Recent developments in alkaloid synthesis

Synthetic studies in the intramolecular carbocyclization of N-acyloxyiminium ions. Stereoelectronic and steric implications of nucleophilic alkene, alkyne, and allene tethers

N-Acyloxyiminium ions generated from 4-substituted l-pyroglutamic esters with 4-(3-butenyl), 4-(3-butynyl), 4-(3-cinnamylmethyl), and 4-allenic tethers undergo rapid Lewis acid mediated carbocyclization to give stereodefined azacyclic compounds depending on the nature of the nucleophilic tether. In general, reactions of alkenes and alkynes with terminal alkyl or aryl substituents, as well as allenes, proceed through transient vinylic carbocations that are attacked internally by the N-Boc group to give tricyclic dihydrooxazinones. Diastereotopic bis-4-(3-butenyl) and 4-(3-butynyl) tethers undergo stereochemically controlled attack favoring an antiperiplanar rather than synclinal approach to give enantiopure 6-halo octahydroindole-2-carboxylic acids and 6-halo hexahydroindole-2-carboxylic acids as their methyl esters, respectively. The aza bicyclic and tricyclic compounds are excellent scaffolds for diversification.

Synthesis of N-Substituted γ-Methylene γ-Lactams

N-Substituted cyanoacetamides 1 were condensed with 1,2-diketones 2 under base catalysis to form γ-hydroxy γ-lactams 3. Treatment of 3 with acids gave novel fungicidal γ-methylene γ-lactams 4. The exocyclic double bond of 4b reacted reversibly with 4-toluene sulfinate.

Triflic anhydride mediated cyclization of 5-hydroxy-substituted pyrrolidinones for the preparation of alpha-trifluoromethylsulfonamido furans

The reaction of alpha-angelica lactone with alkylamines under aqueous conditions afforded 5-hydroxy-5-methylpyrrolidinones in high yield. When the reaction was carried out under anhydrous conditions, the only products obtained were the corresponding 4-oxopentanoic acid amides. Treatment of either class of compound with triflic anhydride (Tf(2)O) in pyridine resulted in the formation of various substituted sulfonamidofurans. The suggested mechanism involves initial formation of an iminium ion which is subsequently transformed into a transient imino triflate. Cyclization of the highly electrophilic imine onto the oxygen atom of the adjacent carbonyl group generates an imino dihydrofuran intermediate. This species reacts further with another equivalent of Tf(2)O to give the observed product. The nature of the Lewis acid used was found to affect the outcome of the cyclization reaction. In certain cases, the sulfonamide furan was utilized as a cycloaddition substrate for the synthesis of indolines and related heterocyclic systems.

Pi-aromatic and sulfur nucleophilic partners in cationic pi-cyclizations: intramolecular amidoalkylation and thioamidoalkylation cyclization via omega-carbinol lactams(1, 2)

NaBH(4) reduction of imides 1 and 6a,b,c followed by a pi-cyclization of the resultant N-acyliminium ions, generated in trifluoroacetic acid conditions, afforded two positional isomers, isoindolobenzothiazolinones 4 and 8, respectively. These ring closures proceeded via an intramolecular alpha-amidoalkylation with the classical pi-aromatic or the atypical sulfur atom as an internal nucleophile. A ready access to the related six-membered N,S-heterocyclic compounds such as isoindolobenzothiazinones 20a and 21a is also described. During this reaction, we have shown that omega-carbinol lactam precursor 14a led to endocyclic and exocyclic N-acyliminium ions 18a and 19a in equilibrium via the cyclic aza-sulfonium ion A. The latter furnished the expected products 20a and 21a in good yields. Similarly, different omega-carbinol lactams 14b-e substituted at C-angular position afforded the corresponding isoindolobenzothiazinones 20b-e and 21b-e bearing an angular alkyl, aralkyl, or aryl group. In the case of methyl 14b and benzyl 14e groups, an additional amount of the dehydration products 16b and 31 was isolated. These results indicate that the isomerization-pi-cyclization takes place via the cleavage of the thioether linkage in acidic medium.

An Oxidative Mannich Cyclization Methodology for the Stereocontrolled Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Piperidines

Studies focusing on the development and application of a new oxidative methodology for promoting Mannich cyclizations have been conducted. The general features of these processes were explored with selected alpha-silylamino and alpha-silylamido allyl- and vinylsilanes. Representative conditions for affecting conversion of the alpha-silylamine and -amide functionalities into intermediate N-alkyl and N-acyliminium cations involve either 9,10-dicyanoanthracene SET-sensitized photooxidation or ceric ammonium or tetra-n-butylammonium nitrate oxidations. The applicability of these procedures for promoting Mannich cyclizations was first demonstrated by the preparation of methylidenepiperidines and -hydroazepines. Further studies have led to observations which show that Mannich cyclizations of stereochemically labeled alpha-silylamino vinylsilanes proceed to furnish tetrahydropyridines. Also, unlike their amine analogues, alpha-silylamido (E)-vinylsilanes undergo cyclization to produce tetrahydropyridines with retention of absolute and relative stereochemistry. The differences are due to the fact that N-acyliminium cations serve as intermediates in reactions of the alpha-silylamide systems. Moreover, the oxidation procedure is ideally suited for intermediate N-acyliminium cation generation in stereocontrolled reactions of alpha-silylamido allylsilanes. Finally, the preparative utility of the new cyclization method, when used in conjunction with an alpha-amino acid based strategy for substrate generation, was demonstrated by applications in concise routes for the synthesis of the aza-sugars, (-)-1-deoxymannojirimycin and (+)-1-deoxyallonojirimycin.

Tandem Dipolar Cycloaddition-Mannich Cyclization as an Approach to Tricyclic Nitrogen Heterocycles

A series of 2-diazo-N-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl]-N-hept-6-enoylmalonamides were prepared and treated with a catalytic amount of rhodium(II) perfluorobutyrate. The resultant carbenoids undergo facile cyclization onto the neighboring amide carbonyl oxygen atom to generate isomünchnone-type intermediates. Subsequent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition across the pendant olefin affords intramolecular cycloadducts in high yield. Exposure of these cycloadducts to boron trifluoride etherate results in a Lewis acid-induced ring opening to generate N-acyliminium ions which then undergo Mannich cyclization onto the neighboring pi-framework attached to the amide nitrogen atom. The cis stereochemistry of the resulting A/B ring fusion is analogous to similar erythrinane products obtained via a Mondon-enamide-type cyclization. The stereochemical assignment of the final cyclized products was determined by X-ray crystallography. Molecular mechanics calculations show that the ground state energy of the cis-fused diastereomer is 4.6 kcal lower than that of the trans diastereomer, and presumably some of this thermodynamic energy difference is reflected in the transition state for cyclization. In certain cases, proton loss from the initially formed N-acyliminium ion occurs prior to cyclization to give acyl enamides which subsequently cyclize producing epimeric products.