Cycloaddition and Cyclization Reactions

The terms cycloaddition and cyclization generally refer to concerted and stepwise reactions, respectively. Nevertheless, in this section they will be used indiscriminately since, in most of the processes, the mechanisms are uncertain. Formation of non-cyclic products proceeding through a cydization/cycloreversion pathway is also included in this section. 

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Cycloadditions and cyclization reactions are among the most important synthetic applications of donor-substituted allenes, since they result in the formation of a variety of carbocyclic and heterocyclic compounds. Early investigations of Diels-Alder reactions with alkoxyallenes demonstrated that harsh reaction conditions, e.g. high pressure, high temperature or Lewis acid promotion, are often required to afford the corresponding heterocycles in only poor to moderate yield [12b, 92-94]. Although a,/3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds have not been used extensively as heterodienes, considerable success has been achieved with activated enone 146 (Eq. 8.27) or with the electron-deficient tosylimine 148 (Eq. 8.28). Both dienes reacted under... 

Since mechanistic considerations in these areas have been discussed in detail by Hoffmann, a variety of regio- and stereo-selective [4 + 3] cycloaddition and cyclization reactions are described in this section. 

Nitrogen heterocycles. Aziridines, oxazoles, and quinolines are formed from various InClj-catalyzed cycloadditions and cyclization reactions. The pyrroloquinoline skeleton, characteristic of several alkaloids, can be assembled in one step. ... 

Transition metal-mediated cycloaddition and cyclization reactions have played a vital role in the advancement and applications of modem synthetic organic chemistry. Rhodium-catalyzed cycloadditions/cyclizations have attracted significant attention because of their versatility in the transformations of activated and unactivated acetylenes, olefins, allenes, etc. These reactions are particularly valuable because of their ability to increase molecular complexity through a convergent and highly selective combination of acyclic components. In addition, these reactions allow for the preparation of molecules with chemical, biological, and medicinal importance with greater atom economy. Recent developments in rhodium-catalyzed cycloaddition and cyclization reactions are described in this section. 

The use of water as a solvent in cycloaddition and cyclization reactions has been reviewed. ... 

Scheme 7.45. Intermolecular competition reactions that examine the relative rates of cycloaddition and cyclization.

On the other hand, silver salts can act as a mild Lewis acid, promoting various reactions such as allylations, aldolizations, cycloadditions, and cyclizations. Silver salts can also be used as halide scavengers, acting as cocatalysts in cross-coupling reactions catalyzed by other metals, especially palladium. In the latter context, the exact role of silver salts is far from clear and may be more complex than just halide... 

The presence of a quaternary carbon atom is frequently encountered in sesquiterpene natural products and it often creates a synthetic challenge when two or more quaternary carbon atoms are present contiguously. The synthetic strategies for the construction of quaternary carbon centers involve sigmatropic rearrangements/ intramolecular cycloaddition/ and the reaction of tertiary carbon nucleophiles with a carbon electrophile. Recently, radical cyclization strategies turned out to be very effective for this purpose. For example, Srikrishna utilized the radical cyclization reaction to prepare tricyclo[6.2.1.0 - ]undecane system, which is present in several sesquiterpenes such as zizaenes and prelacinanes, and Chen demonstrated that a tandem radical cyclization approach is an efficient method for constructing the two quaternary carbon centers in the cedrene skeleton. ... 

A selective sampling of the photochemical cycloaddition and cyclization chemistry of 2H-azirines has been outlined in this chapter. Some photochemical sequences increase molecular complexity more than others, but each seems to provide complex heterocyclic structures in a very efficient manner. Indeed, many of these photoreactions rapidly construct hetero-polycyclic systems that are difficult to produce in other ways. In contrast to their photochemical behavior, the major thermal reaction of 2H-azirines generally involves C(2)-N bond cleavage to form vinyl nitrenes which further react by either insertion into an adjacent C-H bond or else undergo addition across a neighboring rc-bond. The 27i-electrons of the carbon-nitrogen double bond of 2H-azirines can also participate in thermal symmetry-allowed [4- -2]-cycloadditions with a variety of substrates. It is clear from the above discussion that the chemistry of 2H-azirines is both mechanistically complex and... 

Step is the addition of azide ion. While such a reaction may be possible in some cases, this mechanism also requires that cyclization proceeds in preference to protonation of the intermediate carbanion and this seems unlikely. A more probable mechanism is a synchronous 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, and such reactions of covalent azides are well documented... 

Carbene reactions provide a versatile approach to the synthesis of five-membered nitrogen-containing rings. Of particular importance here are intramolecular insertion of a carbene into C — H and N — H bonds, addition onto multiple carbon-carbon bonds, intermediate formation of ylides as a result of carbene addition onto the heteroatom followed by rearrangement, cycloaddition, and cyclization. 

Carbometalation reactions play an important role in Ziegler-Aufbaureaktionen (growth reactions) of ethene to form oligomers when a stoichiometric amount of an organoaluminum compound is used. They are also crucial steps in transition metal catalyzed oligomerization and polymerization of unsaturated compounds, as well as in many cyclization. cycloaddition and cyclooligomcrization reactions. Ketone-forming carbonylative addition reactions also proceed via carbometalation steps. 

