Lewis acid mediated [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic ammonium ylides

An investigation of the Lewis acid mediated [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic ammonium ylides has been conducted by employing various bases and boron Lewis acids. Using BBr₃ together with the phosphazene base 6, various allylic amines could be rearranged in good yields with low to excellent diastereoselectivity.     

Stereospecific [1,2]-rearrangement of a spirocyclic ammonium ylide with ring expansion sequence

Enantiomerically pure bicyclic 1,4-oxazepinone was obtained by the Cu(II)-catalyzed decomposition of an α-diazo carbonyl compound tethered to a chiral morpholinone, through the cascade evolution of the spirocyclic ammonium ylide formed. LiAlH₄ reduction and transesterification of the lactone moiety of the oxazepinone afforded pure chiral pyrrolidine and 3-prolinone bicyclic hemiacetal, respectively, both bearing a quaternary stereocentre.     

C-C alpha insertion: insertion of an alkyne into the C-C single bond between the carbene-carbon atom and the alpha-carbon atom of a Fischer carbene complex by an unprecedented metalla(di-pi-methane) skeletal rearrangement

The first examples of insertion of a C(triple bond)C bond of an alkyne into a C(carbene)-Calpha single bond of a carbene complex (C-Calpha insertion) are reported. (prim-Alkyl)carbene complexes [(OC)(5)M=C(OEt)CH(2)R] (1 a-f; M=Cr, W; R=nPr, C(7)H(7), Ph) undergo C-Calpha insertion of electron-deficient alkynes [PhC(triple bond)CC(XEt)NMe(2)]BF(4) (5 a,b; X=O, S) to give zwitterionic carbiminium carbonylmetalates 3 a-g, which are thermally transformed into (CO)(4)M chelate carbene complexes 4 a-g by elimination of CO. The overall reaction is highly regio- and stereoselective. It involves an unprecedented metalla(di-pi-methane) rearrangement as the key step.     

Direct peptide coupling of novel amino acid derivatives produced by rearrangement of catalytically generated ammonium ylides

Protected amino acids can be prepared from substrates in which a diazo ester is aryl-tethered to an allylic amine, by catalytic intramolecular ammonium ylide generation and [2,3] rearrangement. When the aryl tether is sufficiently electron-deficient, direct coupling of the rearrangement product with a hindered amino acid ester to give a dipeptide is possible, and ammonium ylide generation, rearrangement and peptide coupling can be accomplished in a one-pot fashion.     

Au-catalyzed tandem cyclization/[1,2]-alkyl migration reaction of epoxy alkynes: synthesis of spiropyranones

A novel gold-catalyzed tandem cyclization/[1,2]-alkyl migration process of epoxy alkynes to spiropyranones has been discovered. From this process, the construction of adjacent multiple stereocenters with a new quaternary carbon atom is achieved. The gold-catalyzed domino process is stereospecific with respect to the migrating carbon atom. A type of unusual C-C bond cleavage of epoxide systems has also been discovered, which can lead to the formation of two Z alkenes and a carbonyl functional group in one step with excellent stereoselectivity. Furthermore, this efficient domino process could be achieved in the presence of the simplest and least expensive gold catalyst [NaAuCl(4)].2H(2)O with a low catalyst loading.     

Synthesis of azepino[3,4b]indoles via the Plancher rearrangement

The reaction of benzyl 3-formylpiperidine-1-carboxylate and aryl hydrazines under standard Fisher Indole conditions followed by reductive work-up affords azepino[3,4b]indoles in moderate to good yields. The products are proposed to be derived via a Plancher rearrangement [(a) Plancher, G. Gazz. Chim. Ital. 1898, 28, II, 374; (b) Plancher, G. Atti. Accad.Lincei1900, 9, 5, 115; (c) Boyd-Barrett, H. S. J. Chem. Soc.1932, 321].     

Synthesis of benzannulated N-heterocyclic carbene ligands by a template synthesis from 2-nitrophenyl isocyanide

The reaction of 2-nitrophenyl isocyanide 2 with [M(CO)5(thf)] (M=Cr, Mo, W) yields the isocyanide complexes [M(CO)5(2)] (3: M=Cr; 4: M=Mo; 5: M=W). Complexes 3-5 react with elemental tin under reduction of the nitro function of the isocyanide ligand to give the complexes with the unstable 2-aminophenyl isocyanide ligand. The coordinated 2-aminophenyl isocyanide ligand in all three complexes reacts spontaneously under intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the primary amine at the isocyanide carbon atom to yield the complexes with the NH,NH-benzimidazol-2-ylidene ligand (6: M=Cr; 7: M=Mo; 8: M=W). An incomplete reduction of the nitro group in 3-5 is observed when hydrazine hydrate is used instead of tin. Here the formation of complexes with a coordinated 2-hydroxylamine-functionalized phenyl isocyanide [(CO)5M-CN-C6H(4-)-2-N(H)-OH] is postulated and this unstable ligand again undergoes intramolecular cyclization to give the NH,NOH-stabilized benzimidazol-2-ylidene complexes 9-11. The tungsten derivative 11 can be allylated stepwise by a deprotonation/alkylation sequence first at the OH and then at the NH position to yield the monoallylated and diallylated species 12 and 13. The molecular structures of 3-5 and 12-13 were established by X-ray crystallography.     

