Stereoselective synthesis of tri- and tetrasubstituted oxepanes via n-Bu3SnH mediated 7-endo-trig vinyl radical cyclisation

A stereoselective 7-endo-trig cyclisation of homopropargyl and phenyl homopropargyl derivatives of Baylis-Hillman adducts using n-Bu₃SnH/AIBN mediated vinyl radical cyclisation affords tri- and tetrasubstituted oxepanes, respectively, in good yields.     

Unusual synthesis of dihydropyrido[2,1-a]isoindolone derivatives by radical cyclization of enamides of Baylis-Hillman adducts

During the radical cyclization of enamide derivatives 4 we found unusual formation of dihydropyrido[2,1-a]isoindolone derivatives 5. The enamides were synthesized in four steps from the Baylis-Hillman adducts of ortho-bromobenzaldehydes.     

An efficient route for the construction of cyclopenta[b]quinoline derivatives via intramolecular cyclopropanation

A one-pot process to introduce diazoacetoacetate functionality into quinoline was identified with excellent yield and regioselectivity. An intramolecular cyclopropanation of the resulting adducts gave tetracyclic cyclopenta[b]quinoline derivatives in nearly quantitative yields. A synthetic utility of the tetracyclic derivatives was examined by a simple ring opening reaction to afford cyclopenta[b]quinoline in a good yield.     

A synthesis of bicyclo[n.1.0]alkanes having tert-butyl carboxylate or acetamide moiety via the intramolecular 1,3-CH insertion of magnesium carbenoids

Treatment of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, derived from various cyclic ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, with lithium enolate of carboxylic acid tert-butyl esters or N,N-dimethylacetamide gave adducts in high yields. The adducts were treated with ether solution of isopropylmagnesium chloride in dry toluene to give bicyclo[n.1.0]alkane derivatives having tert-butyl carboxylate or acetamide moiety on the bridgehead carbon in high to quantitative yields via magnesium carbenoid 1,3-CH insertion reaction. The 1,3-CH insertion reaction proved to be regioselective and stereospecific. The reaction mechanism and origin of the selectivity and specificity are discussed.     

Facile synthesis of 2H-indazole derivatives starting from the Baylis-Hillman adducts of 2-cyclohexen-1-one

Facile synthetic method of 2H-indazole derivatives was developed involving DDQ oxidation of pyrazoles, which were prepared starting from the Baylis-Hillman adducts of 2-cyclohexen-1-one.     

Determination of airborne isocyanates as di-n-butylamine derivatives using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of isocyanates as di-n-butyl amine (DBA) derivatives using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and electrospray ionisation (ESI) is presented. Multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) of the protonated molecular ions and corresponding deuterium-labelled d₉-DBA derivatives resulted in selective quantifications with correlation coefficients >0.998 for the DBA derivatives of isocyanic acid (ICA), methyl isocyanate (MIC), ethyl isocyanate (EIC), propyl isocyanate (PIC), phenyl isocyanate (PhI), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), 2,4-, 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 4,4′-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), 3-ring MDI, 4-ring MDI, HDI-isocyanurate, HDI-diisocyanurate, HDI-biuret and HDI-dibiuret. The instrumental precision for 10 repeated injections of a solution containing 0.1 μg ml⁻¹ of the studied derivatives was <2%. Performing MRM of the product ion [DBA + H]⁺ (m/z = 130) from the protonated molecular ion resulted in the lowest detection limits, down to 10 amol (for TDI). Quantification of concentrations below 10⁻⁶ of the occupational exposure limit (OEL) for TDI during 10 min of air sampling was made possible. In an effort to control the formation of alkali adducts, addition of lithium acetate to the mobile phase and monitoring of lithium adducts was evaluated. Having lithium present in the mobile phase resulted in complete domination of [M + Li]⁺ adducts, but detection limits for the studied compounds were not improved. Different deuterium-labelled derivatives as internal standards were evaluated. (1) DBA derivatives of deuterium-labelled isocyanates (d₄-HDI, d₃-2,4-TDI, d₃-2,6-TDI and d₂-MDI), (2) d₉-DBA derivatives of the corresponding isocyanates and (3) d₁₈-DBA derivatives of the corresponding isocyanates. An increase in number of deuterium in the molecule of the internal standard resulted in an increase in instrumental precision and a decrease in correlation within calibration series.     

