Different N-C-N formation reactions of aromatic aldehydes and thiohydantoins controlled by Lewis acid promoters

A three-component reaction of aromatic aldehydes, acetonitrile, and 2-thiohydantoins promoted by TiCl₄ was discovered, and a different N-C-N bond-forming reaction took place with FeCl₃, AlCl₃ or BF₃·Et₂O as promoter. The thiohydantoin derivatives 1 and 3 were synthesized in moderate to high yields. A plausible mechanism for the formation of 1 and 3 is suggested.     

Addition of 2-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxythiophene to activated quinones: an approach to thia analogues of kalafungin

The uncatalyzed reaction of 2-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxythiophene 2 with 1,4-quinones bearing either an electron withdrawing acetyl or a carbomethoxy group at C-2, was investigated. No reaction was observed using 1,4-quinones 8 and 9 bearing an ester group at C-2 whereas use of 1,4-quinones 10 and 11 bearing an acetyl group at C-2 only provided low yields of the silyloxythiophenes 15 and 16 resulting from electrophilic substitution of the silyloxythiophene by the 1,4-quinone. Use of the Lewis acids InCl₃, Cu(OTf)₂ and BF₃·Et₂O were investigated in an effort to improve the yield of the desired annulation reaction. BF₃·Et₂O proved to be the optimum catalyst for the synthesis of thiolactone naphthofuran adducts 14 and 18 from 1,4-naphthoquinones 9 and 11, respectively. Reaction of 2-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxythiophene 2 with 1,4-benzoquinones 8 and 10 bearing a carbomethoxy or an acetyl group at C-2, respectively, afforded thiolactone benzofuran adducts 13 and 17, respectively, catalyzed by either InCl₃ or Cu(OTf)₂. Addition of 2-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxythiophene 2 to 3-acetyl-5-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone 12 afforded adduct 19 that underwent oxidative rearrangement to thiolactone pyranonaphthoquinone 20 using ceric ammonium nitrate in acetonitrile, thus providing a novel approach for the synthesis of a thia analogue of the pyranonaphthoquinone antibiotic kalafungin.     

New iminophosphorane-mediated synthesis of thieno[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones and 5H-2,3-dithia-5,7-diaza-cyclopenta[c,d]indenes

Mono(iminophosphorane) 4 was selectively prepared from the reaction of 3,4-diaminothieno[2,3-b]thiophene 3 with excess triphenylphosphine, C₂Cl₆, and Et₃N due to intramolecular double hydrogen bond formation. Mono(iminophosphorane) 4 reacted with aromatic isocyanates to give stable carbodiimides 8, which were further treated with aliphatic secondary or primary amines to give 2-amino substituted thieno[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones 10 or 12 in the presence of a catalytic amounts of EtO⁻Na⁺. However, in the presence of a catalytic amounts of potassium carbonate, the carbodiimides 8 were transformed into previously unreported 5H-2,3-dithia-5,7-diaza-cyclopenta[c,d]indenes 13 via direct cyclization in high yields. The reaction of carbodiimides 8 with phenols in the presence of a catalytic amounts of potassium carbonate gave a mixture of 2-aryloxy substituted thieno[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones 14 and 13. X-ray structure analysis of 10m supported the structure and the proposed reactivity of amino group.     

Enantioselective synthesis of planar chiral azaferrocenes via chiral ligand-mediated ring- and lateral-lithiations

Lithiation of 1′,2′,3′,4′,5′-pentamethylazaferrocene (1) with sec-BuLi/(−)-sparteine (3) in Et₂O at −78°C followed by quenching with electrophiles gave the ring-substituted products 2 in 74-81% ee. On the other hand, lithiation of 1′,2,2′,3′,4′,5,5′-heptamethylazaferrocene (6) with sec-BuLi in the presence of S-valine-derived bis(oxazoline) 5 in Et₂O at −55°C and subsequent reaction with electrophiles afforded the laterally functionalized products 7 in excellent enantioselectivity (96-99% ee).     

