Gold-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination of α-amino allenamides as a route to enantiopure 2-vinylimidazolidinones

An efficient gold-catalyzed procedure for the preparation of 2-vinylimidazolidinones has been developed. The starting materials for the synthesis of these compounds are α-amino allenamides which undergo heterocyclization by means of nucleophilic attack of the amino group on the inside double bond of the 1,2-diene moiety. This is the first example of a gold-catalyzed cyclization on allene substrates bearing an amido group which, however, resulted inactive.     

The reaction of 4-amino-2-oxazolines with isocyanates and isothiocyanates. Synthesis and X-ray structures of polysubstituted 2-imidazolidinones, 1,3-oxazolidines and 1,3-thiazolidines

Reactions of 4-alkylamino-2-phenyl-2-oxazolines 1 with isocyanates and isothiocyanates provide unprecedented efficient and regioselective heterocycle-heterocycle transformations. Compounds 1 reacted rapidly with tosyl isocyanate yielding directly 3-alkyl-4-benzamido-1-tosyl-2-imidazolidinones 4 in almost quantitative yields. The corresponding ureido intermediates 2 were not isolable species. However, the reactions with non-sulfonylated isocyanates or isothiocyanates were slower, leading to the expected ureido and thioureido derivatives 5, which were easily and efficiently transformed to either polysubstituted 2-imino-1,3-oxazolidine or 2-imino-1,3-thiazolidine hydrochlorides 7, respectively, by treatment with hydrochloric acid. The possible reasons for this disparity in chemical behaviour are discussed. X-ray crystallographic structures for 4-benzamido-3-methyl-1-tosyl-2-imidazolidinone 4b, 4-[1-isopropyl-3-(4-nitrophenyl)ureido]-2-phenyl-2-oxazoline 5e, (Z)-3-benzyl-4-benzamido-2-phenylimino-1,3-oxazolidine hydrochloride 7a and (Z)-3-benzyl-4-benzamido-2-phenylimino-1,3-thiazolidine hydrochloride 7b have been determined.     

Reversal of the Stereochemical Course of 1‐Methyl‐1H‐indole Addition to Cinnamaldehyde with cis‐5‐Benzyl‐(2‐fluoromethyl)‐2,3‐dimethylimidazolidin‐4‐ones as Catalysts – a Puzzling ‘Fluorine Effect’

Replacement of the cis‐Me group by CH₂F in the imidazolidinone organocatalyst specified in the title (so‐called McMillan generation‐I catalyst) leads to reversal of the product configuration in the title reaction. The topicity reversal in the nucleophilic addition step must arise either from cis‐addition with respect to the benzylic substituent of an (E)‐iminium ion intermediate or from trans‐addition to the corresponding (Z)‐iminium ion. Mechanistic investigations have not provided evidence for either one of these two possibilities, so far.     

Transamidation reactions of 2-(2-sulfonylguanidino)acetamides

The reactivity of a series of sulfonylguanidinoacetamides 2A-E towards amines is reported. Guanidinoacetamides 2A-C, containing the arylsulfonylimino moiety, undergo a facile transamidation to give substituted carboxamides 4A-C, through the imidazolidinone intermediate 3. Acetamide 2D, having a methanesulfonylimino substituent, affords the imidazolidinone 3D and no transamidated carboxamides 4 are detected. In the case of guanidinoacetamide 2E, with a p-nitrobenzenesulfonylimino substituent, a Smiles rearrangement was observed.     

Synthesis and reactions of 1-hydroxy-9,9a-dihydro-1H-imidazo[1,2-a]indol-2-(3H)-ones

1-Hydroxy-9,9a-dihydro-1H-imidazo[1,2-a]indol-2(3H)-ones, as a new type of azaheterocyclic hydroxamic acids, have been synthesized regioselectively from 1-carbamoylmethyl- or 1-(methoxycarbonyl)methyl-2,3,3-trimethyl-3H-indolium salts by reaction with hydroxylamine in the presence of a strong base. The alkylation and reduction with sodium borohydride of these novel heterocycles have been investigated. When treated with protic acids 1-hydroxy- or 1-alkoxy-9,9a-dihydro-1H-imidazo[1,2-a]indol-2(3H)-ones underwent ring opening of the imidazolidine to afford 1-[2-(hydroxyamino)-2-oxoethyl]-2,3,3-trimethyl-3H-indolium salts. The structural assignments are based on extensive ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR spectroscopic studies and single crystal X-ray analyses.     

Entry to nitrogen-containing heterocycles by based-promoted heterocyclization on allenylamides of l-α-aminoacids

Allenylamides of Boc-protected α-aminoacids easily gave in basic medium heterocyclic products arising from attack of the NH group on the inside C-C double bond of the 1,2-diene moiety, namely imidazolidinones, pyrazinones, and a pyrrole compound. The microwave-assisted heterocyclization occurred cleanly at C-β of the allenyl group with formation of pyrazin-2-ones having an endo- or exocyclic double bond.     

Proline imidazolidinones and enamines in Hajos-Wiechert and Wieland-Miescher ketone synthesis

Readily available aromatic prolinamides obtained from the acid chloride of proline hydrochloride and anilines induce large enantiomeric excesses in intramolecular aldol condensations. Imidazolidinones derived from the reaction of the catalyst and enamines have been found as intermediates in these reactions.     

Preparation and Structures of 2‐Substituted 5‐Benzyl‐3‐methylimidazolidin‐4‐one‐Derived Iminium Salts,Reactive Intermediates in Organocatalytic Transformations Involving α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes

Preparations of the title compounds, 5 – 7 (Scheme 1 and Table 1), of their ammonium salts, 9 – 11 (Scheme 2 and Table 2), and of the corresponding cinnamaldehyde‐derived iminium salts 12 – 14 (Scheme 3 and Table 3) are reported. The X‐ray crystal structures of 15 cinnamyliminium PF₆ salts have been determined (Table 4). Selected ¹H‐NMR data (Table 5) of the ammonium and iminium salts are discussed, and structures in solution are compared with those in the solid state.     

Organocatalyzed Asymmetric Friedel‐Crafts Reactions: An Update

The Friedel‐Crafts alkylation (F‐CA) reaction is a special kind of carbon?carbon bond formations, which is frequently being used for the formation of such bond in some aromatic rings in organic synthesis. Its asymmetric variant gives enantiorich products. Commonly, an in situ organocatalyzed asymmetric Friedel‐Crafts alkylation (AF‐CA) proceeds via generation of an enamine as an intermediate. The organocatalyzed‐AF‐CA was discovered and established in the mid‐1980s and reviewed comprehensively in 2010. In this report, we are trying to update the applications of novel organocatalysts in the AF‐CA as a versatile synthetic strategy, which is frequently used in the effective asymmetric synthesis of complex molecules, pharmaceutically important compounds and most importantly in the total synthesis of biologically active natural products.