Toward the Synthesis of Modified Carbohydrates by Conjugate Addition of Propane‐1,3‐dithiol to α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones

Selected 5‐substituted derivatives 4 of 1,1‐diethoxy‐5‐hydroxypent‐3‐yn‐2‐one were treated with propane‐1,3‐dithiol under various conditions. The unprotected hydroxy ketones underwent cyclization during the dithiol addition and gave the corresponding 3‐(diethoxymethyl)‐2‐oxa‐6,10‐dithiaspiro[4.5]decan‐3‐ols 5 in 80–90% yield as the only products (Scheme 3 and Table 1). These products can be regarded as partly modified carbohydrates in the furanose form. When the benzyl‐protected analogues 10‐Bn of the 1,1‐diethoxy‐5‐hydroxypent‐3‐yn‐2‐one derivatives were treated with the same dithiol, however, no cyclization occurred; instead the corresponding 3‐{2‐[(benzyloxy)methyl]‐1,3‐dithian‐2‐yl}‐1,1‐diethoxypropan‐2‐one derivatives 11‐Bn were formed in good yield (up to 99%; Table 4). These 1,3‐dithianes were and are in the process of being converted to a number of new carbohydrate analogues, and here are reported high‐yield syntheses of functionalized molecules 17 belonging to the 5,5‐diethoxy‐1,4‐dihydroxypentan‐2‐one family of compounds (Table 7), via 15‐Bn (Table 5) and 16‐Bn (Table 6 and Scheme 8).     

Thionation of N‐(ω‐Halogenoalkyl)‐Substituted Amides with Lawesson's Reagent: Facile Synthesis of 4,5‐Dihydro‐1,3‐thiazoles and 5,6‐Dihydro‐4H‐1,3‐thiazines

The thionation and cyclization of N‐(ω‐halogenoalkyl)‐substituted amides (and related compounds) with Lawesson's reagent (LR=2,4‐bis(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐1,3,2,4‐dithiadiphosphetane 2,4‐disulfide) has been investigated. Treatment of the amides 1 with LR gave the corresponding thioamides 2 in moderate to good yields (Table). The latter, upon treatment with base, afforded, either in a separate step or in a one‐pot procedure, the cyclized title compounds, i.e., the 4,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐thiazoles 3 or the corresponding 5‐6‐dihydro‐4H‐thiazines 4 via dehydrohalogenation.     

Original recyclization of S‐phenacyl derivatives of 4‐acylamino‐2‐mercapto‐1,3‐oxazoles and their analogues

Readily accessible acylamino(chloro)acetophenones, if treated with sodium rhodanide and α‐halogenocarbonyl compounds, provide 4‐acylamino‐5‐aryl‐2‐mercapto‐1,3‐oxazole derivatives which undergo recyclization on heating in polyphosphoric acid to give substituted 1,3‐thiazol‐2(3H)‐ones or 1,3‐thiazolidin‐2,4‐diones containing 2‐alkyl(aryl)‐5‐aryl‐1,3‐oxazol‐4‐yl residues at the N³ atom. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 18:432–437, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20317     

Oxidation of 7,8‐diaminotheophylline with lead tetraacetate and reaction of the oxidation product, 6‐cyanoimino‐5‐diazo‐1,3‐dimethylpyrimidine‐2,4‐dione with alcohols or amines

Oxidation of 7,8‐diaminotheophylline (1) with lead tetraacetate in refluxing toluene gave a mixture of 3‐amino‐5,7‐dimethylpyrimido[4,5‐e][1,2,4]triazine‐6,8‐dione ( 2 ) and 6‐cyanoimino‐5‐diazo‐1,3‐dimethylpyrimidine‐2,4‐dione ( 4 ). The latter was transformed to 2 by the reaction with 1‐propanethiol in quantitative yield. The reaction of 4 with methanol, ethanol and 1‐propanol in the presence of rhodium ( II ) acetate gave 5‐alkoxy‐6‐(2‐alkyl‐3‐isoureido)‐1,3‐dimethylpyrimidine‐2,4‐diones ( 7a‐c ). A similar reaction of 4 with alkylamines such as n‐propylamine, n‐butylamine, isobutylamine and n‐hexylamine gave a mixture of 7‐alkyl‐8‐aminotheophyllines ( 8a‐d ) and (5‐alkylamino‐1,3‐dimethyl‐2,4‐dioxopyrimidin‐6‐yl)cyanamides ( 9a‐d ).     

