Cyclization agents/cyclizations carbodiimides

The symmetrical anhydride is prepared using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in dichloromethane, the urea and solvent are removed, and the anhydride is dissolved in dimethylformamide and added to the peptide-resin (see Section 2.5). The anhydride is a more selective acylating agent than the 0-acylisourea and, thus, gives cleaner reactions than do carbodiimides, but twice as much amino-acid derivative is required, so the method is wasteful. It avoids the acid-catalyzed cyclization of terminal glutaminyl to the pyroglutamate (see Section 6.16) and is particularly effective for acylating secondary amines (see Section 8.15). 

Cyclization of A-acyl-oc-amino acids under acidic reaction conditions is sometimes problematic due to the difficulty in separation of the desired oxazolone from by-products while avoiding decomposition of the reactive oxazolone. This finding is particularly true in the case of 2-phenyl-5(47i)-oxazolone, an interesting compound that is a very useful intermediate to prepare a variety of novel products. The use of carbodiimides as dehydrating agents has been described as a means to improve the results. In particular, treatment of an A-acyl-a-amino acid with A-cyclohexyl-A -2-(A-methylmorpholinio)ethylcarbodiimide p-toluensulfo-nate (Scheme 7.25) is especially useful as a general synthesis of the desired saturated 5(47i)-oxazolones 101 in excellent yields.This same carbodiimide was used to study the kinetics of the formation of saturated 5(47i)-oxazolones from N-protected dipeptides... 

The spiro fused-ring thietane 76 has been prepared in high yield by the intramolecular cyclization of (2-mercapto-adamantan-2-yl)-acetic acid 75 using a carbodiimide as a condensing agent (Equation 25) <2004JME2276>. 

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