Synthesis of the ABC ring system of manzamine A

A synthesis of the core ABC ring system of the manzamine alkaloids is described, starting from arecoline. The key steps involve a Claisen rearrangement to set up a 4-substituted-3-methylenepiperidine and a stereoselective azomethine ylide dipolar cycloaddition reaction. Condensation of the aldehyde 6 and sarcosine ethyl ester hydrochloride salt gives an intermediate azomethine ylide, which undergoes an intramolecular cycloaddition reaction to set up two new rings and three new chiral centers stereoselectively. The aldehyde 6 was not a suitable substrate for related azomethine ylide cycloaddition reactions with other amines. However, the related dimethyl acetal 26 could be condensed with a variety of amines to give the desired tricyclic products. The cycloaddition reaction with N-methyl or N-allyl glycine ethyl ester gave almost exclusively the exo adduct, whereas cycloaddition with glycine ethyl ester gave the endo adduct.     

Chemical and X-Ray crystallographic characterization of the reaction products in the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of diazomethane to p-toluquinone

The product 2 in the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of one equivalent of diazomethane to p-toluquinone (1) was determined by 250 MHz nmr spectra to be approximately 85% 6-methyl-1-H-indazole-4,7-dione (2b). X-ray crystallographic analysis was employed in the characterization of 1,6-dimethyl-1-H-indazole-4,7-dione (4a), which was the major 1-N-methyl regioisomer in the methylation of the cycloaddition mixture 2 with diazomethane. Methylation of the cycloaddition product 2 with diazomethane also provided a regioisomeric mixture of the 2-N-methyl derivatives 5. This mixture was synthesized for characterization by an independent method which utilized the cycloaddition of 3-methylsydnone (10) to toluquinone (1). 1,5,6-Trimethyl-1-H-ind-azole-4,7-dione (9) was found to be a minor product in the reaction of diazomethane with the cycloaddition product 2.     

Cascade cyclization, dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine imines for the synthesis of pyrazolidines

A tandem multi-step, one-pot reaction of aldehydes with hydrazines has been used for the preparation of tetrahydropyrazoles and dihydropyrazoles. The chemistry involves condensation then cyclization, followed by inter- or intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition of the resulting azomethine imine intermediates. The intramolecular cycloaddition gives fused tricyclic compounds as single diastereoisomers. The intermolecular cycloaddition was successful with a variety of activated alkene and alkyne dipolarophiles.     

Intramolecular cycloaddition of O-tert-butyldimethylsilyloximes in the presence of BF3 x OEt2

[reaction: see text] Intramolecular cycloaddition of novel 1,3-dipoles, N-boranonitrones, was examined. Treatment of O-tert-butyldimethylsilyloximes 9-12 having olefin moieties with 2 equiv of BF3 x OEt2 generated N-boranonitrones, which underwent intramolecular cycloaddition to afford N-nonsubstituted cycloadducts 16 (and/or 18) after extractive workup. Despite the Lewis-acidic conditions, the olefin geometry of the substrates was retained in the cycloadducts in the present cycloaddition. The electronic nature of the N-boranonitrones appeared to be electrophilic. In the case of substrate 11c, having an electron-donating methyl group at an internal position of the olefin moiety, the cycloaddition gave the bridged cycloadduct 18b. The cycloaddition proceeded at relatively low temperature, and the diastereoselectivity was high.     

Visible‐Light Photoredox Catalysis Enables the Biomimetic Synthesis of Nyingchinoids A,B, and D,and Rasumatranin D

The total synthesis of nyingchinoids A and B has been achieved through successive rearrangements of a 1,2‐dioxane intermediate that was assembled using a visible‐light photoredox‐catalysed aerobic [2+2+2] cycloaddition. Nyingchinoid D was synthesised with a competing [2+2] cycloaddition. Based on NMR data and biosynthetic speculation, we proposed a structure revision of the related natural product rasumatranin D, which was confirmed through total synthesis. Under photoredox conditions, we observed the conversion of a cyclobutane into a 1,2‐dioxane through retro‐[2+2] cycloaddition followed by aerobic [2+2+2] cycloaddition.     

Visible‐Light Photoredox Catalysis Enables the Biomimetic Synthesis of Nyingchinoids A,B, and D,and Rasumatranin D

The total synthesis of nyingchinoids A and B has been achieved through successive rearrangements of a 1,2‐dioxane intermediate that was assembled using a visible‐light photoredox‐catalysed aerobic [2+2+2] cycloaddition. Nyingchinoid D was synthesised with a competing [2+2] cycloaddition. Based on NMR data and biosynthetic speculation, we proposed a structure revision of the related natural product rasumatranin D, which was confirmed through total synthesis. Under photoredox conditions, we observed the conversion of a cyclobutane into a 1,2‐dioxane through retro‐[2+2] cycloaddition followed by aerobic [2+2+2] cycloaddition.     