Synthesis of Bis‐Heterocyclic 1H‐Imidazole 3‐Oxides from 3‐Oxido‐1H‐imidazole‐4‐carbohydrazides

The reaction of 1H‐imidazole‐4‐carbohydrazides 1 , which are conveniently accessible by treatment of the corresponding esters with NH₂NH₂?H₂O, with isothiocyanates in refluxing EtOH led to thiosemicarbazides (=hydrazinecarbothioamides) 4 in high yields (Scheme 2). Whereas 4 in boiling aqueous NaOH yielded 2,4‐dihydro‐3H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐thiones 5 , the reaction in concentrated H₂SO₄ at room temperature gave 1,3,4‐thiadiazol‐2‐amines 6 . Similarly, the reaction of 1 with butyl isocyanate led to semicarbazides 7 , which, under basic conditions, undergo cyclization to give 2,4‐dihydro‐3H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐ones 8 (Scheme 3). Treatment of 1 with Ac₂O yielded the diacylhydrazine derivatives 9 exclusively, and the alternative isomerization of 1 to imidazol‐2‐ones was not observed (Scheme 4). It is important to note that, in all these transformations, the imidazole N‐oxide residue is retained. Furthermore, it was shown that imidazole N‐oxides bearing a 1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐thione or 1,3,4‐thiadiazol‐2‐amine moiety undergo the S‐transfer reaction to give bis‐heterocyclic 1H‐imidazole‐2‐thiones 11 by treatment with 2,2,4,4‐tetramethylcyclobutane‐1,3‐dithione (Scheme 5).     

Unexpected Formation of Dimethylthioketene Cycloadducts in the Reaction of 1,3‐Diphenylaziridine‐2,2‐dicarboxylate with Cyclobutanethione Derivatives

The reaction of 2,2,4,4‐tetramethyl‐3‐thioxocyclobutanone ( 1 ) with cis‐1‐alkyl‐2,3‐diphenylaziridines 5 in boiling toluene yielded the expected trans‐configured spirocyclic 1,3‐thiazolidines 6 (Scheme 1). Analogously, dimethyl trans‐1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)aziridine‐2,3‐dicarboxylate (trans‐ 7 ) reacted with 1 and the corresponding dithione 2 , respectively, to give spirocyclic 1,3‐thiazolidine‐2,4‐dicarboxylates 8 (Scheme 2). However, mixtures of cis‐ and trans‐derivatives were obtained in these cases. Unexpectedly, the reaction of 1 with dimethyl 1,3‐diphenylaziridine‐2,2‐dicarboxylate ( 11 ) led to a mixture of the cycloadduct 13 and 5‐(isopropylidene)‐4‐phenyl‐1,3‐thiazolidine‐2,2‐dicarboxylate ( 14 ), a formal cycloadduct of azomethine ylide 12 with dimethylthioketene (Scheme 3). The regioisomeric adduct 16 was obtained from the reaction between 2 and 11 . The structures of 6b , cis‐ 8a , cis‐ 8b, 10 , and 16 have been established by X‐ray crystallography.     

1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions of Organic Azides with Morpholinobuta‐1,3‐dienes and with an α‐Ethynyl‐enamine

The cycloaddition of organic azides with some conjugated enamines of the 2‐amino‐1,3‐diene, 1‐amino‐1,3‐diene, and 2‐aminobut‐1‐en‐3‐yne type is investigated. The 2‐morpholinobuta‐1,3‐diene 1 undergoes regioselective [3+2] cycloaddition with several electrophilic azides RN₃ 2 ( a , R=4‐nitrophenyl; b , R=ethoxycarbonyl; c , R=tosyl; d , R=phenyl) to form 5‐alkenyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐5‐morpholino‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazoles 3 which are transformed into 1,5‐disubstituted 1H‐triazoles 4a , d or α,β‐unsaturated carboximidamide 5 (Scheme 1). The cycloaddition reaction of 4‐[(1E,3Z)‐3‐morpholino‐4‐phenylbuta‐1,3‐dienyl]morpholine ( 7 ) with azide 2a occurs at the less‐substituted enamine function and yields the 4‐(1‐morpholino‐2‐phenylethenyl)‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole 8 (Scheme 2). The 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azides 2a – d with 4‐(1‐methylene‐3‐phenylprop‐2‐ynyl)morpholine ( 9 ) is accelerated at high pressure (ca. 7–10 kbar) and gives 1,5‐disubstituted dihydro‐1H‐triazoles 10a , b and 1‐phenyl‐5‐(phenylethynyl)‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole ( 11d ) in significantly improved yields (Schemes 3 and 4). The formation of 11d is also facilitated in the presence of an equimolar quantity of tBuOH. The three‐component reaction between enamine 9 , phenyl azide, and phenol affords the 5‐(2‐phenoxy‐2‐phenylethenyl)‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole 14d .     

