Synthesis of 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrans by hetero-Diels-Alder reactions of functionalized alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with N-vinyl-2-oxazolidinone

Cycloadditions of 3-aryl-2-benzoyl-2-propenenitriles and 3-phenylsulfonyl-3-buten-2-one to N-vinyl-2-oxazolidinone proceed regio- and diastereoselectively yielding cis and trans diastereoisomers of 4-aryl-3,4-dihydro-2-(2-oxo-3-oxazolidinyl)-2H-pyrans in 37-65% yield. Cycloadducts cis- were the major products. Reaction of 5-arylidene-1,3-dimethylbarbituric acids with dienophile afforded mixtures of 2H-pyrano2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(3H)-diones trans and products resulted from an elimination of 2-oxazolidinone, in 50-52% yield. To confirm the experimental results, semiempirical AM1 and PM3 calculations of frontier orbital energies have been performed.