Synthetic studies towards the penicisulfuranols: Synthesis of an advanced spirocyclic diketopiperazine intermediate

The 2,5-diketopiperazine (DKP) moiety is a core feature of many natural products and medicinally relevant scaffolds. As part of our efforts directed towards a total synthesis of penicisulfuranol B, we have developed and report herein: (1) the preparation of an N-hydroxy diketopiperazine intermediate accessible via a molybdenum-mediated oxidation of a parent diketopiperazine, and (2) further synthetic studies leading to a novel spirocyclic dihydrobenzofuran-containing diketopiperazine.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Ferrocene Derived Cyclic Carbaphosphazenes

Dialkylamino substituted cyclic carbaphosphazenes, (R 2 NCN) 2 (NPCl 2 ) were prepared and reacted with the ferrocene derived hydroxymethyl phosphine sulfide FcCH(CH 3 )P(S)(CH 2 OH) 2 after dilithiation to yield a series of new spirocyclic derivatives of cyclic carbaphosphazenes having ferrocenyl pendant groups. To confirm the formation of six membered spirocycles and to compare their spectral features, transesterification reactions of FcCH(CH 3 )P(S)(CH 2 OH) 2 also were carried out with P(NR 2 ) 3 , yielding the six membered heterocycles FcCH 2 P(S)(CH 2 O) 2 PNR 2 (R = Me, Et). The compounds were characterized by 1 H, 31 P, 13 C NMR, mass spectra, and elemental analysis.     

Samarium diiodide mediated intramolecular cyclisation of mixed enone-enoate systems: a simple preparation of spirocyclic ethers

Samarium(II) diiodide mediated intramolecular cyclisation of mixed enone-enoate substrates in THF/MeOH is described. Spirocyclic ethers are obtained, and the stereodefined preparation of 1-oxaspiro[4.4]nonan-7-one products is included.     

Asymmetric synthesis of novel spirocycles via a chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed desymmetrization

A straightforward method for the asymmetric preparation of novel lactone and lactam spirocycles is described. An initial desymmetrization via a chiral Brønsted acid yields enantioenriched lactones which readily undergo a second cyclization to give the desired spirocycle.     

Synthesis of dihydrobenzoxazine pyrrolidone spirocyclic compounds

A simple and efficient synthetic strategy for the preparation of dihydrobenzoxazine spirocyclic compounds was reported via the cycloaddition reaction of o-succinimide-substituted benzaldehyde with nitrobenzene. The reactions can be conducted under very mild reaction conditions (room temperature) using 10?mol% of Cs₂CO₃ as catalyst. A series of dihydrobenzoxazine pyrrolidone spirocyclic compounds were afforded in moderate to good yields. This strategy provides a new direction for the synthesis and study on biological activities of dihydrobenzoxazine pyrrolidone spirocyclic compounds.     

Intramolecular sulfoxide electrophilic sulfenylation in 2- and 3-indoleanilides

When N-[2-(alkylsulfinyl)phenyl]-1H-indole-2-carboxamides with varying degrees of indolic and amidic N-alkylation are heated in an inert solvent or treated with trifluoroacetic anhydride; only compounds in which the amidic nitrogen is methylated cyclize to indolo[3,2-b]-1,5-benzothiazepinones (9, 10). Successful cyclization is attributed to the ability of N-Me amides to readily adopt a conformation conducive to cyclization, which other derivatives are unable to achieve. The analogous 3-indoleanilide, N,N-dimethyl N-[2-(ethylsulfinyl)phenyl]-1H-indole-3-carboxamide (17a), undergoes SES/rearrangement to produce 10 upon heating in p-xylene. An intermediate 3H-indolinium spirocyclic species is proposed to account for this result.     

Two-step conversion of 3,4,4,5-tetrachloro-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazine into 4,5,6-trichloropyrimidine-2-carbonitrile

Tin reduction of 3,4,4,5-tetrachloro-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazine afforded perchloro-9-thia-1,5,8,10-tetraazaspiro[5.5]undeca-1,4,7,10-tetraene (10%) and 3,5-dichloro-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazine-4-thione (27%), the structures of which were supported by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Treating the tetrachlorothiadiazine with Ph₃P (1 equiv.) afforded the corresponding spirocycle in a useful 66% yield, the degradation of which with BnEt₃NCl (0.5 equiv.) afforded densely functionalized 4,5,6-trichloropyrimidine-2-carbonitrile in 81% yield. Rational mechanisms for the formation of products are proposed.     

Palladium-catalyzed intramolecular vinylarylation of alkene: Access to spirocyclic scaffold

A Pd(0)-catalyzed cascade reaction of (Z)-1-iodo-1,6-diene bearing a N-heteroaryl ring, including indole, pyrrole as well as imidazole, is reported. The reaction proceeds via Heck-type carbopalladation, which is followed by C-H activation of the attached N-hetero ring, thus delivering 6,5-spirocycles in moderate to good yields. Furthermore, the preliminary attempt at asymmetric version was also conducted.     

Radical dearomatising spirocyclisations onto the C-2 position of benzofuran and indole

Spirolactams were obtained via an intramolecular radical ipso-type spirocyclisation in benzofuran and indole systems. Alkyl, vinyl and aryl radicals, tethered at the C-2 position of the heterocycle underwent radical cyclisation to produce novel tricyclic partially dearomatised heterocycles in moderate yields. Fragmentation of the furan ring was observed subsequent to spirocyclisation of a vinyl radical onto a benzofuran.     

Synthesis of 9-nitro-5H-spiro[benzo[b]tetrazolo[1,5-d][1,4]oxazepine-4,2′-oxirane] via an unusual ring-expansion

Attempted cyclization of (4-(hydroxymethyl)-8-nitro-4H-benzo[b]tetrazolo[1,5-d][1,4]oxazin-4-yl)methyl 4-methylbenzenesulfonate 2 did not give the expected spirooxetane product 1, but instead provided 9-nitro-5H-spiro[benzo[b]tetrazolo[1,5-d][1,4]oxazepine-4,2′-oxirane] 3via an unusual ring-expansion process. The structure of compound 3 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The spiroepoxide (oxirane) in compound 3 could be ring-opened with a variety of nucleophiles to give products of potential interest to medicinal chemists.