Reductive ring opening of dihydrodibenzothiepine and dihydrodinaphtho-oxepine and -thiepine

The 4,4′di-tert-butylbiphenyl (DTBB)-catalysed lithiation of dihydrodibenzothiepine (1) at −78 °C for 30 min followed by reaction with a carbonyl compound [^tBuCHO, Ph(CH₂)₂CHO, PhCHO, (n-C₅H₁₁)₂CO, (CH₂)₅CO, (CH₂)₇CO, (−)-menthone] at the same temperature leads, after hydrolysis with 3 M hydrochloric acid, to sulphanyl alcohols 2. If after addition of a carbonyl compound as the first electrophile [Me₂CO, (CH₂)₅CO, (−)-menthone], the resulting dianion of type II is allowed to react at room temperature for 30 min, a second lithiation takes place to give an intermediate of type III, which by reaction with a second electrophile [Me₂CO, Et₂CO, (CH₂)₅CO, ClCO₂Et], yields, after hydrolysis, difunctionalised byphenyls 4. The cyclisation of the sulphanyl alcohol 2c under acidic conditions yields the eight-membered sulphur containing heterocycle 3. The lithiation of dihydrodinaphthoheteroepines 7 and 10 with 2.2 equiv of lithium naphthalenide in THF at −78 °C followed by reaction with different electrophiles [H₂O, D₂O, ^tBuCHO, Me₂CO, Et₂CO, (CH₂)₄CO, (CH₂)₅CO] at the same temperature leads, after hydrolysis, to unsymmetrically 2,2′-disubstituted binaphthyls 9 and 12, respectively. When the lithiation is performed with an excess of lithium in the presence of a catalytic amount of DTBB (10% molar), a double reductive cleavage takes place to give the dianionic intermediate VII, which by reaction with different electrophiles [H₂O, Me₂CO, Et₂CO, (CH₂)₄CO, (CH₂)₅CO], followed by hydrolysis with water, yields symmetrically 2,2′-disubstituted binaphthyls 8 and 11. In the case of starting from (R)- or (S)-dihydrodinaphthoheteroepines 7 and 10, these methodologies allow us to prepare enantiomerically pure compounds 8, 11 and 12.     

[Ru(NHC)(P-P)(CO)HF] (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene; P-P = xantphos, dppf) complexes: Efforts to prepare new hydrodefluorination catalysts

The ruthenium N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) hydride fluoride complexes Ru(NHC)(P-P)(CO)HF (NHC = ICy (3), IEt₂Me₂ (5), P-P = xantphos; NHC = ICy (7), P-P = dppf) have been prepared by treatment of the corresponding dihydride complexes [Ru(NHC)(P-P)(CO)H₂] (NHC = ICy (2), IEt₂Me₂ (4) P-P = xantphos; NHC = ICy (6), P-P = dppf) with Et₃N·3HF. In all cases, the hydride fluoride complexes exist in solution as two conformers or isomers. Although 3, 5 and 7 could be converted back to 2, 4 and 6, respectively, by heating with Et₃SiH, efforts to generate a catalytic cycle for the hydrodefluorination of aromatic fluorocarbons by subsequent reaction of Ru(NHC)(P-P)(CO)H₂ with C₆F₆ were prevented by the much more favourable cyclometallation of the carbene ligand.     

New structural motifs of silver and gold complexes of pyridine-functionalized benzimidazolylidene ligands

Reaction of 1,3-bis(picolyl)benzimidazolium chloride ([HL1]Cl) with Ag₂O yields mononuclear complex [Ag(L1)Cl] (2), further reaction of 2 with Au(Et₂S)Cl afforded [Au(L1)Cl] (3). Treatment of 2 with AgBF₄ gave the trinuclear silver cluster [Ag₃(L1)₃](BF₄)₃ (4), whereas the digold complex [Au₂(L1)₂](BF₄)₂ (5) can be easily obtained from the carbene transfer reaction of 4 with Au(Et₂S)Cl. A one-dimensional coordination polymer {[Ag(L2)](BF₄) · CH₃CN}_n (8) was isolated from the reaction of [Ag(L2)Cl] (7, L2 = 1-benzyl-3-picolylbenzimidazolylidene) with additional Ag⁺ in good yield. The dinuclear [Ag₂(L3)₂](PF₆)₂ (12, L3 = 1,4-di(N-benzylbenzimidazolylidene)but-2-yne) is a 18-membered macrocycle. All these complexes have been structurally characterized. Complex 2 shows a dimeric structure because of intermolecular Ag?Cl interactions. Complex 4 consists of a triangular Ag₃ ring with very short Ag-Ag contacts 2.777(1) Å, the Au-Au distance in 5 is 3.206(2) Å showing very weak Au-Au interaction and the macrocyclic cations in 12 are aligned one above another to form channels filled with hexafluorophosphate anions. The complexes 2-5, 8, and 12 are intensely luminescent upon irradiation of uv light, and their emission properties are briefly described.     

