Design of crystal packings of styrylheterocycles and [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions in their single crystals 7. Crystal structures of 4-styrylpyridine hydroperchlorates and solid-state [2+2] autophotocycloaddition reactions of these compounds

A series of 4-styrylpyridine hydroperchlorates were synthesized, and the [2+2] autophotocycloaddition (PCA) reaction in their polycrystalline films and single crystals resulting in the centrosymmetric rctt isomers of 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted cyclobutanes was investigated. Unlike neutral styrylpyridines, their protonated forms are better preorganized for the solid-state PCA reaction. According to the X-ray diffraction data, the cations of these compounds, like related styryl dyes, are mainly stacked in crystals in a head-to-head or head-to-tail fashion with equal probability. Only in the latter type of stacks, the PCA reaction is feasible as a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation. The crystal packing is stabilized by hydrogen bonds between organic cations and perchlorate anions, as well as by other weak directional interactions, for example, by S??S interactions, thus preventing the atomic displacements in the course of PCA. The completion of the PCA reaction in single crystals without their degradation was observed only for 15-crown-5-containing 4-styrylpyridine hydroperchlorate. The crystals of the latter compound are stabilized not by hydrogen bonds between the cations and anions but by N⁺-H??O(macrocycle) hydrogen bonds resulting in the formation of head-to-tail stacked dimers. In the crystals, these dimers are surrounded by a soft shell formed by rotationally and translationally mobile anions and benzene solvent molecules, as well as by conformationally flexible crown-ether moieties of adjacent dimer pairs. This leads to a decrease in the steric strain that occurs in the crystals in the course of PCA and prevents the degradation of single crystals. The PCA reaction is accompanied by the reduction in the crystal symmetry due to the doubling of the unit cell.     

Design of crystal packings of styryl heterocycles and regularities of [2+2] photocycloaddition in their single crystals 8. Topochemical [2+2] autophotocycloaddition and back reaction in styryl dye of the benzothiazole series

New styryl dye of the 2-benzothiazole series was synthesized. The new dye contains two methoxy groups in the benzene ring and tosylate counterion. The [2+2] photocycloaddition (PCA) of the dye was studied in the polycrystalline film and in single crystal. Two modifications of the dye cocrystallizate with hydroquinone differed in the ratio of components were obtained, and their ability to enter PCA was studied. According to the X-ray diffraction data, molecular cations of the dye form stack packings either of syn-“head-to-tail” type or relatively isolated stacking dimers. In all cases, the ethylene bonds of the adjacent cations are brought together and antiparallel, favoring PCA to form the centrosymmetric rctt-isomer of 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted cyclobutane. In two cases, the PCA reaction proceeded as the “single crystal-to-single crystal” transformation. Hydrogen bonds in crystals including hydroquinone molecules strengthen the crystal packing retarding the PCA. The back photoreaction (retro-PCA) was detected: it occurs without single crystal decomposition and results in the accumulation of the initial styryl dye in crystal consisting of the cyclobutane derivative. This is the first example of such a transformation in single crystals.     

[6+6]-benzo/benzo - photocycloaddition reactions

Cyclobutane-formation between “face-to-race” oriented benzenoid chromophoric units has been observed in 1,6-diene- (B) (1b–d/4a–d), not, however, in 1,5-diene-derived (C) (7a–c) skeletons.     

Synthesis of enantiopure 3-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptanes by diastereoselective intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions on chiral perhydro-1,3-benzoxazines

[2+2] photocycloadditions involving chiral 3-acryloyl-2-vinylperhydro-1,3-benzoxazines derived from (-)-8-aminomenthol are highly diastereoselective reactions. The facial selectivity depends on the type of substitution at the vinyl double bond, and always leads to cis-fused bicyclic derivatives. The de is good for compounds with one substituent at the outer carbon of the double bond at C-2, but only one diastereomer is formed in cyclizations of compounds with two substituents at that position. The elimination of the menthol appendage gives enantiopure 3-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptanes.     

Pressure effects in a [2+2] photocycloaddition and -reversion

Evidence is presented to support the conclusion that the [2+2] photocycloaddition of acrylonitrile to naphthalene has a late transition state similar in volume to those in concerted thermal cycloadditions.     

Synthesis and crystal structure of [2 + 2] calixsalens

Efficient synthesis of chiral [2 + 2] macrocyclic tetraimines which display calixarene-like crystal structures has been described, with short reaction times under microwave irradiation.     

