Ethyl 2-diazomalonyl chloride. An efficient diazoacylating reagent

Modular Synthesis of Cyclopropane-Fused N-Heterocycles Enabled by Underexplored Diazo Reagents

Cyclopropane-fused N-heterocycles are featured in various biologically active compounds and represent attractive scaffolds in medicinal chemistry. However, synthesis routes to access structurally and functionally diverse cyclopropane-fused N-heterocycles remain underexplored. Leveraging novel α-diazo acylating agents, we report a general approach for the direct and modular synthesis of cyclopropane-fused lactams from unsaturated amines. The operationally simple transformation, which proceeds through successive acylation, (3+2) cycloaddition and fragmentation, tolerates a broad range of functional groups and yields a wide spectrum of complex molecular scaffolds, including fused, bridged and spiro ring systems. We demonstrate the utility of this transformation in the concise syntheses of therapeutic agents milnaciprane and amitifadine.

Polycyclic Ring Formation Using Bis-diazolactams for Cascade Stitching

The chemoselective reaction of donor/acceptor (D/A) and acceptor/acceptor (A/A) diazo moieties in the same molecule was examined using 3-diazo-1-(ethyl 2-diazomalonyl)indolin-2-one under rhodium(II) catalysis. The metallo carbenoid derived from the D/A diazo group is preferentially formed and undergoes selective CH, NH, and OH insertion reactions, cyclopropanation, cyclopropenation, sulfur ylide formation/2,3-sigmatropic rearrangement, as well as nitrogen ylide formation followed by azetidine ring expansion. The initial reaction can be paired with a subsequent tandem cascade sequence involving dipole formation/cycloaddition in either an intra- or intermolecular sense to generate polycyclic N-heterocycles in one pot, with the formation up to three new rings in a single operation. Excellent diastereoselectivity was observed in the intramolecular cycloaddition reaction producing 5 to 7-membered rings.

Synthesis of α-diazo-β-keto esters, phosphonates and sulfones via acylbenzotriazole-mediated acylation of a diazomethyl anion

The N-o-amino-acylbenzotriazoles exhibited an unprecedented transphosphorylation reaction leading to diazoacetyl phenylphosphoramidates.

Rh(II)-catalyzed reactions of differentially substituted bis(diazo) functionalities

The chemoselective reaction of donor/acceptor (D/A) and acceptor/acceptor (A/A) diazo moieties in the same molecule was examined using 3-diazo-1-(ethyl 2-diazomalonyl)indolin-2-one under rhodium(II) catalysis. The D/A diazo group undergoes selective cyclopropanation as well as XH-insertion, leaving behind the second diazo group for a further intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition reaction.

General access to the vinca and tacaman alkaloids using a Rh(II)-catalyzed cyclization/cycloaddition cascade

The total synthesis of several members of the vinca and tacaman classes of indole alkaloids has been accomplished. The central step in the synthesis consists of an intramolecular [3+2]-cycloaddition reaction of an alpha-diazo indoloamide which delivers the pentacyclic skeleton of the natural product in excellent yield. The acid lability of the oxabicyclic structure was exploited to establish the trans-D/E ring fusion of (+/-)-3H-epivincamine (3). Finally, a base induced keto-amide ring contraction was utilized to generate the E-ring of the natural product. A variation of the cascade sequence of reactions used to synthesize (+/-)-3H-epivincamine was also employed for the synthesis of the tacaman alkaloids (+/-)-tacamonine and (+/-)-apotacamine.

The Rhodium(II) Carbenoid Cyclization-Cycloaddition Cascade of alpha-Diazo Dihydroindolinones for the Synthesis of Novel Azapolycyclic Ring Systems

Tandem carbonyl ylide formation-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alpha-diazo N-acetyl-tetrahydro-beta-carbolin-1-one derivatives occur efficiently in the presence of a dirhodium catalyst to afford bimolecular cycloadducts in high yield. The Rh(II)-catalyzed reaction also takes place intramolecularly to give products derived from trapping of the carbonyl ylide dipole with a tethered alkene. The power of the intramolecular cascade sequence is that it rapidly assembles a pentacyclic ring system containing three new stereocenters and two adjacent quaternary centers stereospecifically in a single step and in high yield.

Synthesis of (+/-)-3H-epivincamine via a Rh(II)-triggered cyclization/cycloaddition cascade

A synthesis of (+/-)-3H-epivincamine is reported. Important steps include (1) a Rh(II)-catalyzed intramolecular [3+2]-cycloaddition of an alpha-diazo indolo amide, (2) a reductive ring opening of the cycloadduct, (3) a decarboethoxylation reaction, and (4) a base-induced keto-amide ring contraction.