The simple and selective synthesis of 3-amino-2,2-difluorocarboxylic esters and difluoro-β-lactams using ethyl bromodifluoroacetate in the presence of rhodium catalyst

Treatment of imines (5) with ethyl bromodifluoroacetate (1) and Et₂Zn in the presence of RhCl(PPh₃)₃ in anhydrous medium gave difluoro-β-lactams (7) in good to excellent yields, while 3-amino-2,2-difluorocarboxylic esters (6) were obtained in good yields by adding MgSO₄·7H₂O to the reaction medium.     

Novel titana-2,4-cyclopentadienes by 1,1-alkylboration

Bis(trimethylsilyl)amino-(2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1,2,5-azadisila-cyclopent-1-yl)-titanium dichloride (3) and bis(2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1,2,5-azadisila-cyclopent-1-yl)-titanium dichloride (4) were prepared and converted into the di(1-alkynyl)titanium derivatives, (Me₃Si)₂N[(CH₂Me₂Si)₂N]Ti(CCR)₂ (5) and [(CH₂Me₂Si)₂N]₂Ti(CCR)₂ (6) [R=Me (a), Ph (b), SiMe₃ (c)]. The reaction of 5a and 5b with trialkylboranes such as Et₃B leads almost quantitatively to titana-2,4-cyclopentadienes 7a and 7b, in which a diethylboryl group functions as a substituent in 3-position. In the same manner, 6b reacts with Et₃B or Pr₃B to titana-2,4-cyclopentadienes 8b or 9b, respectively. It is proposed that these reactions proceed by 1,1-alkylboration. Compound 5c also reacts with Et₃B, however, a complex mixture was obtained. All products were characterised by ¹H-, ¹¹B-, ¹³C-, ¹⁵N- and ²⁹Si-NMR spectroscopy.     

Synthesis of novel photolabile glycosides from methyl 4,6-O-(o-nitro)benzylidene-α-d-glycopyranosides

Novel photolabile sugar derivatives bearing a 4- or 6-O-(o-nitro)benzyl group have been prepared from the corresponding methyl 4,6-O-(o-nitro)benzylidene α-d-glycopyranosides. Regioselective cleavage with BF₃·Et₂O/Et₃SiH led to the methyl 6-O-(o-nitro)benzyl gluco- and manno-α-d-glycopyranosides 3 and 6. Inversion of configuration at 4-OH position of gluco and manno derivatives offered the otherwise inaccessible methyl 6-O-(o-nitro)benzyl galacto- and talo-α-d-glycopyranosides 4, 5, and 7. Careful reaction with PhBCl₂/Et₃SiH (3 equiv of reagents, 10 min at −78 °C) led to the desired methyl 4-O-(o-nitro)benzyl gluco- and manno-α-d-glycopyranosides 8 and 9 in very good yield. However, prolonged reaction with 6 equiv of PhBCl₂/Et₃SiH transformed the methyl 4,6-O-(o-nitro)benzylidene α-d-glucopyranoside 11 into the reduced d-glucitol derivative 15. Oxidative cleavage of 5,6-diol function of 15 gave the corresponding photolabile l-xylose 17. The photolabile glucosides 3 and 8 have been further transformed into the photolabile α-C-allyl d-glucopyranosides 20 and 22.     

Novel ring transformation of quinolines to indole derivatives in two steps via 1,4-dihydroquinoline derivatives

Diphenyl 1-phenoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydroquinoline-4-phosphonates 5c-g, obtained from the reaction of corresponding quinoline derivatives 1 with phenyl chloroformate and triphenyl phosphite in one step, were ozonized in CHCl₃ and CH₃COOH. Treatment of the resulting mixture with NaHCO₃ produced the 3-formyl-1-phenoxycarbonylindole derivatives 8a-e in high yields. The ring transformation of quinolines 1 to indoles 8 proceeds under mild conditions.     

Synthesis of indenes by ytterbium-catalyzed carboalkoxylation/Friedel-Crafts reaction of arylidenecyclopropanes with acetals

Ytterbium-catalyzed tandem carboalkoxylation/Friedel-Crafts reaction of arylidenecyclopropanes 1 with acetals 2 afforded the corresponding indene derivatives 3 in good to high yields. For example, in the presence of 10 mol % of Yb(OTf)₃ the reaction of 1-phenylbenzylidenecyclopropane 1a with the dimethyl acetals of benzaldehyde 2a, p-tolualdehyde 2b, and p-anisaldehyde 2c gave 1,3-diphenyl-2-(2-methoxyethyl)indene 3a, 2-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-phenyl-1-(p-tolyl)indene 3b, and 1-(p-anisyl)-2-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-phenylindene 3c in 82%, 80%, and 80% yields, respectively.     

