Domino retro Diels-Alder/Diels-Alder reaction: an efficient protocol for the synthesis of highly functionalized bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones and bicyclo[2.2.2]octadienones

A novel and convenient approach, the domino retro Diels-Alder/Diels-Alder reaction sequence for highly stereo- and regioselective synthesis of various bicyclo[2.2.2]octenone and bicyclo[2.2.2]octadienone derivatives is presented. Thus, the masked o-benzoquinones (MOBs) 2a-e generated by the pyrolysis of the respective dimers 3a-e participated in this novel synthetic strategy with a variety of olefinic and acetylenic dienophiles at 220 degrees C to provide the title compounds in good to excellent yields.     

Studies on photochemical rearrangement of non-oxygenated bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones and mono-oxygenated bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones from masked o-benzoquinones: Access to protoilludane and marasmane skeletons

In this work, we described flexible approaches to protoilludane-like (5,6,4-tricyclic ring) and marasmane-like (5,6,3-tricyclic ring) skeletons with naturally occurring cis/anti/cis stereochemistry using photochemical rearrangement of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones and Diels-Alder reaction of masked o-benzoquinones as the key steps.     

Diels-Alder reactions of halogenated masked o-benzoquinones: synthesis of halogen-substituted bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones

Intermolecular Diels-Alder reactions of 4-halo masked o-benzoquinones generated from hypervalent iodine-mediated oxidation of 4-halo-2-methoxyphenols, with electron-deficient dienophiles—methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate and methyl vinyl ketone—leading to halo-substituted bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones, are described. The halo-benzoquinone monoketals can be isolated and characterized. The dimerization of these intermediates is not observed under the reaction conditions.     

Enantioselective synthesis of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones using a copper-mediated oxidative dearomatization/[4 + 2] dimerization cascade

An enantioselective approach to bicyclo[2.2.2]octenone structures utilizing a copper-mediated asymmetric oxidative dearomatization/[4 + 2] dimerization cascade is described. The total synthesis and absolute stereochemistry reassignment of (+)-aquaticol has been achieved using the methodology.     

Studies on alkylation of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones and 3,3-sigmatropic shift: synthesis of advanced cis-decalins

A stereoselective method for alkylation of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenones and their 3,3-sigmatropic shift leading to cis-decalins containing various types of appendages is described. A simple and convenient method for the introduction of a butenyl chain onto the bicyclooctenones employing 1,4-dibromobutane as an equivalent of 4-bromobutene, was developed.     

Enantioselective synthesis of bridgehead hydroxyl bicyclo[2.2.2]octane derivatives via asymmetric allylindation

A recent new strategy for the transformation of mono-dioxolane protected 1,3-cyclohexadione into bridgehead hydroxyl bicyclo[2.2.2]octane derivatives, based on allylindation followed by ozonolysis and intramolecular aldol addition, was modified to include asymmetric allylindation. This enabled the first enantioselective synthesis of (1R,4R,6S)-endo-4-(tert-butyl-dimethyl-silyloxy)-6-hydroxy-bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-one and (1S,4S,6R)-endo-4-(tert-butyl-dimethyl-silyloxy)-6-hydroxy-bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-one in high enantiomeric excess. Issues concerning the non-reproducibility of the asymmetric allylindation were also addressed.     

Scalable synthesis of enantiomerically pure bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene ligands

An operationally simple and scalable synthesis of enantiomerically pure bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene (bod*) ligands relying on an organocatalytic one-pot Michael addition-aldol reaction with cheap 2-cyclohexenone and phenylacetaldehyde is presented. The crystalline bicyclic product 4a (6-hydroxy-5-phenylbicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-one) is transformed into phenylbicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-one 2, a versatile starting material for the 2-step synthesis of both symmetrical, such as Hayashi's Ph-bod* ligand, as well as novel unsymmetrical chiral dienes.     

Manifestations of the Alder-Rickert reaction in the structures of bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene and bicyclo[2.2.2]octene derivatives

The Alder-Rickert ethylene extrusion reaction manifests in the ground state structures of compounds 9-12 which contain the bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene moiety and compounds 13, 14, and 17-20 which contain the bicyclo[2.2.2]octene moiety. A significant decrease of the 13C-13C one-bond coupling constants for the C-C bonds, which break in this fragmentation reaction, suggests lengthening, and hence weakening of these bonds. In the unsymmetrical systems these effects are also shown to be associated with strengthening of the CH2-CH2 bond, which is ultimately lost from the molecule as ethylene. Low-temperature crystal structures of compounds 9-12 and 16 provide evidence for similar crystal packing requirements of the CH2-CH2 and CH=CH moieties.     

