4-Nitrobenzodifuroxan: a highly reactive nitroolefin in Diels-Alder reactions

The reactions of 4-nitrobenzodifuroxan (NBDF) with a series of common dienes are found to proceed very readily to afford stable cycloadducts, which are the result of highly stereoselective normal electron demand (NED) Diels-Alder reactions. Due to the additional activation provided by the two adjacent furoxan rings, the nitroolefinic double bond of NBDF is also prone to undergo NED reactions with less reactive dienic structures such as the enol form of ethoxymethyleneacetylacetone and the in situ generated 2-ethoxy-4-(2-furfuryl)buta-1,3-diene. A number of X-ray structures could be obtained, which leave no doubt as to the stereochemistry of the resulting cycloadducts. A rationalization of the reactions in terms of the electrophilicity parameter ω defined by Parr suggests that all cycloadditions proceed with a notable polar character.     

Synthesis of highly substituted cyclohexenes via mixed Lewis acid-catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions of highly substituted dienes and dienophiles

[reaction: see text] A high-yielding method is described for the rapid synthesis of very hindered cyclohexenes by the Diels-Alder reaction of hindered silyloxy dienes and dienophiles using the mixed Lewis acid catalyst system (AlBr(3)/AlMe(3)). Thus, reaction of the hindered diene 4 with various substituted enones gave good yields of the expected cycloadducts even though both partners are quite sterically hindered.     

Preparation and novel reduction reactions of vinamidinium salts.

Substituted acetic acids and formamides react in the presence of phosphorus oxychloride to yield the vinamidinium hexafluorophosphate salts 5a-d, 6a-d, and 7 in moderate to good unoptimized recrystallized yields (40-67%) as easily handled nonhygroscopic solids. The 1,3-differentially substituted vinamidinium salts 8 was prepared by amine exchange in 81% yield as are the cyclic diazapinium salts 9 and 10 in > 76% yield. The symmetrical 2-chlorovinamidinium 11 was prepared by displacement of 3 in 71% yield. The 2-chlorovinamidinium salts are cleanly reduced to the parent vinamidinium salts 12-16 using HI or PPh3/pTSA in up to 99% assay yield.     

Totally stereoselective synthesis of 1,3-disaccharides through Diels-Alder reactions

A nonclassical, totally stereoselective synthesis of orthogonally protected 1,3-disaccharides is reported. Enantiomerically pure beta-keto-delta-lactones, efficiently obtained from glucal and galactal, are transformed into electron-poor heterodienes and chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectively cycloadded to glycals as electron-rich dienophiles, to directly afford 2-thiodisaccharides. The reductive desulfurization of the latter smoothly gave the corresponding 2,2'-dideoxydisaccharides.     

Preparation of siloxacyclopentene containing 1,3-dienes and their Diels-Alder reactions

A number of enynyloxy dimethyl and diisopropyl silanes have been prepared and converted into siloxacyclopentene containing 1,3-dienes via intramolecular hydrosilylation of the alkyne functional group. Diels-Alder reactions of these dienes are reported.     

Preparation of 1,3-dienyl organotrifluoroborates and their Diels-Alder/cross-coupling reactions

2-BF₃-substituted 1,3-butadienes with potassium and tetrabutyl ammonium counterions have been prepared in gram quantities from chloroprene via a simple synthetic procedure. The potassium salt of this new main group element substituted diene has been characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹B, and ¹⁹F NMR and the tetra n-butyl ammonium salt was also characterized by X-ray crystallography. Diels-Alder reactions of these dienes with dienophiles such as ethyl acrylate, methyl vinyl ketone, and N-phenylmaleimide are reported as well as subsequent Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of those Diels-Alder adducts. 4-Phenyl-2-BF₃-substituted 1,3-diene was prepared by magnesium-halogen exchange from the corresponding 2-bromo and iodo dienes. The 4-phenyl-2-bromo-1,3-butadiene was also characterized by X-ray crystallography. 4-Phenyl-2-BF₃-1,3-butadiene was used in Diels-Alder/cross-coupling reactions and the product of a Diels-Alder reaction with N-phenylmaleimide followed by cross-coupling with 4-bromo-benzonitrile was also characterized by X-ray crystallography.     