On the reactivity of isoindolo[2,1-a]quinazoline-5-ones

Base- and acid-catalyzed nucleophilic addition of 11H-isoindolo[2,1-a]quinazoline-5-one to aromatic aldehydes and maleimides was investigated. The aldol adducts and condensation products were obtained stereoselectively. Main diastereomers of the Michael adducts were isolated in 74-89% yield, and converted by N-methylation to new stable α-substituted isoindole derivatives, for which 6-methylisoindolo[2,1-a]]quinazoline-5-one stands as the unsubstituted reference. The stability of the latter was monitored in moist aerated CDCl₃ solution, and one of the oxidative hydrolysis product was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis as the corresponding N-arylphthalimide. The reactivity of the unsubstituted 6-methylisoindolo[2,1-a]]quinazoline-5-one was also investigated with acetylenic Michael acceptors. Fully conjugated isoindole derivatives possessing an original pull-push-pull structure were obtained. The conformations and molecular orbitals of the dibenzoylacetylene adduct were studied at the DFT level of theory. Its static quadratic hyperpolarizabilty β₀ was also calculated at the ZINDO level.     

Synthesis of 3-aryl-3-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-ones and 2-benzyl-9b-hydroxy-3,3a,5,9b-tetrahydro-2H-pyrrolo[3,4-c]quinoline-1,4-dione derivatives from the Baylis-Hillman adducts of isatins

We prepared some 3-aryl-3-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-ones and tricyclic 2-benzyl-9b-hydroxy-3,3a,5,9b-tetrahydro-2H-pyrrolo[3,4-c]quinoline-1,4-diones starting from the Baylis-Hillman adducts of isatin derivatives.     

Novel porphyrin-quinazoline conjugates via the Diels-Alder reaction

Novel derivatives of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin with appended quinazoline moieties were synthesized, via the Diels-Alder reaction, between a 4-(porphyrinyl)pyrimidine ortho-quinodimethane and 1,4-benzoquinone, 1,4-naphthoquinone and N-(p-nitrophenyl)maleimide. The structure of one bis adduct was established by X-ray crystallography and mass spectrometry. We have unequivocally confirmed that the 2:1 adducts obtained from the reaction of pyrimidine-fused 3-sulfolenes with N-arylmaleimides have an open-chain structure and not a cyclooctapyrimidine structure, as previously published.     

ortho-Quinodimethane from anthracene epidioxide: Scope of the Diels–Alder reaction and mild preparation of naphthalene derivatives

The thermal isomerisation of anthracene epidioxide 3 has been known to give phenylenedioxy-ortho-quinodimethane 5 as a reactive transient. We presented herein the scope of the Diels–Alder reaction of this transient 5 with some dienophiles. In addition, a mild synthesis of naphthalene derivatives has been developed via base-induced cleavage of the obtained Diels–Alder adducts.     

α,α-Difluoro-α-phenylsulfanylmethyl carbanion equivalent: a novel gem-difluoromethylenation of carbonyl compounds

α,α-Difluoro-α-phenylsulfanyl-α-trimethylsilylmethane (PhSCF₂SiMe₃) has been demonstrated as an α,α-difluoro-α-phenylsulfanylmethyl carbanion equivalent. gem-Difluorophenylsulfanylmethylation of carbonyl compounds has been successfully achieved by using PhSCF₂SiMe₃ in the presence of TBAF in THF. The adducts have been converted to the corresponding gem-difluoroalkenes by a novel pyrolytic and/or FVP elimination of the β-hydroxy-α-phenylsufinyl derivatives under reduced pressure.     

Expeditious synthesis of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones and 3,4,6,7,8,9-hexahydro-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones

A convenient synthesis of new 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones and 3,4,6,7,8,9-hexahydro-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones from the Baylis-Hillman adducts of acrylonitrile and their derivatives is described. A common strategy employed to achieve the syntheses of title compounds involved generation of diamines from different Baylis-Hillman derivatives followed by treatment with cyanogen bromide at reflux temperature to trigger a double intramolecular cyclization.     

SmI2-mediated elimination reaction of Baylis-Hillman adducts controlled by temperature: a facile synthesis of trisubstituted alkenes and 1,5-hexadiene derivatives with E-stereoselectivity

Promoted by samarium diiodide, the Baylis-Hillman adducts undergo hydroxyl elimination to form trisubstituted alkenes with total (E)-stereoselectivity in good to excellent yields. The flexibility of this method also opens a new route to synthesize a class of 1,5-hexadiene derivatives by temperature tuning.     

