Carbocyclizations of dienes

S. Hanessian and R. Ldger, Expedient assembly of carbocyclic, heterocyclic, and polycyclic compounds by Me3Sn radical mediated carbocyclizations of dienes and trienes A novel oxidative cleavage of the C-Sn bond, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 7)4 3115 (1992). 

Reductive Carbocyclization of Dienes. Carbocyclization-silylation of 1,5- and 1,6-dienes such as 39 (52-58) as well as enynes (59) catalyzed by Cp 2YMe THF or Cp 2LuMe THF is a highly regio- and diastereoselective process, which tolerates various functional groups such as ethers, thioacetals, and tertiary amines in spite of the strong Lewis acidity of the catalysts (Scheme 22). This reaction has been applied to the synthesis of izidine alkaloids such as epilupinine 43 (Scheme 23) (54). 

Since diazaquinones are among the most powerful dienophiles, they undergo [4+2] cycloaddition (Diels-Alder) reactions with a great variety of dienes to give various heterocyclic systems accessible with difficulty by other methods. Diazaquinone reacts with butadiene and substituted butadienes, carbocyclic and heterocyclic dienes, 1-vinylcycloalkenes, polyaromatic compounds and vinylaromatic compounds to afford bicyclic and polycyclic bridgehead diaza systems, including diazasteroids (Scheme 56). 

When the cnolate of an enone is brought into reaction with an enone, usually a carbocyclic system is prepared by two consecutive Michael additions (M1MIRC reactions). Due to the lower temperatures employed and the absence of diene polymerization these reactions are useful alternatives for Diels-Alder reactions and proceed in general with high diastereoselectivities. When neither enolate nor enone is cyclic a monocyclic system is formed 338 which can be converted into a bicyclic system when the Michael addition is followed by an aldol reaction339. When, however, the enolate is cyclic a bicyclic or a tricyclic system is formed340 341. 

Similarly a marked increase of regioselectivity has been shown in the catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions of the chiral bicyclic lactame 24 (Scheme 3.9) with a variety of dienes [27] (isoprene, mircene, (E,E)-L4-dimethylbutadiene, 2,3-di-methylbutadiene, 2-siloxybutadiene). The catalyzed reactions were more regio-selective and totally enJo-antz-diastereoselective anti with respect to the bridgehead methyl group). The results of the cycloadditions with isoprene and mircene are reported in Scheme 3.9. The cycloadducts have then been used to provide interesting fused carbocycles [28] with high enantiomeric purity as shown in Scheme 3.10. 

Hydrosilylation of dienes accompanied by cyclization is emerging as a potential route to the synthesis of functionalized carbocycles. However, the utility of cycliza-tion/hydrosilylation has been Umited because of the absence of an asymmetric protocol. One example of asymmetric cycUzation/hydrosilylation has been reported very recently using a chiral pyridine-oxazoUne ligand instead of 1,10-phenanthroline of the cationic palladium complex (53) [60]. As shown in Scheme 3-21, the pyridine-oxazoUne Ugand is more effective than the bisoxazoUne ligand in this asymmetric cyclization/hydrosilylation of a 1,6-diene. 

Extension to carbocyclization of butadiene telomerization using nitromethane as a trapping reagent is reported (Eq. 5.48).72 Palladium-catalyzed carbo-annulation of 1,3-dienes by aryl halides is also reported (Eq. 5.49).73 The nitro group is removed by radical denitration (see Section 7.2), or the nitroalkyl group is transformed into the carbonyl group via the Nef reaction (see Section 6.1). 

This chapter deals with thermal ring-closure reactions of dienes and polyenes resulting in carbocyclic compounds the formation of heterocycles is mentioned only occasionally. The account is highly selective, concentrating on recent work, since two comprehensive general reviews have appeared1,2. Other pertinent reviews are cited at appropriate places in the text. 

Recognizing that intermediates in the [4 + 2]-reaction of dienes and alkynes could be intercepted with components in addition to CO as in the [4 + 2 + l]-reaction, Gilbertson and Evans independently published two new methods for the synthesis of eight-membered carbocycles involving [4 + 2 + 2]-cycloadditions. Saa and co-workers report a... 

Rhodium catalysis has played a critical role in the development of this type of reaction. The rhodium-mediated [4 + 2] carbocyclization between dienes and unactivated olefins or alkynes is a notable early example of this concept [2]. Further investigations demonstrated the extension of this methodology to the reaction between a diene and an allene [3]. Expansion of the scope of this strategy, to both the intra- and intermolecular [5-1-2] homologs of the Diels-Alder reaction, was accomplished with a vinylcyclopropane and either an alkyne or an olefin to afford the carbocyclization adducts (Scheme 11.1) [4, 5]. 

Recent advances in the rhodium-catalyzed [4-1-2] reactions have led to the development of the first highly regioselective intermolecular cyclization, providing access to new classes of carbocycles with both activated and unactivated substrates. The chemo- and stereoselective carbocyclizations of tethered diene-allene derivatives afford new classes of 5,6- and 6,6-bicyclic systems. Additionally, examination of a wide range of factors that influence both diastereo- and enantioselectivity has provided a significant advance in the understanding of catalyst requirements across these systems. 

Where the diene function is attached to or is part of a carbocyclic system, the vinyl cyclopropane formation and subsequent rearrangement affords a reliable approach to the formation of tricyclic carbocycles. Some of the most elegant demonstrations of the use of this methodology in total synthesis of fused cyclopentanoid terpenes come from the work of Hudlicky and coworkers (equations 63-66)90 95"100. In these cases the diazoketones bear a carboxylate-substituted double bond of diene and the intramolecular cyclopropanation requires the combination of CuS04/Cu(acac)2 as catalyst. 

Carbocyclization of a monoepiselenonium intermediate derived from a diene has been discussed earlier in this chapter (Scheme 8),33 as was the acid-catalysed transannular cyclisation of a bisalkyne (Scheme 9).41... 

The rhodium A-heterocyclic carbine complex [Rh(IMes)(COD)] [IMes = A,A -bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidine COD = cycloocta-1,5-diene] catalyses the 4 + 2 + 2-carbocyclization of 1,6-enynes (191) to carbocycles [(192) and (193)] (Scheme 54).226 Computational and experimental evidence of a new reaction pathway for the diastereospecific intermolecular rhodium-catalysed 4 + 2 + 2-carbocyclization (g) reactions of 1,6-enynes with r-components has been reported.227... 

Initial studies on the hydrosilylation/carbocyclization of terminal dienes carried out in the early 1990s have demonstrated that five-membered ring formation proceeds smoothly in the presence of lutetocene [40], neodymocene [43], and samarocene [29] catalysts (18). 

A tandem carbocyclization/hydroboration sequence has been disclosed by Molander [83], The carbocyclization of a,co-dienes proceeds smoothly in the presence of the divalent samarocene Cp 2Sm(THF) and the metal-alkyl intermediate is trapped by a l,3-diaza-2-boracyclopentaneto afford the cyclic hydroboration product (29). 

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