Intramolecular photocycloadditions: synthesis of stericallycongested substituted [4.5.5.5] Fenestranes. Models for the total synthesis of laurenene and silphinene

The synthesis of the first example of a fenestrane substituted at opposing ring junctures utilizing an intramolecular photocycloaddition at elevated temperatures as the key step is reported.     

A Photoinduced Cyclization Cascade—Total Synthesis of (−)‐Leuconoxine

A protecting‐group‐free and enantioselective total synthesis of the monoterpenoid indole alkaloid (?)‐leuconoxine was accomplished. The key step comprises a novel photoinduced domino macrocyclization/transannular cyclization involving the Witkop cyclization, for which additional mechanistic evidence is provided. This process furnishes a diaza[5.5.6.6]fenestrane skeleton, which is a hitherto unprecedented structure element.     

Highly efficient, enantioselective synthesis of (+)-grandisol from a C2-symmetric bis(alpha,beta-butenolide)

[reaction: see text] A new, very efficient, enantioselective synthesis of the sexual attracting insect pheromone (+)-grandisol has been developed, in which the key step is the double [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of ethylene to a bis(alpha,beta-butenolide) readily available from D-mannitol. The C2 symmetry of the substrate and the appropriate protection of the central diol unit are the crucial features for the high diastereofacial discrimination during the cycloaddition process.     

Thermal decomposition of O-benzyl ketoximes; role of reverse radical disproportionation

Thermolyses of seven dialkyl, two alkyl-aryl and two diaryl O-benzyl ketoxime ethers, R(1)R(2)C[double bond, length as m-dash]NOCH(2)Ph, have been examined in three hydrogen donor solvents: tetralin, 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene, and 9,10-dihydroanthracene. All the oxime ethers gave the products expected from homolytic scission of both the O-C bond (viz., R(1)R(2)C[double bond, length as m-dash]NOH and PhCH(3)) and N-O bond (viz., R(1)R(2)C[double bond, length as m-dash]NH and PhCH(2)OH). The yields of these products depended on which solvent was used and the rates of decomposition of the O-benzyl oxime ethers were greater in 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene and 9,10-dihydroanthracene than in tetralin. These results indicated that a reverse radical disproportionation reaction in which a hydrogen atom was transferred from the solvent to the oxime ether, followed by [small beta]-scission of the resultant aminoalkyl radical, must be important in the latter two solvents. Benzaldehyde was found to be an additional product from thermolyses conducted in tetralin. This, and other evidence, indicated that another induced decomposition mode involving abstraction of a benzylic hydrogen atom, followed by [small beta]-scission of the resulting benzyl radical, became important for some substrates. Participation by minor amounts of enamine tautomers of the oxime ethers was shown to be negligible by comparison of thermolysis data for the O-benzyloxime of bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-one, which cannot give an enamine tautomer, with that of the O-benzyloxime of cyclohexanone.     

Synthesis and structural investigation of 4,4′-dimethyl-[3,3′-bi(1,2,5-oxadiazole)] 5,5′-dioxide

The oxidation of hexane-2,3,4,5-tetraone tetraoxime with dinitrogen tetroxide was studied in different solvents. The primary furoxan ring closure was found to occur involving either two central or two terminal oxime groups to form 4,7-dimethyl[1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-d]pyridazine 1,5,6-trioxide and the previously unknown 4,4′-dimethyl-[3,3′-bi(1,2,5-oxadiazole)] 5,5′-dioxide. The structure of the latter compound was established by X-ray diffraction.     

Triplet Energy Transfer from Ruthenium Complexes to Chiral Eniminium Ions: Enantioselective Synthesis of Cyclobutanecarbaldehydes by [2+2] Photocycloaddition

Chiral eniminium salts, prepared from α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes and a chiral proline derived secondary amine, underwent, upon irradiation with visible light, a ruthenium‐catalyzed (2.5 mol %) intermolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition to olefins, which after hydrolysis led to chiral cyclobutanecarbaldehydes (17 examples, 49–74 % yield), with high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities. Ru(bpz)₃(PF₆)₂ was utilized as the ruthenium catalyst and laser flash photolysis studies show that the catalyst operates exclusively by triplet‐energy transfer (sensitization). A catalytic system was devised with a chiral secondary amine co‐catalyst. In the catalytic reactions, Ru(bpy)₃(PF₆)₂ was employed, and laser flash photolysis experiments suggest it undergoes both electron and energy transfer. However, experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that energy transfer is the only productive quenching mechanism. Control experiments using Ir(ppy)₃ showed no catalysis for the intermolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition of an eniminium ion.     

