Iron(II) Halide Promoted Cyclization of Cyclic 2-Enynamides: Stereoselective Synthesis of Halogenated Bicyclic γ-Lactams

Copper-Catalyzed [2 + 2] Cyclization/Ring Expansion of Ene-Ynamides: Construction of Medium- and Large-Sized Rings

Catalytic cyclization of enynes is an efficient approach for the preparation of cyclic compounds, and a large variety of four- to six-membered rings could be synthesized using this method. However, it has been rarely employed for the construction of medium- and large-sized rings. Herein, we describe a copper-catalyzed cycloisomerization of ene-ynamides through a [2 + 2] cyclization/electrocyclic ring opening cascade, leading to the atom-economical assembly of indole-fused medium- and large-sized rings in moderate to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. Importantly, the synthetic utility of this reaction was demonstrated by the convenient synthesis of iprindole.

A lutidine-promoted photoredox catalytic atom-transfer radical cyclization reaction for the synthesis of 4-bromo-3,3-dialkyl-octahydro-indol-2-ones

Reported herein is a visible-light-catalyzed photoredox atom-transfer radical cyclization (ATRC) halo-alkylation of 1,6-dienes with α-halo-ketones as the ATRC reagent. This process exhibits high atom economy, high step economy, and high redox economy, which can directly construct a 4-bromo-3,3-dialkyl-octahydro-indol-2-one core under mild conditions in one pot, and lutidine is found to be the key promoter for this ATRC process.

Ag-Catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynamide: an intramolecular type II Alder-ene reaction

An unusual type II Alder-ene cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynamide to fused bicyclic N-heterocycles is achieved by silver catalysis. 6-Endo-trig cyclization of a keteneiminium silver intermediate is proposed as the key step.

Direct Transformation of N-Protected α,β-Unsaturated γ-Amino Amides into γ-Lactams through a Base-Mediated Molecular Rearrangement

Here, we are reporting a single-step transformation of N-protected α,β-unsaturated γ-amino amides into 5,5-disubstituted γ-lactams through a base-mediated new molecular rearrangement. In contrast to the known N- to C(O) cyclization of saturated γ-amino acids into corresponding γ-lactams, the new rearrangement involves the cyclization between N-terminal C^γ- to C-terminal amide N. The cyclization process was initiated by the migration of double bond from α,β → β,γ position. The enamine-imine tautomerization of the new β,γ-double bond and subsequent 5-exo-trig cyclization of terminal amide leads to the formation of N-protected 5,5-disubstituted γ-lactam. The structures of various γ-lactams obtained from the rearrangement were studied in single crystals. Overall, the results reported here demonstrate the facile and single-step transformation of N-protected α,β-unsaturated γ-amino amides into γ-lactams and provided an excellent opportunity to construct small-molecule peptidomimetics.

N-Heterocycle-Forming Amino/Carboperfluoroalkylations of Aminoalkenes by Using Perfluoro Acid Anhydrides: Mechanistic Studies and Applications Directed Toward Perfluoroalkylated Compound Libraries

This work describes a practical and efficient method for synthesizing a diverse array of perfluoroalkylated amines, including N-heterocycles, to afford perfluoroalkylated chemical libraries as potential sources of drug candidates, agrochemicals, and probe molecules for chemical-biology research. Perfluoro acid anhydrides, which are commonly used in organic synthesis, were employed as a perfluoroalkyl source for intramolecular amino- and carbo-perfluoroalkylations of aminoalkenes, affording perfluoroalkylated N-heterocycles, including: aziridines, pyrrolidines, benzothiazinane dioxides, indolines, and hydroisoquinolinones. Diacyl peroxides were generated in situ from the perfluoro acid anhydrides with urea·H₂O₂, and allowed to react with aminoalkenes in the presence of copper catalyst to control the product selectivity between amino- and carbo-perfluoroalkylations. To illustrate the synthetic utility of bench-stable trifluoromethylated aziridine, which was prepared on a gram scale, we used it to synthesize a wide variety of trifluoromethylated amines including complex molecules, such as trifluoromethylated tetrahydroharmine and spiroindolone. A mechanistic study of the role of the copper catalyst in the aminotrifluoromethylation of allylamine suggested that Cu(I) accelerates CF₃ radical formation via decomposition of diacyl peroxide, which appears to be the turnover-limiting step, while Cu(II) controls the product selectivity.

Gold-Catalyzed Stereoselective Synthesis of Bicyclic Lactams and Ketones from N-Tosylynamidomethyl-Tethered Cyclohexenes

Six-membered ring 3-enynamides underwent cycloisomerization in the presence of a catalytic amount of a gold(I) complex delivering mainly 4-azatricyclo[4.3.1.0^3,10]dec-2-ene derivatives and dibenz[cd,f]indole derivatives as the minor products under mild reaction conditions. Upon exposure to air, most aryl-substituted azatricycles led to bicyclic γ-lactams, while the ortho-tolyl- or alkyl-substituted azatricycles provided the corresponding bicyclic γ-lactams after oxidation with osmium tetraoxide and N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide. Under acidic conditions, the ortho-tolyl- or alkyl-substituted azatricycles were further transformed into 5-N-tosylaminomethyl-tethered bicyclo[4.2.0]octan-7-ones. The gold(I)-catalyzed tandem cycloisomerization/oxidation reaction also provided a new route for the synthesis of bridged bicyclic δ-lactams from six-membered ring 4-enynamides. The mild reaction conditions allowed the synthesis of a range of bicyclic γ- and δ-lactams and N-tosylaminomethyl-tethered bicyclo[4.2.0]octan-7-ones with high diastereoselectivities.

Construction of Polycyclic γ-Lactams and Related Heterocycles via Electron Catalysis

Cascade radical cyclization of 1,6-enynes for the construction of biologically important polycyclic γ-lactams and related heterocycles is reported. In these radical cascade processes, three new C–C bonds are formed and transition metals are not required to run these sequences. The mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope, and the importance of the heterocyclic products render the approach valuable.