Studies of intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of nitroalkenes for the stereocontrolled synthesis of trans-decalin ring systems

Studies of thermal IMDA cyclizations of (1E,7E)-1-nitro-deca-1,7,9-trienes and (1E,3Z,7E)-1-nitro-deca-1,3,7,9-tetraenes have been examined. Reactions of these nitroalkenes proceed via transition states featuring characteristics of asymmetric stretch asynchronicity and result in stereoselective formation of trans-fused decalin products. Substantial rate acceleration is observed for IMDA cyclizations exemplified by triene 14 due to steric repulsions of substituents in the tethering chain which promote facile stereocontrolled formation of trans-fused 26.     

Three-component synthesis of functionalized five-membered ring lactones under Barbier-like conditions

Five-membered ring lactones have been synthesized using a straightforward three-component reaction among in situ-generated arylzinc reagents, dimethyl itaconate and aromatic aldehydes. This Barbier-like procedure, which is characterized by its simplicity, allows the concise synthesis of a range of highly functionalized 4,5-substituted γ-butyrolactones.     

Novel synthesis of medium-sized oxa-heterocycles by palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Heck reaction

An efficient and high yielding method for the synthesis of eight-membered heterocyclic skeletons has been developed via palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Heck reaction.     

2-Ethoxy-3-pyridylboronic acid: a versatile reagent for the synthesis of highly-functionalised 3-aryl/heteroaryl-pyridines via Suzuki cross-coupling reactions

This paper describes the commercially-viable synthesis and isolation of 2-ethoxy-3-pyridylboronic acid on a ca. 70 g scale via a directed ortho-metalation reaction on readily-available 2-ethoxypyridine. A range of efficient cross-coupling reactions of 2-ethoxy-3-pyridylboronic acid with selected aryl/heteroaryl halides under palladium-catalysed Suzuki-Miyaura conditions yield novel 2-ethoxy-3-aryl/heteroaryl-pyridines in high yield (heteroaryl=pyridyl, pyrimidyl, pyrazyl). The X-ray crystal structure of 2-ethoxy-3-pyridylboronic acid reveals that the boronic acid group takes part in an intramolecular O-H?O bond with the adjacent ethoxy substituent, and an intermolecular O-H?N bond.     

Three characteristic reactions of alkynes with metal compounds in organic synthesis

Alkynes have two sets of mutually orthogonal π‐bonds that are different from the π‐bonds of alkenes. These π‐bonds are able to bond with transition metal compounds. Alkynes easily bond with the various kinds of compounds having a π‐bond such as carbon monoxide, alkenes, other alkynes and nitriles in the presence of the transition metal compounds. The most representative reaction of alkynes is called the Pauson–Khand reaction. The Pauson–Khand reactions include the cyclization of alkynes with alkenes and carbon monoxide in the presence of cobalt carbonyls. Similar Pauson–Khand reactions also proceed in the presence of other transition metal compounds. These reactions are the first type of characteristic reaction of alkynes. Other various kinds of cyclizations with alkynes also proceed in the presence of the transition metal compounds. These reactions are the second type of characteristic reaction of alkynes. These include cyclooligomerizations and cycloadditions. The cyclooligomerizations include mainly cyclotrimerizations and cyclotetramerizations, and the cycloadditions are [2 + 2], [2 + 2 + 1], [2 + 2 + 2], [3 + 2], [4 + 2], etc., type cycloadditions. Alkynes are fairly reactive because of the high s character of their σ‐bonds. Therefore, simple coupling reactions with alkynes also proceed besides the cyclizations. The coupling reactions are the third type of characteristic reactions of alkynes in the presence of, mainly, the transition metal compounds. These reactions include carbonylations, dioxycarbonylations, Sonogashira reactions, coupling reactions with aldehydes, ketones, alkynes, alkenes and allyl compounds. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three characteristic reactions of organocobalt compounds in organic synthesis

