Reaction of 2-silylmethylcyclopropyl ketones with in situ oxirane-derived aldehydes and formation of 2-hydroxymethyl tetrahydrofurans

The enolates formed from Lewis acid treatment of (2-trimethylsilylmethyl)cyclopropyl alkyl and aryl ketones reacted with aldehydes formed in situ from alkoxy-, aryl- and vinyl-substituted oxiranes to generate aldol products in good yields. Selected aldol products were conveniently transformed into highly substituted tetrahydrofurans under oxidative conditions.     

Enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines through a multicomponent Ugi reaction and their transformation into bicyclic scaffolds

A new enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines through a multicomponent approach has been developed, using highly reactive pyrrolines 4 as preformed cyclic imines. The pyrrolidines obtained using protected aspartic acid as acid component in the Ugi condensation have been transformed into two epimeric bicyclic lactones 18, 19, which may find an application as external reverse turn inducers.     

Unprecedented base-induced ring transformation of a 4-[3-amino-4-oxoazetidin-2-yl]thiazol-2(3h)-one

Attempted dephthaloylation 4-methyl-3-phthalimido- of 1-(p-methoxyphenyl)-4-(2-oxo-4thiazolin-4-yl)azetidin-2-one with methylhydrazine resulted in a ring transformation to give a fused thiazolo[3,4-a]pyrazine derivativeDepartment of Organic Chemistry, Technical University Budapest, H-1521 Budapest, Hungary. Central Research Institute for Chemistry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary. Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklichesicikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1405–1408, October, 1995. Original article submitted June 15, 1995.     

Synthesis of coumestan derivatives via FeCl3-mediated oxidative ring closure of 4-hydroxy coumarins

A concise and efficient approach to the syntheses of coumestan analogues has been developed. The underpinning strategy involves a FeCl(3)-mediated direct intramolecular oxidative annellation of 4-hydroxy-3-phenyl-2H-chromen-2-one derivatives. Utilizing this synthetic protocol, a variety of coumestan derivatives were conveniently obtained from readily available reagents.     

Synthesis of α-nitro derivatives of δ-oxocarboxylic and glutaric acids in heterogeneous catalytic system ionic liquid—KHCO3

An expedient method for the synthesis of α-nitro-δ-oxocarboxylic and α-nitroglutaric acid esters, including ones with isoprenoid substituents, by the solvent-free reaction of the corresponding alkyl α-nitrocarboxylates with activated olefins, assisted by heterogeneous catalytic system KHCO₃—1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF₄]), was elaborated. The product yields remain stable even after eight recycles of the catalytic system. The synthesized dimethyl 2-(poly)prenyl-2-nitropentanedioates upon treatment with Fe in AcOH were reduced to 2-(poly)prenyl-5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylates. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1431–1438, August, 2007.     

Macrocyclic 5-bromouracil derivatives: synthesis and transformation of a uracil ring

Cyclization of 1,3-bis(ω-bromoalkyl)-5-bromouracil with p-methoxybenzylamine or sodium sulfide led to a series of pyrimidinophanes containing heteroatoms in bridges. An unusual behaviour of the 5-bromouracil ring, namely its contraction into hydantoin units during the cyclization reactions with p-methoxybenzylamine was observed. Sodium sulfide does not affect the 5-bromouracil ring, and no transformation products were observed in the synthesis of pyrimidinophanes with sulfur bridges. A possible reaction mechanism is given.     

An unusual ring transformation: Reaction of phenyl 4-chromone-3-sulfonate with methyl 3-aminocrotonate

The novel benzoxathiinopyridines 8 and 9 were synthesized by ring transformation of phenyl 4-chromone-3-sulfonate ( 1 ) with methyl 3-aminocrotonate ( 2 ). The structures of 8 and 9 were determined by spectroscopic methods and the reaction courses for the formation of these compounds are discussed.     

Base-induced ring cleavage of 4-functionalized-3-unsubstituted isoxazoles. Synthesis of 5-aminoazoles and 4-cyanoazoles

The base-induced ring cleavage of 4-nitro-(Ia), 4-ethoxycarbonyl- (Ib) and 4-acetyl-5-methylisoxazole (Ic) and the conversion of the resulting β-cyanoenolates and β-enaminonitriles into 5-aminoazoles and 4-cyanoazoles was studied.     

Solid-phase synthesis of carboxylic and oxamic acids via OsO4/NaIO4/HMTA-mediated oxidative cleavage of acetylenic peptides

A general method for the solid-phase synthesis of carboxy-functionalized peptides by oxidative cleavage of alkynes is presented. Clean and quantitative conversion is enabled by the addition of bases, such as DABCO and HMTA, to the classical OsO4/NaIO4 mixture. The utility of the reaction is further illustrated by the synthesis of oxamic acids.     