A DFT study of the domino inter

The molecular mechanism of the domino inter [4 + 2]/intra [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of nitroalkenes with enol ethers to give nitroso acetal adducts has been characterized using density functional theory methods with the B3LYP functional and the 6-31G basis set. The presence of Lewis acid catalyst and solvent effects has been taken into account to model the experimental environment. These domino processes comprise two consecutive cycloaddition reactions: the first one is an intermolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition of the enol ether to the nitroalkene to give a nitronate intermediate, which then affords the final nitroso acetal adduct through an intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. The intermolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition can be considered as a nucleophilic attack of the enol ether to the conjugated position of the nitroalkene, with concomitant ring closure and without intervention of an intermediate. For this cycloaddition process, the presence of the Lewis acid favors the delocalization of the negative charge that is being transferred from the enol ether to the nitroalkene and decreases the activation energy of the first cycloaddition. The [4 + 2] cycloaddition presents a total regioselectivity, while the endo/exo stereoselectivity depends on the bulk of the Lewis acid used as catalyst. Thus, for small Lewis acid catalyst, modeled by BH(3), the addition presents an endo selectivity. The [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions present an total exo selectivity, due to the constraints imposed by the tether. Inclusion of Lewis acid catalyst and solvent effects decrease clearly the barrier for the first [4 + 2] cycloaddition relative to the second [3 + 2] one. Calculations for the activation parameters along this domino reaction allow to validate the results obtained using the potential energy barriers.     

Toward an understanding of the mechanisms of the intramolecular

The molecular mechanism for the intramolecular [5 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of beta-silyloxy-gamma-pyrones bearing tethered alkenes has been characterized using ab initio methods. A comparative study for this sort of cycloaddition carried out at different computational levels points out that the B3LYP/6-31G calculations give similar barriers to those obtained with the MP3/6-31G level. Analysis of the energetic results shows that the reaction takes place along a stepwise process: first, the migration of the neighboring silyl group to the carbonyl group of the gamma-pyrone takes place to give a weak oxidopyrylium ylide intermediate, which by a subsequent concerted intramolecular [5 + 2] cycloaddition affords the final cycloadduct. The cycloaddition process is very stereoselective due to the constraints imposed by the tether. The [5 + 2] cycloaddition reaction has a large barrier, and the presence of the silyloxy group and the intramolecular character of the process are necessary to ensure the thermodynamic and kinetic feasibility of these cycloadditions.     

Intramolecular (4+3) Cycloadditions of Pyrroles and Application to the Synthesis of the Core of Class II Galbulimima Alkaloids

The first intramolecular (4+3) cycloaddition of pyrroles with epoxy enolsilanes as the electrophiles was developed and used to generate optically‐enriched cycloadducts containing the nortropane substructure in good yields. Using this pyrrole cycloaddition as the key step, we achieved the asymmetric synthesis of a nortropane compound bearing the BCDEF ring structure common to the Class II galbulimima alkaloids.     

An Mo theoretical study on the reaction of benzocyclobutene with ethylene. Concerted vs stepwise

In an attempt to determine the reaction mechanism of the Diels-Alder type cycloaddition reaction of benzocyclobutene with dienophiles, the stabilities for the assumed intermediate structures were examined by using MINDO/3, STO-3G, and 4-31G methods. The potential energies of the ring-opening reaction of the benzocyclobutene and cycloaddition reaction of quinodimethane with a dienophile were obtained by MINDO/3 and discussed in relation to the controversial reaction mechanism of the cycloaddition, concerted vs stepwise mechanisms. The results lead to a conclusion that the reaction involves a biradical intermediate followed by a stepwise cycloaddition.     

Tandem cyclization-cycloaddition behavior of rhodium carbenoids with carbonyl compounds: stereoselective studies on the construction of novel epoxy-bridged tetrahydropyranone frameworks

Investigations and stereoselective studies on the tandem reactions of carbonyl ylides generated from alpha-diazo ketones in the presence of carbonyl compounds are presented in this paper. Intramolecular cyclization of rhodium carbenoids generated the transient five- or six-membered-ring carbonyl ylide dipoles, which efficiently underwent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions with various dipolarophiles such as aromatic aldehydes 15, alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes 18/24, alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones 27/28/31, and dienone 34. The transient carbonyl ylides underwent cycloadditions with various aromatic aldehydes to furnish diverse epoxy-bridged tetrahydropyranone ring systems in a diastereoselective manner. The cycloaddition of carbonyl ylides with alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes 18/24 or dienone 34 afforded C=O addition products in a chemoselective manner despite the presence of C=C bonds in the above dipolarophiles. Alternatively, the cycloaddition of carbonyl ylides with alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones 27/28 provided both the C=O and C=C cycloaddition products. The cycloaddition of carbonyl ylides with carbonyl compounds occurred in good yields and was found to be highly regio- and stereoselective. Single-crystal X-ray analyses were performed to unambiguously establish the structure and stereochemistry of the novel epoxy-bridged tetrahydropyranone ring systems 35a/38. Compound 35a exhibited both intermolecular C-H...O and intramolecular C-H...pi interaction motifs in the solid-state architecture. The regio-, chemo-, and stereoselectivity observed in these reactions have been investigated by semiempirical AM1 MO calculations. FMO analyses and transition state calculations have been performed for the cycloaddition of carbonyl ylides with alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds such as tetracyclone (34) and cyclopentenone (27a). Both FMO and transition state calculations correctly predicted the regio- and stereochemistry of the cycloadducts. The calculations further revealed that a severe steric interaction caused by the phenyl rings present in dipolarophile 34 with dipole 14a increases the activation barrier of the transition state during the cycloaddition process.     