Organocobalt compounds in organic synthesis have three characteristic reactions. The first occurs because cobalt has a high affinity to carbon–carbon π‐bonds or carbon–nitrogen π‐bonds. The second occurs because cobalt has a high affinity to carbonyl groups. The third is due to cobalt easily tending to form square‐planar bipyramidal six‐coordination structures with four nitrogen atoms or two nitrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms at the square‐planar position, and to bond with one or two carbon atoms at the axial position. The first characteristic reactions are the representative reactions of organocobalt compounds with a mutually bridged bond between the two π‐bonds of acetylene and the cobalt–cobalt bond of hexacarbonyldicobalt. These are reactions with a Co₂(CO)₆ protecting group to reactive acetylene bond, the Nicholas reactions, the Pauson–Khand reactions ([2 + 2 + 1] cyclizations), [2 + 2 + 2] cyclizations, etc. These reactions are applied for the syntheses of many kinds of pharmaceutically useful compounds. The second reactions are carbonylations that have been used or developed as industrial processes such as hydroformylation for the manufacture of isononylaldehyde, and carbonylation for the production of phenylacetic acid from benzyl chloride. The third reactions are those reactions with the B₁₂‐type catalysts, and they have recently been used in organic syntheses and are utilized as catalysts for stereoselective syntheses. These reactions have been used as new applications for organic syntheses. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Utility of a chiral 1,3-dioxane template in stereoselective intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions

The ethylidene acetal of d-erythrose was used as a template for stereoselective IMDA reactions: high endo selectivity and yields in favor of the cis product were observed with 1,3,9-trienes, resulting from a boat transition state. For natural product synthesis, the reaction was successfully applied to a diene with terminal Z-olefin.     

Me3SiCl-promoted intramolecular cyclization of aromatic compounds tethered with N,O-acetals leading to the facile preparation of 1,4-benzodiazepine skeletons

The Me₃SiCl-promoted intramolecular aminomethylation of a novel type of N,O-acetals, which were prepared via a facile three-step synthesis from N-alkylaniline derivatives and N-alkyl-2-oxazolidinones that leads to the production of pharmaceutically useful 1,4-benzodiazepine skeletons with a variety of functional groups is described. This method was successfully applied to the facile preparation of both tricyclic benzodiazepine derivatives and a 1,4-benzoxazepine derivative via 7-exo-trig cyclization.     

N-Heterocyclic carbene catalyzed intramolecular crossed aldehyde-ketone benzoin condensation in the chalcone of o-phthalaldehyde: a facile synthesis of naphthalenones

The intramolecular crossed aldehyde-ketone benzoin condensation in the chalcone of o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHCs) generated in situ from readily available imidazolium and thiazolium salts is described. In this reaction, bicyclic α-hydroxyl ketones (naphthalenone type tertiary alcohol) were selectively produced in good yields (75-94%) in shorter reaction times (20 min) through nucleophilic addition of acyl anion generated by umpolung in OPA-chalcone (regio controlled).     

Use of 1,3-dipolar reactions for the preparation of SF5-substituted five-membered ring heterocycles. Pyrroles and thiophenes

In situ-generated unsubstituted, “parent” azomethine and thiocarbonyl ylides are used to prepare a large variety of 3-aryl- and alkyl-substituted, 4-pentafluorosulfanylpyrroles and 3-aryl-substituted, 4-pentafluorosulfanylthiophenes, the latter of which are to our knowledge the first reported SF₅-substituted thiophenes. The 1,3-cycloadditions of these ylides with aryl and alkyl, SF₅-alkynes produce dihydro-pyrroles and thiophenes, which without isolation can then be oxidatively aromatized to the respective pentafluorosulfanylpyrroles and thiophenes in good yield.     

Convergent synthesis of the ABCDE ring fragment of ciguatoxins

Synthesis of the ABCDE ring fragment of ciguatoxins has been achieved in a highly stereocontrolled and convergent manner via the B-alkyl Suzuki-Miyaura coupling-based approach.     

Palladium-mediated intramolecular O-arylation: a simple route for the synthesis of quino[2,3-c] and quino[3,2-b]carbazoles

A simple route for the synthesis of quinocarbazoles in good yields via palladium-mediated intramolecular arylation involving ortho C-H activation is reported.     

