1//-Cyclopenta pyrroles synthesis

The use of oxazole-alkene Diels-Alder cycloadditions to form biologically relevant molecules has recently been applied to the synthesis of isoindoles, useful intermediates for the preparation of substance P antagonists. Thus 5-ethoxy-4-methyloxazole 8 reacted with 4,4-dimethyl-2-cyclopentenone 78 in refluxing benzene in the presence of catalytic zinc bromide to give the (l//)-cyclopenta(c)-pyrrole 80 as a separable 3 1 mixture of cis and trans isomers in 53% yield (Fig. 3.22). The reaction is presumed to proceed via the intermediacy of cycloadduct 79. When cyclohexenone 81 was used as the dienophile, the product was the hydro-(l//)-isoindole 82, obtained via dehydroformylation of the cycloadduct, in 85% yield after only 30 min in refluxing benzene. 

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