Alkylation Reactions at the Benzo Moiety of 2,4‐Dimethoxy‐3‐(phenylsulfonyl)benzo[a]heptalenes – Model Compounds of Colchicinoids

Alkylation reactions of 3‐(X‐sulfonyl)benzo[a]heptalene‐2,4‐diols (X=Ph, morpholin‐4‐yl) and their dimethyl ethers were studied. The diols form with K₂CO₃/MeI in aqueous media the 1‐methylated benzoheptalenes, but in yields not surpassing 20% (Table 1). On the other hand, 2,4‐dimethoxybenzo[a]heptalenes can easily be lithiated at C(3) with BuLi and then treated with alkyl iodides to give the 3‐alkylated forms in good yield (Table 2). Surprising is the reaction with two equiv. or more of t‐BuLi since the alkylation at C(4) is accompanied by the reductive elimination of the X‐sulfonyl group at C(3) (Table 3). Most exciting is also the course of 2,4‐dimethoxy‐3‐(phenylsulfonyl)benzo[a]heptalenes in the presence of an excess of MeLi. After the expected exchange of MeO against Me at C(4) (Scheme 6), rearrangement takes place under formation of 4‐benzyl‐2‐methoxybenzo[a]heptalenes and concomitant loss of the sulfonyl group at C(3) (Table 4). In the case of X=morpholin‐4‐yl, rearrangement cannot occur. However, the intermediate benzyl anions of Type E (Scheme 8) react easily with O₂ of the air to build up corresponding benzo[a]heptalene‐4‐methanols (Table 6).     

Preparation and Structures of 2‐Substituted 5‐Benzyl‐3‐methylimidazolidin‐4‐one‐Derived Iminium Salts,Reactive Intermediates in Organocatalytic Transformations Involving α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes

Preparations of the title compounds, 5 – 7 (Scheme 1 and Table 1), of their ammonium salts, 9 – 11 (Scheme 2 and Table 2), and of the corresponding cinnamaldehyde‐derived iminium salts 12 – 14 (Scheme 3 and Table 3) are reported. The X‐ray crystal structures of 15 cinnamyliminium PF₆ salts have been determined (Table 4). Selected ¹H‐NMR data (Table 5) of the ammonium and iminium salts are discussed, and structures in solution are compared with those in the solid state.     

Synthesis of New Bis‐imidazole Derivatives

The reaction of aldimines with α‐(hydroxyimino) ketones of type 10 (1,2‐diketone monooximes) was used to prepare 2‐unsubstituted imidazole 3‐oxides 11 bearing an alkanol chain at N(1) (Scheme 2, Table 1). These products were transformed into the corresponding 2H‐imidazol‐2‐ones 13 and 2H‐imidazole‐2‐thiones 14 by treatment with Ac₂O and 2,2,4,4‐tetramethylcyclobutane‐1,3‐dithione, respectively (Scheme 3). The three‐component reaction of 10 , formaldehyde, and an alkane‐1,ω‐diamine 15 gave the bis[1H‐imidazole 3‐oxides] 16 (Scheme 4, Table 2). With Ac₂O, 2,2,4,4‐tetramethylcyclobutane‐1,3‐dithione or Raney‐Ni, the latter reacted to give the corresponding bis[2H‐imidazol‐2‐ones] 19 and 20 , bis[2H‐imidazol‐2‐thione] 21 , and bis[imidazole] 22 , respectively (Schemes 5 and 6). The structures of 11a and 16b were established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Cross‐Linked‐Polymer‐Supported N‐{2′‐[(Arylsulfonyl)amino][1,1′‐binaphthalen]‐2‐yl}prolinamide as Organocatalyst for the Direct Aldol Intermolecular Reaction under Solvent‐Free Conditions

