Rearrangement of spiro-benzimidazolines: preparation of N-alkenyl- and N-alkyl-benzimidazol-2-ones

A synthetically useful protocol has been developed for the preparation of highly functionalized N-alkenyl-benzimidazol-2-ones. Reaction of commercially available o-phenylenediamines with variously substituted cyclic ketones provides spiro-benzimidazolines. Treatment of these spiro-benzimidazolines with triphosgene in the presence of potassium carbonate results in rapid rearrangement and formation of N-alkenyl-benzimidazol-2-ones in modest to excellent yield for the two-step sequence. Extension of this methodology toward the preparation of a μ opiate receptor antagonist and droperidol, a potent antiemetic and antipsychotic agent, currently a marketed pharmaceutical is also described. Upon treatment of spiro-benzimidazolines with triphosgene in the presence of sodium triacetoxyborohydride, N-alkyl-benzimidazol-2-ones were formed.     

Synthesis of pyrrolidin-3-ones from dihydropyran precursors via spiro-N,O-acetals

2,2-Disubstituted pyrrolidin-3-ones are prepared in three steps from simple dihydropyran derivatives; the key spiro-N,O-acetal intermediate is a useful N-sulfonylketoiminium ion precursor. This route represents a formal synthesis of the indolizidine alkaloid core, with potential application to pyrrolizidines and quinolizidines.     

Cyclisation at very high temperature. Thermal transformations of N-alkyl and N, N-dialkyl amides of α,β-unsaturated acids into mono- and bicyclic heterocycles under FVT conditions

Cyclisations of N-alkyl and N,N-dialkyl cinnamic amides to the corresponding pyrrolidin-2-ones under the conditions of flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT), are described. It was found that these reactions proceed at 950-1000 °C affording in various yields the mixtures of isomeric mono and bicyclic γ-lactams, which were separated chromatographically and analysed by means of NMR spectroscopy. Two alternative mechanisms for the title process are proposed.     

The triflic acid-mediated cyclisation of N-benzylcinnamanilides

N-Benzylcinnamanilides cyclise with triflic acid to form 1-benzyl-4-aryl-2,4-dihydro-1H-quinolin-2-ones and 2,5-diaryl-benzazepin-3-ones. The product ratio is determined by the preferred orientation of the amide and by the electronics of the substituents. With ortho-substituted anilides, N-debenzylation also occurs to give 4-aryl-2,4-dihydro-1H-quinoline-2-ones.     

Electrogenerated N-heterocyclic carbenes: N-functionalization of benzoxazolones

A simple electrochemical procedure for the N-acylation and N-alkylation of benzoxazol-2(3H)-ones has been set up via electrolysis of an ionic liquid containing a benzoxazolone followed by addition of saturated or unsaturated anhydrides or alkyl halides. The electrochemically induced N-functionalization of benzoxazol-2(3H)-ones works very well in all tested ionic liquids, avoiding the use of volatile organic solvents. The N-acyl and N-alkyl derivatives of benzoxazol-2(3H)-ones were isolated in good to excellent yields; moreover, the ionic liquid has been reused fivefold maintaining the high yield of the products.     

Reaction of N,N-diarylamidines with 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzoquinone

A synthesis of 5,11b-dihydro-1H-dibenzo[d,f][1,3]diazepin-1-ones was found in the reaction of nitro-substituted N¹,N²-diarylamidines with 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzoquinone. In contrast, 6,7,8,9-tetrachlorodibenzodioxins were obtained from reaction of N¹,N²-diphenylpropionamidine and N¹,N²-di-(4-tert-butylphenyl)acetamidine with 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzoquinone.     

A novel conformationally restricted analogue of 3-methylaspartic acid via stereoselective methylation of chiral pyrrolidin-2-ones

Conformationally restricted analogues of β-methylaspartic acid were easily prepared starting from chiral N-protected trans-3-amino-4-methoxycarbonyl pyrrolidin-2-ones. The key step of the synthesis was the methylation reaction at C-4, proceeding with high diastereoselection syn to the protected amino group lying at C-3 of the pyrrolidin-2-one ring.     

