A radical cyclisation approach to pyroglutamates

Tributyltin Hydride-Mediated Tandem reactions of Dehydroalanines Leading to α-Substituted Pyroglutamates

Tributyltin hydride-mediated cyclisation of dehydroalanines produces an intermediate captodative radical, which can be trapped by reaction with oxygen- or carbon-centred radicals or (principally) electron-poor alkenes, to provide a quick approach to a variety of α-substituted pyroglutamates.

Axially Chiral Enamides: Substituent Effects, Rotation Barriers, and Implications for their Cyclization Reactions

The barrier to rotation around the N-alkenyl bond of 38 N-alkenyl-N-alkylacetamide derivatives was measured (ΔG(⧧) rotation varied between <8.0 and 31.0 kcal mol(-1)). The most important factor in controlling the rate of rotation was the level of alkene substitution, followed by the size of the nitrogen substituent and, finally, the size of the acyl substituent. Tertiary enamides with four alkenyl substituents exhibited half-lives for rotation between 5.5 days and 99 years at 298 K, sufficient to isolate enantiomerically enriched atropisomers. The radical cyclizations of a subset of N-alkenyl-N-benzyl-α-haloacetamides exhibiting relatively high barriers to rotation round the N-alkenyl bond (ΔG(⧧) rotation >20 kcal mol(-1)) were studied to determine the regiochemistry of cyclization. Those with high barriers (>27 kcal mol(-1)) did not lead to cyclization, but those with lower values produced highly functionalized γ-lactams via a 5-endo-trig radical-polar crossover process that was terminated by reduction, an unusual cyclopropanation sequence, or trapping with H2O, depending upon the reaction conditions. Because elevated temperatures were necessary for cyclization, this precluded study of the asymmetric transfer in the reaction of individual atropisomers. However, enantiomerically enriched atropsiomeric enamides should be regarded as potential asymmetric building blocks for reactions that can be accomplished at room temperature.

5-Endo-trig radical cyclizations: disfavored or favored processes?

Relative kinetic data were determined for the 5-endo-trig cyclization of radical 12 compared to hydrogen abstraction from (TMS)(3)SiH in the temperature range of 344-430 K, which allows for the estimation of a rate constant of 2 x 10(4) s(-)(1) at 298 K with an activation energy of ca. 9 kcal/mol for the cyclization process. The 5-endo-trig cyclization of a variety of radicals that afford five-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles was addressed computationally at the UB3LYP/6-31G level. The 5-endo vs 4-exo mode of cyclication and the effect of delocalization of the unpaired electron in the transition state were investigated. Because the ring formed during cyclization contains five sp(2) centers, electrocyclization via a pentadienyl-like resonance form was also considered. For comparison, similar calculations were performed for 4-penten-1-yl and related radicals. The factors that affect the activation energies of homolytic 5-endo-trig cyclization were determined. In the absence of steric or conformational effects, the endo cyclization to form the five-membered ring was strongly favored over exo cyclization to form the four-membered ring not only on thermodynamic grounds but also kinetically. When a substituent on the double bond was able to delocalize the unpaired electron in the transition state of the 4-exo path, the two modes of cyclization became kinetically comparable. These results have an important bearing on the generalization of the Baldwin-Beckwith rules, which classified the 5-endo-trig radical cyclization as a "disfavored" process.

A short synthesis of the erythrina skeleton and of (+/-)-alpha-lycorane

[reaction: see text] A new nonchain 5-endo radical cyclization starting with xanthates was exploited in a short synthesis of (+/-)-alpha-lycorane and the erythrina ring system.

The role of the achiral template in enantioselective transformations. Radical conjugate additions to alpha-methacrylates followed by hydrogen atom transfer

We have evaluated various achiral templates (1a-g, 10, and 16) in conjunction with chiral Lewis acids in the conjugate addition of nucleophilic radicals to alpha-methacrylates followed by enantioselective H-atom transfer. Of these, a novel naphthosultam template (10) gave high enantioselectivity in the H-atom-transfer reactions with ee's up to 90%. A chiral Lewis acid derived from MgBr(2) and bisoxazoline (2) gave the highest selectivity in the enantioselective hydrogen-atom-transfer reactions. Non-C(2) symmetric oxazolines (20-25) have also been examined as ligands, and of these, compound 25 gave optimal results (87% yield and 80% ee). Insights into rotamer control in alpha-substituted acrylates and the critical role of the tetrahedral sulfone moiety in realizing high selectivity are discussed.