Useful dual Diels-Alder behavior of 2-azetidinone-tethered aryl imines as azadienophiles or azadienes: a beta-lactam-based stereocontrolled access to optically pure highly functionalized indolizidine systems

Imines derived from 4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes have been found to be versatile Diels-Alder reagents in that they exhibit two reactivity patterns. 2-Azetidinone-tethered imines undergo diastereoselective reaction with Danishefsky's diene in the presence of different Lewis acids. The effect of the amount of catalyst on the conversion rate as well as on the product ratio has been studied. Under standard reaction conditions, indium(III) chloride and zinc(II) iodide provided the best yields, and indium(III) triflate the highest diastereoselectivity in the Lewis acid promoted aza-Diels-Alder cycloaddition. Treatment of the aforementioned imines with cyclopentadiene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene or 3,4-dihydro-2 H-pyran led to cycloadducts arising from inverse electron-demand condensation involving the beta-lactam-tethered aryl imine as the heterodiene component. In addition, the first methodology for preparing indolizidines from beta-lactams has been developed. This process involves amide bond cleavage of the beta-lactam ring in the aza-Diels-Alder cycloadducts with concomitant cyclization. Full chirality transfer occurs when the reaction is performed with an enantiomerically pure substrate.     

Heterocyclic synthesis using nitrile imines. 6. Synthesis of some new substituted 4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazoles

A new series of substituted 1,2,4-triazoles was synthesized from the cycloaddition reaction of alkanal and cycloalkanal hydrazones containing electron-withdrawing groups (MeCO, PhCO, and MeOCO) with appropriate hydrazonoyl halides. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 392–398, March, 2007.     

On the origin of quasi-racemic aplysinopsin cycloadducts, (bis)indole alkaloids isolated from scleractinian corals of the family Dendrophylliidae. Involvement of enantiodefective Diels-Alderases or asymmetric induction in artifact processes involving adventitious catalysts?

Reported here are two novel quasi-racemic (bis)indole alkaloids, cycloaplysinopsin A (5) and cycloaplysinopsin B (6), isolated from tropical Indo-Pacific (Comoros, Philippines) scleractinian corals of the family Dendrophylliidae. Although their structures suggest a Diels-Alder cycloaddition origin from aplysinopsin-type precursors, neither experiments, nor theory allowed us to clearly distinguish an enzymatic process with scarce enantioselection from the intrusion of an adventitious catalyst in the coral extracts, where the chiral environment caused a slight asymmetric induction.     

Regioselective synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles via three-component coupling of secondary alcohols, TMSN3 and alkynes

1,4-Disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles are obtained in excellent yields via a three-component coupling of secondary alcohols, alkynes and trimethylsilyl azide (TMSN₃). This one-pot reaction occurs through in situ generation of an azide from the alcohol and TMSN₃, followed by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the terminal alkyne to afford the corresponding disubstituted triazoles.     

Cyclopentadienones as intermediates for the synthesis of highly functionalized biaryls

A new approach to the synthesis of substituted biaryls, via Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadienones and arylacetylenes, is described.     

Solid-phase synthesis of liquid crystalline isoxazole library

Combinatorial library of isoxazoles was prepared by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition on solid support. p-Cyano derivatives showed nematic and/or smectic A phases. A bilayer smectic phase for 2h is proposed by the combination of molecular mechanics calculation and X-ray diffraction experiment.     

Photocycloaddition of Cyclohex‐2‐enones to Penta‐1,2,4‐triene

Dihydrothiinone 9a undergoes photocycloaddition regioselectively to all three C?C bonds of penta‐1,2,4‐triene ( 10 ), the relative stabilities of the biradical intermediates determining the product distribution. In contrast, cyclohexenone 9b and dihydropyranone 9c afford more complex mixtures of bicyclo[4.2.0]octanones, which also turn out to be less stable on chromatographic workup, reflecting the higher strain due to the shorter bond lengths (C? O and C? C vs. C? S) in the six‐membered rings, respectively.     

Polyalkoxybenzenes from plant sources 2. Synthesis of isoxazoline analogs of combretastatin from natural allyl(methylenedioxy)methoxybenzenes

A series of analogs of the natural mitostatic agent combretastatin were synthesized by the reaction of nitrile oxides with natural allylbenzenes, such as myristicin, apiol, and dillapiol. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions in allylic systems proceed regiospecifically. The reactions with trans isomers of propenylbenzenes, viz., isomyristicin, isoapiol, and isodillapiol, as dipolarophiles produce regioisomers. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2375–2380, December, 2007.     

[2+2] Carbonylative cycloaddition catalyzed by palladium: stereoselective synthesis of β-lactams

[2+2] Carbonylative cycloaddition of chiral imines to various allyl halides, under CO pressure, in the presence of Et₃N, a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)₂ and PPh₃ as ligand, are carried out. Separable diastereomeric mixtures of chiral alkenyl-β-lactams are isolated with good yields and high trans diastereoselections. Absolute configurations are assigned by X-ray measurements and ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

Chemoselective synthesis of multiple epoxy-bridged tetrahydropyranone ring systems

Bis- as well as tris-tetrahydropyranone ring systems were obtained via multiple tandem cyclization-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of α-diazo ketones with ketone as well as aldehyde functional groups in a chemoselective manner.