A new synthesis of α-substituted δ-carbolines

The paper describes a new general synthesis of α-substituted δ-carbolines based on key steps such as metalation, cross-coupling and cyclization.     

Amine-induced rearrangements of 2-bromo-1-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-methyl-1-propanones: A new route to α-substituted indole-3-acetamides, β-substituted tryptamines, α-substituted indole-3-acetic acids and indole β-aminoketones

The reaction of 2-bromo-1-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-methyl-1-propanone ( 1 ) and 2-bromo-1-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-2-methyl-1-propanone ( 2 ) with primary amines proceeds in good yields to produce rearranged amides by a proposed pseudo-Favorskii mechanism. These amides in turn can either be reduced to produce β-substituted tryptamines or hydrolyzed to produce substituted indole-3-acetic acids. When the reaction is carried out using bulky primary or secondary amines, β-aminoketones are produced by elimination of hydrogen bromide followed by Michael addition. When hindered secondary amines or tertiary amines are used, elimination to the α,β-unsaturated ketones occurs.     

A convenient route to α-amido-β-lactams

Dedicated to Professor John C. Sheehan on the occasion of his sixty-fifth birthday. A method for the synthesis of α-amido-β-lactams without the intermediacy of an α-amino-β-lactam is described. The appropriate β-keto ester is used for preparing a vinylamino β-lactam via a “Dane salt” by a previously reported method. Oxidation with ruthenium tetroxide and periodic acid of this product leads directly to the desired “V”, or “G” or analogous α-amido side chain.     

A new synthetic route to α-alkylacrylic esters and α-alkylacrylonitriles

α-Alkylacrylic esters and α-alkylacrylonitriles have been synthesized by cracking their cyclopentadiene adducts. The latter were derived by treatment of the lithium enolates of cyclopentadiene-blocked acrylates or acrylonitriles with alkyl halides.     

An approach to α-substituted amines

A number of amines have been alkylated at the position alpha to nitrogen via free radical methodology. N-(2-Iodobenzyl) and N-(2-iodobenzoyl)‘protected’ amines have been used to generate radicals which rapidly undergo a 1,5-hydrogen shift to give more stable α-amino radicals. These can subsequently be trapped by electron deficient alkenes to give α-alkylated amines.     

α-Hydroxyacylation of pyridine

Efficient synthesis of 2-α-hydroxyacylpyridines 10 starting from pyridine N-oxide and 2-bromoaldehydes via base-induced rearrangement of the resulting N-alkoxypyridinium salts 6 is described.     

A carbocationic route to 3-substituted 1,4-cycloheptadienes

The Lewis acid catalysed reaction of 5-chloro-1, 3-cycloheptadiene 4 with silyl enol ethers yields -cycloheptadienyl substituted carbonyl compounds in high yield. Since 4 is easily prepared from cycloheptatriene, and the cycloheptadienyl cation 3 is preferably attacked at 3-position, this reaction opens an efficient access to 3-substituted 1,4-cycloheptadienes.     

The reaction of enamines with β-ketoesters: A route to γ-pyrones

β-Ketoesters and enamines are found to react at elevated temperatures to give γ-pyrones in yields of 10 to 50%.     

A new route to pyridine derivatives by the reaction of tris(isopropylthio)cyclopropenylium perchlorate with α-lithiated isocyanides

The reaction of tris(isopropylthio)cyclopropenylium perchlorate ( 1 ) with α-lithiated tosylmethyl, benzyl and benzoylmethyl isocyanides 2a-c in dry tetrahydrofuran gave the pyridine derivatives 3a-c respectively.     

Base-catalyzed redox reactions of α-hydroxyalkylazaaromatic N-oxides

The (α-hydroxybenzyl)pyridine 1-oxides on heating with aqueous sodium hydroxide yielded the corresponding benzoylpyridines in redox reactions. When the phenyl groups of the foregoing compounds was replaced by hydrogen or methyl the redox reactions occurred less readily. A kinetic isotope effect of 3 was found for 4-(α-deuterio-α-hydroxybenzyl)pyridine 1-oxide on reaction with sodium hydroxide. The removal of the α-deuterio group is non-reversible. A mechanism consistent with these observations is given. 6-Acetoxyphenanthridine 5-oxide yielded with concentrated hydrochloric acid a redox product, 6-formylphenanthridine hydrochloride, whereas under the same conditions neither (α-hydroxybenzyl)pyridine 1-oxides nor 2-hydroxy-methylquinoline 1-oxide yielded a redox product.     