Transition state analysis on regioselectivity in [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions of substituted 2-cyclohexenone with cycloalkenecarboxylates

The experimental results of the triplet [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions of substituted 2-cyclohexenone 1 with cycloalkenylesters 2, 3, 4 have showed remarkable change in the regioselectivity of the products. The ht/hh product ratio increases with increment of the cycle-size. The FMO investigations in addition to the transition state analysis were used to rationalize such regioselectivity. The FMO method with their orbital coefficients and energies could not explain the reaction selectivity since these values of 2-4 showed tendency to form the hh adduct mainly. PM3, PM5, CIS/6-31G, and B3LYP/6-31G methods were used to locate the hh and ht transition states of the three reactions. As the potential energy barriers (TS1) on the first TS surface for the major products were lower than that for the minor products in most of the cases, the real ratio can be explained in terms of TS analysis. The recently improved PM5 and the B3LYP methods were more successful in this debate as partitioning the activation energy at the potential energy barriers into reactant deformation and the interaction (or repulsion) energies is easy and effective. The changes in the ht/hh ratio with the enlargement of the alkene ring size may be due to the increment of the repulsion energy and large changes in the deformation energy of the reactants. In the transition state structures the stabilities of the major products are thought to be due to the existence of some repulsion between the enone carbonyl and esters in the alkenylesters, and some hydrogen bonding between the reactants. The FMO and second transition state (TS2) energy on the biradical intermediates are also thought to play some role in controlling the product selectivity by lowering the closure energy of the biradicals according to the possibility of their overlapping.     

Intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of alkenes incorporated in a carbohydrate template. Synthesis of enantiopure bicyclo[3.2.0]heptanes and -[6.3.0]undecanes

Intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of alkenes with a furano sugar placed between them have been investigated under both copper(I)-catalyzed and sensitized conditions. The copper(I)-catalyzed photocycloaddition of the dienes 4a, 4b, and 4c led to unexpected formation of the thermodynamically less stable cis-syn-cis 4-5-5 tricyclic adducts 5a, 5b, and 5c, respectively. The sensitized photocycloaddition of the diene 14 also gave the cis-syn-cis adduct 15 showing that the copper(I) catalyst does not have any influence on the stereochemical course through coordination with the anomeric ring oxygen of the furano sugar. The identical stereochemical course observed under both catalyzed and sensitized photoaddition reactions have been attributed to be of steric origin. Bis(dienes) 25a and 25b, which gave an intractable mixture on copper(I)-catalyzed irradiation, underwent smooth photocycloaddition in the presence of benzophenone, and the resulting 1,2-divinyl cyclobutanes underwent spontaneous [3.3]-rearrangement at room temperature to produce bicyclo[6.3.0]undecanes 30a and 30b, respectively. This investigation provides an approach for the construction of enantiopure bicyclo[3.2.0]heptanes and -[6.3.0]undecanes.     

Enantioselective crossed intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions mediated by a chiral chelating Lewis acid

In intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions, the two tethered olefins can approach each other in a straight or in a crossed fashion. Despite the fact that the latter reaction mode leads to intriguing, otherwise inaccessible bridged skeletons, there has so far not been any enantioselective variants thereof. This study concerned the crossed [2+2]-photocycloaddition of 2-(alkenyloxy)cyclohex-2-enones to bridged cyclobutanes. It was found that the reaction could be performed with high enantioselectivity (80–94% ee) under visible light conditions when employing a chiral rhodium Lewis acid as a catalyst (2 mol%).

An enantioselective crossed [2+2] photocycloaddition is presented which proceeds under visible light irradiation in the presence of a chiral Lewis acidic metal complex. Chelation of two oxygen atoms to the metal centre accounts for the observed enantioface differentiation.     

Diastereoselective transannular [2+2] photocycloaddition of ascorbic acid derivatives

Ring-closing metathesis of bis-O,O-alkenyl ascorbic acid derivatives affords cyclic ethers in good yields which can be further converted by irradiation at 254 nm into new polyoxacyclic structures according to a diastereoselective transannular [2+2] photocycloaddition.     

Biradical intermediate in the [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of dienes and alkenes to [60]fullerene

The photocycloaddition of vinylcyclopropanes to C60 yields stereospecifically a five-membered [60]fullerene adduct. These results suggest a biradical intermediate of the [2 + 2] photocycloaddition between dienes or arylalkenes and C60. An electron transfer between the triplet excited state of C60 and the unsaturated substrates precedes the formation of the intermediate.     