Synthesis of benz[5,6]azepino[4,3-b]indoles by 1,7-electrocyclisation of azomethine ylides

A new, general route to the benz[5,6]azepino[4,3-b]indole ring system has been developed via the 1,7-dipolar electrocyclisation reactions of azomethine ylides derived from easily available 3-formyl indole derivatives. The intermediacy of azomethine ylides was shown by the trapping of the proposed α,β:γ,δ-conjugated dipole with N-phenylmaleimide.     

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of dispiro[1,4-dithiane/dithiepane]bisoxindoles via Stevens rearrangement

Synthesis of dispiro[1,4-dithianes/dithiepanes]bisoxindoles from the reaction of 3-diazo-2-oxindoles and spiro-1,3-dithiolaneoxindole or -1,3-dithianeoxindole derivatives in the presence of rhodium(II) acetate dimer as a catalyst was demonstrated under mild conditions in a highly diastereoselective manner. These dispiro-compounds were obtained via intermolecular sulfonium ylides and followed by Stevens rearrangement.     

Preparation of novel bicyclic piperazines by reduction of bicyclo[4.2.2]diketopiperazines: rearrangement involving 1,2-bond migration

Reduction of (1R,6R)-7,9-diazabicyclo[4.2.2]dec-3-ene-8,10-dione (5) with lithium aluminum hydride gave a mixture of the expected (1R,6R)-7,9-diazabicyclo[4.2.2]dec-3-ene (2) as well as 7,9-diazabicyclo[4.3.1]dec-3-ene (3), resulting from 1,2-σ (C-C) migration of the pendant cis-2-butenyl ring. More of the rearranged product was observed in polar solvents and upon the addition of HMPA. The relief of ring strain imparted by the olefin may promote this rearrangement, as it was not observed when the olefin was reduced prior to the reduction.     

Efficient synthesis of indoles using [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of N-trifluoroacetyl enehydrazines

[3,3]-Sigmatropic rearrangement of N-trifluoroacetyl enehydrazines provides a novel method for the construction of indoles. N-Trifluoroacetyl enehydrazine having a cyclopentene ring smoothly underwent [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement followed by cyclization to give indolines in excellent yield. On the other hand, both cyclohexenyl N-trifluoroacetyl enehydrazine and acyclic N-trifluoroacetyl enehydrazine gave indoles in good yield. Additionally, the substituent effect on the benzene ring was also studied. The rearrangement of N-trifluoroacetyl enehydrazines proceeded smoothly even under either aqueous or solvent-free conditions.     

Synthesis of optically active β-alkyl aspartate via [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of α-acyloxytrialkylsilane

The synthesis of four types of optically active β-carbon-substituted analogs of threo-β-hydroxy aspartate (THA) and a β-carbon-substituted analog of threo-β-benzyloxy aspartate (TBOA), which are potent blockers of excitatory amino acid transporters in the mammalian central nervous system, via the chirality-transferring ester-enolate Claisen rearrangement of α-acyloxytrialkylsilane is described.     

Synthesis and rearrangement of cycloalkyl[1,2-e]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-8/9-ones: an access to cycloalkyl[1,2-d]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-ones

2-Substituted-4a-hydroxy-9H-cycloalkyl[1,2-e]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-9-ones 2a-c were synthesized by an one-step cyclocondensation from the 5-substituted-2-amino-2-oxazolines 1a-c with ethyl 2-oxocyclohexanecarboxylate in ethanol at room temperature, and easily dehydrated to provide 2-substituted-9H-cycloalkyl[1,2-e]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-9-ones 3. In refluxing xylene, the reaction conducted with various ethyl 2-oxocycloalkanecarboxylates led to the two isomeric 2-substituted-8/9H-cycloalkyl[1,2-e]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-8/9-ones 3 and 2-substituted-5H-cycloalkyl[1,2-d]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-ones 4. The structure of some compounds was unambiguously established using X-ray crystallography. According to results from the DSC analysis of compound 2a, formation of the thermodynamically stable pyrimidinones 4 could be related to an intramolecular rearrangement of kinetically controlled pyrimidinones 3.     

Synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazines and pyrazino[1,2-a]indoles by Curtius reaction in Morita-Baylis-Hillman derivatives

Synthesis of substituted pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazines and pyrazino[1,2-a]indoles from the Morita-Baylis-Hillman derivatives of acrylates via saponification followed by Curtius reaction is described.