Isolation and characterization of 2-alkylaminobenzo[b]furans. Evidence for competing O-arylation in Cu-catalyzed intramolecular amidation

2-Alkylaminobenzo[b]furans were isolated and characterized by X-ray crystal structural analysis, for the first time, from the Cu-catalyzed intramolecular amidation of hindered secondary amides under controlled microwave heating. A mechanism was proposed to account for competing Cu-catalyzed intramolecular N- and O-arylation pathways, which were controlled by the bulkiness of substituents on the nitrogen atom of secondary amides.     

Synthetic utility of ammonium salts in a Cu-catalyzed three-component reaction as a facile coupling partner

Ammonium salts were found to be a convenient and inexpensive reagent in the Cu-catalyzed three-component reaction with terminal alkynes and sulfonyl or phosphoryl azides leading to N-unprotected amidines. Thus obtained amidines bearing 2-bromobenzenesulfonyl moiety were efficiently cyclized by the Cu-catalyzed intramolecular N-arylation to give an important pharmacophore skeleton of 2H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxides. Conveniently, two tandem catalytic procedures could be readily operated in one pot.     

Copper- and palladium-catalyzed intramolecular C-S bond formation: a convenient synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazoles

Copper- and palladium-catalyzed intramolecular C-S bond formation by cross-coupling between an aryl halide and thiourea functionality is demonstrated for the synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazoles, wherein the Cu-catalyzed protocol is generally superior and more cost effective than the Pd-catalyzed protocol; the Cu-catalyzed reaction also further expands recent studies exploring the utility of Cu salts as replacements for Pd in carbon-heteroatom bond-forming reactions. A one-pot variant combining the synthesis of the thiourea and the cyclization was also demonstrated.     

Copper-catalyzed enantioselective intramolecular conjugate addition/trapping reactions: synthesis of cyclic compounds with multichiral centers

The Cu-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of dialkylzinc to bis-alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds followed by the intramolecular trapping of the zinc enolate in the presence of chiral phosphoramidite ligands was investigated. Cyclic and heterocyclic compounds with multichiral centers were formed as a mixture of two diastereomers with excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 99:1) and enantioselectivities (up to 94 % ee, ee=enantiomeric excess). The stereochemistry was determined to be trans,trans for the major products and trans,cis for the minor products. The absolute configuration of the cyclic compounds was assigned by comparison with the analogous adduct derived from trans-3-nonen-2-one and Et(2)Zn or the adduct obtained through conjugate addition of Me(2)Zn to trans-1-phenyl-non-2-en-1-one. Further transformation of these cyclic products into more complex compounds is under investigation in our laboratory.     

Copper-catalyzed intramolecular alkene carboetherification: synthesis of fused-ring and bridged-ring tetrahydrofurans

Fused-ring and bridged-ring tetrahydrofuran scaffolds are found in a number of natural products and biologically active compounds. A new copper-catalyzed intramolecular carboetherification of alkenes for the synthesis of bicyclic tetrahydrofurans is reported herein. The reaction involves Cu-catalyzed intramolecular addition of alcohols to unactivated alkenes and subsequent aryl C-H functionalization provides the C-C bond. Mechanistic studies indicate a primary carbon radical intermediate is involved and radical addition to the aryl ring is the likely C-C bond-forming mechanism. Preliminary catalytic enantioselective reactions are promising (up to 75% ee) and provide evidence that copper is involved in the alkene addition step, likely through a cis-oxycupration mechanism. Catalytic enantioselective alkene carboetherification reactions are rare and future development of this new method into a highly enantioselective process is promising. During the course of the mechanistic studies a protocol for alkene hydroetherification was also developed.     

Synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole-fused heterocycles via Pd-catalyzed cyclization of 5-iodotriazoles

A convenient approach toward polycyclic frameworks containing fused 1,2,3-triazoles is described. The synthesis consists of a Cu-catalyzed cycloaddition and an intramolecular Pd-catalyzed direct arylation or Heck reaction, and affords the products in good to excellent yields.     

