Cascade addition-cyclization

Naito described the use of indium metal to initiate a radical addition/cyclization cascade in aqueous media. Stirring a mixture of isopropyl iodide, 453, and indium powder in water at 20 °C for 2h produced lactam 454 in 63% yield as a 3 l-mixture of trans- and (Tv-isomers (02OL3835). The reaction of sulfonamide 455 under similar conditions led to the isolation of sultam 456 as a 1 1.5-mixture of isomers in 81% yield. 

The stereoselective vinylogous Michael addition-cyclization cascade of alkylidene malononitriles and 3-alkylideneoxindoles was effectively catalyzed by rosin-derived thiourea 36 to give spirocyclic oxindoles with excellent stereoselectivity (Scheme 35) [61]. Although simple thiourea 20 (see Scheme 16) provided low stereoselectivity (dr = 3 1, 29% ee), introduction of the rosin unit into the thiourea core significantly improved the diastereoselectivity to >20 1 the pyrrolidine structure was essential for high enantioselectivity. The effect of the chirality of the rosin component on the absolute stereocontrol was negligible and, thus, the major proposed role of this structural unit was to increase the steric hindrance of the catalyst. One of the salient features of this protocol is the... 

Scheme 35 Vinylogous Michael addition-cyclization cascade reaction to form spiro-oxindoles...

In a closely related reaction, silver salts, and especially AgOTf, catalyzed a nucleophilic addition-cyclization cascade toward 2-alkynyl enones. In the presence of methanol as nucleophile, this reaction led to the formation of substituted furans (eq 49). ... 

Additionally, dimedone derivative 241 and propargylamine 234 could be combined to give the alkynyl vinyl amine 242. The rearrangement/cyclization cascade could be induced upon heating until reflux in chlorobenzene. The an-... 

Balme G, Bouyssi D, Monteiro N (2006) The Virtue of Michael-Type Addition Processes in the Design of Transition Metal-Promoted Cyclizative Cascade Reactions. 19 115-148 Barluenga J, Rodriguez F, Fanands FJ, Fldrez J (2004) Cycloaddition Reaction of Group 6 Fischer Carbene Complexes. 23 59-121 Basset J-M, see Candy J-P (2005) 16 151-210... 

Cascade Addition-Cyclization Reactions Given the importance of cascade reactions in modem chemical synthesis, the MacMillan group has proposed expansion of the realm of iminium catalysis to include the activation of tandem bond-forming processes, with a view toward the rapid constraction of natural products. In this context, the addition-cyclization of tryptamines with a,p-unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of imidazolidinone catalysts 11 or 15 has been accomplished to provide pyrroloindoline adducts in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (Scheme 11.3a). This transformation is successful... 

On addition of S04 to the triple bond in the lO-member cycloalkyne 24 and cyclo-aUcynone 27, a nonchain, and anionic, self-terminating radical cyclization cascade is induced. In the former reaction (equation 22) the bicyclic ketones 25 and 26 are formed, and in the latter reaction (equation 23) the a,/3-epoxy ketones 28 and 29 are formed in good yields. Because of the difficulty of oxidizing isolated triple bonds, 804 does not react as an electron-transfer reagent in these reactions but acts as a donor of atomic oxygen. 

Four cationic palladium intermediates in the Pd(0)-catalysed three-component cascade double addition-cyclization of organic halides, 2-(2,3-allenyl)malonates, and imines have been characterized by the high-resolution ESI-FTMS technology.84... 

The Virtue of Michael-Type Addition Processes in the Design of Transition Metal-Promoted Cyclizative Cascade Reactions... 

Intermolecular Addition-Indole Cyclization Cascade Reactions... 

The intermolecular radical addition of alkyl iodides to terminal alkynes has been used in cyclization cascades performed under radical chain conditions (Scheme 2.3). For example, Oshima and coworkers applied triethylborane as radical initiator to... 

In contrast to intramolecular cyclizations, the intermolecular addition of O-centered radicals to ti systems as initiating step in complex radical cyclization cascades has only recently attracted considerable attention. The reason for the low number of papers published on O radical addition to alkenes and alkynes could originate from the perception that O-centered radicals, such as alkoxyl radicals, RO, or acyloxyl radicals, RC(0)0", may not react with 7t systems through addition at rates that are competitive to other pathways, for example, allylic hydrogen abstraction and p-fragmentation in the case of RO" or decarboxylation in the case of RC(0)0" (Scheme 2.9). 