A Versatile Method for the Synthesis of 3-Alkoxycarbonyl β-Lactam Derivatives

[reaction: see text] Ketene-imine cycloaddition reactions (the Staudinger reaction) of ethoxycarbonyl(phenylthio)ketene with various imines and subsequent desulfurization reactions were employed to synthesize 3-ethoxycarbonyl beta-lactam derivatives. The results indicate that the current approach provides a convenient, mild, and versatile method for synthesizing a variety of 3-alkoxycarbonyl trans-beta-lactam derivatives with good to excellent yields and diastereoselectivities.

The Bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl Group as an Effective N-Protecting Group and Site-Selective Control Element in Rhodium(II)-Catalyzed Reaction of Diazoamides

The intramolecular rhodium(II)-carbenoid-mediated C-H insertion reaction of structurally varied N-bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl,N-substituted diazoamides is studied. It has been found that in tertiary diazoamides the N-bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl (N-BTMSM) group is effective for conformational control about the amide N-C(O) bond; C-H insertion occurs at the other N-substituent. In C(alpha)-branched diazoamides, the N-BTMSM is found also to exert its influence on the conformational preference about the N-C(alpha) bond, which affects the regioselectivity of the C-H insertion in these systems. In unbranched diazoamides, inherent electronic effects of the N-substituent affect the regio- and chemoselectivity of the reaction; however, in branched diazoamides, electronic effects of the N-substituent and the alpha-substituent at the carbenoid carbon are subtle, but important in the deciding the eventual outcome of the reaction.

Dirhodium(II) tetraacetate catalysed reactions of diazo thioamides: isolation and cycloaddition of anhydro-4-hydroxy-1,3-thiazolium hydroxides (thioisomünchnones), an approach to analogues of dehydrogliotoxin

Dirhodium(II) tetraacetate catalysed reaction of the indoline diazo thioamide 8 gives the thioisomünchnone 9, a stable characterisable solid. This masked thiocarbonyl ylide undergoes 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with N-methylmaleimide and maleic anhydride to give the exo-cycloadducts 10 and 11, characterised by X-ray crystallography. The thioisomünchnone 18, derived from diazo thioamide 17, is an extremely stable crystalline mesoionic system which can be characterised by X-ray crystallography but fails to undergo intramolecular cycloaddition. The related thioisomünchnone 19 can be generated by reaction of indoline-2-thione 7 with bromoacetyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine, and undergoes cycloaddition to give adducts 20 and 21.

Synthesis of novel alpha-substituted and alpha,alpha-disubstituted amino acids by rearrangement of ammonium ylides generated from metal carbenoids

[reaction: see text] A new and general four-step synthesis of protected alpha-substituted and alpha,alpha-disubstituted amino acids has been developed. The key step involves intramolecular ammonium ylide generation from a copper carbenoid with concomitant [2,3] rearrangement. The aromatic template serves as a tether, protecting group, and activating group for peptide coupling. The ylide rearrangement products can be converted into protected cyclic amino acids by ring-closing metathesis.

Cyclization–cycloaddition cascades for the construction of azapolycyclic ring systems

Cyclic 2-amidofuranones were obtained from the Rh(II)-catalyzed reaction of alpha-diazoketo substituted pyrrolidine derivatives. These compounds are derived by a [1,4]-hydrogen transfer from an initially formed carbonyl ylide dipole. Acylation of the amido-substituted furanone with pivalyl chloride provided a fused amidofuran, which underwent bimolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition with N-phenylmaleimide. The Rh(II)-catalyzed decomposition of ethyl 2-diazo-3-oxo-(2-oxo-1-pent-4-enoyl-pyrrolidine-3-yl)propionate was also examined. In this case, the alkenyl group tethered to the amido carbonyl underwent smooth intramolecular [4+2]-cycloaddition with the amidofuran obtained from the acylation reaction. An alternate route for the synthesis of cyclic amidofurans was developed using a Pummerer induced cyclization of the thiophenyl substituted acetal derived from the aldol reaction of methoxyphenylsulfanyl acetaldehyde with α-valerolactam. Treatment of the amido-substituted acetal with dimethyl(methylthio)sulfonium tetrafluoroborate (DMTSF) generated an oxonium ion, which readily cyclized onto the adjacent carbonyl group. The amidofuran that was formed underwent an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction when heated at 110°C in toluene. Subsequent ring opening of the transient [4+2]-cycloadduct followed by elimination of methanol and tautomerization of the resulting cyclohexadienone gave rise to the observed phenolic lactam in good overall yield.Key words: intramolecular, cyclization, Diels-Alder, diazo-ketoamide, rhodium(II).