Pd/Cu-catalyzed couplings of β-amino esters with aryl bromides. Synthesis of chiral 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-4-oxo-2-alkyl-1-quinolines

A new protocol to prepare chiral 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-4-oxo-2-alkyl-1-quinolines has been developed. The key steps are Pd/Cu-catalyzed couplings of chiral β-amino esters and aryl bromides, and intramolecular acylation.     

A remarkable accelerating effect of Ag-salt on intramolecular cyclization of o-(1-alkynyl)benzenesulfonamides

Herein, we report transition metal-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of o-(1-alkynyl)benzenesulfonamides to afford 3-substituted benzothiazines regioselectively via a C-N bond forming reaction and Cu-catalyzed sequential C-N and C-C bond formation leading to the corresponding 3,4-disubstituted derivatives.     

Microwave-assisted one-pot U-4CR and intramolecular O-alkylation toward heterocyclic scaffolds

The one-pot U-4CR and intramolecular O-alkylation sequence starting from 2-aminophenols in combination with α-bromoalkanoic acids, aldehydes, and isocyanides under controlled microwave heating has been established for a rapid access to highly functionalized 3,4-dihydro-3-oxo-2H-1,4-benzoxazines. With appropriate substitutions on the 1,4-benzoxazines, a microwave-assisted Cu-catalyzed intramolecular amidation was performed to furnish a novel class of heterocyclic conjugates of 1,4-benzoxazines with a 2-oxindole linked through a C-N single bond.     

Copper-catalyzed aerobic intramolecular carbo- and amino-oxygenation of alkynes for synthesis of azaheterocycles

A synthetic method of highly substituted quinolines has been developed from N-(2-alkynylaryl)enamine carboxylates under Cu-catalyzed aerobic conditions via intramolecular carbo-oxygenation of alkynes. This strategy was further applied for N-alkynylamidines for amino-oxygenation of alkynes, leading to imidazole and quinazoline derivatives.     

Total synthesis of lathyranoic acid A

The first total synthesis of lathyranoic acid A (1) was accomplished stereoselectively in a linear sequence of 20 steps and an overall yield of 1.4%. This modular synthesis featured a cyclic, stereocontrolled Cu-catalyzed intramolecular cyclopropanation to construct the cis-cyclopropane unit, a Grubbs metathesis to construct the γ-substituted cyclopentenone moiety, and an anion-mediated conjugate addition.     

Development of a new and practical route to chiral 3,4-disubstituted cyclopentanones: asymmetric alkylation and intramolecular cyclopropanation as key C-C bond-forming steps

An efficient and practical asymmetric synthesis of (+)-trans-3-hydroxymethyl-4-(3-fluorophenyl)cyclopentanone (1) is described. An asymmetric Mo-catalyzed alkylation reaction was used to establish the first stereocenter and a Cu-catalyzed intramolecular diastereoselective cyclopropanation reaction was used to set the second stereocenter. The last step involved a one-pot ring-opening/deprotection/hydrolysis/decarboxylation sequence that furnished the desired product in good yield.     

Cu-Catalyzed Desulfonylative Amination of Benzhydryl Sulfones

A new method for the synthesis of benzhydryl amines from the reaction of readily available sulfone derivatives with amines is described. The Cu-catalyzed desulfonylative amination not only provides structurally diverse benzhydryl amines in good yields, but is also applicable to iterative and intramolecular aminations. Control experiments suggested that the formation of a Cu-carbene intermediate generated from the sulfone substrate, which represents a new route for desulfonylative transformations.     

Original synthesis of 2-substituted-4,11-dimethoxy-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-naphtho[2,3-f]indole-5,10-diones using TDAE and Cu-catalyzed reaction strategy

We report herein an original and rapid synthesis of 2-substituted-4,11-dimethoxy-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-naphtho[2,3-f]indole-5,10-diones by TDAE mediated synthesis of N-benzylsulfonamides followed by an intramolecular N-arylation using Cu-catalyzed system.     

