Unexpected formation of (Z)-3-(halomethylene)isoindolinones from gem-dihalovinylbenzonitriles: efficient synthesis of enyne-containing isoindolinones

An efficient one-pot procedure for the regioselective synthesis of (Z)-3-(halomethylene)-isoindolin-1-ones was developed from easily accessible 2-(2,2-dihalovinyl)benzonitriles. From this key intermediate, a variety of isoindolinones containing an enyne moiety were synthesized in good to excellent yields via palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira reaction. The generated enyne-containing isoindolinones could be further manipulated by iodide induced cyclization reaction to afford a versatile synthetic intermediate 5H-pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoindolol-5-one in high yield and could be further elaborated.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted isoindolinones

An anionic chiral auxiliary-mediated asymmetric alkylation of carbamate 2 affords 3,3-disubstituted isoindolinones 3 in moderate to high de. The chiral auxiliary can be removed and recovered under mild conditions, and the resulting enantiopure lactams further elaborated.     

Short and convenient synthesis of two natural phthalides by a copper(I) catalysed Sonogashira/oxacyclisation copper(I) process

Total synthesis of (±)-herbaric acid and (±)-(4-methoxybenzyl)-5,7-dimethoxyphthalide, two natural phthalide products, was achieved in 8 steps and 5 steps, respectively, starting from commercially available 3,5-dimethoxyaniline. The key step of the sequence included a copper-catalysed tandem cross-coupling and oxacylisation reaction of terminal alkynes and 2-iodobenzoïc acid derivatives via 5-exo-dig cyclisation with high stereo-, regio- and chemoselectivities. This straightforward method allows the preparation of diverse phthalides, which belong to a group of pharmacologically important compounds.     

Stereoselective synthesis of isoindolinones and tert-butyl sulfoxides

A reaction of Grignard reagents with an optically pure N-sulfinylimine derived from methyl 2-formylbenzoate yields enantioenriched isoindolinones and tert-butyl sulfoxides. The products are formed by the addition of the nucleophile to N-sulfinylimine followed by cyclization to form N-tert-butylsulfinylisoindolinone, which readily undergoes substitution with a second equivalent of Grignard reagent. The reaction can be carried out in dichloromethane at room temperature or at elevated temperatures without any loss of stereoselectivity. The use of nucleophiles other than Grignard reagents has also been investigated.     

Catalyst-free Mannich-type reactions in water: Expedient synthesis of naphthol-substituted isoindolinones

An environmentally benign while efficient approach to the synthesis of isoindolinones by three-component reactions of 2-formylbenzoic acids, primary amines, 2-naphthols via a Mannich-cyclization reaction sequence in water under catalyst-free conditions is described here. This protocol features wide substrate scope, ease of operation, the use of naturally abundant while enviromentally benign water as a reaction medium and the formation of only water as the sole byproduct in the transformation.     

Expeditious synthesis of 3,4-dihydroisocoumarins and phthalides using the Heck-Matsuda reaction

Several 3,4-dihydroisocoumarins and phthalides were synthesized by an effective Heck-Matsuda reaction involving an ortho carboxybenzenediazonium salt with a series of styrenes bearing electron donating and electron withdrawing groups, methylvinyl ketone, and methyl acrylate. The reaction was carried out in an open-flask with 1% mol of palladium acetate in aqueous ethanol at ∼80 °C, giving the correspondent 3-aryl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins and phthalides with good overall yields. The electronic nature of the group attached to the olefin is a key feature for the regioselectivity of the cyclization step.     

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylative cyclization of Baylis-Hillman adducts. An efficient approach for the stereoselective synthesis of 3-alkenyl phthalides

A palladium-mediated carbonylative cyclization reaction of Baylis-Hillman adducts is disclosed. This simple, efficient and straightforward sequence leads to the formation of an array of 3-alkenylphthalides with different substitution patterns on the aromatic ring, with good chemical yields and selectivities.     

