Stereoselective Cascade Cyclizations with Samarium Diiodide to Tetracyclic Indolines: Precursors of Fluorostrychnines and Brucine

A series of γ-indolylketones with fluorine, cyano or alkoxy substituents at the benzene moiety was prepared and subjected to samarium diiodide-promoted cyclization reactions. The desired dearomatizing ketyl cascade reaction forming two new rings proceeded in all cases with high diastereoselectivity, but with differing product distribution. In most cases, the desired annulated tetracyclic compounds were obtained in moderate to good yields, but as second product tetracyclic spirolactones were isolated in up to 29 % yield. The reaction rate was influenced by the substituents at the benzene moiety of the substrate as expected, with electron-accepting groups accelerating and electron-donating groups decelerating the cyclization process. In case of a difluoro-substituted γ-indolylketone a partial defluorination was observed. The intermediate samarium enolate of the tetracyclic products could be trapped by adding reactive alkylating agents as electrophiles delivering products with quarternary carbons. In the case of a dimethoxy-substituted tetracyclic cyclization product a subsequent reductive amination stereoselectively provided a pentacyclic compound that was subsequently N-protected and subjected to a regioselective elimination. The obtained functionalized pentacyclic product should be convertible into the alkaloid brucine by four well-established steps. Overall, the presented report shows that functionalized tetracyclic compounds with different substituents are rapidly available with the samarium diiodide cascade cyclization as crucial step. Hence, analogues of the landmark alkaloid strychnine, for example, with specific fluorine substitutions, should be easily accessible.     

Synthesis of Polycyclic Tertiary Carbinamines by Samarium Diiodide Mediated Cyclizations of Indolyl Sulfinyl Imines

Samarium diiodide mediated cyclizations of N‐acylated indole derivatives bearing sulfinyl imine moieties afforded polycyclic tertiary carbinamines with moderate to excellent diastereoselectivities. Lithium bromide and water turned out to be the best additives to achieve these transformations in good yields. Using enantiopure sulfinyl imines the outcome strongly depends on the reactivity of the indole moiety. Whereas with unactivated indole derivatives desulfinylation and formation of racemic products was observed, indoles bearing electron‐withdrawing substituents at C‐3 afforded the polycyclic products with intact N‐sulfinyl groups and with excellent diastereoselectivity, finally allowing the preparation of enantiopure tertiary carbinamines. The mechanisms of these processes are discussed.     

Novel Reductive Cleavage Reaction of Thiobenzoates with Samarium Diiodide: Convenient Synthesis of Disulfides

The reductive cleavage of thiobenzoates promoted by samarium diiodide afforded various kinds of disulfides in good yields under mild and neutral conditions.     

Synthesis of 1,3-Diketones by Reaction of α-Haloketones with Acyl Cyanides Promoted by Samarium Diiodide

α-Haloketones reacted with acyl cyanides to form 1,3-diketones in the presence of samarium diiodide. The reaction was assumed to proceed via a mechanism involving samarium enolates formed in situ from α-haloketones.     

Facile Synthesis of Amidines via Intermolecular Reductive Coupling of Nitriles with Azobenzene Promoted by Samarium Diiodide

SinceintroducedbyKaganandhisgroups',Sml,hasbeenextensivelyinvestigatedasamild,neutral,selectiveandversatilesingIeelectrontransferreductantinsyntheticchemistry=.Suchas,Barbierreactions,Reformatskyreactions,pinacolcouplingandketone-oIefinreductivehavebeenreportedusingSmI,asreagent.Thereactivitiesofvariousnitrogenfunctionalgroups(imine,oxime,nitro,azo,cyano)towardsSmI,havealsobeenexamined.Recently,ourgrouphasreportedtheintermolecularreductivecouplingofnitrogroupswithcyanogroupsinducedbySml='.…     

Some Deoxygenation and Reducation Reactions with Samarium Diiodide

The deoxygenation and reduction of several kinds of organic substrates with samarium diiodide (SmI₂) in satisfactory yields are reported.     