A bottom‐up strategy was used for the synthesis of cross‐linked copolymers containing the organocatalyst N‐{(1R)‐2′‐{[(4‐ethylphenyl)sulfonyl]amino}[1,1′‐binaphthalen]‐2‐yl}‐D ‐prolinamide derived from 2 (Scheme 1). The polymer‐bound catalyst 5b containing 1% of divinylbenzene as cross‐linker showed higher catalyst activity in the aldol reaction between cyclohexanone and 4‐nitrobenzaldehyde than 5a and 5c . Remarkably, the reaction in the presence of 5b was carried out under solvent‐free, mild conditions, achieving up to 93% ee (Table 1). The polymer‐bound catalyst 5b was recovered by filtration and re‐used up to seven times without detrimental effects on the achieved diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities (Table 2). The catalytic procedure with polymer 5b was extended to the aldol reaction under solvent‐free conditions of other ketones, including functionalized ones, and different aromatic aldehydes (Table 3). In some cases, the addition of a small amount of H₂O was required to give the best results (up to 95% ee). Under these reaction conditions, the cross‐aldol reaction between aldehydes proceeded in moderate yield and diastereo‐ and enantioselectivity (Scheme 2).     

Regioselectivity of the 1,3‐Oxathiolane Formation in the Lewis Acid‐Catalyzed Reaction of Thioketones with Asymmetrically Substituted Oxiranes

The reactions of the aromatic thioketone 4,4′‐dimethoxythiobenzophenone ( 1 ) with three monosubstituted oxiranes 3a – c in the presence of BF₃⋅Et₂O or SnCl₄ in dry CH₂Cl₂ led to the corresponding 1 : 1 adducts, i.e., 1,3‐oxathiolanes 4a – b with R at C(5) and 8c with Ph at C(4). In addition, 1,3‐dioxolanes 7a and 7c , and the unexpected 1 : 2 adducts 6a – b were obtained (Scheme 2 and Table 1). In the case of the aliphatic, nonenolizable thioketone 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylindane‐2‐thione ( 2 ) and 3a – c with BF₃⋅Et₂O as catalyst, only 1 : 1 adducts, i.e. 1,3‐oxathiolanes 10a – b with R at C(5) and 11a – c with R or Ph at C(4), were formed (Scheme 6 and Table 2). In control experiments, the 1 : 1 adducts 4a and 4b were treated with 2‐methyloxirane ( 3a ) in the presence of BF₃⋅Et₂O to yield the 1 : 2 adduct 6a and 1 : 1 : 1 adduct 9 , respectively (Scheme 5). The structures of 6a , 8c , 10a , 11a , and 11c were confirmed by X‐ray crystallography (Figs. 1 – 5). The results described in the present paper show that alkyl and aryl substituents have significant influence upon the regioselectivity in the process of the ring opening of the complexed oxirane by the nucleophilic attack of the thiocarbonyl S‐atom: the preferred nucleophilic attack occurs at C(3) of alkyl‐substituted oxiranes (O−C(3) cleavage) but at C(2) of phenyloxirane (O−C(2) cleavage).     

1,3‐Thiazolidine‐dicarboxylates from Thioketones and Thermally Generated Azomethine Ylides

The reaction of 9H‐fluorene‐9‐thione ( 1 ) with the cis‐ and trans‐isomers of dimethyl 1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)aziridine‐2,3‐dicarboxylate (cis‐ and trans‐ 2 , resp.) in xylene at 110° yielded exclusively the spirocyclic cycloadduct with trans‐ and cis‐configurations, respectively (trans‐ and cis‐ 3 , resp.; Scheme 1). Analogously, less‐reactive thioketones, e.g., thiobenzophenone ( 5 ), and cis‐ 2 reacted stereoselectively to give the corresponding trans‐1,3‐thiazolidine‐2,4‐dicarboxylate (e.g., trans‐ 8 ; Scheme 2). On the other hand, the reaction of 5 and trans‐ 2 proceeded in a nonstereoselective course to provide a mixture of trans‐ and cis‐substituted cycloadducts. This result can be explained by an isomerization of the intermediate azomethine ylide. Dimethyl 1,3‐thiazolidine‐2,2‐dicarboxylates 14 and 15 were formed in the thermal reaction of dimethyl aziridine‐2,2‐dicarboxylate 11 with aromatic thioketones (Scheme 3). On treatment of 14 and 15 with Raney‐Ni in refluxing EtOH, a desulfurization and ring‐contraction led to the formation of azetidine‐2,2‐dicarboxylates 17 and 18 , respectively (Scheme 4).     