Efficient catalytic effects of Lewis acids in the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of carbonyl ylides with imines

[reactions: see text] 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition reactions between imines and carbonyl ylides generated by tandem intramolecular carbenoid-carbonyl cyclizations were found to be effectively catalyzed by Lewis acids (10 mol %). The Rh2(OAc)4-catalyzed reactions of o-(methoxycarbonyl)-alpha-diazoacetophenone with imines such as N-[2-(benzyloxy)benzylidene]aniline in the absence of Lewis acid gave no 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition products, but rather the dimeric product of the corresponding carbonyl ylide. In contrast, in the presence of Lewis acids such as Yb(OTf)3, the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of the corresponding 1-methoxy-2-benzopyrylium-4-olate proceeded smoothly with several imines, giving in most cases exo-selectivity and no formation of the dimeric product. When Yb(OTf)3 was used as a Lewis acid catalyst, a fundamental catalytic effect was also observed in the cycloaddition reactions of imines with carbonyl ylides generated from 1-diazo-5-phenyl-2,5-pentanedione, 1-diazo-2,5-hexanedione and diazomethyl 2,3,4,5-tetrachloro-6-methoxycarbonylphenly ketone. This efficient catalytic effect can be satisfactorily explained in terms of energetics of the cycloaddition in the absence and the presence of Lewis acid by calculations using the ONIOM (B3LYP/6-31G(d):PM3) method.     

Organocatalytic, enantioselective intramolecular [6+2] cycloaddition reaction for the formation of tricyclopentanoids and insight on its mechanism from a computational study

Diphenylprolinol silyl ether was found to be an effective organocatalyst for promoting the asymmetric, catalytic, intramolecular [6 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of fulvenes substituted at the exocyclic 6-position with a δ-formylalkyl group to afford synthetically useful linear triquinane derivatives in good yields and excellent enantioselectivities. The cis-fused triquinane derivatives were obtained exclusively; the trans-fused isomers were not detected among the reaction products. The intramolecular [6 + 2] cycloaddition occurs between the fulvene functionality (6π) and the enamine double bond (2π) generated from the formyl group in the substrates and the diphenylprolinol silyl ether. The absolute configuration of the reaction products was determined by vibrational circular dichroism. The reaction mechanism was investigated using molecular orbital calculations, B3LYP and MP2 geometry optimizations, and subsequent single-point energy evaluations on model reaction sequences. These calculations revealed the following: (i) The intermolecular [6 + 2] cycloaddition of a fulvene and an enamine double bond proceeds in a stepwise mechanism via a zwitterionic intermediate. (ii) On the other hand, the intramolecular [6 + 2] cycloaddition leading to the cis-fused triquinane skeleton proceeds in a concerted mechanism via a highly asynchronous transition state. (iii) The fulvene functionality and the enamine double bond adopt the gauche-syn conformation during the C-C bond formation processes in the [6 + 2] cycloaddition. (iv) The energy profiles calculated for the intramolecular reaction explain the observed exclusive formation of the cis-fused triquinane derivatives in the [6 + 2] cycloaddition reactions. The reasons for the enantioselectivity seen in these [6 + 2] cycloaddition reactions are also discussed.     

Mechanism, regioselectivity, and the kinetics of phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of allenoates and electron-deficient alkenes