Use of different types of mesoporous materials as tools for organic synthesis

Mesoporous materials have been investigated as auxiliary agents for organic synthesis comprising reactants with widely different solubility characteristics. The finely divided oxide material was immersed in an aqueous solution of a water-soluble reactant, potassium iodide, and the loaded particles were kept under stirring in the hydrophobic reactant, 4-tert-butylbenzyl bromide, or in a hydrocarbon solution of this reactant. The reaction proceeded well in alumina and silica of either bicontinuous cubic or hexagonal geometry. It was shown for silica that the particle size was an important parameter; the smaller the size the faster the reaction. Titania gave a much lower reaction rate than alumina and silica. It was found that the hexagonal mesoporous alumina could be reused either as a slurry or in a column procedure. Attempts were also made to use hydrophobic mesoporous materials, either mesoporous graphite or mesoporous oxide treated with chlorotrimethylsilane, in the reversed mode. The hydrophobic solid was then immersed in a solution of the hydrophobic reactant and subsequently dispersed in an aqueous solution of the water-soluble reactant. Two nucleophilic substitution reactions and one oxidation reaction were investigated but the yields were low in all cases.     

Application of oxetane ring opening toward stereoselective synthesis of zincophorin fragment

A stereoselective synthesis of the C1–C11 fragment of zincophorin was achieved by using an intramolecular oxetane ring opening reaction as the key step. The oxetane moiety was synthesized by employing a desymmetrization protocol developed at our group and a non-Evans syn aldol as the key steps toward the synthesis.     

Stereoselective intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reactions of 1-oxa-1,3-butadienes: a novel approach for the synthesis of complex annulated uracils

The intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reactions of 1-oxa-1,3-butadienes 4, obtained from salicylaldehyde 1 via O-allylation followed by Knoevenagel condensation with barbituric acids 3 in the presence of hydrochloric acid as catalyst, affords the tetracyclic uracil derivatives 5 and 6 in a stereoselective manner and high overall yields.     

Iron-catalyzed intramolecular cyclotrimerization of triynes to annulated benzenes

An iron species derived from FeCl₂ or FeCl₃ by in situ reduction with zinc powder in the presence of imidazol-2-ylidene or bidentate nitrogen ligand could effectively catalyze intramolecular cycloisomerization of triynes to annulated benzenes. With a 2-iminomethylpyridine ligand, hydrates of FeCl₂ and FeCl₃ as well as their anhydrous ones could be used.     

Total synthesis of (±)-γ-lycorane via the electrocyclic ring closure of a divinylpyrroline

A concise total synthesis of (±)-γ-lycorane is described. The key step in the synthesis is the 6π-electrocyclic ring closure of a divinylpyrroline to give a tetrahydroindole, which is subsequently hydrogenated to give the all-cis indolizidine core.     

A facile synthesis of indolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazoles via palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization

A new efficient synthesis of indolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazoles by the palladium-catalyzed cyclization of N-(2-bromoaryl)carbazoles is described. The reaction involves intramolecular C-C bond formation, coupled with the cleavage of a C-X bond and a C-H bond on carbazole ring. Substitutions on N-aryl core with either electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups are introduced, and different reaction factors for cyclization are evaluated.     

Naryl-substituted anthranilamides with intramolecular hydrogen bonds

Hydrogen bonding interaction as one type of non-covalent force has proven itself to be highly efficient for constructing structurally unique artificial secondary structures. Here, the structure of N_aryl-substituted anthranilamide in solution is demonstrated by various NMR technique, the intramolecular hydrogen bonds between amide attached to arylamine of the same ring is proposed, which is supported by its crystal structure in the solid phase. The substituent on the nitrogen atom of arylamine plays an important role in forming the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The chemical shift of the N_aryl-H downfield changes obviously, due to the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and the deshielding effect of oxygen, and the neighboring C–H is activated and shows downfield protonic signal too. The presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds probably provides the explanation for the transformation from N_aryl-substituted anthranilamide to imine, which could be converted into 2-aryl quinazolinone finally.