Aziridination esters

The stereochemistry of the first step was ascertained by an X-ray analysis [8] of an isolated oxazaphospholidine 3 (R = Ph). The overall sequence from oxi-rane to aziridine takes place with an excellent retention of chiral integrity. As the stereochemistry of the oxirane esters is determined by the chiral inductor during the Sharpless epoxidation, both enantiomers of aziridine esters can be readily obtained by choosing the desired antipodal tartrate inductor during the epoxidation reaction. It is relevant to note that the required starting allylic alcohols are conveniently prepared by chain elongation of propargyl alcohol as a C3 synthon followed by an appropriate reduction of the triple bond, e. g., with lithium aluminum hydride [6b]. 

A highly remarkable and entirely unexpected conversion of aziridine esters 21 into azirine esters 22 was accomplished by subjecting the aziridine to a Swern oxidation (Scheme 11). 

Aziridine esters are a- and -amino acid derivatives at the same time. A characteristic reaction of a-amino acids is their reaction with triethylboron to give boroxazolidines. We showed that aziridinecarboxylic acids exhibit the expected behavior in their reaction with triethylboron, viz., that they form stable boroxazolidines 34 (Scheme 19) [29]. These boron heterocycles can be reconverted into the free amino acids by treatment with 8-hydroxyquinoline. 

The cz5-aziridine substrate shows, as expected on the basis of this model, predominant formation of the trans-cyclopropane product. The starting materials for this MIRC reaction can readily be obtained from the aziridine esters by reduction to the corresponding aldehyde and a subsequent Knoevenagel reaction with malonate ester (Scheme 25) [34]. 

Reductive ring-opening reaction of aziridine ester constitutes a convenient access to amino acids a typical example is given in Scheme 27 [37]. 

An M-Boc-protected aziridine ester ring-expands upon treatment with BF3 Et20 as shown in Scheme 33 [43]. Thus, care should be taken by choosing... 

An intramolecular ring expansion of aziridine esters can be accomplished by installing an appropriate nucleophilic entity in these substrates. Conversion of the ester moiety into carboxamides derived from aminomalonate ester gives compounds 44 containing the requisite nucleophilic site in the malonate moiety (Scheme 35). 

These ligands can readily be obtained by a Grignard reaction of aziridine esters, followed by an acidic detritylation (see Scheme 40) [19,55]. These aziridine carbinol-derived catalysts are equally efficient as the Corey ligand 55 derived from proline carbinols (Fig. 4) [55,56]. 

Researchers have found that the reduction of a variety of aziridine esters yields the corresponding aziridine aldehyde which dimerizes diastereoselectively <06JA14772>. The reduction of 112 with excess DIBAL yields the dimer 113, which is in equilibrium with the monomer 114. This molecule reacts as the monomer and both reduction to 115 or reductive amination to 117 proceed in quantitative yields. In a very interesting reaction, treatment of 113 with /V-benzyl tryptamine provides the pentacyclic 116 in excellent yield. 

Chiral 2//-azirines have been prepared by dehydrochlorination of 7V-chloroaziridines, Swem oxidation of aziridines and elimination from A -sulfinylaziridines. These reactions require the use of high enantiopure aziridine esters as starting materials <03T2345>. Chiral enriched ethyl 3-methyl-2//-azirine-2-carboxylate was found to act as an efficient alkylating agent for the preparation of a variety of five-membered aromatic nitrogen heterocycles <03TL6277>. 

Reaction of the diazabicyclohexane 97b with methanolic sodium meth-oxide results in nucleopliilic attack at the amide function, to cause ring opening to the aziridine ester 98. Potassium hydroxide also attacks the diazabicyclohexane 97a at the amide, but to cleave both rings to the hy-drazone 99. The less nucleophilic potassium tert-butoxide converts 97b into the pyrimidine 100 (26%). ... 

An intramolecular allyl silane/N-sulfonyl iminium ion cyclization has also been used as a pivotal step in an approach to the tricyclic core of the unique marine alkaloid sarain A [46]. The starting material was aziridine ester 129 (Scheme 25) which was elaborated to amide 130. An important step in the synthetic strategy was thermolysis of 130 to an azomethine ylide, which underwent stereospecific intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with the Z-alkene to produce bicyclic lactam 131 [47]. This compound was then elaborated into allyl silane 132. It was then possible to replace the lactam N-benzyl functionality with a tosyl moiety, leading to 133, and subsequent reduction of the carbonyl group afforded the desired cyclization precursor a-hydroxy sulfonamide 134. Exposure of 134 to ferric chloride promoted cyclization to a single stereoisomeric tricyclic amino alkene 136 having the requisite sarain A nucleus. It is believed that the intermediate N-sulfonyl iminium ion cyclizes via the conformation shown in 135. 

A procedure has been developed which extends the Darzens synthesis to the preparation of aziridine esters and amides (equation 29). Reaction of benzalaniline (80) and ethyl chloroacetate (in BuKDK/DME) results in the formation of the trans-aziridine (82a) in 29% yield analysis of the crude reaction mixture showed no more than 10% of the isomeric cis adduct (83a). Similarly, condensation of 2-chloro-N,N-diethylacetamide and (80) affords aziridines (82b) and (83b) in 65% yield. However, in this case the cis isomer predominates ( 90 10, cis trans). The formation of (83a R = OEt) as the major product is consistent with the overlap control model suggested by Zimmerman. Apparently, the decreased stability of the amide (81b) enolate relative to the ester (81a) enolate causes ki (cyclization) to become greater than k (addition Scheme 19) it follows that the stereochemical outcome is determined in the initial aldol step, and steric arguments are advanced to explain this outcome. 

Amides. Conversion of esters to heating with solid t-BuOK. - Oxidai aldehydes with f-BuOK in DMSO also Hydrolysis. Amino esters la- a (r-BuOK-THF) at 0° or below. This aziridine esters. " ... 

Magnetic Resonance.—N.M.R. Spectroscopy. The structures and the rates of nitrogen-inversion of a variety of aziridine esters (1) have been thoroughly investigated by the use of n.m.r. spectroscopy. A further n.m.r. study of the erythro- and threo-isomers of analogous esters has shown that whereas the erythro-estcis exist only in the trans conformation (2), the threo-form is a mixture of cis (3) and trans (4). 

In a related piece of work, imidazolines have been prepared from A -chloro-N-phenyl amidines and enamines. (Scheme 79). Pyrazomycins have been synthesized by the Roche group, the key step being the preparation of the pyrazolone ring by the addition of toluene- -sulphonyl azide to the anion from diethyl acetone dicarboxylate (Scheme 80). Imidazolidines (201) have been prepared by the action of isocyanates and isothiocyanates with an aziridine ester a dipolar intermediate is implicated. Imidazolidine-4,5-diones have been prepared by the... 

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