (4–8 days), the two regioisomers were separated by using column chromatography and the adducts were obtained in very good to excellent combined chemical yields. The electron-rich and electron-poor substituents on aryl moiety of 4-aryl-triazoles could tolerate the reaction conditions to afford the title adducts.     

Chiral amidophosphane-copper-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to nitroalkenes

The copper-amidophosphane-catalyzed asymmetric addition reaction of dialkylzinc reagents with β-aryl and β-alkylnitroalkenes afforded the corresponding nitroalkanes with moderate to good enantioselectivities (54-80% ee). The performance was highly dependent on the reaction procedure where the addition of nitroalkene to the mixture of copper-amidophosphane and dialkylzinc gave higher ee than the addition of dialkylzinc to a mixture of copper-amidophosphane and nitroalkene.     

A new synthesis of amides and γ-lactones based on the conjugate addition of lithium enolate of amides to 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides

Reaction of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were synthesized from chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide and ketones or aldehydes, with lithium enolate of N,N-dimethylacetamide gave the adducts in good to quantitative yields. The adducts were converted to several kinds of amides in high overall yields. Treatment of the adducts with trifluoroacetic anhydride in the presence of NaI resulted in the formation of γ-tolylsulfanylated γ-lactones in high yields. The scope and limitations of this method and the mechanism of the reactions are also discussed. These procedures offer a new and effective method for the synthesis of amides and γ-lactones having substituents on the β-carbon from N,N-dimethylacetamide with carbon elongation.     

Coupling of thioamides with 4-bromocrotonate esters and subsequent conjugate addition for the rapid one-pot synthesis of functionalized thiazolines

An efficient one-pot synthesis of functionalized thiazolines via the coupling of thioamides with 4-bromocrotonate esters is described. A range of aryl- and alkyl-thioamides with various substitutions are well-tolerated. Additionally, the presence of the exocyclic ester functionality provides a convenient handle for the synthesis of more complex thiazoline-containing natural products and biologically-relevant compounds.     

Enantioselective synthesis of nitrocyclopropanes via conjugate addition of bromomalonate to nitroalkenes catalyzed by Ni(II) complexes

A novel one-pot methodology for the catalytic enantioselective synthesis of highly functionalized nitrocyclopropanes promoted by chiral nickel complexes is developed. The treatment of bromomalonates with nitroalkenes under the mild reaction conditions afforded the corresponding Michael adducts which cyclizes to controlled reaction conditions with excellent diasteroselectivities (>99 de) and enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee).     

Sodium borohydride or potassium carbonate-mediated intramolecular Michael addition: a general method for the synthesis of fused dihydrofuran and furan derivatives

A simple and convenient method for the synthesis of fused dihydrofuran derivatives using NaBH₄-mediated reductive cyclization and fused furan derivatives by K₂CO₃-mediated intramolecular Michael addition followed by acid-catalyzed methanol elimination has been developed.     

An efficient and improved synthesis of 1,5-diketones: versatile conjugate addition of nucleophiles to α,β-unsaturated enones and alkynones

Several 1,5-diketones have been prepared in good to excellent yields by versatile conjugate addition of nucleophiles such as cyclic or acyclic ketones, amines and thiols to α,β-unsaturated enones and alkynones, in the presence of catalytic amounts of 10% aq NaOH, TBAI and DMSO at ambient temperature. The choice of solvent and phase-transfer catalyst played a critical role in improving the reaction rate and yields of the products.     

Electronegativity scheme for reactions involving radical addition to vinyl monomers

The concept of the apparent electronegativity of a reaction site has been introduced. This has been used to develop a new scheme for calculating the relative rate constants of addition of radicals with different structures to vinyl monomers. The parameters of the scheme are given for 40 reagents. The results of a comparison of calculated and literature rate constants of addition are presented.Institute of Nonaqueous Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 150003 Ivanovo. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2238–2245, October, 1992.