New method of synthesis of 1,1-bis(trialkylsilyl)- and bis(trialkylgermyl)germacyclopenta-2,4-dienes

The reactions of 1,1-dichloro-2,3,4,5-tetraphenyl-1-germacyclopenta-2,4-diene (1), magnesium, and R₃ECl (E = Si, Ge) under mild conditions (20 °C, THF) gave 1,1-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,3,4,5-tetraphenyl-1-germacyclopenta-2,-4-diene (2a) and 1,1-bis(triethylgermyl)-2,3,4,5-tetraphenyl-1-germacyclopenta-2,4-diene (2b) respectively. The reaction is versatile and applies to the compounds R₃ECl (E = Si, Ge) that do not react with magnesium.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2234–2236, October, 2004.     

Iterative deoxypropionate synthesis based on a copper-mediated directed allylic substitution: formal total synthesis of borrelidin (C3-C11 fragment)

A new iterative strategy for the flexible preparation of any oligodeoxypropionate stereoisomer is presented which relies on an o-DPPB-directed copper mediated allylic substitution employing enantiomerically pure Grignard reagents; the reaction is working with perfect control over all aspects of the reaction selectivity. This key C--C bond-forming step features reversed polarity compared with established enolate alkylation methodology. It thus avoids existing problems of enolate alkylation strategies such as enolate reactivity as well as costs and problems associated with the chiral auxiliary. Practicability of this new method is demonstrated through application in natural product syntheses. Thus, an efficient synthesis of the northern part of the angiogenesis inhibitor borrelidin (28), the deoxypropionate building block 27, could be devised, representing a formal total synthesis.     

Efficient Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons intramolecular cyclisation of a N-substituted phthalimide promoted by KF-Alumina: a general tool for the synthesis of functionalised isoindolinones

An intramolecular Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction promoted by KF-Alumina involving a N-substituted phthalimide, cleanly and efficiently furnishes an interesting α,β-unsaturated tricyclic enone which may undergo selective alkylations at the α′-position.     

Structure and C-C cross-coupling reactivity of iron(III) complexes of halogenated amine-bis(phenolate) ligands

The preparation of tetradentate amine-bis(phenol) proligands with dichloro and difluoro substituted phenol groups and their reaction with FeX₃ (X = Cl or Br) is described. The compounds, 2-pyridylamino-N,N-bis(2-methylene-4,6-dichlorophenol), H₂[L₁]; 2-pyridylamino-N,N-bis(2-methylene-4,6-difluorophenol), H₂[L₂]; dimethylaminoethylamino-N,N-bis(2-methylene-4,6-dichlorophenol), H₂[L₃]; 2-tetrahydrofurfuryl-N,N-bis(2-methylene-4,6-dichlorophenol), H₂[L₄]; and methoxyethylamino-N,N-bis(2-methylene-4,6-dichlorophenol), H₂[L₅] were prepared in aqueous medium and obtained as white powders in good to excellent yield. Ten new iron(III) halide complexes supported by these tetradentate ligands are reported. Representative single crystal X-ray diffraction structures were obtained for H₂[L₁] and a water adduct of the iron(III) complex, aquachloro{2-pyridylamino-N,N-bis(2-methylene-4,6-dichlorophenolato)}iron(III), 2·H₂O. The structure of the proligand H₂[L₁] shows intramolecular hydrogen bonding. In the solid-state structure, the iron complex exhibits intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the water ligand and the phenolate oxygen of a neighbouring complex. The anhydrous complexes were studied for catalytic activity towards C-C cross-coupling of Grignard reagent nucleophiles with alkyl halide electrophiles.     

Total synthesis of (±) maculalactone A, maculalactone B and maculalactone C and the determination of the absolute configuration of natural (+) maculalactone A by asymmetric synthesis

Maculalactones A, B and C from the marine cyanobacterium Kyrtuthrix maculans are amongst the only compounds based on the tribenzylbutyrolactone skeleton known in nature and (+) maculalactone A from the natural source possesses significant biological activity against various marine herbivores and marine settlers. We now report a concise synthesis of racemic maculalactone A in five steps from inexpensive starting materials. Maculalactones B and C were synthesized by a minor modification to this procedure, and the synthetic design also permitted an asymmetric synthesis of maculalactone A to be achieved in around 85% ee. The (+) and (−) enantiomers of maculalactone A were assigned, respectively, to the S and R configurations on the basis of the chiral selectivity expected for catecholborane reduction of an unsymmetrical ketone in the presence of Corey's oxazoborolidine catalyst. Surprisingly, it appeared that natural (+) maculalactone A was biosynthesized in K. maculans in a partially racemic form, comprising ca. 90-95% of the (S) enantiomer and 5-10% of its (R) enantiomer. Coincidentally therefore, the percentage enantiomeric excess of the product obtained from asymmetric synthesis almost exactly matched that found in nature.     