Intramolecular pyridone/enyne photocycloaddition: partitioning of the [4 + 4] and [2 + 2] pathways

Intramolecular photocycloaddition (>290 nm) between a 1,3-enyne and a 2-pyridone is far more selective than the intermolecular version; a three-atom linkage both controls regiochemistry and separates the [2 + 2] and [4 + 4] pathways. All four head-to-head, head-to-tail, tail-to-head, and tail-to-tail tetherings have been investigated. Linkage via the ene of the enyne leads to [2 + 2] products regardless of alkene geometry, whereas linkage through the yne results in [4 + 4] cycloadducts. The bridged 1,2,5-cyclooctatriene products of [4 + 4] cycloaddition are unstable and undergo a subsequent [2 + 2] dimerization reaction.     

Stereospecific [2+2] photocycloaddition in a pseudodimeric complex between N-ammoniopropylstyrylpyridine and 18-crown-6-containing styrylpyridine

A quaternary 4-styrylpyridinium salt having the N-ammoniopropyl substituent forms a pseudodimeric head-to-tail complex with neutral 18-crown-6-containing 4-styrylpyridine in MeCN through H-bonding. This complex undergoes stereospecific [2+2] photocycloaddition due to preorganization of the ethylene bonds in the syn-arranged chromophoric fragments of the components. The structure of the rctt-isomer of the cyclobutane derivative obtained was established by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Enantioselective intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions of 4-substituted coumarins catalyzed by a chiral Lewis acid

Eight coumarins, which carry a terminal alkene tethered by a CH(2)XCH(2) group to their 4-position (X = CH(2), CMe(2), O, S, NBoc, NZ, NTs, NBn), were synthesized in overall yields of 51-80?%. Starting materials for the syntheses were either commercially available 4-hydroxycoumarin or 4-formylcoumarin. The intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition of these coumarins gave diastereoselectively products with a tetracyclic 3,3a,4,4a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[2,3]cyclobuta[1,2-c]chromen-5(2H)-one skeleton. Direct irradiation at λ = 300?nm in dichloromethane (c = 10?mM) led to product formation in good yields for most substrates, presumably via a singlet excited state intermediate. Due to the low coumarin absorption at λ >350?nm the photocycloaddition was slow upon irradiation at λ = 366?nm. Addition of a chiral oxazaborolidine-based Lewis acid (50?mol?%) increased the reaction rate at λ = 366?nm and induced a significant enantioselectivity in the [2+2] photocycloaddition. Six out of eight coumarin substrates (X = CH(2), CMe(2), O, NBoc, NZ, NTs) gave the respective products in yields of 72-96?% and with 74-90?% enantiomeric excess (ee) upon irradiation in dichloromethane (c = 20?mM) at -75?°C. The Lewis acid presumably acts by coordination to the coumarin carbonyl oxygen atom, which leads to a bathochromic shift (redshift) of the UV absorption and which increases the singlet state lifetime. A second electrostatic interaction of the hydrogen atom at C3 with the oxygen atom of the oxazaborolidine is likely.     

Synthesis and evaluation of a chiral menthol functionalized silsesquioxane: application to diastereoselective [2+2] photocycloaddition

A novel chiral menthol derivative supported on silsesquioxane was easily synthesized by hydrosilylation of the corresponding arylmenthyl olefin with commercially available silsesquioxane-type hydrosilane. We evaluated the applicability of the silsesquioxane-based compound to diastereoselective [2+2] photocycloaddition reaction. The newly synthesized silsesquioxane-based chiral menthol derivative 9 indicated similar diastereoselectivity to the corresponding p-methoxyphenyl menthol derivative.     

Synthesis of anthracene and azaanthracene fluorophores via [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization reactions

A highly convergent [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization approach to anthracenes and 2-azaanthracenes has been developed. It allows for the facile introduction of the anthracene moiety on alkyne and nitrile bearing molecules and the rapid construction of compound arrays. This is showcased in the assembly of a collection of fluorophores and their photochemical evaluation.     

Copper(I)-catalyzed intramolecular asymmetric [2 + 2] photocycloaddition. Synthesis of both enantiomers of cyclobutane derivatives

[reaction: see text] A simple approach for asymmetric induction in Cu(I)-catalyzed [2 + 2] photocycloaddition, where asymmetric catalysts or chiral auxiliaries were inefficient, has been developed using the concept of chirality transfer from the readily available 2, 3-di-O-cyclohexylidine-(R)-(+)-glyceraldehyde. An anion-induced cleavage of the tetrahydrofuran ring of the resulting oxa-bicyclo[3.2.0]heptanes led to a convenient access to the synthetically useful cis-1,2-disubstituted cyclobutanes in enantiomerically pure form.     

Synthesis of densely functionalised arenes using [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions

Rh(I)-catalysed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition allows the synthesis of aryl ethers and diaryl methanes containing a high degree of steric hindrance from relatively simple diyne and alkyne precursors. The diarylmethanes made in this way show no evidence in their NMR spectra, however, of rotational restriction.