Since the computational studies support the general perception of good or poor leaving groups in self-terminating radical reactions, but clearly contradict the experimental findings, radical cyclization cascades initiated by N-centered radical addition to alkynes are not terminated by homolytic p-fragmentation. 

One of the earliest radical cyclization cascades initiated by addition of S-centered radicals to alkynes was reported in 1987 by Broka and Reichert (Scheme 2.25). Thiophenyl radicals, PhS, which were generated under radical chain conditions, undergo addition to the terminal end of the C = C triple bond in enyne 138. The resulting vinyl radical 141 can undergo cychzation in both 6-endo (preferred) and 5-exo fashion, and reduction of the radical intermediates 142 and 143 leads to the final observed products 139 and 140, respectively. 

A diastereoselective formal addition of a 7ra i-2-(phenylthio)vmyl moiety to a-hydroxyhydrazones through a radical pathway is shown in Scheme 2.29. To overcome the lack of a viable intermolecular vinyl radical addition to C=N double bonds, not to mention a reaction proceeding with stereocontrol, this procedure employs a temporary silicon tether, which is used to hold the alkyne unit in place so that the vinyl radical addition could proceed intramolecularly. Thus, intermolecular addition of PhS" to the alkyne moiety in the chiral alkyne 161 leads to vinyl radical 163, which cyclizes in a 5-exo fashion, according to the Beckwith-Houk predictions, to give aminyl radical 164 with an a 7z-arrangement between the ether and the amino group. Radical reduction and removal of the silicon tether without prior isolation of the end product of the radical cyclization cascade, 165, yields the a-amino alcohol 162. This strategy, which could also be applied to the diastereoselective synthesis of polyhydroxylated amines (not shown), can be considered as synthetic equivalent of an acetaldehyde Mannich reaction with acyclic stereocontrol. 

Renaud and coworkers applied a radical addition/translocation/cyclization cascade as a key step in the diastereoselective synthesis of the spirocyclic compound (—)-erythrodiene 168 (Scheme 2.30). Addition of photogenerated PhS to the terminal... 

A related radical addition/5-exo cyclization cascade involving addition of sulfonyl radicals to alkynes has been used for the diastereoselective synthesis of bicyclic p-lactams 182 from the p-lactamic enyne precursor 181 (Scheme 2.33). In this radical chain sequence, where tosyl bromide is used as source of sulfonyl radicals, the final product is a mixture of epimers (90 10) at the newly formed exocyclic chiral center. 

However, their intermolecular addition reactions with alkynes are mostly aimed at synthesizing substituted aLkenes, ° and only very few cascade reactions that are initiated by P radical addition to C = C triple bonds have been reported. Renaud and coworkers developed a simple one-pot procedure for the cyclization of terminal alkynes mediated by dialkyl phosphites (Scheme 2.35). In this radical chain procedure, dialkyl phosphite radicals, (R0)2P =0, undergo addition to the C = C triple bond in 190, which triggers a radical translocation (l,5-HAT)/5-eAO cyclization cascade. The sequence is terminated by hydrogen transfer from dialkyl phosphite to the intermediate 194 and regeneration of P-centered radicals. 

Terpene synthases, also known as terpene cyclases because most of their products are cyclic, utilize a carbocationic reaction mechanism very similar to that employed by the prenyltransferases. Numerous experiments with inhibitors, substrate analogues and chemical model systems (Croteau, 1987 Cane, 1990, 1998) have revealed that the reaction usually begins with the divalent metal ion-assisted cleavage of the diphosphate moiety (Fig. 5.6). The resulting allylic carbocation may then cyclize by addition of the resonance-stabilized cationic centre to one of the other carbon-carbon double bonds in the substrate. The cyclization is followed by a series of rearrangements that may include hydride shifts, alkyl shifts, deprotonation, reprotonation and additional cyclizations, all mediated through enzyme-bound carbocationic intermed iates. The reaction cascade terminates by deprotonation of the cation to an olefin or capture by a nucleophile, such as water. Since the native substrates of terpene synthases are all configured with trans (E) double bonds, they are unable to cyclize directly to many of the carbon skeletons found in nature. In such cases, the cyclization process is preceded by isomerization of the initial carbocation to an intermediate capable of cyclization. 

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