Catalyst-free alkanoylation of aromatic rings via arylstannanes. Scope and limitations

The reaction of alkanoyl chlorides with arylstannanes in 1,2-dichlorobenzene (180 °C) is a simple and direct route for the catalyst-free and regioselective synthesis of tertiary alkyl aryl ketones in good to excellent isolated yields (55-77%). Nevertheless, under similar conditions, reactions carried out with alkanoyl chlorides bearing α-hydrogens render only the product of protodestannylation.     

Syntheses of tetrahydro-beta-carbolines via a tandem hydroformylation-Pictet-Spengler reaction. Scope and limitations

A novel one-pot synthesis of tetrahydro-beta-carboline systems via tandem hydroformylation-Pictet-Spengler reaction starting from olefins and aryl ethylamines is described. This tandem procedure allows fast and convenient synthesis of various substituted tetrahydro-beta-carbolines.     

Scope and limitations of the Julia-Kocienski reaction with fluorinated sulfonylesters

The study of the Julia-Kocienski reaction between fluorinated arylsulfone and ketones is described. The corresponding fluoroalkenes were isolated in moderate to good yields from β- and δ-substituted cyclic ketones. From acyclic ketones and α-substituted cyclic ketones a decarbethoxylation reaction of the sulfonylesters occurred. This decarbethoxylation reaction opened a new route for the preparation of a variety of fluoroalkylsulfones as potential building blocks for the preparation of fluoroalkenes.     

Preparation and properties of arylgold compounds. Scope and limitations of the auration reaction

Several ligand-free monoarylgold dichlorides (RC₆H₄AuCl₂)₂ (R = H, Me, Et, i-Pr, t-Bu, Ph) have been prepared from arenes and AuCl₃; contrary to earlier reports, addition of ligands is not necessary in order to obtain thermally stable products. The auration is inhibited if the arenes contain potentially coordinating substituents. The properties and reactions of the arylgold dichlorides are discussed.     

Mild and efficient synthesis of propargylamines by copper-catalyzed Mannich reaction

Terminal alkynes undergo mild and efficient aminomethylation with aqueous formaldehyde and secondary amines under CuI catalysis. In most cases high to nearly quantitative yields of tertiary propargylamines are obtained in DMSO solution at room temperature. Aromatic, aliphatic and silylated acetylenes as well as alkynols can be used. Primary amines are less reactive and satisfactory yields of secondary propargylamines are obtained only with phenylacetylene.     

The Stille reaction in the synthesis of the C37-norcarotenoid butenolide pyrrhoxanthin. Scope and limitations

The sequential Stille cross-coupling reactions of the dihalogenated gamma-alkylidenebutenolide 7 with stannanes 9 and 6 afforded the carbon skeleton of pyrrhoxanthin, a highly functionalized C7'-C8' acetylenic C37-norcarotenoid butenolide. Although the first halogen-selective Stille coupling takes place in 90% yield at ambient temperature, double isomerization of the Z,E- to the E,Z-C7'-C10' enyne, likely induced by the catalyst, accompanyied the bond formation, leading to 9'Z-20 and, ultimately, to 9'Z-pyrrhoxanthin 9'Z-1.     

Birch reduction of hexaphenyl- and pentaphenylbenzene and an X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy study of cis- and epi-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaphenylcyclohexane and of 2,3,5,6-tetraphenyl-1,1'-bicyclohexylidene: Cannizzaro's conundrum revisited

The Birch reduction of hexaphenylbenzene yields two isomers of 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaphenylcyclohexane. The X-ray crystal structure of the all-cis isomer, 1, reveals that the severe steric crowding among the three axial phenyls is alleviated by a marked splaying out of those three aryl substituents relative to the positioning in a conventional chair structure. A second product, 2, was identified crystallographically and by NMR spectroscopy as the 1,3-diaxial-2,4,5,6-tetraequatorial (epi) isomer of hexaphenylcyclohexane, in which only five of the six additional hydrogen atoms are positioned on the same face of the C(6)Ph(6) precursor. A variable-temperature NMR study of the all-cis isomer 1 yielded a chair-to-chair inversion barrier of approximately 19 kcal mol(-1), which is somewhat higher than the previously reported values for all-cis-1,2,3,4,5,6-C(6)H(6)R(6) in which R=Me or CO(2)Me. The possible relevance to Cannizzaro's 1854 report of a product with the formula (C(7)H(6))(n) is discussed. By contrast, Birch reduction of pentaphenylbenzene led to the formation of 2,3,5,6-tetraphenyl-1,1'-bicyclohexylidene.     

The Meinwald reaction of alkyl propionates. Synthesis of the C1-C9 fragment of aurisides

The C1-C9 northern fragment of aurisides 12a was prepared in eight steps and 41% overall yield starting from Grieco's bicyclic lactone (+)-4. The synthesis features a key stereoselective Meinwald reaction of the lithium enolate of alkyl propionate with the functionalized δ-lactone 3.     

The reaction of substituted N-phenacyl-pyridinium bromides in the pyridine ring with DABCO and DBU in water and DMSO. Kinetics and DFT studies

The rate constants have been measured for deprotonation reaction of substituted N-phenacyl-pyridinium bromides, in the pyridine ring, with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane in water and DMSO, and some with 1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4,0]undec-7-ene. The dependence of the rate constant, k, on pK_a of substituted pyridines is made of two distinct linear branches obtained for the salts with electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents, respectively. The structures of four salts have been determined by the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory and compared with the available X-ray structure. The effect of the substituent and solvent on k values has been discussed.     