With the aid of computations and experiments, the detailed mechanism of the phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of allenoates and electron-deficient alkenes has been investigated. It was found that this reaction includes four consecutive processes: 1) In situ generation of a 1,3-dipole from allenoate and phosphine, 2) stepwise [3+2] cycloaddition, 3) a water-catalyzed [1,2]-hydrogen shift, and 4) elimination of the phosphine catalyst. In situ generation of the 1,3-dipole is key to all nucleophilic phosphine-catalyzed reactions. Through a kinetic study we have shown that the generation of the 1,3-dipole is the rate-determining step of the phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of allenoates and electron-deficient alkenes. DFT calculations and FMO analysis revealed that an electron-withdrawing group is required in the allene to ensure the generation of the 1,3-dipole kinetically and thermodynamically. Atoms-in-molecules (AIM) theory was used to analyze the stability of the 1,3-dipole. The regioselectivity of the [3+2] cycloaddition can be rationalized very well by FMO and AIM theories. Isotopic labeling experiments combined with DFT calculations showed that the commonly accepted intramolecular [1,2]-proton shift should be corrected to a water-catalyzed [1,2]-proton shift. Additional isotopic labeling experiments of the hetero-[3+2] cycloaddition of allenoates and electron-deficient imines further support this finding. This investigation has also been extended to the study of the phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of alkynoates as the three-carbon synthon, which showed that the generation of the 1,3-dipole in this reaction also occurs by a water-catalyzed process.     

Efficient synthetic access to the hetisine C20-diterpenoid alkaloids. A concise synthesis of nominine via oxidoisoquinolinium-1,3-dipolar and dienamine-Diels-Alder cycloadditions

A concise synthetic approach to the hetisine C20-diterpenoid alkaloids is reported. The total synthesis of (+/-)-nominine was accomplished in a 15-step sequence employing a dual cycloaddition strategy. Key features of the synthesis include a reversible intramolecular 4-oxidoisoquinolinium betaine dipolar cycloaddition in conjunction with a pyrrolidine-induced dienamine isomerization/Diels-Alder cascade.     

Synthesis of δ-thiolactams by the aza-Diels-Alder reaction of in situ generated allenyltrimethylsilylthioketenes with imines

Allenyltrimethylsilylthioketenes, generated in situ through [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of trimethylsilylethynyl propargyl sulfides, underwent facile [4+2] cycloaddition with imines to afford the corresponding δ-thiolactams. The resulting 2-trimethylsilyl-4-methylenetetrahydroquinolidine-2-thione, obtained by the [4+2] cycloaddition using piperideine as a dienophile, was transformed into (±)-lupinine in six steps.     

From dimerization, to cycloaddition, to atom transfer cyclization: the further chemistry of TMM diradicals

We describe [a] the first examples of intramolecular cycloaddition of a TMM diyl to a remotely tethered aldehyde, [b] the effect of a Lewis acid upon the course of TMM chemistry, [c] examples of exclusive intramolecular cycloaddition, competitive cycloaddition and ATC, and exclusive ATC, and [d] a set of predictive guidelines with which to assess whether cycloaddition or ATC will be the preferred path, and when the two processes will be competitive. Remarkably, a wide variety of structures can be obtained simply by varying the length of the tether within the diazenes investigated. DFT calculations were used to probe the energy surfaces for both atom transfer and cycloaddition. The transition structure for atom transfer involving the captodative system indicates that it occurs earlier along the reaction coordinate than for a system having only one radical stabilizing group. This is consistent with the existence of an exothermic process leading from the initial diyl to the captodatively stabilized distonic diyl. Gratifyingly, theory agrees with observation and provides substantial insight into the chemistry.     

Sequential cycloaddition approach to the tricyclic core of vibsanin E. Total synthesis of (+/-)-5-epi-10-epi-vibsanin E

[chemical reaction: see text]. A direct access to (+/-)-5-epi-10-epi-vibsanin E is described, based on three key cycloaddition steps, a rhodium-catalyzed [4 + 3] cycloaddition, a heteronuclear [4 + 2] cycloaddition, and a photochemically induced [4 + 2] cycloaddition.     

On the conversion of 1-glutamate to 1-dopa : The preparation and chemistry of 1-methoxy-2-acetoxy-3-trimethylsilyloxy-1,3-butadiene

The title diene was prepared by the enol silylation of 1-methoxy-2-acetoxybut-1-ene-3-one. It undergoes Diels-Alder cycloaddition with a variety of dienophiles. Through such cycloaddition ther is provided acess to regiospecifically monoderivatized diosphenols and catechols. Cycloaddition of the title compound with dienophile (28), derived from L-glutamate, provides a route to optically pure L-Dopa.     

A theoretical study of the reaction of alkynylboranes with butadiene: competition between cycloaddition and alkynylboration

The reactions of alkynyldihaloboranes and alkynyldialkylboranes with butadiene have been explored by using DFT methods at the B3LYP level with the 6-31G basis set. Transition structures for the concerted [4+2] cycloaddition have been found for the alkynylborane derivatives. Along with these, another reactive pathway has been found for the cycloaddition process with transition structures of high [4+3] character. The transition structures for the 1,4-alkynylboration processes have also been found. The geometries computed for the cycloaddition transition structure with high [4+3] character and the 1,4-alkynylboration transition structures are surprisingly similar though leading to different products. IRC calculations suggest that the [4+3] cycloaddition and alkynylboration pathways are associated by a zwitterionic structure.