Intramolecular Cyclization Manifolds of 4-Alkylpyridines Bearing Ambiphilic Side Chains: Construction of Spirodihydropyridines or Benzylic Cyclization via Anhydrobase Intermediates

Nucleophilic Dearomatization of Activated Pyridines

Amongst nitrogen heterocycles of different ring sizes and oxidation statuses, dihydropyridines (DHP) occupy a prominent role due to their synthetic versatility and occurrence in medicinally relevant compounds. One of the most straightforward synthetic approaches to polysubstituted DHP derivatives is provided by nucleophilic dearomatization of readily assembled pyridines. In this article, we collect and summarize nucleophilic dearomatization reactions of - pyridines reported in the literature between 2010 and mid-2018, complementing and updating previous reviews published in the early 2010s dedicated to various aspects of pyridine chemistry. Since functionalization of the pyridine nitrogen, rendering a (transient) pyridinium ion, is usually required to render the pyridine nucleus sufficiently electrophilic to suffer the attack of a nucleophile, the material is organized according to the type of N-functionalization. A variety of nucleophilic species (organometallic reagents, enolates, heteroaromatics, umpoled aldehydes) can be productively engaged in pyridine dearomatization reactions, including catalytic asymmetric implementations, providing useful and efficient synthetic platforms to (enantioenriched) DHPs. Conversely, pyridine nitrogen functionalization can also lead to pyridinium ylides. These dipolar species can undergo a variety of dipolar cycloaddition reactions with electron-poor dipolarophiles, affording polycyclic frameworks and embedding a DHP moiety in their structures.

Alkylidene Dihydropyridines As Synthetic Intermediates: Model Studies toward the Synthesis of the Bis(piperidine) Alkaloid Xestoproxamine C

Results of model studies demonstrating a stereoselective synthetic route to tricyclic analogues of the bis(piperidine) alkaloid xestoproxamine C are presented. Dearomatization of a tricyclic pyridine derivative to afford an alkylidene dihydropyridine (anhydrobase) intermediate followed by catalytic heterogeneous hydrogenation was used to install the correct relative stereochemistry about the bis(piperidine) ring system. Other key features of these model studies include development of an efficient ring-closing metathesis procedure to prepare macrocyclic derivatives of 3,4-disusbstituted pyridines, intramolecular cyclizations of alkylidene dihydropyridines to establish pyridine-substituted pyrrolidines and piperidines, successful homologation of pyridine-4-carboxaldehydes using formaldehyde dimethyl thioacetal monoxide (FAMSO), and application of B-alkyl Suzuki coupling to assemble substituted pyridines.

Brønsted acid catalyzed intramolecular benzylic cyclizations of alkylpyridines

Aldehyde and ketone electrophiles incorporated into the side chains of 2- and 4-alkylpyridines participate in intramolecular aldol-like condensations with pyridine benzylic carbons in the presence of Brønsted acid catalysts.