Trifluoromethyl-containing N-acylmethylenequinone imines as novel highly electrophilic agents

The strategy of searching for highly electrophilic agents in a class of chemically inert compounds - methylenequinone imines - was developed and successfully performed. The first representative of such electrophiles - N-acyl-α-methoxycarbonyl-α-trifluoromethyl-p-methylenequinone imine 6 - was synthesized. Its reactions with N-, O- and C-nucleophiles were investigated that gave various derivatives of α-trifluoromethyl-α-amino(oxy) acids as well as ß,ß,ß-trifluoropropionic acids. 3-Chloro-3-trifluoro-1,3-dihydroindol-2-ones were first obtained and their reactions with nucleophiles were studied with 1-aza-3-trifluoroindene-2-ones being formed as intermediates.     

Asymmetric Michael addition using N-cinnamoyl- and N-crotonyl-trans-hexahydrobenzoxazolidin-2-ones

Preparation of N-cinnamoyl- and N-crotonyl-oxazolidin-2-ones 2 and 3 or ent-2 and ent-3 from (4S,5S)- and (4R,5R)-trans-hexahydrobenzoxazolidin-2-ones 1 or ent-1 are reported. Stereoselective copper promoted conjugated additions of Grignard reagents to chiral N-enoyl amides 2 and 3 or ent-2 and ent-3 in the presence of Zn(II) salts afforded the 1,4-addition products 4-11 and the corresponding enantiomers.     

Isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones and 1,6-naphthyridin-5(6H)-ones by an N-acylation-SNAr sequence

A new synthesis of 2,3-dialkyl-4-carbomethoxyisoquinolin-1(2H)-ones and 6,7-dialkyl-8-carbomethoxy-1,6-naphthyridin-5(6H)-ones is reported. The process involves treatment of a β-enaminoester with 2-fluoro-5-nitrobenzoyl chloride, 2-fluorobenzoyl chloride or 2-chloronicotinoyl chloride followed by heating in the presence of base. The conversion, which proceeds by an N-acylation-S_NAr reaction sequence, affords 50–86% yields when R¹ is n-alkyl but ≤30% yields when R¹ is α-branched.     

Synthesis and thermal transformations of spiro-fused N-phthalimidoaziridines

Oxidation of N-aminophthalimide in the presence of 2-arylideneinden-1,3-diones with electron-withdrawing substituents gives the corresponding 3-aryl-1-phthalimidospiro[aziridine-2,2′-indene]-1′,3′-diones in good yields. Heating these aziridines with standard dipolarophiles (N-phenylmaleimide, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, maleate, and fumarate) leads, in most cases, to spiro[inden-2,2′-pyrrole] derivatives as products of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the intermediate azomethine ylides with up to 70–95% yields in the case of N-phenylmaleimide. As is typical for 2-acylaziridines, the competing rearrangement into 2-aryl-4H-indeno[2,1-d][1,3]oxazol-4-ones prevails for less active dipolarophiles. Increasing the electron-releasing properties of the 3-aryl ring allows the observation of the push–pull effect of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents on the ease of the three-membered ring-opening.     

4-Substituted 5-nitroisoquinolin-1-ones from intramolecular Pd-catalysed reaction of N-(2-alkenyl)-2-halo-3-nitrobenzamides

4-Methyl- and 4-benzyl-5-aminoisoquinolin-1-ones are close analogues of the water-soluble PARP-1 inhibitor 5-AIQ. Their synthesis was approached through Pd-catalysed cyclisations of N-(2-alkenyl)-2-iodo-3-nitrobenzamides. Reaction of N,N-diallyl-2-iodo-3-nitrobenzamide with Pd(PPh₃)₄ gave a mixture of 2-allyl-4-methyl-5-nitroisoquinolin-1-one and 2-allyl-4-methylene-5-nitro-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1-one. N-Benzhydryl-N-cinnamyl-2-iodo-3-nitrobenzamide similarly gave 2-benzhydryl-4-benzyl-5-nitroisoquinolin-1-one and 2-benzhydryl-4-benzylidene-5-nitro-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1-one. The isomeric products are not interconvertible. A deuterium-labelling study indicated that the isomers were formed by different pathways: a π-allyl-Pd route and the classical Heck route. The corresponding secondary amides N-allyl-2-iodo-3-nitrobenzamide and N-((substituted)-cinnamyl)-2-iodo-3-nitrobenzamide gave good yields of the required 4-methyl- and 4-((substituted)-benzyl)-5-nitroisoquinolin-1-ones, respectively, under optimised conditions (Pd(PPh₃)₄, Et₃N, Bu₄NCl, 150 °C, rapid heating). Hydrogenation of the nitro groups gave 4-methyl- and 4-benzyl-5-aminoisoquinolin-1-ones, which were potent inhibitors of PARP-1 activity.     