General synthetic approach towards annelated 3a,6-epoxyisoindoles by tandem acylation/IMDAF reaction of furylazaheterocycles. Scope and limitations

An efficient and versatile one-pot synthesis of 3,6a-epoxyisoindoles annelated with oxazine, oxazole, thiazine, thiazole, pyrimidine fragments and with their benzoannelated analogues is presented. The method is based on tandem N-acylation/intramolecular cycloaddition (the intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction of furan, IMDAF) reaction between α,β-unsaturated acid anhydrides and α-furyl substituted azaheterocycles. The latter can be easily prepared by condensation of diverse furfurals and 1,2- or 1,3-N,X-binucleophiles (aminoalcohols, aminothiols, diamines). The observed IMDAF reaction is stereoselective: exo-adducts are formed exclusively with large prevalence of one of the diastereoisomers. In most cases, the condensation/N-acylation/IMDAF reaction sequence may be carried out via a one-pot domino protocol. The scope and limitations of the proposed approach are thoroughly investigated. The obtained Diels–Alder adducts are attractive and useful substrates for further transformations. Fused isoindoles can be prepared from them in one-step by aromatization of the 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptene ring. Other transformations, including halogenation, ring cleavage, and Wagner–Meerwein skeletal rearrangement, are also demonstrated. The spatial structures of the obtained compounds have been established by X-ray diffraction analyses.     

The chemistry of 1,6‐dioxapyrenes part 3 : Scope and limitations of an acid catalyzed ring‐closing reaction

One of the few methods for synthesis of 1,6‐dioxapyrenes is the acid catalyzed cyclization of 2,6‐disubstituted 1,5‐bis(2‐oxoalkoxy)naphthalenes. The scope and limitations of this reaction has been investigated and 11 new 2,7‐disubstituted 1,6‐dioxapyrenes have been prepared and characterized. Most of the compounds undergo two reversible oxidations to give the corresponding radical as well as di‐ cations.     

The birch reduction of heterocyclic compounds. III. Birch reduction-elimination reaction of 2- and 3-furancarboxylic acid derivatives

The Birch reduction of 2-(1-alkoxyalkyl)furan-3-carboxylic acids 1a-f gave 2-alkyl-3-furancarboxylic acids 2a-f with loss of the alkoxyl group in excellent isolated yields.     

The six-membered annulation reaction involving sequential palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation and Michael addition: scope and limitations

The palladium-catalyzed condensation of a variety of active methylene compounds with methyl 6-acetoxymethyl-hepta-2,6-dienoate was investigated. The six-membered adducts resulting from a η³ palladium complex alkylation-Michael addition sequence were obtained with moderate to good yields. In some cases, further evolution of the primary adduct was observed. The process has been expanded to access nitrogen heterocycles by using sodium p-toluenesulfonamide as the nucleophilic partner.     

Cyclic products of the Ugi reaction of aldehydo and keto carboxylic acids: chemoselective modification

A method for the chemoselective reduction of Ugi-type lactam amides at the lactam carbonyl functionality with borane complexes has been developed. The novel reduction products can be further manipulated synthetically to yield various novel N- and C-terminally active unnatural amino acid building blocks.     

Extending the Scope of the B(C6F5)3‐Catalyzed CN Bond Reduction: Hydrogenation of Oxime Ethers and Hydrazones

The B(C₆F₅)₃‐catalyzed hydrogenation is applied to aldoxime triisopropylsilyl ethers and hydrazones bearing an easily removable phthaloyl protective group. The C?N reduction of aldehyde‐derived substrates (oxime ethers and hydrazones) is enabled by using 1,4‐dioxane as the solvent known to participate as the Lewis‐basic component in FLP‐type heterolytic dihydrogen splitting. More basic ketone‐derived hydrazones act as Lewis bases themselves in the FLP‐type dihydrogen activation and are therefore successfully hydrogenated in nondonating toluene. The difference in reactivity between aldehyde‐ and ketone‐derived substrates is also reflected in the required catalyst loading and dihydrogen pressure.     

The Dakin-West reaction: Past,present and future

The decarboxylation of amino acids in presence of a carboxylic anhydride leading to the corresponding ketones, known as Dakin-West reaction, is about to complete almost one century of discovery. In this review, we firstly present the chronological progress in the mechanistic study of the reaction, with an overview about types of substrates, anhydrides and bases already used in the Dakin-West reaction. And ultimately, the application of the reaction in the synthesis of compounds of pharmaceutical or industrial interest is also discussed.     

Rapid synthesis of quinoline-4-carboxylic acid derivatives from arylimines and 2-substituted acrylates or acrylamides under indium(III) chloride and microwave activations. Scope and limitations of the reaction

Rapid synthesis of quinoline-4-carboxylic acid derivatives has been achieved by reaction of 2-methoxy acrylates or acrylamides with N-arylbenzaldimines in acetonitrile under InCl3 catalysis and microwave irradiation. Isolated yields up to 57% within 3 min have been obtained. The Lewis acid and the microwave activation appeared as crucial parameters for the reaction. The role of indium chloride and ytterbium triflate was specified using 13C NMR data and model theoretical studies.     

Electrochemical activation and carboxylation of fluorine-containing aromatic imines

On the basis of a study of the processes involved in the electrochemical activation of a series of fluorine-containing aromatic imines with and without the presence of carbon dioxide it was shown that the initial stage of such processes is the formation of imine radical-anions, which can both undergo spontaneous transformations and react with CO₂ with the formation of fluorine-containing amino acids. A correlation was established between the effects of the electronic structure of the imines on the electrochemical characteristics of their reduction and on the stability of the radical-anions. A relationship was established between the parameters of electrochemical activation of the imines in the presence of CO₂ and the yields of the amino acids. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 265–271, September–October, 2008.