Analysis of phthalides from umbelliferae by combined liquid-solid and gas-liquid chromatography

Summary A liquid-solid chromatographic pre-fractionation of naturally occurring phthalides has been developed. The LSC was carried out on a column of silica applying a 1–50% gradient elution of diethyl ether (containing 2% methanol) in pentane. The enrichment in the fractions led to better possibilities for a gas chromatographic separation and isolation allowing further studies by spectroscopic methods. Ligustilide may easily isomerize during GC as a result of ageing of the column.     

Mild and efficient syntheses of diverse isoindolinones from ortho-phthaldehydic acid methylthiomethyl ester

A mild and efficient method for the synthesis of diverse isoindolinones from o-phthaldehydic acid methylthiomethyl ester and aliphatic/aromatic amines has been developed. A number of nucleophiles including a hydride ion were successfully added to the intermediate Schiff's base providing isoindolinones, with or without substitution at 3-position. Conditions have also been developed for amines with an integrated nucleophilic group to react in a diverse fashion either to give isoindolinones or tricyclic γ-lactams as single diastereoisomers in very good yield.     

One-pot synthesis of aromatic homoallylic alcohols from aldehydes and Grignard reagents promoted by Titanium(IV) tetraisopropanolate

An efficient method of Titanium(IV) mediated one-pot reaction approaching aromatic homoallylic alcohols from aldehydes and dual Grignard reagents was developed with good isolated yields. This method could use aromatic-, heteroaromatic-, or aliphatic-aldehydes as starting materials. However, electron-riched benzaldehyde or cinnamaldehyde tended to precede further hydroxyl eliminations to give all conjugated structures as demonstrated.     

Grignard additions to 2-uloses: synthesis of stereochemically pure tertiary alcohols

The addition of Grignard reagents to a number of 2-uloses has been investigated. Despite initial low diastereoselectivities it was found that tuning the ketone starting materials and studying solvent effects allowed formation of a single alcohol product.     

Fast microwave promoted palladium-catalyzed synthesis of phthalides from bromobenzyl alcohols utilizing DMF and Mo(CO)6 as carbon monoxide sources

A fast method utilizing in situ generated CO for the synthesis of phthalides has been developed. DMF and Mo(CO)₆ were applied as two alternative CO-sources in these microwave promoted carbonylation-lactone formation reactions. Mo(CO)₆ was found to be the more generally applicable CO-source and provided phthalides as well as dihydroisocoumarin, dihydroisoindone, and phthalimide from the corresponding aryl bromide via an efficient CO insertion within a 1 h reaction time.     

The Mg-oppenauer oxidation as a mild method for the synthesis of aryl and metallocenyl ketones

Magnesium alkoxides undergo a hydride-transfer oxidation with benzaldehyde as the oxidant. This magnesium variant of the Oppenauer oxidation was used for the synthesis of polyfunctional biaryl ketones. LiCl was found to promote this reaction by enhancing the solubility of magnesium alkoxides. This mild oxidation method was especially useful for preparing ketones bearing a metallocenyl unit as well as various new ferrocenyl ketones and tricarbonylchromium complexes. This last class of ketones was reduced with the CBS catalyst (CBS=Corey-Bakshi-Shibata, diphenyl oxazaborolidine) to chiral benzhydrol complexes with high enantioselectivity enabling an asymmetric synthesis of electron-rich or -poor benzhydryl alcohols (up to 94 % ee).     

Preparation of α-silyl- or α,α-bis(silyl)-substituted alkylcopper reagents and their synthetic use

Treatment of chlorobis(methyldiphenylsilyl)methyllithium with various alkyl and aryl Grignard reagents and CuCN·2LiCl afforded 1,1-disilylalkylcopper species. The aerobic oxidation of the resulting copper reagents provided a variety of acylsilanes in good yields. Meanwhile, treatment of dichloro(methyldiphenylsilyl)methyllithum with Bu₂CuLi·LiCN provided 1-cyano-1-silylalkylcopper species via consecutive double 1,2-migration of alkyl and cyano groups.