Palladium-catalyzed selective hydrogenolysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-alkyl(aryl)-substituted γ-keto amides as an approach to γ-lactams or linear amides

A palladium-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of N-substituted γ-keto amides can proceed with participation of tautomeric 5-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-ones and give either pyrrolidin-2-ones, or linear amides, or their mixtures, depending on the substrate structure.     

Diastereoselective borono-Mannich reactions on cyclic N-acyliminium ions

The addition of boronic acids to five- and six-membered ring N-acyliminium ions has been employed to prepare 5- and 6-substituted 4-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-ones and 5-hydroxypiperidin-2-ones, respectively, in a diastereoselective fashion.     

One-pot synthesis of pyrrolidino- and piperidinoquinolinones by three-component aza-Diels-Alder reactions of in situ generated N-arylimines and cyclic enamides

An efficient synthesis of hexahydropyrrolo[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones and hexahydropyridino[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones has been developed in moderate to high yields by one-pot two-step aza-Diels-Alder reactions of N-arylimines, formed in situ from anilines and benzaldehydes, with cyclic enamides, formed in situ from 5-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-ones and 6-hydroxypiperidin-2-ones by BF₃·OEt₂-promoted dehydration in dichloromethane at room temperature. The hexahydropyrrolo[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones were formed as a single exo-stereoisomer in most cases and hexahydropyridino[3,2-c]quinolin-2-ones were formed as a mixture of exo- and endo-isomers favoring the endo-diastereomer.     

Synthesis and subsequent reactivity of 1-amino-2-aza-1,3-butadienes derived from β-amino esters

A high yield preparation of 1-amino-2-aza-1,3-butadienes derived from β-amino esters from N-unsubstituted amidines and acetylenic esters is described. These substrates are efficient starting material for the preparation of dihydrotriazines and 5-amino pyrrolidin-3-ones.     

Stereoselective synthesis of cis and trans-fused 3a-aryloctahydroindoles using cyclization of N-vinylic α-(methylthio)acetamides: synthesis of (−)-mesembrane

Treatment of N-(2-arylcyclohex-1-en-1-yl)-α-(methylthio)acetamides with N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS) gave 3a-aryl-2,3,3a,4,5,6-hexahydro-3-(methylthio)indol-2-ones. Desulfurization of the cyclization products followed by a catalytic hydrogenation of the resulting hexahydroindol-2-ones gave predominantly or exclusively trans-fused octahydroindol-2-ones. On the other hand, reduction of the desulfurization products with Et₃SiH in CF₃CO₂H exclusively provided cis-fused octahydroindol-2-ones. A chiral induction of N-[2-(3,4-dimethoxy)phenylcyclohex-1-en-1-yl]-α-(methylthio)acetamide having an (R)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethyl group on the nitrogen atom led to the synthesis of (−)-mesembrane and (−)-trans-mesembrane.     

Efficient N-arylation of pyridazin-3(2H)-ones

A variety of substituted pyridazin-3(2H)-ones are directly N-arylated in good yield using lead tetraacetate/zinc chloride in benzene or in substituted benzenes including chloro- and bromobenzene.     

Synthesis of B-trisubstituted borazines via the rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of alkenes with N,N′,N″-trimethyl or N,N′,N″-triethylborazine

Hydroboration of terminal and internal alkenes with N,N′,N″-trimethyl- and N,N′,N″-triethylborazine was carried out at 50 °C in the presence of a rhodium(I) catalyst. Addition of dppb or DPEphos (1 equiv.) to RhH(CO)(PPh₃)₃ gave the best catalyst for hydroboration of ethylene at 50 °C, resulting in a quantitative yield of B,B′,B″-triethyl-N,N′,N″-trimethylborazine. On the other hand, a complex prepared from (t-Bu)₃P (4 equiv.) and [Rh(coe)₂Cl]₂ gave the best yield for hydroboration of terminal or internal alkenes.     

Copper(I) catalysis: Synthesis of N,N′-diarylated and N-aryl,N′-formylated chiral C2-symmetric diamines

Chiral N,N′-diaryl C₂-symmetric diamines and N-aryl,N′-formyl-trans-(1R,2R)-diaminocyclohexane are readily accessed by copper catalyzed N,N′-diarylation and N-aryl,N′-formylation of trans-(1R,2R)-diaminocyclohexane with aryl bromides. N,N′-diarylation using (R)-1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diamine and iodobenzene gave the corresponding (R)-N,N′-diphenyl-1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diamine derivative in 83% yield.