Heterocyclic allenes

Lately a third type of transition state has been favored for [2 + 2] cycloadditions forming carbocyclic and heterocyclic four-membered rings. The experimental data on the addition of diarylketenes to arylethylenes are well accommodated by the [ 2s + 2s + 2s] process proposed by Baldwin (70JA4874). The steric effects on the cycloaddition of allenes to ketenes also favor this mechanism (76JA7698). 

Four-membered heterocycles are easily formed via [2-I-2] cycloaddition reac tions [65] These cycloaddmon reactions normally represent multistep processes with dipolar or biradical intermediates The fact that heterocumulenes, like isocyanates, react with electron-deficient C=X systems is well-known [116] Via this route, (1 lactones are formed on addition of ketene derivatives to hexafluoroacetone [117, 118] The presence of a trifluoromethyl group adjacent to the C=N bond in quinoxalines, 1,4-benzoxazin-2-ones, l,2,4-triazm-5-ones, and l,2,4-tnazin-3,5-diones accelerates [2-I-2] photocycloaddition processes with ketenes and allenes [106] to yield the corresponding azetidine derivatives Starting from olefins, fluonnaied oxetanes are formed thermally and photochemically [119, 120] The reaction of 5//-l,2-azaphospholes with fluonnated ketones leads to [2-i-2j cycloadducts [121] (equation 27)... 

C. F. H. Allen, The Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds—Six Membered Heterocyclic Nitrogen Compounds with Four Condensed Rings. Interscience, New York, 1951. 

Formation of five-member N,S- and N-heterocycles by sigmatropic rearrangements of functionalized allenes 97FA2005. 

Further exploitation of the molecular shape feature has led more recently to the design of another series of clathrate hosts by substituting on the allene rigid backbone bulky groups 22>, Representative compounds of this new host family are 20 and 21. The allene 20 (R = t-butyl) shows an interesting clathration behaviour upon crystallization from various environments, including alicyclic and aromatic compounds, heterocycles, cyclic ketones and eyclohexaneamine 26>. 

Recently, a further unique domino methodology has been reported by Lu and coworkers (Scheme 2.74) [173]. Herein, a triphenyl phosphine-catalyzed umpolung addition/cyclization of allenes and alkynes containing an electron-withdrawing group 2-316-2-318 followed by reaction with a double nucleophile 2-319 is assumed to account for the production of a broad palette of various heterocycles 2-321 and 2-323 via 2-320 and 2-322, respectively. Dihydrofurans, piperazines, morpholines and diazepanes were obtained during the process. 

An intramolecular Pd-catalyzed ring closure of an allylic halide, acetate or carbonate containing an allene moiety as 6/1-256, followed by a Suzuki reaction, was used by Zhang and coworkers for the synthesis of five-membered carbo- and heterocycles 6/1-257 and 6/1-258 (Scheme 6/1.67) [125]. 

Another versatile domino process for the synthesis of carbocycles as well as heterocycles is the Pd-catalyzed reaction of organic halides or triflates with alkynes or allenes, which contain a carbo- or heteronucleophile in close vicinity to these functionalities (see Scheme 6/1.75) [133]. 

The unique combination of double bonds in the molecules of those compounds, each with different reactivity along with the easy preparation, makes phosphorylated allenes useful substrates for the synthesis of different cyclic and noncyclic organophosphorus compounds. Recent investigations increase the scope of application of phosphorylated allenes as precursors in organic syntheses. Most of them are accompanied by the formation of five- or six-membered phosphorus heterocycles, which in many cases demonstrate certain biological activity. 

Petrov and coworkers [41] showed that the reaction of dibromides of alkenephos-phonic acids with acetylenic alcohols involved an acetylene-allene rearrangement. The products so formed hydrolyzed easily to the corresponding phosphinic acids. The latter on heterocyclization afforded 2,5-dihydro-l,2-oxaphosphole-2-oxide derivatives (Scheme 11). 

Phosphorylated allenes have been widely used as building blocks for the synthesis of five- and six-membered phosphorus heterocycles [48-52],... 

The insertion of allenes in the Pd-C bond of cyclopalladated 3-arylisoquinoline derivatives 327 afforded compounds 328, derived from the berberinium cation (Scheme 71). This reaction takes place via the formation of an intermediate (r/ -allyOpalladium complex <2003JOM313>. This chemistry has been extended to the preparation of other cationic N-heterocycles, including naphtho[r+/ ]( uinolizinium derivatives <2004EJ01724>. 

