Photochemical transformations of some β-substituted enones

The Paternò–Büchi reaction – a comprehensive review

This review represents the most complete description of the scientific results obtained on a photochemical reaction described 110 years ago by an Italian scientist.

Tandem intramolecular photocycloaddition-retro-Mannich fragmentation as a route to spiro[pyrrolidine-3,3'-oxindoles]. Total synthesis of (+/-)-coerulescine, (+/-)-horsfiline, (+/-)-elacomine, and (+/-)-6-deoxyelacomine

Irradiation of a tryptamine linked through its side-chain nitrogen to an alkylidene malonate residue results in an intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition to the indole 2,3-double bond. The resultant cyclobutane undergoes spontaneous retro-Mannich fission to produce a spiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrolenine] with relative configuration defined by the orientation of substituents in the transient cyclobutane. The tandem intramolecular photocycloaddition-retro-Mannich process, abbreviated as TIPCARM, leads to a spiropyrrolidine which is poised to undergo a second retro-Mannich fragmentation that expels the malonate unit and generates transiently an indolenine. The latter undergoes rearrangement to a beta-carboline, which upon brominative oxidation undergoes further rearrangement to an oxindole. With tryptamine as starting material, the entire sequence leads to the alkaloid (+/-)-coerulescine. Starting from 5-methoxytryptamine, a parallel series affords (+/-)-horsfiline. Modification of the malonylidene unit to include an isobutyl substituent at C3 affords a photosubstrate which also undergoes the TIPCARM process. In this case, a 2'-isobutyl-substituted spiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrolenine] results. This undergoes stereoselective hydride reduction to give a product with relative orientation at the spiro carbon and the new stereocenter bearing the isobutyl appendage corresponding to that of the alkaloid elacomine. From tryptamine, the sequence paralleling that leading to coerulescine and horsfiline terminates at 6-deoxyelacomine, whereas 6-methoxytryptamine as starting material affords (+/-)-elacomine itself.

The photochemistry of trans-isohumulone, a bitter flavouring component of beer

Methanolic solutions of trans-isohumulone (2), a major bitter flavouring component in beer, were irradiated with UV light of 313 nm wavelength and yielded four primary products containing an enolized cyclic β-triketone moiety: cis-isohumulone (3), humulone (1), dehydro-isohumulone (7), and dehydro-humulinic acid (5). The last of these products results from loss of the 4-methyl-3-pentenoyl side chain of trans-isohumulone. Nine volatile products derived from this side chain were identified and quantitated. The identifications of all photoproducts were confirmed by independent preparation of authentic samples. No evidence of either intramolecular or intermolecular 2+2 cyclo-addition was observed. This work clarifies previous contradictory reports of the products of isohumulone photolysis and provides an example of unexpected photochemistry of an alkenyl-substituted enolized cyclic β-triketone.Key words: trans-isohumulone, photo-degradation, cyclic β-triketone.

Tandem Photocycloaddition−Retro-Mannich Fragmentation of Enaminones. A Route to Spiropyrrolines and the Tetracyclic Core of Koumine

[reaction: see text] Intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of beta-aminoalkylidene malonates gives transiently a cyclobutane which undergoes retro-Mannich fragmentation to a Delta(1)-pyrroline. The tandem sequence, exemplified in two series based on tryptamine and aminoethyl-1,4-cyclohexadiene, leads to a spiroindolopyrroline skeleton and to the nonindolenine portion of koumine.