Novel synthesis of o-naphthothiophenequinone derivatives via regioselective Diels-Alder reaction

A novel procedure to construct o-naphthothiophenequinones has been achieved from readily available o-benzothiophenquinones and N-dienes via Diels-Alder reaction-aromatization sequence as key steps. The absolute regioselectivity was established via Diels-Alder reaction of o-benzothiophenquinones with rich electron N-dienes.     

Synthesis of polycyclic pyrazoles through formation of the first fused heterocyclic o-quinodimethane intermediate

1-Benzoyl-4,6-dibromo-3-methyl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydrocyclopenta[c]pyrazole (2) was used as a precursor for o-quinodimethane 3, which was trapped by in situ reactions with dienophiles to give bridged pyrazole derivatives.     

The first application of an imidazole o-quinodimethane in Diels-Alder reactions leading to the synthesis of benzimidazoles

An efficient procedure for the generation of the imidazole-4,5-quinodimethane intermediate 4 from 2-bromo-4,5-bis(bromomethyl)imidazole derivative 3 in boiling toluene in the presence of 18-crown-6 is described. o-Quinodimethane 4 was captured for the first time by several symmetrically and unsymmetrically substituted dienophiles to afford the corresponding Diels-Alder benzimidazole adducts.     

Reversal of the regioselectivity in a cycloaddition of o-quinones by varying the position of alkoxy substituents

We have investigated the regioselective cycloaddition of o-quinones 1b-e with the protected sinapyl alcohol 2. It was found that the position of the alkoxy substituent on the o-quinone ring controlled the regioselectivity of the cycloaddition. In addition, our reported procedure for determining the location of the side chains on 1,4-benzodioxanes has been improved.     

Efficient synthesis of o-alkynyl-N-pivaloylanilines from o-acyl-N-pivaloylanilines and lithium trimethylsilyldiazomethane

Reaction of o-acyl-N-pivaloylanilines with lithium trimethylsilyldiazomethane efficiently gave the corresponding o-alkynyl-N-pivaloylanilines via alkylidenecarbene intermediates.     

Diels-Alder reactions of masked o-benzoquinones with acrylonitrile

Regioselective Diels-Alder reactions of masked o-benzoquinones (MOBs) 2a-i derived from the corresponding 2-methoxyphenols 1a-i with acrylonitrile leading to highly functionalized bicyclo[2.2.2]octenone derivatives in high yields are described.     

A computational study of the thermal opening of benzocyclobutenes to (E)- and (Z)-xylylenes

The structures of eleven 1-substituted benzocyclobutenes and corresponding (E)-o-xylylenes and (Z)-o-xylylenes have been calculated at the Becke3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level. Some o-xylylenes are plane and even some (Z)-isomers. In three cases (substituent: methoxy, amino and formamido groups), the (Z)-isomer is more stable than the (E)-isomer. The regioselectivity of the Diels-Alder reaction between (o)-xylylenes and propene or ethylvinylether is discussed according to the frontier OM coefficients.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic aryloxylation of aldehydes with o-quinones

An enantioselective organocatalytic inverse electron demand hetero Diels-Alder reaction of in situ generated enamines with o-quinone reagents is reported. The method, which is optimal in wet acetonitrile at ambient temperature, provides a new and direct asymmetric route to the aryl alkyl ether motif and an alternative metal-free strategy to S_N2 substitutions with phenolate nucleophiles.     

Diels-Alder reactions of pyridinone o-quinodimethanes generated from substituted sulfolene[3,4-c]pyridin-4(1H)-ones

1-Benzyl-3-(bromomethyl)-2(1H)-pyrazinone was converted to [3,4-c] sulfolene pyridinone 8a and further (1- or 3-) substituted derivatives having a dienophilic side chain on the sulfolene ring. Thermolytic extrusion of sulfur dioxide from o-QDM precursor 8 led to generation of 3,4-dimethylene-2(1H)-pyrazinone 9, which was reacted in situ with various dienophiles. Thermolysis of the substituted precursors resulted in intramolecular cycloaddition of the corresponding o-QDM intermediates     

One-pot approach for the synthesis of 2-aryl benzothiazoles via a two-component coupling of gem-dibromomethylarenes and o-aminothiophenols

One-pot synthesis of 2-aryl benzothiazoles from gem-dibromomethylarenes using 2-aminoarylthiols is described. Benzothiazoles were obtained in high chemical yields under mild conditions. This transformation would facilitate synthesis by short reaction times, large-scale synthesis, easy and quick isolation of the products, which are the main advantages of this procedure.     