Wittig reaction with ion-supported Ph3P

Ion-supported Ph₃P, 4-(diphenylphosphino)benzyltrimethylammonium bromide A and N-methyl-N-[4-(diphenylphosphino)benzyl]pyrrolidinium bromide B, were used for the Wittig reaction. Ion-supported phosphonium salts A1 and B1, which were prepared from the reactions of ion-supported Ph₃P A and B with ethyl bromoacetate, respectively, reacted with aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes in the presence of K₂CO₃ to give the corresponding α,β-unsaturated ethyl esters in good yields with high purity by simple filtration of the reaction mixture and subsequent removal of the solvent from the filtrate. Similarly, ion-supported phosphonium salts A2 and B2, which were prepared from the reactions of ion-supported Ph₃P A and B with p-methylbenzyl bromide, respectively, reacted with aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes in the presence of NaH to provide the corresponding p-methylstyrene derivatives in good yields with high purity by simple filtration of the reaction mixture and the subsequent removal of the solvent from the filtrate. In both reactions, the co-product, ion-supported Ph₃PO, could be obtained quantitatively by simple filtration, and was converted into the corresponding ion-supported Ph₃P A and B again in high yields using dimethyl sulfate, followed by the reduction with LiAlH₄. Recovered and regenerated ion-supported Ph₃P A and B could be reused for the same Wittig reaction while maintaining good yields of ethyl (E)-3-(4′-chlorophenyl)-2-propenoate and 1-(4′-chlorophenyl)-2-(4″-methylphenyl)ethene with high purity by simple filtration and removal of the solvent from the filtrate.     

A one-pot, two step synthesis of 2,2-disubstituted 1-nitroalkenes

The reactions of ketones 1a-o, nitromethane 2, and a stoichiometric amount of piperidine 3a or ethylenediamine 3b in the presence of mercaptan 6a in THF or CH₃CN solution give high yields of β-nitrosulfides 7a-o. The latter can be oxidized by 8a (m-CPBA or m-CPBA/AcOH) at 0°C, 8b (H₂O₂/AcOH), or 8c (H₂O₂) at room temperature, thus generating β-nitroalkylsulfoxides 9a-o, which then undergo elimination to produce medium to high yields of 2,2-disubstituted-1-nitroalkenes 5a-o, when refluxed in a solution of ClCH₂CH₂Cl (1,2-dichloroethane). After preparation from 1a-o, 2, 3, and 6a, 7a-o were oxidized with 8a, 8b, or 8c in a mixture of CH₃CN and ClCH₂CH₂Cl to generate β-nitrosulfoxides 9a-o, which then underwent elimination under refluxing under one-pot conditions. Compounds 14 and 15g were also prepared using 13, 2, 3b, and 6, in a similar manner.     

Synthesis of nicotinonitrile derivatives as a new class of NLO materials

4,6-Diaryl-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)-nicotinonitriles 2a-k and 3-amino-2,4-dicyano-5-aryl-biphenyls 3a-c were synthesized from 1,3-diaryl-prop-2-en-1-ones 1a-k and malononitrile by a convenient one-pot method. Likewise, the reaction of aromatic aldehydes with malononitrile afforded 6-amino-4-aryl-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)-pyridine-3,5-dicarbonitriles 6a-f. The reaction of mesityl oxide with malononitrile gave 5-amino-7-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)-2,4,4-trimethyl-1,4-dihydro-1,6-naphthyridine-8-carbonitrile 8. The NLO studies of the pyridinedinitrile derivatives 6a, b, f showed a high value while that of nicotinonitrile 2b was weak.     

Synthetic application of fluorinated vinamidinium salts: Synthesis of fluorinated 1,3-butadienylphosphonates by the reaction with Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reagents

The reaction of β-fluoro vinamidinium salt 1 with Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reagents (HWE) such as diethyl(ethoxycarbonyl)methylphosphonate (2a), diethyl(methoxycarbonyl)methylphosphonate (2b), diethyl-2-oxopropylphosphonate (2c), diethyl benzylphosphonate (2d), tetraethyl methylenediphosphonate (2e) and diethyl cyanomethylphosphonate (2f) under basic conditions gave the fluorinated 1,3-butadienylphosphonates 3 in moderate to good yields. The phosphonates 3 could be hydrolyzed with a 10% HCl aqueous solution to afford the corresponding γ-(diethylphosphono)-α-fluoro-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes 7 in good yields. The treatment of the phosphonate 3c with an NH₃ aqueous solution at 70 °C produced the pyridine derivative 8 in 60% yield.     