Cycloaddition and cyclization routes were used to access certain 1,3-diazines. The 4+2 cycloaddition reaction of 4-(N-allyl-N-aryl)amino-l,3-diaza-l,3-butadienes with vinyl-, isopropenyl-, and chloroketene led to pyrimidinone-fused pyrimidinones <97T13841>. Cis-cyclopenta[d]pyrimidines were derived from cis-2-amino-l-cyclopentanecarboxylates by cyclization with KOCN and KSCN <97JHC1211>. 2-Thioxopyrido[3, 2 4,5]thieno[3,2-r/]pyrimidin-4(3//)-ones 19 were prepared by cyclocondensation of 2-carbethoxy-3-amino-4-phenyl-6-substituted-thieno[2,3-/)]pyridines and isothiocyanates <97JHC937>. Thiazolyl-benzimidazoles derived from 2-cyanomethyl-l//-benzimidazole and 2,3-dihydrothiazole-2-(3//)-thiones were cyclized to the corresponding thiazolo[4,5-r/]pyrimidines <97PHA346>. Reductive cyclization of 6-cyanomethyl-5-nitropyrimidines afforded 7-alkyl-5//-pyrrolo[3,2-r/]pyrimidines and 6-amino-7,7-dialkyl-7//-pyrrolo[3,2-rf]pyrimidines <97T391>. 7-Methyl-5-alkyl-2-vinyl-pyrazolo[3,4-r/]pyrimidine-4,6(5//,7//)-diones arose from cyclization and alkylation of... 

Non-chloroaluminate ILs, which are in general poor nucleophiles, have proven to be attractive alternative media for Lewis acid catalyzed reactions. ILs may have a reaction rate accelerating effect, and they may improve selectivity and facilitate catalyst recovery. This is the case for scandium triflate catalyzed Diels-Alder cycloaddition [8,9], three-component (aldehyde, aniline, triethylphosphite) synthesis of a-aminophosphonates [10], Claisen rearrangement and cyclization reactions [11], or Friedel-Crafts reactions [12, 13]. 

Heterocyclic enamines often undergo two-step 1,3 cycloaddition with methyl vinyl ketone. This involves electrophilic attacks by an olefinic carbon and by a carbonyl carbon (24,25). For example, 1,2-dimethyl-Zl -pyrroline (14), when treated with methyl vinyl ketone, produces 1,6-dimethyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydroindole (15) (24). The requirement which must be met so that this type of cyclization reaction can take place is that the a position of the heterocyclic enamine be carbon substituted. This provides... 

Uemura M (2004) (Arene)Cr(Co)3 Complexes Cyclization,Cycloaddition and Cross Coupling Reactions. 7 129-156 Ujaque G, see Drudis-Sole G (2005) 12 79-107... 

Padwa s group has not only developed highly efficient domino reactions using transition metal catalysis, but they are also well known for their unique combinations of a cycloaddition and a N-acyliminium ion cyclization. An example of this strategy, which is very suitable for the synthesis of heterocycles and alkaloids, is the reaction of 4-98 to give 4-101 via the intermediates 4-99 and 4-100 (Scheme 4.22). Furthermore, 4-101 was transformed into the alkaloid (+)-y-lycorane 4-102 [32]. 

A remarkable combination of a photochemical [2+2] cycloaddition with a retro-aldol reaction and cyclization is the so-called de Mayo reaction. Biichi and coworkers have used this method for the total synthesis of loganin (5-35). Thus, reac-... 

Recently, Shimizu reported a novel polar cycloaddition of a 1,2-thiazinylium salt <99TL95>. Compound 175 was generated in situ from the reaction of compound 165 with trifluoroacetic anhydride and lithium tetrafluoroborate. It can undergo a cyclization reaction... 

Cyclization reactions of pyrimidines were studied, for instance, the reactivity of tetrahydropyrido[4,3-fc]pyrimidines with DMAD leading to dihydropyrimidinylethylamines <05TL1975> and pyrimido[4,5-rf]pyrimidines obtained efficiently by hetero Diels-Alder cycloaddition of methyl 6-methyl-4-phenyl-2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-... 

An intramolecular palladium-catalyzed tandem cyclization of dienamides 67 in which the amide nucleophile adds twice has been developed (equation 29)60. This reaction constitutes a formal [4+1] cycloaddition and provides a new route to pyrrolizidine and indolizidine alkaloids. Reaction of dienamides 67 in the presence of catalytic amounts of Pd(OAc)2 and CUCI2/O2 as the oxidant afforded bicyclic compounds 68 in good yields. The pyrrolizidine derivative 68 (R = Me, n = 1) was transformed to the alkaloid ( )-heliotridane. 

Enyne metathesis is unique and interesting in synthetic organic chemistry. Since it is difficult to control intermolecular enyne metathesis, this reaction is used as intramolecular enyne metathesis. There are two types of enyne metathesis one is caused by [2+2] cycloaddition of a multiple bond and transition metal carbene complex, and the other is an oxidative cyclization reaction caused by low-valent transition metals. In these cases, the alkyli-dene part migrates from alkene to alkyne carbon. Thus, this reaction is called an alkylidene migration reaction or a skeletal reorganization reaction. Many cyclized products having a diene moiety were obtained using intramolecular enyne metathesis. Very recently, intermolecular enyne metathesis has been developed between alkyne and ethylene as novel diene synthesis. 

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