Azomethine ylides, cycloaddition reactions

Another example of a microwave-assisted 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition using azomethine ylides and a dipolarophile was the intramolecular reaction reported for the synthesis of hexahydrochromeno[4,3-fo]pyrrolidine 105 [70]. It was the first example of a solvent-free microwave-assisted intramoleciflar 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides, obtained from aromatic aldehyde 102 and IM-substituted glycinate 103 (Scheme 36). The dipole was generated in situ (independently from the presence of a base like TEA) and reacted directly with the dipolarophile present within the same molecifle. The intramolecu-... 

Dipolar addition to nitroalkenes provides a useful strategy for synthesis of various heterocycles. The [3+2] reaction of azomethine ylides and alkenes is one of the most useful methods for the preparation of pyrolines. Stereocontrolled synthesis of highly substituted proline esters via [3+2] cycloaddition between IV-methylated azomethine ylides and nitroalkenes has been reported.147 The stereochemistry of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides derived from aromatic aldehydes and L-proline alkyl esters with various nitroalkenes has been reported. Cyclic and acyclic nitroalkenes add to the anti form of the ylide in a highly regioselective manner to give pyrrolizidine derivatives.148... 

In addition to cydocondensation reactions of the Paal-Knorr type, cycloaddition processes play a prominent role in the construction of pyrrole rings. Thus, 1,3-dipo-lar cycloadditions of azomethine ylides with alkene dipolarophiles are very important in the preparation of pyrroles. The group of de la Hoz has studied the micro-wave-induced thermal isomerization of imines, derived from a-aminoesters, to azomethine ylides (Scheme 6.185) [346]. In the presence of equimolar amounts of /i-nitrostyrenes, three isomeric pyrrolidines (nitroproline esters) were obtained under solvent-free conditions in 81-86% yield within 10-15 min at 110-120 °C through a [3+2] cycloaddition process. Interestingly, using classical heating in an oil bath (toluene reflux, 24 h), only two of the three isomers were observed. 

Microwave-induced 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions involving azomethine ylides have been widely reported in the literature. Bazureau showed that imidates derived from a-amino esters 120, as potential azomethine ylides, undergo 1,3-dipolar cyclo-additions with imino-alcohols 121 in the absence of solvent under microwave irradiation. This reaction leads to polyfunctionalized 4-yliden-2-imidazolin-5-ones 122 (Scheme 9.36) [87]. 

Pyrrolidines are attainable by [3 + 2] cycloaddition of azomethine ylides and olefins one such reaction is exemplified by a total synthesis of a-allokainic acid (Scheme 36) (182). 

A series of analogous py rrolo[ 2,1 -c [ 1,4]oxazine-8-carboxy latcs 188 and 189 (Scheme 28) were obtained by cycloaddition of azomethine ylide 187 with dipolarophiles. The ylide was formed by /(-toluene sulfonic acid-mediated reaction of the benzotriazolyl chiral morpholinone 186, which can be considered as a stable crystalline azomethine ylide precursor <2001SL1841>. This procedure was applied also to morpholinone 190 that generated ylide 191 by reaction with... 

The stereochemistry of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of azomethine ylides with alkenes is more complex. In this reaction, up to four new chiral centers can be formed and up to eight different diastereomers may be obtained (Scheme 12.4). There are three different types of diastereoselectivity to be considered, of which the two are connected. First, the relative geometry of the terminal substituents of the azomethine ylide determine whether the products have 2,5-cis or 2,5-trans conformation. Most frequently the azomethine ylide exists in one preferred configuration or it shifts between two different forms. The addition process can proceed in either an endo or an exo fashion, but the possible ( ,Z) interconversion of the azomethine ylide confuses these terms to some extent. The endo-isomers obtained from the ( , )-azomethine ylide are identical to the exo-isomers obtained from the (Z,Z)-isomer. Finally, the azomethine ylide can add to either face of the alkene, which is described as diastereofacial selectivity if one or both of the substrates are chiral or as enantioselectivity if the substrates are achiral. 

Grigg and co-workers (383) found that chiral cobalt and manganese complexes are capable of inducing enantioselectivity in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of azomethine ylides derived from arylidene imines of glycine (Scheme 12.91). This work was published in 1991 and is the first example of a metal-catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The reaction of the azomethine yhde 284a with methyl acrylate 285 required a stoichiometric amount of cobalt and 2 equiv of the chiral ephedrine ligand. Up to 96% ee was obtained for the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition product 286a. 

Besides the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides to C60, the Bingel cycloprop anation reaction is widely used for regioselective functionalization of fullerenes. In principle, this versatile modification involves the generation of carbon nucleophiles from a-halo esters and their subsequent addition to C60 [19]. The addition takes place exclusively on double bonds between two six-membered rings of the fullerene skeleton, yielding methanofullerenes. As shown in Scheme 2, addition of diethylbromomalonate to C60, in the presence of an auxiliary base... 