A DFT study on secondary reaction pathways in the acid-catalysed Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime in aprotic solvent

In recent studies regarding acid-catalysed Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime in aprotic solvents it has been observed that a quite surprising hydrolysis of the starting material, i.e., cyclohexanone oxime, occurs even if the experimental conditions and the water concentration in the reaction mixture can not justify such a side-reaction. Being this apparent hydrolysis critical for catalyst selectivity and poisoning, a computational DFT study on a possible secondary reaction pathway, involving a bi-molecular reaction between two cyclohexanone oxime molecules in acid media as the primary step, is here reported to explain the experimental results.     

Molecular dynamics and metadynamics simulations of [2 + 2] photocycloaddition

Triplet state mechanism of [2 + 2] photocycloaddition forming a cyclobutane ring from two ethylenes is investigated in the context of photocatalysis. High‐level ab initio calculations are combined with ab initio adiabatic molecular dynamics and ab initio metadynamics for rare events modeling. In a photocatalytic scheme, a reactant reaches the triplet state either via intersystem crossing (ISC) or triplet sensitization. The model system adopts a biradical structure, which represents energy intersection with the ground state. The system either completes cyclization or undergoes fragmentation into two olefinic units. The potential and free energy surfaces of the cyclobutane/ethylenes system are mapped with multireference approaches describing possible reaction pathways. To obtain a full picture of a double bond photoreactivity, ab initio adiabatic dynamical calculations were used to estimate reaction yields and to model the effects of excess energy. The potential use of density functional theory based approaches for [2 + 2] photocycloaddition was investigated for future simulations and design of realistic photocatalytic systems. Dynamical aspects of [2 + 2] photocycloaddition via a triplet state manifold are investigated by combining ab initio multireference methods and ab initio molecular dynamics and metadynamics. The reaction pathways are studied for a model system of two ethylenes forming a cyclobutane ring to provide a basis for further studies on design of photocatalytic systems.     

Theoretical studies of spin state‐specific [2 + 2] and [5 + 2] photocycloaddition reactions of n‐(1‐penten‐5‐yl)maleimide

N‐alkenyl maleimides are found to exhibit spin state‐specific chemoselectivities for [2 + 2] and [5 + 2] photocycloadditions; but, reaction mechanism is still unclear. In this work, we have used high‐level electronic structure methods (DFT, CASSCF, and CASPT2) to explore [2 + 2] and [5 + 2] photocycloaddition reaction paths of an N‐alkenyl maleimide in the S₁ and T₁ states as well as relevant photophysical processes. It is found that in the S₁ state [5 + 2] photocycloaddition reaction is barrierless and thus overwhelmingly dominant; [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reaction is unimportant because of its large barrier. On the contrary, in the T₁ state [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reaction is much more favorable than [5 + 2] photocyclo‐addition reaction. Mechanistically, both S₁ [5 + 2] and T₁ [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reactions occur in a stepwise, nonadiabatic means. In the S₁ [5 + 2] reaction, the secondary C atom of the ethenyl moiety first attacks the N atom of the maleimide moiety forming an S₁ intermediate, which then decays to the S₀ state as a result of an S₁ → S₀ internal conversion. In the T₁ [2 + 2] reaction, the terminal C atom of the ethenyl moiety first attacks the C atom of the maleimide moiety, followed by a T₁ → S₀ intersystem crossing process to the S₀ state. In the S₀ state, the second C C bond is formed. Our present computational results not only rationalize available experiments but also provide new mechanistic insights. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Total synthesis of the putative structure of the lupin alkaloid plumerinine

[reaction: see text]. A stereocontrolled synthesis of quinolizidine 1, the reported structure of plumerinine, has been accomplished in 10 steps from 4-methoxypyridine. The key step is a highly facial selective intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of a 2,3-dihydro-4-pyridone. The reported spectral data for plumerinine did not match that of our synthetic 1.     

Trapping of 1,8-biradical intermediates by molecular oxygen in photocycloaddition of naphthyl-N-(naphthylcarbonyl)carboxamides; formation of novel 1,8-epidioxides and evidence of stepwise aromatic cycloaddition.

