Differential reactivity of 3H-indole styrylcyanines: Intermolecular [4π + 2π] cycloaddition vs. proton - shift coupled six - electron electrocyclization

Synthesis of new cyclazines and 4,5-diaryl-1H-pyrrol-3(2H)-one units in discoipyrroles from indolizinone-DMAD cycloadducts

The reaction of indolizinones with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate gave direct access to 3',8a-dihydrocyclopenta[hi]indolizin-8a-ol and 1H-pyrrol-3(2H)-one in good yields. The former skeleton is a precursor to cyclazines with nitrogen on the periphery, a hitherto un-accessed 10-π system. Their formation involves initial [4 + 2] or [8 + 2] modes of cycloadditions; the retro-Diels Alder reaction of the [4 + 2] cycloadduct leads to 1H-pyrrol-3(2H)-one, whereas [8 + 2] addition followed by π-reorganization leads to the azatricyle. Analysis of substituent effects on product distribution showed that electron donating groups on the C₃-aryl ring promote the formation of the azatricycle preponderantly. Treatment of one of these azatricycles (3c) with HBF₄ led to the formation of the corresponding 10e-aromatic species which was detected by NMR spectroscopy. In addition, formation of the 1H-pyrrol-3(2H)-one skeleton through the normal retro-Diels Alder pathway was employed in the total synthesis of Discoipyrrole C, which is a new lead against lung cancer.

Asymmetric Organocatalyzed Reaction Sequence To Synthesize Chiral Bridged and Spiro-Bridged Benzofused Aminals via Divergent Pathways

A highly efficient asymmetric organocatalysis-triggered reaction sequence is developed. 2-Hydroxy cinnamaldehydes and cyclic N-sulfonyl ketimines were both used as multisite substrates (more than two reactive sites) to access structurally diverse chiral bridged and spiro-bridged benzofused aminal derivatives, where an inseparable equilibrating mixture of isomers can be regioselectively converted into bridged benzofused aminals with different ring connectivities via divergent pathways. Several stereoselective transformations of the resulted bridged aminals are presented.