The formation and intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides formed by carbenoid reaction with C=N bonds has recently been studied by the authors group.84 Treatment of 2-(diazoace-tyl)benzaldehyde O-methyl oxime (176) with rhodium(II) octanoate in the presence of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate or N-phenylmaleimide produced cycloadducts 178 and 179, respectively. The cycloaddition was also carried out using p-quinone as the dipolarophile. The major product isolated corresponded to cycloadduct 180. The subsequent reaction of this material with excess acetic anhydride in pyridine afforded diacetate 181 in 67% overall yield from 176. The latter compound incorporates the basic dibenzofa, d -cyclohepten-5,10-imine skeleton found in MK-801,85 which is a selective ligand for brain cyclidine (PCP) receptors that has attracted considerable attention as a potent anticonvulsive and neuro-protective agent.86,87... 

The [3+2] cycloadditions are the most prolific of all the silver-catalyzed cycloadditions. The unique affinity of silver for imines has facilitated the development of highly efficient and enantioselective cycloadditions of azomethine ylides to alkenes. Judicious choice of reaction conditions is crucial in achieving high yields for different substitution patterns. 

In the area of [3 + 2]-cycloadditions (1,3-dipolar cycloadditions), chiral silver catalysts have been utilized extensively for the enantioselective formation of five-membered rings from prochiral substrates. For example, Zhang and co-workers360 have reported the highly enantioselective Ag(i)-catalyzed [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of azomethine ylides to electron-deficient alkenes. Thus, reaction of ct-imino esters 442 with dimethyl maleate in the presence of catalytic amounts of silver(i) acetate and the chiral bisferrocenyl amide phosphine 443 provided the chiral pyrrolidines 444 with high stereoselectivities and chemical yields (Scheme 131). Only the endo-products were isolated in all cases. 

The formation and intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides formed by carbenoid reaction with C-N double bonds has recently been studied by the author s group [66]. Treatment of 2-(diazoacetyl)benzaldehyde O-methyl oxime (118) with rhodium (II) octanoate in the presence of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate or iV-phenylmaleimide produced cycloadducts 120 and... 

Structure ( )-161 (Figure 1.37) was proposed for the adduct resulting from [3+2] cycloaddition an azomethine ylide tethered via a butane-1,4-diyl chain to a fullerene-fused isoxazoline anchor.317 In a subsequent reaction with Mo(CO)6, the latter could be removed from the fullerene cage, thus... 

Figure 1.45. Racemic mixtures of fullerene-fused pyrrolidines obtained by [3 + 2] cycloaddition of azomethine ylides to Cgo (left, the newly formed stereogenic center is marked by an asterisk) if the azomethine ylide is generated from optically pure (+)-2,3-0-isopropylidene-D-gly-ceraldehyde and A-methylglycine, the cycloaddition reaction is diastereoselective (right).

Padwa and coworkers found that a-cyanoaminosilane 12a is a convenient synthon for azomethine ylide 15 which is extensively used in heterocyclic synthesis [7]. AgP has been adopted to generate the ylide 15 from 12a for the preparation of pyrrolidine derivative 14 (Sch. 4). Various dipolarophiles including A-phenylmaleimide (13) can be used for the cycloaddition. When iV-[(trimethylsilyl)methyl]-substituted indole 16 is reacted with AgP in the presence of maleimide 13, pyrrolo[l,2-a]indole 17 is formed in good yield, retaining the CN group [8]. A silver-bonded carbonium ion is assumed to be a reactive intermediate. Reaction of a cyano-substituted azomethine ylide, derived from (silylmethylamino)malononitrile 12b and AgP, with methyl propiolate (18) provides 3-carbomethoxy-A-benzylpyrrole (19) [9]. Epibatidine, a novel alkaloid, was successfully synthesized by employing the [3 + 2] cycloaddition of azomethine ylide with electron-deficient alkenes as a key step [10]. 

Typical acyclic olefins of symmetrically substituted types are the esters of maleic and fumaric acids. Though maleimides and maleates are both symmetrical cis-olefins, these two exhibit quite different stereoselectivity in cycloadditions to azomethine ylides. There are relatively limited examples known for the stereoselective cycloadditions of azomethine ylides to symmetrical acyclic olefins. These stereoselective cycloadditions are listed in Table IX, and nonstereoselective reactions in Table X. 

Reactivity, regio- and stereoselectivity, and stereospecificity of the inter-molecular cycloadditions of azomethine ylide 1,3-dipoles were reviewed in Section III. When one plans to utilize these reactions for a synthetic purpose, the following several points are important and have to be taken into consideration (1) the reactivity of a particular azomethine ylide, (2) the geometry of the reacting dipoles, and (3) the stereochemical outcome expected in the cycloadditions. Then the proper combination between an azomethine ylide and a dipolarophile is selected. 

Cycloaddition reactions of the C(3)=N bond of azirines are common (Scheme 45) <71AHC(13)45, B-83MI 101-03,84CHEC-I(7)47>. Azirines can participate in [4 + 2] cycloadditions with dienes including cyclopentadienones, isobenzofurans, triazines, and tetrazines. They also participate in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions with azomethine ylides, nitrile oxides, mesoionic compounds, and diazomethane. Cycloadditions with heterocumulenes, benzyne, and carbenes are known. Azirines also participate in other pericyclic reactions, such as ene reactions. 

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