The photocycloaddition reaction of naphthyl-N-(naphthylcarbonyl)carboxamides (1) was examined under argon and oxygen atmospheres. In addition to the [2 + 2] and [4 + 4] cycloadducts, 3 and 4, respectively, novel 1,8-epidioxides (5) were formed under oxygen atmosphere. The transient absorption at lambda max of 360 nm with the lifetime of 360 ns was observed by laser flash photolysis of 1c and was interpreted as the absorption of biradical intermediate 2. On the basis of the anti stereochemistry of 5, which was different from that of the major [4 + 4] cycloadducts, syn-4, it was deduced that equilibrium between biradical intermediates syn-2 and anti-2 would exist. Retro [2 + 2] cycloaddition of 3 was responsible for the efficient trapping of the biradical intermediate with molecular oxygen. The photocycloaddition of the anthryl derivatives, 9-anthryl-N-(methylethyl)-N-(naphthylcarbonyl)carboxamides (7), afforded the [4 + 4] cycloadducts (8) exclusively in a quantitative yield even under oxygen atmosphere. The absence of trapping with molecular oxygen was interpreted to be due to the lack of retro [4 + 4] cycloaddition of 8.     

A DFT study on the regioselectivity of the reaction of dichloropropynylborane with isoprene

This theoretical study deals with the reaction of isoprene and dichloropropynylborane. We report the results of the DFT calculations applied to the two processes involved, Diels-Alder cycloaddition and 1,4-alkynylboration. The boron influences both the chemoselectivity and the regioselectivity of this reaction through secondary orbital interactions (SOI hereafter) that give rise to transition structures with strong [4 atom + 3 atom] character. The "meta" regioselectivity observed experimentally for the reaction between 2-substituted 1,3-dienes and alkynyldihaloboranes has been explained as a result of the higher stabilization of these transition structures with "meta" orientation. Intrinsic reaction coordinate calculations were performed to determine connectivities and established the remarkable result that the geometrically very similar transition structures leading to both regioisomeric 1,4-alkynylboration products correspond to different pathways. For the "meta" orientation a direct alkynylboration of the diene through a concerted transition structure was found.     

Synthesis of angularly fused cyclopentanoids and analogous tricycles via photoinduced ketyl radical/radical anion fragmentation-cyclization reactions

Angular fused tricycles were synthesized through intramolecular tandem fragmentation-cyclization reactions by photochemically induced electron transfer (PET) of tricyclic α-cyclopropyl ketones with an unsaturated side chain at the position γ to the carbonyl group. The reactions resulted in regioselective cleavage of a β-cyclopropyl bond with formation of angular fused tricyclic ring systems via ketyl radical/radical anions as reactive intermediates. In general, triethylamine (TEA) was used as a strong reducing reagent in acetonitrile. The preferred regioselectivity of the cyclization step (exo vs endo) depending on the substitution pattern at the quaternary carbon center (Cβ′) of the tricyclic α-cyclopropyl ketones was investigated. In addition, we also checked a two-step pathway for the synthesis of angular dioxa-triquinanes including photolysis of an allyloxy-substituted cyclopenta[c]furanone derivative and subsequent β-cleavage of the resulted dioxa-[4.5.5.5]fenestrane under reductive PET conditions.     

Addition of electrophilic and heterocyclic carbon-centered radicals to glyoxylic oxime ethers

[reaction: see text] Stabilized primary radicals can be formed from alkyl halides in an atom transfer process with Et(3)B. This process depends on the strength of the carbon-halogen bond and the stability of the resulting primary radical. Radicals formed from benzyl iodide and ethyl iodoacetate add to glyoxylic oxime ethers; however, more electrophilic radicals do not. Glyoxylic oxime ethers are also good radical acceptors for heterocyclic carbon-centered secondary radicals, giving novel alpha-amino acid derivatives.     

Benzoannelated cis,cis,cis,trans-[5.5.5.6]fenestranes: syntheses, base lability, and flattened molecular structure of strained epimers of the all-cis series

