Competitive Copper Catalysis in the Condensation of Primary Nitro Compounds with Terminal Alkynes: Synthesis of Isoxazoles

Probing Reactivity with External Forces: The Case of Nitroacetamides in Water

Many computational methods have been applied to interpret and predict changes in reactivity by slight modifications of a given molecular scaffold. We describe a novel and simple method based on approximate density-functional theory of valence electrons that can be applied within a large high-performance computational infrastructure to probe such changes using a statistical sample of molecular configurations, including the solvent. All the used computational tools are fully open-source. Following our previous application, we are able to explain the high acidity of C-H bond at α position in nitro compounds when the amide linkage an ammonium group is inserted into the α substituent.

Primary nitro compounds: progress in the synthesis of isoxazoles by condensation with aldehydes or activated ketones

Among the known strategies directed towards the synthesis of isoxazole derivatives, the reactions of aldehydes with primary nitro compounds deserve a comprehensive treatment, including the historical development as well as the more recent applications. The reactions of aldehydes with primary nitro compounds in a 1 : 2 molar ratio have been shown to lead to isoxazoline-N-oxides or isoxazole derivatives, via β-dinitro derivatives. Several modifications of the process allowed the formation of products bearing substituents at various positions of the heterocyclic ring with control of regioselectivity. Ketones are reported to react with primary nitro compounds, only if activated (β-diketones, α-nitroketones, or strained ketones), to give isoxazole derivatives. Symmetric 2,4-dinitroglutarates formed from aromatic aldehydes and nitroacetate undergo ring closure to form isoxazole derivatives or, according to reaction conditions, 5-hydroxy-6-oxo-4-aryl-6H-1,2-oxazine-3-carboxylates ("oxazinones"), by loss of alcohol instead of water. Isoxazole-4-carbaldehydes are obtained by the reaction of 3-oxetanone with primary nitro compounds.

Oxidize Amines to Nitrile Oxides: One Type of Amine Oxidation and Its Application to Directly Construct Isoxazoles and Isoxazolines

A facile oxidative heterocyclization of commercially available amines and tert-butyl nitrite with alkynes or alkenes leading to isoxazoles or isoxazolines is described. The unprecedented strategy of the oxidation of an amine directly to a nitrile oxide was used in this cyclization process. This reaction is highly efficient, regiospecific, operationally simple, mild, and tolerant of a variety of functional groups. Control experiments support a nitrile oxide intermediate mechanism for this novel class of oxidative cyclization reactions. Moreover, synthetic applications toward bioactive molecular skeletons and the late-stage modification of drugs were realized.

Copper-Catalyzed Cascade Cyclization Reactions of Diazo Compounds with tert-Butyl Nitrite and Alkynes: One-Pot Synthesis of Isoxazoles

A novel copper-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of alkynes with nitrile oxides generated in situ from the coupling reaction of copper carbene and nitroso radical has been developed. The three-component reaction provides a simple and efficient method for the construction of isoxazoles in a highly regioselective manner in a single step. On the basis of the experimental results and density functional theory calculations, a catalytic cycle (Cu^I-Cu^II-Cu⁰-Cu^I) for this cascade cyclization reaction is proposed.

Harnessing the TEMPO-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation for Machetti-De Sarlo Reaction toward Sustainable Synthesis of Isoxazole Libraries

A practical synthesis of isoxazole/isoxazoline derivatives via Machetti-De Sarlo reaction under sustainable conditions has been accomplished. This protocol involves the use of readily available 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPO) to catalyze the cyclocondensation of primary nitroalkanes with alkynes/alkenes to afford a library of isoxazole/isoxazoline products. From an eco-benign perspective, notable advantages of this method are as follows: (i) water as the solvent, (ii) air as the oxidant, (iii) transition metal-free, (iv) no base required, (v) no toxic byproduct, (vi) no need of solvent extraction, (vii) diverse substrate scope, (viii) high chemical yields, (ix) excellent chemo- and regioselectivity, (x) short reaction time, (xi) gram-scale synthesis, (xii) extension to heterogeneous version, and (xiii) catalyst recyclability. For these reasons, the developed method is appropriate for safe laboratory use and can be expected to inspire the progress of TEMPO-based organocatalysis for the preparation of isoxazole/isoxazoline moieties in an environmentally benign fashion.

Indium- and zinc-catalyzed enantioselective amide propargylation of aldehydes with stannylated allenyl amides

The catalytic enantioselective propargylation of aldehydes with newly prepared stannyl allenyl amides is described. The reaction has been accomplished by using catalytic amounts of indium chloride, zinc chloride, and a chiral BINOL derivative, affording amide-functionalized homopropargyl alcohols in excellent yields and enantioselectivities.

Employment of α-nitroketones in organic synthesis

This review summarizes the recent developments of the reactions of α-nitroketones and the consequent formation of a variety of structural frameworks is discussed.