Stereoselective Syntheses of Bridgehead Hydroxy Compounds via Reductive Cyclization Reactions Promoted by Samarium Diiodide

Cycloalkanones appended with an α, β-unsaturated carbonyl side chain react with 2.25 equivalents of samarium diiodide to form bicyclic or tricyclic bridgehead hydroxy compounds stereoselectively in moderate yield.     

Reductive Cleavage of tert-Butyldimethylsilyl Ether via Intramolecular Transfer of Hydride

The cleavage of α-hydroxy tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether to diol takes place efficiently with LAH. It has been proposed that the reaction proceeds via intramolecular hydride transfer from the alkoxy aluminium hydride. In order to substantiate this, reduction of TBDMS ether with LAH in a variety of substrates was studied.     

Reductive Cleavage of S-S Bond by Samarium Diiodide: Synthesis of β-Thioesters and β-Thionitriles

Theuseofsamariumdiiodideasastrongone-electrontransferreducingandcouplingreagentinorganicsynthesishasgainedincreasingpopularity,especiallyinthepasttenyears1OurpreviousworkonsomedeoxygenationandsomereductivecleavageofSe-SeorTe-TebondwithSmI2wasrepel'te...     

The Reductive Addition Reaction of Substituted 2-Chloromethyl-1, 3, 4-oxadiazole to Aldehydes and Ketones Promoted by Samarium Diiodide

1-（β-Hydroxyalkyl）-l,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives were synthesized via reductive addition reactions of 2-chloromethyl-l,3,4-oxadiazole with carbonyl compounds under mild conditions promoted by SmI2.     

Reductive Cleavage of S-S Bond by Samarium Diiodide: A Novel Method for the Synthesis of Disulfides

Samarium diiodide reductively cleaves the S-S bond of sodium alkyl thiosulfates to give the corresponding disulfides in moderate to good yields under mild and neutral conditions.     

The Chemoselective Cleavage of Acylthioaryltioacetals with Tributyltin Hydride

Acylthioarylthioacetals are cleaved selectively by tributyltin hydride/AIBN affording thioacyls radicals, which can react with tethered carbon-carbon double or triple bond to form functionalized cyclopentanes.     

Cyclodimerization of α, β-Unsaturated Ketones Promoted by Samarium Diiodide

Samarium (II) iodide has been successfully utilized as a strong one-electron transfer reducing agent for the cyclodimerization of α, β-unsaturated ketones. The absence of any alcohol as proton source is essential. The reaction is regioselective over the competitive carbon-carbon double bond reduction and stereocontrolled. The configuration of the cyclodimerization products, has been confirmed by X-ray analysis.     

A New Samarium Diiodide Induced Reaction: Intramolecular Attack of Ketyl Radical Anions on Aryl Substituents with Formation of 1,4-Cyclohexadiene Derivatives

Beware of samarium diiodide and aryl ketones! If the ketyl radical anion which is formed by electron transfer finds a properly placed aryl group, a highly diastereoselective cyclization may occur. After the transfer of a second electron and protonation bi- and polycyclic products with a common 1,4-cyclohexadiene moiety may be isolated [Eq. (a)]. X=CHCO₂R, NCH₂Ph; HMPA=(Me₂N)₃PO.     

Reductive Cleavage of S-S Bond in Diphenyl Disulfide by Samarium Diiodide: A Novel Method for the Synthesis of Thiolesters

Diphenyl disulfide is reduced by samarium diiodide to yield samarium phenylthiolate. This new thiolate anion species mildly reacts with acyl chlorides to give thiolesters in good yields.     

Intramolecular Cyclizations of Allenic Acylureas and -Amides

Allenic acids are found to add to dicyclohexylcarbodiimide affording, in the presence of Et₂NH, the 4H-1,3-oxazin-4-ones 5 via 4 . Under neutral conditions, they add to diaryl- or pyridyl(cyclohexyl)carbodiimides and triphenylketene imine to give the corresponding tricyclo[5.2.2.0^1,5]undeca-4,8,10-trien-3-ones 7 , 8 , 9 , and 12 . The allenic phenyl ester 13a dimerises, on heating in a [2+2] head-to-head fashion, to 14 but fails to undergo intramolecular Diels-Alder cyclization, to 15 .