Tribenzofenestranes possessing the strained cis,cis,cis,trans-[5.5.5.6]-fenestrane skeleton have been synthesized from cis-2,6-diphenylspiro[cyclohexane-1,2'-indane]-1',3'-diols by two-fold cyclodehydration, in striking analogy to the strategy used previously to construct the stereoisomeric all-cis-tribenzo[5.5.5.6]fenestranes from the corresponding trans-diphenylspirodiols. In this manner, both of the parent hydrocarbons, all-cis-tribenzo[5.5.5.6]fenestrane 3 and cis,cis,cis,trans-tribenzo[5.5.5.6]fenestrane 4, have been made accessible from the spirodiketones 5 and 6, respectively. The C6-functionalized derivatives of 4-cis,cis,cis,trans-fenestranol 9 and cis,cis,cis,trans-fenestranone 12-were prepared through cis-diphenylspirotriol 8 and cis-diphenyldispiroacetaldiol 11, by using the same strategy. The cis,cis,cis,trans-[5.5.5.6]fenestrane framework readily epimerizes to the more stable all-cis isomers under basic conditions, but is stable under neutral or acidic conditions. For example, cis,cis,cis,trans-fenestranone 12 yielded all-cis fenestrane 3 under Wolff-Kishner conditions, but cis,cis,cis,trans-isomer 4 under Clemmensen conditions. Epimerization was also circumvented by radical-induced desulfurization of fenestrane dithiolane 15 with nBu3SnH/AIBN, producing 4 in excellent yields. A single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of 4 revealed that, in accordance with force field and semi-empirical MO calculations, the extra strain of the benzoannelated cis,cis,cis,trans-[5.5.5.6]fenestratriene framework [Estrain(4)-Estrain(3)=46 kJmol(-1)] is due both to the almost perfect boat conformation of the six-membered ring and to considerable bond angle widening at the central, non-bridged C4b-C15d-C11b unit (121 degrees). H/D exchange experiments with the cis,cis,cis,trans hydrocarbon 4 under basic conditions demonstrated that the strain-induced epimerization to 3 occurs through direct deprotonation of the "epimeric" benzylic bridgehead C7a-H bond, which was found to be more acidic than the two C-H bonds at the benzhydrylic bridgeheads.     

Design and synthesis of spirobiisoxazoline dibenzoquinone derivatives via [3 + 2] double 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction

“A series of novel spirobiisoxazoline dibenzoquinone derivatives were synthesized starting from 2,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde in a six-step synthetic sequence”. The key step [3?+?2] double 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of oxime chloride with allenoate was performed under mild reaction conditions using sodium carbonate at ambient temperature. This is the first innovative synthesis of Spirobiisoxazoline Dibenzoquinone system where quinone ring is alkylated to isoxazoline moiety.     

Planarisation of Tetracoordinate Carbon Atom. A Further Route ot (all-cis)-[5.5.5.5]Fenestrane

The synthesis of (all-cis)-[5.5.5.5]fenestrane ( 3 ) from dicyclopentadiene is reported. Key step is the Pd-catalyzed reductive deoxygenation of an appropriately substituted cyclooctanone, which leads to transannular C,C-bond formation.     

A stereocontrolled access to ring-fused piperidines through a formal [2+2+2] process

[reaction: see text] A formal [2+2+2] process has been devised that allows the stereocontrolled formation of ring-fused piperidines from allylsilanes possessing an oxime moiety. The cascade involves an intermolecular radical addition of an alpha-iodoacetate onto an allylsilane double bond, which is followed by a 5-exo-trig cyclization onto an oxime and is completed by the formation of the amide bond by nucleophilic attack of the amine onto the ester function.     

N-N bond-forming cyclization for the one-pot synthesis of N-aryl[3,4-d]pyrazolopyrimidines

An efficient one-pot synthesis of N-aryl[3,4-d]pyrazolopyrimidines in good yield and under mild reaction conditions is described. By exploiting electron-deficient hydroxylamines, the substituted oxime products were formed with very high E-diastereoselectivity. The key step utilizes a cyclization reaction upon an oxime derived from hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid to form the N-N bond of the product.     

Terminal Alkynes as One-Carbon Donors in [5+1] Heteroannulation: Synthesis of Pyridines via Ynimine Intermediates and Application in the Total Synthesis of Anibamine B

Transition-metal-catalyzed [4+2] heteroannulation of α,β-unsaturated oximes and their derivatives with alkynes has been developed into a powerful strategy for the synthesis of pyridines. It nevertheless lacks regioselectivity when unsymmetrically substituted alkynes are used. We report herein the unprecedented synthesis of polysubstituted pyridines by a formal [5+1] heteroannulation of two readily accessible building blocks. A copper-catalyzed aza-Sonogashira cross-coupling between β,γ-unsaturated oxime esters and terminal alkynes affords ynimines, which, without isolation, undergo an acid-catalyzed domino reaction involving ketenimine formation, 6π-electrocyclization and aromatization to afford pyridines. Terminal alkynes served as a one-carbon donor to the pyridine core in this transformation. Di- through pentasubstituted pyridines are accessible with complete regioselectivity and excellent functional-group compatibility. The first total synthesis of anibamine B, an indolizinium alkaloid with potent antiplasmodial activity, was accomplished featuring this reaction as a key step.