Unexpected synthesis of 2-methyl 1,3-diazapyrene from 1,8-diamino naphthalene

Treatment of 1,8-diamino naphthalene by glycerol, under Skraup conditions, leads to 2-methyl 1,3-diazapyrene and not to quino[7,8-h]quinoline.     

Preparation of 2,5-disubstituted pyrimidines from vinamidinium salts and synthesis of novel disulfane derivatives

Novel pyrimidine derivatives were prepared from the reaction of 2-substituted 1,3-bis(dimethylamino)-trimethinium salts with thiourea or guanidine in the presence of ethyl-diisopropylamine in ethanol at reflux, and also some 5-substituted pyrimidine-2-thiols has been used for the synthesis of novel disulfane compounds. Infrared, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and mass spectral data confirm the molecular structures of the newly synthesized compounds. The ultraviolet spectral behavior of these compounds was examined in DMSO and the ƛ_max of these compounds was studied.     

Preparation of 2-BF3-substituted 1,3-dienes and their Diels-Alder/cross-coupling reactions

[reaction: see text] 2-BF3-substituted 1,3-butadienes with potassium and tetrabutylammonium counterions have been prepared in gram quantities from chloroprene via a simple synthetic procedure. The potassium salt of this new main group element substituted diene has been characterized by 1H, 13C, 11B, and 19F NMR. Diels-Alder reactions of these dienes with ethyl acrylate and methyl vinyl ketone are reported, as well as subsequent Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of those Diels-Alder adducts.     

Microwave-assisted reactions of nitroheterocycles with dienes. Diels-Alder and tandem hetero Diels-Alder/[3,3] sigmatropic shift

Diels-Alder cycloaddition of 3-nitro-1-(p-toluenesulfonyl)indole 1 with dienes 2-6 under microwave irradiation in solvent-free conditions gave carbazole derivatives after elimination of the nitro group and in situ aromatization. While 3-nitro-1-(p-toluenesulfonyl)pyrrole 11 afforded indole derivatives, 4-nitro-1-(p-toluenesulfonyl)pyrazole 13 with cyclohexadiene 2 did not afford the expected cycloadduct but instead gave 1-cyclohexen-2-ylpyrazole 16. This process occurred by hydrolysis of the 1-(p-toluenesulfonyl) group, protonation of the diene and nucleophilic addition of the pyrazolate ion, as elucidated by computational studies. Reaction of nitroindole 1 with cyclohexadiene 2 afforded exclusively the endo stereoisomer (10endo) in a tandem hetero Diels-Alder/[3,3] sigmatropic shift, as determined by computational calculations.     

Concise assembly of highly substituted furan-fused 1,4-thiazepines and their Diels-Alder reactions with benzynes

A facile and highly efficient three-component reaction of thiazole or benzothiazole carbenes, disubstituted ketenes, and activated alkynes is disclosed. With this methodology, a polysubstituted ring system containing furo[2,3-c]thiazepine core can be constructed from simple and readily accessible starting materials in good yields. The scope and limitation of this transformation were investigated in detail by using various thiazole carbene, ketene, and alkyne components. Furthermore, the synthetic utilities of these unique polyheterocyclic compounds were demonstrated via their Diels-Alder reactions with benzynes to furnish thiazepine-fused 7-oxanorbornadiene derivatives in excellent yields.     

Studies into the generation and Diels-Alder reactions of 7,8-quinolyne with furan dienes

Reaction of an appropriate ortho-halo tosylate precursor with organolithium reagents provides the first conclusive route to the intermediate, 7,8-quinolyne. The transient existence of this hetaryne was confirmed by Diels-Alder reactions with furan derivatives that provide endoxide adducts. Chemical induced rearrangement of these adducts allows entry to key compounds of 10-hydroxy[h]benzoquinoline and its 7-substituted derivatives in modest yields.     

Direct access to ferrocenyliminium salts and their use in synthesis

Reduction of ferrocenylketoximes by titanium trichloride provides a convenient route for the preparation of ferrocenyliminium salts, which have been shown to be useful for the synthesis of new derivatives.     

Intramolecular Diels-Alder and tandem intramolecular Diels-Alder/1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles

The scope of intramolecular Diels-Alder and a novel tandem Diels-Alder/1,3-dipolar cycloaddition cascade of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles is disclosed. In the cases examined, the tandem cycloadditions construct three new rings with formation of four new C-C bonds and set all six stereocenters about a central six-membered ring in a single step including three contiguous and four total quaternary centers without a trace of a second diastereomer.     