In the reaction of 1 with alkynes possessing electron-withdrawing substituents, the corresponding silacyclopropene derivatives 66 and 67 are formed, as described in Scheme 23.29 An unexpected pathway was observed in the reaction with the electron-poor hexafluorobutyne(2) the X-ray characterized heterocycle 68 was most likely obtained by nucleophilic attack of 1 at the triple bond. A subsequent shift of a fluorine atom from carbon to silicon creates an allene-type molecule which was stabilized by a [2 + 2] cycloaddition process involving a double bond from the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl unit, as described in Scheme 24.33... 

Trofimov has extended his previously reported heterocyclization of ketoximes 39 with acetylene to propyne or its isomer allene in superbase systems (MOR/DMSO M = K, Cs, R = H, t-Bu) to afford a facile synthesis of substituted pyrroles 40 and 41 . Due to a fast propyne to allene protropic isomerization under the reaction conditions, the product is the same regardless of which species is employed. 

Heterocyclic derivatives such as 59 provide a convenient route to the synthesis of many cyclic germanium compounds87. For instance, photolysis of 59 in the presence of alkynes 60 or 61, or allenes 62, produces the unsaturated heterocyclic compounds 63 or 64, respectively. 

A second approach to six-membered heterocycles can be achieved by replacing carbon monoxide by allene (Scheme 15) (Gai et al. 2003a). 

In addition to alkenes and alkynes, allenes have attracted considerable interest due to their unique reactivity and multireaction sites. Therefore, transition-metal-catalyzed nucleophilic addition reaction of amines and imines to allenes has been extensively studied to prepare biologically important amines and nitrogen-heterocycles.31,31d... 

If the alkenes and acetylenes that are subjected to the reaction mediated by 1 have a leaving group at an appropriate position, as already described in Eq. 9.16, the resulting titanacycles undergo an elimination (path A) as shown in Eq. 9.58 [36], As the resulting vinyltitaniums can be trapped by electrophiles such as aldehydes, this reaction can be viewed as an alternative to stoichiometric metallo-ene reactions via allylic lithium, magnesium, or zinc complexes (path B). Preparations of optically active N-heterocycles [103], which enabled the synthesis of (—)-a-kainic acid (Eq. 9.59) [104,105], of cross-conjugated trienes useful for the diene-transmissive Diels—Alder reaction [106], and of exocyclic bis(allene)s and cyclobutene derivatives [107] have all been reported based on this method. 

In analogy with the propargyl esters, propargyl acetimidates can be used, and then the equilibrium clearly lies on the side of the allene [574, 575]. Often the acetimidate is a substructure of a heterocycle such as 171 (Scheme 1.76) [576] or related compounds [577, 578]. 

Another method to prepare allenyl ketones uses flash vacuum pyrolysis of the heterocycles 121 (Scheme 7.19) [163], This elimination of carbon monoxide is at least formally a cheletropic reaction. Highly reactive allenes such as esters and nitriles of type 124 or unsubstituted butadienal can be generated if retro-Diels-Alder reaction of 123 or similar precursors, respectively, is performed by flash vacuum pyrolysis [164]. 

Different strategies all including nucleophilic addition to acceptor-substituted allenes have been used for the synthesis of cyclic compounds, mostly heterocycles. Thus, it is obvious to release a nucleophile already existing within the allenic compound in a protected form. For example, treatment of silyl ethers 197 with tetrabu-tylammonium fluoride (TBAF) leads to the intermediates 198, which yield the dihy-drofurans 199 by nucleophilic addition (Scheme 7.32) [251]. 

However, an existing nucleophile can also cause the ring closure after building up the electron-deficient allene. By methoxycarbonylation (cf. Section 7.2.6) of ethy-nyloxiranes 200, the allenic esters 201 are formed first, which react immediately to give the heterocycles 202 or 203, depending on the substitution pattern of the starting material [138]. 

The cydoaddition of different 1,3-dipoles such as azides [331, 341] and diazoalkanes [342-344] to acceptor-substituted allenes was thoroughly investigated early and has been summarized in a comprehensive review by Broggini and Zecchi [345], The primary products of the 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions often undergo subsequent fast rearrangements, for example tautomerism to yield aromatic compounds. For instance, the five-membered heterocycles 359, generated regioselectively from allenes 357 and diazoalkanes 358, isomerize to the pyrazoles 360 (Scheme 7.50) [331]. 

Allenic esters such as 185 can act not only as dipolarophiles but also, at least formally, as 1,3-dipoles, which was shown by Xu and Lu during the phosphane-cata-lyzed reaction with N-tosylimines 387 (Scheme 7.52) [358, 359]. The heterocycles 388 are formed at least in moderate and mostly in excellent yields, if R1 is an aryl or a vinyl group. The formation of the products can be explained by reversible nucleophilic addition of the phosphane to 185 (cf. Section 7.3.1) followed by nucleophilic addition of the resulting intermediate to the imine 387. 

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