Polyesters containing bicyclo[2.2.2]octane and bicyclo[3.2.2]nonane rings

Polyesters containing bicyclo[2.2.2]octane and bicyclo[3.2.2]nonane rings are prepared from 1,4-bis(carboethoxy)bicyclo[2.2.2]octane, 1,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)bicyclo[2.2.2]-octane and the 1,5-disubstituted bicyclo[3.2.2]nonane analogs. These polyesters are compared to the related polymers containing 1,4-phenylene and trans-1,4-cyclohexylene rings in terms of their melting point, thermal stabilities and oxidative stabilities. The lower symmetry of the bicyclo[3.2.2]nonane ring produces lower-melting polymers than the other ring systems. The remaining three rings are approximately equivalent in their effect on the melting point of a polymer provided that no more than one bicyclo[2.2.2]octane ring is present per polymer repeat unit. Two such rings produce a highermelting polymer than any other combination. Both the thermal and oxidative stabilities of the polyesters is improved by the presence of the bicyclo rings. This is attributed to the rings providing an approximation of a ladder polymer.     

Intermediacy of bicyclo[2.2.1]hepteneone in the photolysis of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenediones

UV Irradiation of cyclohexane solution of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenediones led to facile extrusion of carbon monoxide to give substituted dihydrobiphenyls along with the dehydrogenated products. The inseparable mixtures on DDQ oxidation afforded the biphenyl derivatives. Isolation of an intermediate arising from the initial monodecarbonylation lends support to a proposed mechanistic rationalization.     

Retro-Diels-Alder reaction using bicyclo[2.2.2]octatriene-fused pyrrole during porphyrin synthesis

Porphyrin synthesis using 4,7-etheno-4,7-dihydro-2H-isoindole and tripyrranedicarbaldehyde gave a porphyrin derivative bearing no bicyclo[2.2.2]octatriene moiety as well as the targeted bicyclo[2.2.2]octatriene-fused porphyrin.     

The electronic structure of bicyclo [2.2.1] heptane and of bicyclo [2.2.2] octane

An ab initia SCF-LCAO-MO study of bicyclo [2.2.1] heptane(I) and of bicyclo [2.2.2] octane(II) has been performed. The electronic structure and the nature of the molecular orbitals and of the bonds have been analyzed. Interactions between fragment orbitals may be recognized. The bridgehead C-H bonds interact dominantly “through-space” in I and “through-bond” in II. Some relations between electronic structure and molecular properties are discussed.     

Asymmetric diene synthesis of bicyclo[2.2.2]octenes in the presence of Lewis acids

Asymmetric diene synthesis of substituted bicyclo[2.2.2]octenes from (?)-menthyl acrylate and cyclohexa-1,3-diene in the presence of achiral Lewis acid catalysts (TiCl₄, AlCl₃, BBr₃, AlCl₃ · OEt₂, BBr₃ · OEt₂) was studied. The influence of various factors on the isomeric composition, yield, and enantiomeric purity of the compounds prepared was examined.     

The synthesis of bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-ones by sequential michael reactions

The reaction of cross-conjugated dienolate anions derived from substituted cyclohexenones with methyl acrylate and vinyl ketones has been studied. Bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-ones are formed by a sequential Michael mechanism; however, the reactions of vinyl ketones must be conducted under amine-free conditions. Unexpecedly, the conjugate base from 2,3-dimethylcyclohex-2-enone gives only a single Michael adduct with vinyl ketones, and if forced to react further undergoes an intramolecular aldol condensation. An alternative Diels-Alder approach to the bicyclo[2.2.2]octanone products is shown to be effective.     

Dicobaltoctacarbonyl-alkyne complexes as intermediates in the synthesis of bicyclo[3.3.0]octenones for the synthesis of coriolin and hirsutic acid

Treatment of the readily prepared enzymes 12, 21 and 45 with Co₂(CO) at ca 110° results in high yields (80%) of substituted bicyclo[3.3.0]octenones, that are suitable for straightforward elaboration into coriolin and hirsutic acid precursors. A mechanistic hypothesis to explain the observed stereospecificity is presented.     

Synthesis of crownophane with the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane core

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