Stereoselective synthesis and Diels-Alder reactions of bis-Ether 1,3 Dienes. A further test for cooperativity during cycloaddition reactions.

A stereoselective synthesis of dienes $\text{1a}$ and $\text{1b}$, using butadiene-iron tricarbonyl complexes, is described. Higher diastereoselectivity is observed during Diels-Alder reaction of $\text{1a}$ as compared with $\text{1c}$, affording good evidence for cooperativity in these cycloadditions.     

Conformational preferences of methacrolein in Diels-Alder and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions

A B3LYP/6-31G* study has been carried out for the reactions of methacrolein with cyclopentadiene, parent nitrone, 1-pyrroline-1-oxide, and (Z)-C,N-diphenylnitrone, in which the coordination of a Lewis acid (borane) and the solvent polarity (dichloromethane) have been taken into account. Calculated activation parameters, regioselectivities (for 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions), and endo/exo stereoselectivities show good agreement with available experimental data. Gas-phase calculations show a varied behavior of the s-cis/s-trans TS stability for noncatalyzed reactions (from the systematic s-cis preference for the cyclopentadiene reaction to the systematic s-trans predilection encountered in the diphenylnitrone cycloaddition). BH3 coordination leads to a preferential stabilization of s-trans TSs in the reactions of cyclopentadiene (exo approach) and diphenylnitrone but a larger stabilization of s-cis structures in the processes involving the parent nitrone or 1-pyrroline-1-oxide. Additionally, a rather systematic preferential stabilization of s-trans structures is induced by solvent polarity in most reactions. As a consequence, an s-trans preference is predicted in solution for both thermal and catalyzed types of reactions in most approaches. Such a conclusion is consistent with some experimental results suggesting a preference for a particular conformation of the methacrolein-Lewis acid complexes.     

Dual behavior of masked o-benzoquinones in intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions. Expedient synthesis of highly functionalized cis-decalins from 2-methoxyphenols

[Reaction: see text]. The potential dual behavior as dienes and dienophiles of the diene moieties of masked o-benzoquinones (MOBs) 10a-e-12a-e, generated upon oxidation of 2-methoxyphenols 1-3 with BTIB in the presence of appropriate dienols, in their intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reactions has been examined. The IMDA reactions of MOBs 10a-d, 11a,b,d, and 12a,b,d resulted in highly functionalized oxatricyclic compounds 18a-d, 19a,b,d, and 20a,b,d, respectively, with concomitant formation of cis-decalin derivatives 21a-d, 22a,b,d, and 23a,b,d in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner. However, the MOBs 10e-12e provided exclusively oxatricyclic compounds 18e-20e. The formation of cis-decalins in these IMDA reactions illustrates the dienophilic character of MOBs, in addition to their behavior as dienes. The ratio of the two cycloadducts obtained in each reaction as a result of the dual character of MOBs depends on the nature and/or position of the substituents on both the cyclohexadienone moiety and the added 2,4-dienol. The majority of the cycloadducts resulted from the diene property of MOBs in intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions smoothly underwent Cope rearrangement to furnish cis-decalins as sole products in excellent to quantitative yields that provides a short and efficient entry to polyfunctionized cis-decalins from 2-methoxyphenols. Furthermore, the variation of dienophilic and diene characters of MOBs in the IMDA reactions with the electron-donating or electron-withdrawing substituent of both cyclohexadienone moiety and the added conjugated acyclic diene or 2,4-dienol has been studied in detail.     

Synthesis of 4-aryl- and 4-alkyl-2-silyl-1,3-butadienes and their Diels-Alder/cross-coupling reactions

An ene-yne cross methasis of silyl-substituted alkynes and alkenes has been developed as a route to 4-aryl- and 4-alkyl-2-silyl-substituted 1,3-dienes. The dienes prepared were used to affect highly diastereoselective Diels-Alder reactions and then the silicon-substituted Diels-Alder cycloadducts were used in Hiyama cross-coupling reactions. The cross-coupling reactions enable these silicon dienes to be used as synthons for a variety of other dienes one might prepare and need access to. Two of the silicon-substituted Diels-Alder cycloadducts and one of the Hiyama cross-coupling products were also characterized by X-ray crystallography.