Cyclizations reductive Michael

Anionic domino processes are the most often encountered domino reactions in the chemical literature. The well-known Robinson annulation, double Michael reaction, Pictet-Spengler cyclization, reductive amination, etc., all fall into this category. The primary step in this process is the attack of either an anion (e. g., a carban-ion, an enolate, or an alkoxide) or a pseudo anion as an uncharged nucleophile (e. g., an amine, or an alcohol) onto an electrophilic center. A bond formation takes place with the creation of a new real or pseudo-anionic functionality, which can undergo further transformations. The sequence can then be terminated either by the addition of a proton or by the elimination of an X group. 

In contrast to the nickel-organozinc catalyst system, which induces /3,/3-coupling of bis(enones), the use of cobalt(ll) catalysts in the presence of silane results in a,/3-coupling to provide products of reductive Michael cyclization.48,48a,48b Both five- and six-membered ring products 26b and 25d are formed in good yields and with complete diastereoselection. The choice of silane is critical. Whereas exposure of bis(enone) 25a to Co(dpm)2... 

Most recently, reductive Michael cyclization catalyzed by In(OAc)3 in the presence of PhSiH3 was reported.50 As demonstrated by the reductive cyclization of the homologous bis(enones) 25a and 26a, both five- and six-membered ring formation occurs in good yield to afford cycloalkanes 25d and 26b as single trails-Aiastereorncrs (Scheme 20). 

An enamine intermediate has been proposed as being formed by hydride reduction of a transient iminium ion [14, 15]. The electrophilic capture of the enamine is possible by a Michael acceptor thus, reductive Michael cyclizations of enal enones such as 9 or 11 were described in many cases (intramolecular reactions) (Scheme 11.5) [16]. 

Yang JW, Hechavarria Fonseca MT, List B (2005) Catalytic asymmetric reductive Michael cyclization. J Am Chem Soc 127 15036-15037 Yoshikawa N, Chiba N, Mikawa T, Ueno S, Harimaya K, Iwata M (1994) Mitsubishi Chemical Industries patent. Jpn Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 0630600 Zeitler K (2005) Extending mechanistic routes in heterazolium catalysis— promising concepts for versatile synthetic methods. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 44 7506-7510... 

Scheme 2.10 Oiganocattilytic asymmetric reductive Michael cyclization...

Scheme 42.37 Enantioselective domino phosphoric acid-catalyzed Michael-cyclization-reduction sequence catalyzed by the sterically demanding phosphoric acid 101a (Figure 42.5).

Other iminium-activated cascade reactions, including [4-e3] cycloaddition, Robinson annulations, and reductive Michael cyclization, were also developed to furnish useful synthons [133]. 

The utilization of both enamine- and iminium-activation enables rapid access to complex structures from simple starting materials. The first examples were reported for the deployment of one catalyst in these transformations, list and coworkers described a highly selective reductive Michael cyclization (Scheme 4.27). In a first catalytic cycle a hydride transfer occurs yielding an enamine inter-... 

Scheme 2.7 Asymmetric reductive Michael cyclization and schematic representation of the tandem iminium-enamine catalysis mechanism...

At least two pathways have been proposed for the Nenitzescu reaction. The mechanism outlined below is generally accepted." Illustrated here is the indolization of the 1,4-benzoquinone (4) with ethyl 3-aminocrotonate (5). The mechanism consists of four stages (I) Michael addition of the carbon terminal of the enamine 5 to quinone 4 (II) Oxidation of the resulting hydroquinone 10 to the quinone 11 either by the starting quinone 4 or the quinonimmonium intermediate 13, which is generated at a later stage (HI) Cyclization of the quinone adduct 11, if in the cw-configuration, to the carbinolamine 12 or quinonimmonium intermediate 13 (IV) Reduction of the intermediates 12 or 13 to the 5-hydroxyindole 6 by the initial hydroquinone adduct 7 (or 8, 9,10). 

An analogous cyclization to eventually form five-membered rings has also been observed for l-metalla-l,3,5-hexatrienes with an additional heteroatom within the chain, such as in the complexes 157. These are obtained by Michael additions of imines to alkynylcarbene complexes in good to excellent yields (reaction type F in Scheme 4), and their configurations were determined to be Z (>91%) in all cases. Upon warming in THF solution, complexes 157 underwent cyclization with reductive elimination to furnish 2Ff-pyrroles 158 in up to 97% yield (Scheme 34). With two cyclopropyl substituents at the terminus in... 

Bicychc pyrazinones foimd in several natural products were synthesized via Michael addition of heterocyclic amines to nitro olefin followed by reduction/cyclization of the nitro group of the adduct [20] (Scheme 5). Further elaboration of the C-6 methoxycarbonyl group in pyrazinone to the n-propyl guanidine group could result in the synthesis of indoloperamine. 

In a recently published report by MacMillan s group [121] on the enantioselective synthesis of pyrroloindoline and furanoindoline natural products such as (-)-flustramine B 2-219 [122], enantiopure amines 2-215 were used as organocatalysts to promote a domino Michael addition/cyclization sequence (Scheme 2.51). As substrates, the substituted tryptamine 2-214 and a, 3-unsaturated aldehydes were used. Reaction of 2-214 and acrolein in the presence of 2-215 probably leads to the intermediate 2-216, which cyclizes to give the pyrroloindole moiety 2-217 with subsequent hydrolysis of the enamine moiety and reconstitution of the imidazolid-inone catalyst. After reduction of the aldehyde functionality in 2-217 with NaBH4 the flustramine precursor 2-218 was isolated in very good 90 % ee and 78 % yield. 

The Michael addition to nitroalkenes followed by cyclization provides a general method for the synthesis of various pyrroles. The reaction of nitroalkenes with acetoacetate followed by reduction with Zn in acetic acid provides another route to 2-methyl-3-pyrrolecarboxylates (Eq. 10.8).10... 

Battersby and coworkers have developed selective methods for total synthesis of chlorins on a model system, as shown in Scheme 10.15, in which the Michael addition of 5-(2-nitroethyl) pyrrole to enone and reductive cyclization are used as key steps.112... 

The Michael reaction of nitromethane with methyl vinyl ketone and l-decene-3-one followed by reductive cyclization gives two isomeric pyrrolizidines, depending on reduction conditions (Eq. 10.74).117... 

The Michael addition of the carbanions derived from esters to nitroalkenes followed by reductive cyclization has been used extensively for the preparation of pyrrolidin-2-ones (Eq. 10.76).124 This strategy is used for synthesis of the carbazole alkaloid staurosporine aglycon (K-252c).124c... 

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