Highly diastereoselective addition of the lithium enolate of alpha-diazoacetoacetate to N-sulfinyl imines: enantioselective synthesis of 2-oxo and 3-oxo pyrrolidines

The highly enantioselective synthesis of 2-oxo and 3-oxo pyrrolidines has been achieved by diastereoselective addition of the lithium enolate of alpha-diazoacetoacetate to chiral N-sulfinyl imines, followed by photoinduced Wolff rearrangement or Rh(II)-catalyzed intramolecular N-H insertion.     

Reduction of 5-(bromomethyl)-1-pyrrolinium bromides to 2-(bromomethyl)pyrrolidines and their transformation into piperidin-3-ones through an unprecedented ring expansion-oxidation protocol

3,3-Dialkyl-5-(bromomethyl)-1-pyrrolinium bromides, prepared via bromocyclization of N-(2,2-dialkyl-4-pentenylidene)amines by means of bromine in dichloromethane, were reduced to 4,4-dialkyl-2-(bromomethyl)pyrrolidines for the first time using borane dimethyl sulfide in dichloromethane. Furthermore, the latter 2-(bromomethyl)pyrrolidines were transformed into the corresponding piperidin-3-ones through an unprecedented ring expansion-oxidation protocol in dimethylsulfoxide in the presence of potassium carbonate. Reduction of 5,5-dialkylpiperidin-3-ones by means of sodium borohydride in methanol afforded 5,5-dialkyl-3-hydroxypiperidines in good yields.     

Synthesis and characterisation of medium-sized ring systems by oxidative cleavage. Part 2: Insights from the study of ring expanded analogues

Variable temperature NMR analysis and computational methods have been used to develop a detailed understanding of the ¹H NMR spectra of a family of medium-sized ring containing compounds. The family consists of analogues containing 10-, 11- and 12-membered rings and in all cases the NMR spectra at room temperature showed a series of diastereotopic methylene signals despite the lack of a stereogenic centre in these systems. On repeating the NMR analysis at higher temperatures, all the signals coalesced for the 12-membered ring system consistent with full interconversion of ring conformers. This was not observed in the analogous 10- and 11-membered ring systems with the interchange of conformers remaining slow on the NMR timescale. However, 1D gs-NOESY/EXSY NMR experiments showed that in the smaller ring systems interconversion of diastereotopic protons did occur. Computational studies suggest that the dynamic process observed by NMR for the 10- and 11-membered rings systems is different from that observed in the 12-membered ring containing compound.     

AlCl3-promoted highly regio- and diastereoselective [3 + 2] cycloadditions of activated cyclopropanes and aromatic aldehydes: construction of 2,5-diaryl-3,3,4-trisubstituted tetrahydrofurans

The AlCl(3)-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of diethyl trans-2,3-disubstituted cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylates and aromatic aldehydes was carried out under mild conditions to provide a series of diethyl 2,5-diaryl-4-benzoyltetrahydrofuran-3,3-dicarboxylates in moderate to good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities. While common 2,5-cis products were obtained with electron-neutral or electron-poor aryl aldehydes, the much less common 2,5-trans products were obtained in excellent diastereoselectivities when electron-rich aryl aldehydes were used. The relative configurations of those typical products were confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analyses.     

Hydrolytic opening of the quinazoline ring in 3-furfuryl-4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline derivatives

Ethyl 3-furfuryl-4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-2-carboxylate extremely readily undergoes hydrolysis in acid, alkaline, or neutral medium with formation of 2-(2-ethoxy-1,2-dioxoethylamino)-N-furfurylbenzamide. The reaction of ethyl 3-furfuryl-4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-2-carboxylate with phenylmagnesium bromide yields N-furfuryl-2-(2-hydroxy-2,2-diphenyl-1-oxoethylamino)benzamide as a result of hydrolytic cleavage of the quinazoline ring.     

Comparison by mass spectrometry of ring cleavage in barbituric acid and 5-fluorobarbituric acid derivatives

The mass spectrometric behaviour of barbituric acid and 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid was compared with that of the corresponding 5,5-difluoro derivatives and of some 5-fluoro-5-alkyl derivatives in order to study the influence of fluorine in the fragmentation processes. This investigation, performed using both electron impact ionization and positive- and negative-ion fast atom bombardment, evidences well the role of fluorine in barbiturate ring bond cleavages.     

Ring transformation of 4-amino-1H-1,5-benzodiazepine-3-carbonitrile and ethyl 4-amino-1H-1,5-benzodiazepine-3-carboxylate into benzimidazole derivatives with amines

The ring contraction of 4-ammo-1H-1,5-benzodiazepine-3-carbonitrile hydrochloride 1 and ethyl 4-amino-1H-1,5-benzodiazepine-3-carboxylate hydrochloride 2 with aromatic primary amines into benzimidazole derivatives 3 and 4 was readily accomplished by heating in methanol. Benzodiazepine 1 also reacted with methylamine and ethylamine at about 40° to give ring-opened amine adducts 7 which were recyclized to 1 with hydrochloric acid.