Pd-mediated synthesis of novel pentacyclic benzoazepino[2,1-a]isoindoles from enamides of Baylis-Hillman adducts

Novel pentacyclic benzoazepino[2,1-a]isoindole derivatives were synthesized by palladium-mediated consecutive cyclization from enamides of Baylis-Hillman adducts.     

Trifluoroacetic acid: a more effective and efficient reagent for the synthesis of 3-arylmethylene-3,4-dihydro-1H-quinolin-2-ones and 3-arylmethyl-2-amino-quinolines from Baylis-Hillman derivatives via Claisen rearrangement

Trifluoroacetic acid has been discovered to be a highly effective and efficient reagent for the tandem Claisen rearrangement and cyclization reaction to yield 3-arylmethylene-3,4-dihydro-1H-quinolin-2-ones from compounds obtained from the S_N2 reaction between anilines and acetyl derivatives of Baylis-Hillman adducts of acrylates in the presence of DABCO. In contrast, similar compounds obtained from the acetyl derivatives of Baylis-Hillman adduct of acrylonitrile on treatment with trifluoroacetic acid directly furnish 3-arylmethyl-2-amino-quinoline via tandem Claisen rearrangement, cyclization and isomerization.     

A facile route to the pentacyclic lamellarin skeleton via Grob reaction between 3-nitro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-chromenes and 1,3,3-trimethyl-3,4-dihydroisoquinolines

The basic structural framework of lamellarin alkaloids, 8,9-dihydro-6H-chromeno[4′,3′:4,5]pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives, has been obtained in good yields via Grob reaction between 3-nitro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-chromenes and 1,3,3-trimethyl-3,4-dihydroisoquinolines in refluxing isobutanol. When the reaction was carried out in toluene at room temperature, only Michael adducts, as a mixture of two diastereomers, were isolated.     

A convenient synthesis of iminosugar-C-glycosides via organometallic addition to N-benzyl-N-glycosylhydroxylamines

N-Benzyl-N-glycosylhydroxylamines were prepared in very good yield via condensation of furanoses and pyranoses with N-benzylhydroxylamine at 110°C for 30 min under solvent-free conditions. These anomeric sugar-hydroxylamines exist in equilibrium with the open-chain nitrone form. In fact upon treatment with various organometallic reagents, the corresponding adducts were obtained with good to high diastereoselectivity. These adducts were converted into iminosugar-C-glycosides by reductive dehydroxylation and intramolecular cyclization.     

Isomerization and functionalization of 2:1 Diels–Alder adducts of cyclopentadiene and p-benzoquinone: Applications to polycycles via ring-closing metathesis and ring-opening metathesis as key steps

Five stereochemically different 2:1 Diels–Alder adducts were prepared starting with cyclopentadiene and p-benzoquinone. Separately, these adducts were treated with an excess amount of base and allyl bromide to deliver two different tetra-allylated products. These allyl derivatives gave the corresponding mono-propellane derivatives on metathesis sequence. Five Diels–Alder adducts on treatment with Grubbs ruthenium catalysts delivered the corresponding mono- and di-ring-opened metathesis products. Structures of three functionalized adducts were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.     

Reactions of acceptor substituted thiophene-1,1-dioxides with cyclopentadiene: control of selectivity by substitution

Diels-Alder reactions of thiophene-1,1-dioxides with strong electron withdrawing groups (EWG) were studied experimentally and theoretically. Thiophene-1,1-dioxides with two strong EWG behave as dienophiles and regio- and stereoselectively react with cyclopentadiene to give [2+4] cycloadducts 2a-c, which are derivatives of benzothiophene. In contrast, thiophene-1,1-dioxides with one EWG behave as dienes in the inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction yielding dihydro-1H-indenes derivatives. Cope [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of adducts 2a-c was also demonstrated. MP2 calculations successfully rationalize the contrasting regioselectivities of these cycloaddition reactions.     

Synthesis of novel indolo[2,3-c]quinolinones via Ugi-4CR/palladium-catalyzed arylation

In this letter, an expedient method was developed for the construction of novel indolo[2,3-c]quinolinone derivatives via palladium-catalyzed arylation of Ugi adducts obtained from the reaction of indole-2-carboxylic acid, various aromatic aldehydes, 2-bromoanilines, and isocyanides. The reaction proceeded efficiently with various starting materials to produce the indoloquinolinone scaffolds in good yields.