Diastereo‐ and Regioselective Addition of Thioamide Dianions to Imines and Aziridines: Synthesis of N‐Thioacyl‐1,2‐diamines and N‐Thioacyl‐1,3‐diamines

Addition reactions of thioamide dianions that were derived from N‐arylmethyl thioamides to imines and aziridines were carried out. The reactions of imines gave the addition products of N‐thioacyl‐1,2‐diamines in a highly diastereoselective manner in good‐to‐excellent yields. The diastereomeric purity of these N‐thioacyl‐1,2‐diamines could be enriched by simple recrystallization. The reduction of N‐thioacyl‐1,2‐diamines with LiAlH₄ gave their corresponding 1,2‐diamines in moderate‐to‐good yields with retention of their stereochemistry. The oxidative‐desulfurization/cyclization of an N‐thioacyl‐1,2‐diamine in CuCl₂/O₂ and I₂/pyridine systems gave the cyclized product in moderate yield and the trans isomer was obtained as the sole product. On the other hand, a similar cyclization reaction with antiformin (aq. NaClO) as an oxidant gave the cis isomer as the major product. The reactions of N‐tosylaziridines gave the addition products of N‐thioacyl‐1,3‐diamines with low diastereoselectivity but high regioselectivity and in good‐to‐excellent yields. The use of AlMe₃ as an additive improved the efficiency and regioselectivity of the reaction. The stereochemistry of the obtained products was determined by X‐ray diffraction.     

Asymmetric 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloadditions of 2‐Diazocyclohexane‐1,3‐diones and Alkyl Diazopyruvates

The 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reactions of 2‐diazocyclohexane‐1,3‐dione ( 7a ; Table 1) and of alkyl diazopyruvates ( 11a – e ; Table 3) to 2,3‐dihydrofuran and other enol ethers have been investigated in the presence of chiral transition metal catalysts. With Rh^II catalysts, the cycloadditions were not enantioselective, but those catalyzed by [Ru^IICl₂( 1a )] and [Ru^IICl₂( 1b )] proceeded with enantioselectivities of up to 58% and 74% ee, respectively, when diazopyruvates 11 were used as substrates. The phenyliodonium ylide 7c yielded the adduct 8a in lower yield and poorer selectivity than the corresponding diazo precursor 7a (Table 2) upon decomposition with [Ru(pybox)] catalysts. This suggests that ylide decomposition by Ru^II catalysts, contrary to that of the corresponding diazo precursors, does not lead to Ru‐carbene complexes as reactive intermediates. Our method represents the first reproducible, enantioselective 1,3‐cycloaddition of these types of substrates.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Crystal Structure of 1,3‐Dipentafluorophenyl‐2,2,2,4,4,4‐hexazido‐1,3‐diaza‐2,4‐diphosphetidine

1,3‐Dipentafluorophenyl‐2,2,2,4,4,4‐hexazido‐1,3‐diaza‐2,4‐diphosphetidine ( 1 ) was synthesized by the reaction of [(C₆F₅)NPCl₃]₂ with trimethylsilyl azide in CH₂Cl₂ and characterized by multinuclear NMR and vibrational spectroscopy. The molecular structure of the compound was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray structure analysis. [(C₆F₅)NP(N₃)₃]₂ crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with a = 9.6414(2), b = 7.4170(1) and c = 15.9447(4) Å, β = 94.4374(9)°, with 2 formula units per unit cell. The bond situation in [(C₆F₅)NP(N₃)₃]₂ has been studied on the basis of NBO analysis. The antisymmetric stretching vibration of the azide groups is discussed. The structural diversity of 1 and 1,3‐diphenyl‐2,2,2,4,4,4‐hexazido‐1,3‐diaza‐2,4‐diphosphetidine in solution and in the solid state depending on the aryl substituent at the nitrogen atom is discussed.     