Syntheses and structures of non-symmetric guanidinato zirconium and hafnium complexes and their catalytic behavior for ethylene polymerization

Equivalent addition reactions of PhN(Li)SiMe₃ to nitriles, RCN (R = dimethylamido, 1-piperidino), generated non-symmetric guanidinato lithium [(Et₂O)LiN(SiMe₃)C(NMe₂)N(Ph)]₂ (1) or [(THF)LiN(SiMe₃)C(NMe₂)N(Ph)]₂ (2) and [(Et₂O)LiN(SiMe₃)C(N(CH₂)₅)N(Ph)]₂ (5) which further reacted with zirconium or hafnium tetrachloride to form Zr and Hf guanidinato complexes with the general formula [PhNC(R)NSiMe₃]₃MCl (R = dimethylamido, M = Zr (3), Hf (4); R = 1-piperidino, M = Zr (6), Hf (7)). Complexes 1-4, 6 and 7 were well characterized by ¹H, ¹³C NMR and microanalysis, the single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis data for complexes 1, 3, 4 and 7 were also provided. Furthermore, complexes 3, 4, 6 and 7 were found to be active for ethylene polymerization. The influences of cocatalyst, pressure, reaction temperature and Al/M ratio on activity were investigated.     

Intermediates in the synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles: addition of acylated camphorsultams to nitroalkenes

Reaction of acylated camphorsultam 7 with nitroalkenes in the presence of TiCl₄ and Et₃N gave addition products in good yields (>70%) and with excellent stereocontrol. Addition of propionylated camphorsultam 15 to nitrostyrene gave the addition product 16 in which two new asymmetric centres were created, the stereochemical outcome of the reaction was confirmed by X-ray cystallography.     

Photochemical hydrogen production catalyzed by polypyridyl ruthenium-cobaloxime heterobinuclear complexes with different bridges

Two heterobinuclear complexes [(bpy)₂Ru(bpy-4-CH₃,4′-CONH(4-py)Co(dmgBF₂)₂(OH₂)](PF₆)₂ (1, dmgBF₂ = (difluoroboryl)dimethylglyoximato) and [(bpy)₂Ru(bpy-4-CH₃,4′-CONHCH₂(4-py)Co(dmgBF₂)₂(OH₂)](PF₆)₂ (2) were prepared, in which the polypyridyl ruthenium photosensitizer and the cobaloxime catalyst are connected either by a conjugated bridge (1) or by an unconjugated one (2). Complexes 1 and 2 were used as photocatalysts for hydrogen generation. Under optimal conditions, the turnover numbers (ton) for hydrogen evolution were 38 for 1 and 48 for 2 in the presence of 300 equiv of both Et₃N and [Et₃NH][BF₄] in the acetone solution during an 8-h irradiation of visible light (λ > ca. 400 nm). The complex 2 with an unconjugated bridge proved to be more efficient for photochemical hydrogen generation than the complex 1 with a conjugated bridge under the same reaction condition.     

A synthetic strategy using Witkop's pyrroloindole for (−)-debromoflustramine B, (+)-ent-debromoflustramine B and (+)-ent-debromoflustramide B

While prenylation of (−)-Witkop's pyrroloindole (2), secured from l-tryptophan under standard N-alkylation conditions, led to a ca. 1:1 diastereoisomeric mixture of two C^3a-alkylated indolenines 3 and 4, use of phase-transfer conditions altered this to ca. 1:2. Reduction followed by N-prenylation of the resulting secondary amines gave C,N-dialkylated products. The derived separable diastereoisomeric (−)- and (+)-Barton esters 19a and 19b were then converted into (−)-debromoflustramine B and (+)-ent-debromoflustramine B, respectively. A novel reaction involving oxygen and the carbanion derived from Barton ester 19b led to (+)-ent-debromoflustramide B. Treatment of N⁸-prenylated Witkop's pyrroloindole 5 with Lewis acid (BF₃·Et₂O) uncovered a new clean intramolecular cyclisation involving the prenyl unit.