1.2- Diazetidin-3-ones, synthesis

The dimerization of aryl isocyanates to l,3-diarylazetidin-2,4-diones is one of the classical methods for the synthesis of 1,3-diazetidinones. In 1993 trimerization of phenyl isocyanate catalyzed by a fluoride ion was also reported, and a small amount of l,3-diazetidin-2,4-dione was obtained at room temperature <1993JOC1932>. 

A new synthesis of 6-arylamino-2-heteroarylimino-l,2-dihydro-l,3,5-triazines from 2,4-bis-(heteroarylimino)-l,3-diazetidines and amidines has been developed by Molina et al. The formation of the triazines was explained as an initial addition of the imino nitrogen of the amidine to the exocyclic C=N bond, followed by formation of an open chain intermediate. This intermediate cyclized, followed by elimination of 4-amino-6-methyl-3-methylthio-l,2,4-triazin-5(47/)-one to give the triazine product (Scheme 62) <87S150>. 1,3,5-Triazines (207) and (208) have been prepared from 2-acylimino-l,3-thiazetidines (204) by treatment with iso thioureas or guanidines respectively (Scheme 63) <91JHC177>. 

The Wittig-type reactions of iminophosphoranes with isocyanates and related compounds have also been extensively used in heterocyclic synthesis. Examples include the preparations of the mesoionic [l,3,4]thiadiazolo[2,3-c][l,2,4]triazines (210) from (209), 0 bicyclic guanidines, e.g. (212), from (211), naphthypyridines (215), (216), and (217) from (213) and (214), 2 pyrido[l,2-f]pyrimido-[4,5-d)pyrimidines (218), 7H-pyrido-[4,3-c]- (219) and 10H-pyrido[3,4-b]- (220) carbazoles, tricyclic fused 2,4-diimino-l,3-diazetidines (222) from the bisiminophosphorane (221), benzotriazepines (225) from (223) and (224), 6 and mesoionic thiazolo-[2,3-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazoles (227) and N,N-bisheteroarylamines from the iminophosphorane (226), derived from 3-amino-4-phenylthiazole-2(3H)-thione. The carbodiimides (229), prepared from the iminophosphorane (228), can be converted into quinolines or a-carboline derivatives depending on the nature of the isocyanate used in the reaction with (228) and the reactions of iminophosphoranes (230) and (231) with aryl and styryl isocyanates provide one-pot syntheses of quinoline, a-carboline, and quinindoline derivatives. 9... 

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