Substrate dependence in aqueous Diels-Alder reactions of cyclohexadiene derivatives with 1,4-benzoquinone

Asymmetric total syntheses of sarglamides A, C, D, E, and F

Sarglamides A-E were identified as a structurally new class of alkaloids with potential application for inflammation-associated diseases. Reported is the first asymmetric total synthesis of sarglamides A, C, D, E, and F within 7 steps, featuring an intermolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition of (S)-phellandrene and 1,4-benzoquinone and intramolecular (aza-)Michael addition to construct the tetracyclic core of sarglamides. Importantly, our work demonstrated that the hypothetic Diels-Alder reaction of α-phellandrene with dienophile toussaintine C (or analogues) originally proposed as a biosynthetic pathway was not viable under non-enzymatic conditions. Additionally, we discovered novel and efficient double cyclization (cycloetherification and oxa-Michael cyclization) to construct the core framework of sarglamides E and D. Our concise synthetic strategy might allow rapid access to a library of sarglamide analogues for further evaluation of their bioactivity and mode of action.

Access to cyclohexadiene and benzofuran derivatives via catalytic arene cyclopropanation of α-cyanodiazocarbonyl compounds

The arene cyclopropanation between diazo compounds and benzene is well known to produce a tautomeric mixture of norcaradiene and cycloheptatriene in favour of the latter species. Nevertheless, previous studies have suggested that the initially formed norcaradiene can be stabilized by a C-7 cyano group with prevention of its 6π-electrocyclic ring opening. According to this feature, a synthetic route to functionalized cyclohexadienes has been designed using α-cyanodiazoacetates and α-diazo-β-ketonitriles as the starting materials, respectively. The Rh2(esp)2-catalyzed arene cyclopropanation of α-cyanodiazoacetates in benzene afforded the expected 7-alkoxycarbonyl-7-cyanonorcaradienes as isolable compounds, which then served as templates for the second cyclopropanation with ethyl diazoacetate or α-cyanodiazocarbonyls to enable the formation of bis(cyclopropanated) adducts. Their subsequent treatment with SmI2 triggered a double ring-opening process, allowing for the generation of 1,4- and/or 1,3-cyclohexadienes as either regio- or diastereomeric mixtures. On the other hand, the norcaradienes generated from phenyl- or methyl-substituted α-diazo-β-ketonitriles were found to undergo an in situ rearrangement to yield dihydrobenzofurans that could be converted to benzofuran derivatives by DDQ oxidation.

Diels–Alder reactions between cyclopentadiene analogs and benzoquinone in water and their application in the synthesis of polycyclic cage compounds

Diels–Alder reactions between cyclopentadiene analogs and p-benzoquinone were explored in water and yielded 83–97% product, higher than the results reported in water with a catalyst or cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) micelles. The novel adduct 10 was synthesized and further used to synthesize the bi-cage hydrocarbon 4,4′-spirobi[pentacyclo[5.4.0.0^2,6.0^3,10.0^5,9]undecane], which has a high density (1.2663 g cm⁻³) and a high volumetric heat of combustion (53.353 MJ L⁻¹). Four novel bi-cage hydrocarbon compounds were synthesized in water using this method starting from 2,2′-bi(p-benzoquinone) and cyclopentadiene analogs.

Diels–Alder reactions between cyclopentadiene analogs and p-benzoquinone were explored in water and yielded 83–97% product, higher than the results reported in water with a catalyst or cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) micelles.

Monomer design strategies to create natural product-based polymer materials

In an effort towards enhancing function and sustainability, natural products have become of interest in the field of polymer chemistry.

Aromatisation in Adducts of α-Terpinene: Influence of Hindered Internal Rotations

Each adduct of α-terpinene with p-quinone and 1,4-naphthoquinone in Ac2O/Et3N at 180 °C gives two aromatic products, one of which had a distinctive smell formed by the loss of an ethylene group. Here, we report the crystal structure of (1RS, 4RS)-1-isopropyl-4-methyl-1,4-dihydro-1,4-ethanoanthracene-9,10-diyl diacetate. It is crystallised in an orthorhombic space group, Pbca, with cell dimensions a = 10.2899(7), b = 19.7804(9), c = 19.7519(8) Å and Z = 8. According to its NMR and X-ray diffraction data, the isopropyl and acetate groups slowly rotate.

Theoretical Study of Solvent and Substituent Effects on the Reactions of 1,4-Benzoquinone with Cyclopentadiene and Cyclohexadiene

Ab initio quantum mechanics and ONIOM calculations were used to study solvent and substituent effects on the reactions of 1,4-benzoquinone with cyclopentadiene and cyclohexadiene derivatives in tetrahydrofuran and greater water solvents. These calculations revealed (i) that increasing the number of electron donating methyl group substituents and (ii) the proximity of substituents to the reacting carbons (carbon atoms which contribute to the forming C—C bonds) on the diene, promote charge transfer from the diene to the dienophile in the transition state. These effects increase the negative charge on the oxygen atoms, destabilize the transition state in the organic solvent by increasing steric interactions, and stabilize the transition state in water solvent by increasing the strength of hydrogen bonding. These results, along with consideration of variations in the solvent-accessible surface area (SASA) confirmed that the dramatic acceleration in the rate of the studied reactions in water solvent arise in part from hydrophobic association of the reactants, but predominantly arise from hydrogen bonding between water molecules and the polarized transition state.

Aqueous Ti(IV)-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction

The aqueous Diels-Alder reaction of 1,3-cyclohexadiene with 1,4-benzoquinone was compared and contrasted to the same reaction catalyzed with Flextyl P, a novel Ti(IV) performance catalyst. The catalyst improved conversion by 22% versus the uncatalyzed reaction and represents a rare example of a Ti(IV) catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction in water.