Polymers of α- and β-substituted acrylates with controlled structures

Isotactic and syndiotactic living polymerizations of methacrylates with t-C₄H₉MgBr and t-C₄H₉Li-R₃Al (Al/Li≥2), respectively, were utilized to prepare highly stereoregular block and random copolymers, stereoblock PMMAs, highly branched star polymers with stereoregular arms, stereoregular PMMA macromonomers with methacryloyl functions and stereoregular comblike and graft polymers derived therefrom. A combination of t-C₄H₉Li and bis(2,6-di-t-butylphenoxy) methylaluminum was found to be an efficient initiator for heterotactic living polymerization of methacrylates in toluene at −78°C; e.g. ethyl methacrylate gave a polymer with mr content of 87%. Polymerization of triphenylmefhyl crotonate (TrC) with fluorenyllithium (FILi)/N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine in toluene at −78°C gave a threodiisotactic polymer with narrow MWD, whose stereochemistry was confirmed from the x-ray analysis of the pentamer of methyl crotonate (MeC) derived from the TrC pentamer and ¹H NMR spectral comparison of the pentamer and the poly(MeC). The poly(TrC) prepared with FILi/(S,S)-(+)-2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-bis(dimethylamino) butane also gave a threodiisotactic polymer which showed optical activity due to the one-handed helix. Polymerization of t-butyl crotonate was also discussed in some detail.     

Concise route to α-acylamino-β-keto amides: application to the synthesis of a simplified azinomycin A analogue

Condensation of acid chlorides (alkyl, aryl or heteroaryl) with N,N′-dialkyl α-acylamino malonamides in the presence of magnesium ethoxide provides a direct route to α-acylamino-β-keto amides in moderate to good yields (46–95%). Using this method, a concise route to an enantiomerically enriched 1-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane containing most of the elements of the ‘right-hand’ domain of azinomycin A has been developed.     

Synthesis of 3-nitrophthalonitrile and tetra-α-substituted phthalocyanines

An efficient synthesis of phthalocyanines prepared from ortho-substituted phthalonitriles is described. The precursor to these phthalocyanines, 3-nitrophthalonitrile, is a key reagent for syntheses of phthalonitriles substituted at the 3-position by means of nucleophilic aromatic substitutions. An example of this type of phthalocyanine, prepared from 3-(4-cumylphenoxy)phthalonitrile, is compared with the phthalocyanine derived from 4-(4-cumylphenoxy)phthalonitrile. Substitution of the phthalocyanine at this more sterically crowded site causes a 20 nm bathochromic shift of the Q-band (π-π* transition).     

Reactions with α-substituted cinnamonitriles. A novel synthesis of hexa-substituted pyridines

Whereas acetoacetanilide (II) reacted with α-cyano- and α-benzoylcinnamonitrile derivatives Ia-e to give hexa-substituted pyridines III and V, it reacted with α-carboxamido- and α-thiocarboxamidocinnammonitrile derivatives If-h to afford penta-substituted pyridines VI. One mole of acetonedicarboxylic acid dianilide (VII) reacted with two moles of each of α-cyano- and α-thiocarboxamidocinnamonitriles Ia,b,f,g to yield the dipyridyl ketones VIII and IX, respectively. On the other hand, α-benzoyl- and α-ethoxycarbonylcinnamonitriles Ic,d,i,j reacted with VII in equimolecular ratio to give the pyran derivaties X and XI, respectively. Several schemes were proposed to illustrate reactions steps. The structures of the synthesized compounds were proved by chemical and spectral methods.     

Reaction of α,β-unsaturated carbodiimides with enamines leading to fused pyridine derivatives

The treatment of (5,5-dimethyl-3-oxo-1-cyclohexenyl)iminotriphenylphosphorane ( 2 ) with phenyl isocyanate ( 3a ) gave N-(5,5-dimethyl-3-oxo-1-cyclohexenyl)-N'-phenylcarbodiimide ( 4a ) in situ. The reaction of 4a with enamines proceeded smoothly to afford the pyridine ring formation with the elimination of amine. This means that 4a is regarded as a new class of 2-aza-1,3-butadiene. The scopes and limitation of this reaction are also discussed.