Efficient One-pot Synthesis of Pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline and Pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoline Derivatives

A one-pot sequential reaction for efficient synthesis of pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline and pyrrolo[1,2-a]-quinoline derivatives has been developed. The reaction included firstly the Cu-catalyzed three-component reaction of isoquinoline(quinoline), acetylenedicarboxylate and alkynylbenzene and then Cs₂CO₃-promoted intramolecular cyclization reaction of initially formed 1-alkenyl-2-alkynyl-1,2-dihydroisoquinoline(1,2-dihydroquinoline).     

Tandem reactions initiated by copper-catalyzed cross-coupling: a new strategy towards heterocycle synthesis

Copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions which lead to the formation of C-N, C-O, C-S and C-C bonds have been recognized as one of the most useful strategies in synthetic organic chemistry. During past decades, important breakthroughs in the study of Cu-catalyzed coupling processes demonstrated that Cu-catalyzed reactions are broadly applicable to a variety of research fields related to organic synthesis. Representatively, employing these coupling transformations as key steps, a large number of tandem reactions have been developed for the construction of various heterocyclic compounds. These tactics share the advantages of high atom economics of tandem reactions as well as the broad tolerance of Cu-catalyst systems. Therefore, Cu-catalyzed C-X (X = N, O, S, C) coupling transformation-initiated tandem reactions were quickly recognized as a strategy with great potential for synthesizing heterocyclic compounds and gained worldwide attention. In this review, recent research progress in heterocycle syntheses using tandem reactions initiated by copper-catalyzed coupling transformations, including C-N, C-O, C-S as well as C-C coupling processes are summarized.     

Facile and practical synthesis of π-extended oxepins by benzannulation and intramolecular cyclization

π-Extended oxepins 1 and dimer 8 were synthesized by the benzannulation of the corresponding asymmetric diarylacetylene derivatives and 2-(phenylethynyl)benzaldehyde followed by the Cu-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization. The optical properties of the π-extended oxepins 1 and 8 are also investigated.     

Synthesis of 3,5-diazabicyclo [5.1.0] octenes. A new platform to mimic glycosidase transition states

All-cis 1-hydroxymethyl 2,3 bis-aminomethyl cyclopropane was used to construct the first 3,5-diazabicyclo [5.1.0]-3-octenes. This system has the interesting ability to exist in a conformation that resembles a snapshot of a glycoside hydrolysis reaction with respect to charge and geometric analogy to an oxocarbenium ion, and the positioning of the departing aglycon. The cis-configured cyclopropane core was synthesized by Cu-catalyzed intramolecular cyclopropanation of benzyl protected cis-2-butene-1,4-diol diazoacetate ester. Serial functionalization to bis-aminomethyl cyclopropanes and subsequent cyclization to amidines lead to the target bicyclic compounds in good overall yields. Several glycosidases were surveyed for the inhibitory potential of these transition state analogs, and amongst them, selective competitive inhibitors with micromolar K_i values were identified.     

Synthesis of medium ring nitrogen heterocycles via a tandem copper-catalyzed C-N bond formation-ring-expansion process

A simple method for the preparation of medium ring heterocycles (7-, 8-, 9-, and 10-membered) has been developed. The process employs a Cu-catalyzed coupling of a beta-lactam with an aryl bromide or iodide followed by intramolecular attack of a pendant amino group. In some instances, the intermediate beta-lactam is observable but can be converted to the aza-heterocycle by catalysis. Acetic acid was found to be superior to transition metal complexes as a catalyst for this ring-expansion process.     

Copper-Catalyzed Oxidative Benzylic C(sp3)−H Cyclization for the Synthesis of β-Lactams

β-Lactams are important structural motifs because of their ubiquity in natural products and pharmaceuticals. We report herein a Cu-catalyzed intramolecular oxidative C(sp³)−H amidation for the synthesis of β-lactams using tBuOOtBu. This method is based on Kharasch–Sosnovsky amidation and does not require prefunctionalization of C(sp³)−H bonds or the installation of a directing group, thereby allowing for the straightforward synthesis of β-lactams. Our intramolecular functionalization protocol can be extended to diverse benzylic C(sp³)−H bonds and shows excellent functional-group tolerance.