Chromone-3-carboxaldehydes in Diels-Alder reactions with indole-o-quinodimethane. Synthesis of tetrahydrochromeno[2,3-b]carbazoles

An efficient route to a new class of indole derivatives, tetrahydrochromeno[2,3-b]carbazoles, has been developed. The cycloaddition reactions of chromone-3-carboxaldehydes with indole-o-quinodimethane gave a diastereomeric mixture of Diels-Alder cycloadducts in good yields after in situ deformylation.     

o-Thioquinones on [2.2]paracyclophanes: an example of totally stereocontrolled hetero Diels-Alder reactions

The reaction of 4-hydroxy[2.2]paracyclophane with phthalimidesulfenyl chloride allowed the preparation of a suitable precursor for a paracyclophane-o-thioquinone. This species participates in an inverse electron demand hetero Diels-Alder reaction with different electron-rich alkenes to give the expected benzoxathiin cycloadducts with complete control of regio- and stereochemistry.     

One-pot synthesis of benzimidazoles from gem-dibromomethylarenes using o-diaminoarenes

A one-pot synthesis of benzimidazoles from gem-dibromomethylarenes is described. The reaction shows the method to prepare a variety of benzimidazole analogues with excellent yield.     

Facile preparation of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenone derivatives via Diels-Alder cycloadditions of in situ-generated masked o-benzoquinones

Diels-Alder cycloadditions of in situ-generated, substituted 2,2-dimethoxycyclohexa-3,5-dienones with olefinic dienophiles resulted in the development of an efficient method for the preparation of highly functionalized bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-ones with good to excellent yields.     

The first benzodiazepine o-quinodimethane: generation and Diels-Alder reactions

7,8-Bis(dibromomethyl)-3-bromo-2,4-diphenyl-3H-benzodiazepine 1 was used as a precursor for the benzodiazepine o-quinodimethane 2, which was trapped by in situ reactions with dienophiles.     

The synthesis and characterisation of novel o-substituted benzyldi-t-butylphosphine-boranes

The novel compounds o-(chloromethyl)benzyldi-t-butylphosphine-borane and o-(methoxymethyl)benzyldi-t-butylphosphine-borane have been synthesised in 54% and 51% yields, respectively, and have been fully characterised. An improved method for the synthesis of α-chloro-α′-methoxy-o-xylene is also reported.     

Chemical synthesis and characterization of aniline and o-anthranilic acid copolymer

The chemical co-polymerization of aniline with o-anthranilic acid (AA) to form copolymer films has been made in aqueous hydrochloric acid medium. The copolymer films were monitored by using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. The effect of AA and its concentrations on the film formation was investigated. The results were justified by measuring the UV-Vis absorption spectra for the in situ copolymer films grown onto glass slides immersed into the polymerization media and the in situ UV-Vis absorption spectra for the copolymer in the bulk during the co-polymerization. The conductivity for the copolymer films and powder pellets at different molar ratios of aniline/AA were measured. Also, the IR spectra, X-ray diffraction and the thermal gravimetric analysis for the copolymer powder formed in the bulk in the absence and presence of AA were measured and discussed. It is found that the presence of AA affects the yield, induction period, depletion time and growth rate of the film formation. It also affects the crystallinity, and conductivity as well as the solubility of the polymer. Finally, the dopant weight fraction (w) associated with the copolymer was determined. It is almost half the value determined for the polymer in absence of AA.     

Photolytic decarbonylation of o-benzoquinones

It was established that photodecarbonylation of o-benzoquinones occurs by irradiation not only by UV-light, but visible light (λ>520 nm) too. Study of the series of 4,5-di-substituted 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinones detected that the only product of photoreaction is the corresponding 3,4-di-substituted 2,5-di-tert-butyl-cyclopentadienone, which is formed in a yield close to quantitative. NMR monitoring of reaction of photodecarbonylation of o-benzoquinones detected that this is a two-stage process. In the first stage the photoexcited molecule of quinone rearranges into bicyclo compound (bicyclo[1.3.0]hexa-3-en-2,6-dione) containing five- and three- membered cycles, which spontaneously decomposes during the following dark stage into cyclopentadienone and a molecule of CO.     

Dehalogenation of o-dihalogen substituted arenes and α,α′-dihalogen substituted o-xylenes with lanthanum metal

It was found that lanthanum metal caused the dehalogenation of o-dihalogen substituted arenes and α,α′-dihalogen substituted o-xylenes to generate the corresponding benzynes and o-quinodimethanes. When o-dihalogen substituted arenes were allowed to react with lanthanum metal in the presence of dienes, the Diels-Alder products between benzyne and dienes were formed in moderate to good yields. Similarly, the Diels-Alder adducts of o-quinodimethane with dienophiles were obtained, in the reaction of α,α′-dibromo-o-xylenes with lanthanum metal in the presence of dienophiles.