Metal‐Free 2,2,6,6‐Tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐yloxy Radical (TEMPO) Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation of Hydroxylamines and Alkoxyamines to Oximes and Oxime Ethers

TEMPO‐Mediated oxidation of hydroxylamines (=hydroxyamines) and alkoxyamines to the corresponding oxime derivatives is reported (TEMPO=2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐yloxy radical; Scheme 2). These environmentally benign oxidations proceed in good to excellent yields (Table 1). For alkoxyamines, oxidation to the corresponding oxime ethers can be performed by using dioxygen as a terminal oxidant in the presence of 5–10 mol‐% of TEMPO or 4‐substituted derivatives thereof as a catalyst (Scheme 3 and Table 2). Importantly, benzyl bromides can directly be transformed to oxime ethers via in situ alkoxyamine formation by a nucleophilic substitution followed by TEMPO‐mediated oxidation (Scheme 4 and Table 3).     

Ring‐Opening Reactions of 3‐Aryl‐1‐benzylaziridine‐2‐carboxylates and Application to the Asymmetric Synthesis of an Amphetamine‐Type Compound

Nucleophilic ring‐opening reactions of 3‐aryl‐1‐benzylaziridine‐2‐carboxylates were examined by using O‐nucleophiles and aromatic C‐nucleophiles. The stereospecificity was found to depend on substrates and conditions used. Configuration inversion at C(3) was observed with O‐nucleophiles as a major reaction path in the ring‐opening reactions of aziridines carrying an electron‐poor aromatic moiety, whereas mixtures containing preferentially the syn‐diastereoisomer were generally obtained when electron‐rich aziridines were used (Tables 1–3). In the reactions of electron‐rich aziridines with C‐nucleophiles, S_N2 reactions yielding anti‐type products were observed (Table 4). Reductive ring‐opening reaction by catalytic hydrogenation of (+)‐trans‐(2S,3R)‐3‐(1,3‐benzodioxol‐5‐yl)aziridine‐2‐carboxylate (+)‐trans‐ 3c afforded the corresponding α‐amino acid derivative, which was smoothly transformed into (+)‐tert‐butyl [(1R)‐2‐(1,3‐benzodioxol‐5‐yl)‐1‐methylethyl]carbamate((+)‐ 14 ) with high retention of optical purity (Scheme 6).     

New Optically Active 2H‐Azirin‐3‐amines as Synthons for Enantiomerically Pure 2,2‐Disubstituted Glycines

The synthesis of novel 2,2‐disubstituted 2H‐azirin‐3‐amines with a chiral amino group is described. Chromatographic separation of the diastereoisomer mixture yielded the pure diastereoisomers (1′R,2R)‐ 4a – e and (1′R,2S)‐ 4a – e (Scheme 1, Table 1), which are synthons for the (R)‐ and (S)‐isomers of isovaline, 2‐methylvaline, 2‐cyclopentylalanine, 2‐methylleucine, and 2‐(methyl)phenylalanine, respectively. The configuration at C(2) of the synthons was determined by X‐ray crystallography relative to the known configuration of the chiral auxiliary group. The reaction of 4 with thiobenzoic acid, benzoic acid, and the dipeptide Z‐Leu‐Aib‐OH ( 12 ) yielded the monothiodiamides 10 , the diamides 11 (Scheme 2, Table 3), and the tripeptides 13 (Scheme 3, Table 4), respectively.     

Formation of 2‐(Phenylsulfonyl)resorcinols (=2‐(Phenylsulfonyl)benzene‐1,3‐diols) from Symmetrically Substituted Maleic Anhydrides (=Furan‐2,5‐diones)

Treatment of symmetrically substituted maleic anhydrides (=furan‐2,5‐diones) 6 with lithium (phenylsulfonyl)methanide, followed by methylation of the adduct with MeI/K₂CO₃ in acetone, give the corresponding 4,5‐disubstituted 2‐methyl‐2‐(phenylsulfonyl)cyclopent‐4‐ene‐1,3‐diones 8 (Scheme 3). Reaction of the latter with lithium (phenylsulfonyl)methanide in THF (?78°) and then with 4 mol‐equiv. BuLi (?5° to r.t.) leads to 5,6‐disubstituted 4‐methyl‐2‐(phenylsulfonyl)benzene‐1,3‐diols 9 (Scheme 4).