Cyclization reactions acyloin condensation

Guareschi imides are useful synthetic intermediates. They are formed from a ketone reacting with two equivalents of the cyanoacetic esters and ammonia. This transformation is illustrated in the formation of 4,4-dimethylcyclopentenone 30.The synthesis was initiated with the Guareschi reaction of 3-pentanone 27 with 28 to generate imide 29. This product was hydrolyzed to the diacid and esterified. Cyclization of the diester via acyloin condensation followed by hydrolysis and dehydration afforded the desired target 30. 

In this section primarily reductions of aldehydes, ketones, and esters with sodium, lithium, and potassium in the presence of TCS 14 are discussed closely related reductions with metals such as Zn, Mg, Mn, Sm, Ti, etc., in the presence of TCS 14 are described in Section 13.2. Treatment of ethyl isobutyrate with sodium in the presence of TCS 14 in toluene affords the O-silylated Riihlmann-acyloin-condensation product 1915, which can be readily desilylated to the free acyloin 1916 [119]. Further reactions of methyl or ethyl 1,2- or 1,4-dicarboxylates are discussed elsewhere [120-122]. The same reaction with trimethylsilyl isobutyrate affords the C,0-silylated alcohol 1917, in 72% yield, which is desilylated to 1918 [123] (Scheme 12.34). Likewise, reduction of the diesters 1919 affords the cyclized O-silylated acyloin products 1920 in high yields, which give on saponification the acyloins 1921 [119]. Whereas electroreduction on a Mg-electrode in the presence of MesSiCl 14 converts esters such as ethyl cyclohexane-carboxylate via 1922 and subsequent saponification into acyloins such as 1923 [124], electroreduction of esters such as ethyl cyclohexylcarboxylate using a Mg-electrode without Me3SiCl 14 yields 1,2-ketones such as 1924 [125] (Scheme 12.34). 

Cyclization of difunctional compounds is illustrated by the acyloin condensation of diesters (Fig. 19), conventionally performed with sodium in refluxing solvents, and improved by the presence of trimethylchlorosilane. A practical improvement was made with the use of technical-grade TMSCl and ultrasonically dispersed sodium.Thus, the reaction occurs at 0°C in 0.5 to 3 h. An experimental description is given in Ch. 9, p. 331. A chiral center at the a-position of the carbonyl does not suffer racemization. With p-halo esters, cyclizations lead to cyclopropyl derivatives in high yields, except with sterically hindered substrates. A similar reaction occurs with zinc and oxazabutadienes substituted by trifluoromethyl groups, with a fluoride ion as the leaving group (Eq. 15).ii ... 

This procedure is representative of a new general method for the preparation of noncyclic acyloins by thiazol ium-catalyzed dimerization of aldehydes in the presence of weak bases (Table I). The advantages of this method over the classical reductive coupling of esters or the modern variation in which the intermediate enediolate is trapped by silylation, are the simplicity of the procedure, the inexpensive materials used, and the purity of the products obtained. For volatile aldehydes such as acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde the reaction Is conducted without solvent in a small, heated autoclave. With the exception of furoin the preparation of benzoins from aromatic aldehydes is best carried out with a different thiazolium catalyst bearing an N-methyl or N-ethyl substituent, instead of the N-benzyl group. Benzoins have usually been prepared by cyanide-catalyzed condensation of aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes.Unsymnetrical acyloins may be obtained by thiazol1um-catalyzed cross-condensation of two different aldehydes. -1 The thiazolium ion-catalyzed cyclization of 1,5-dialdehydes to cyclic acyloins has been reported. 

Condensation of o-phenylenediamine with methylglyoxal, aldohexoses and aryl or alkyl acyloins gave the corresponding quinoxalines 76. Indoloquinoxalines were obtained from isatin. Carbethoxymethylation of isatin and then reaction with o-phenylenedimine gave the respective indoloquinoxalines 77, whereas hydrazide was condensed with aromatic aldehydes and monosaccharides. L-Ascorbic acid or D-isoascorbic acid were oxidized with iodine and then reacted with o-phenylenediamine and phenylhydrazine to give quinoxalinones 78, which were cyclized to pyrazolyl-quinazolinones . ... 

In this manuscript we disclose new synthetic methodology to prepare a member of a class of tetrasubstituted imidazole p38 inhibitors. The optimal route involves a thiazolium catalyzed cross acyloin-type condensation of a pyridinealdehyde with an iV-acylimine. The pyridinealdehyde was prepared in 3 steps and 68% yield from 2-chloro-4-cyano pyridine. The tosylamide precursor to the iV-acyl imine was prepared in two steps and 93% yield from isonipecotic acid. We have demonstrated the scope and some preliminary mechanistic studies concerning this new reaction. The resulting a-keto-amide is then cyclized with methyl ammonium acetate to provide the desired tetrasubstituted imidazole. Cbz deprotection and formation of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt completes the synthesis in 6 steps and 38% overall yield. 

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