Dieckmann reaction regioselectivity

The anion from (70.5) attacks the nitrile group and a 4-aminopyridine ring is formed in this example, the product is related to the antibacterial agent nalidixic acid. 5-Phenyl esters are useful in regioselectively directing a Dieckmann condensation of the diesters (70.6) to carbacephems. Dieckmann reactions usually requite heating but the enaminic ester (70.7) undergoes cyclization without external heat. 

Modem synthetic practice frequently requires the use of methods mote specific than those outlined above. Much attention has been focused on the mixed Claisen or Dieckmann reaction, i.e. the acylation of one ester by another, or its intramolecular equivalent, the regioselective cyclization of an unsymmetri-cal diester. A similar problem arises with the acylation of unsymmetrical ketones. This chapter thus describes the inter- and intra-molecular carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions in which a delocalized enolate anion (or close equivalent) reacts at an sp carbon atom in an addition-elimination sequence, as well as the acid-catalyzed equivalent employing an enol. In Table 1 we list the potential nucleophiles and the electrophiles that have been employed in these reactions, although not every possible combination has been reduced to synthetic practice. Table 2 gives details of acid-catalyzed acylations (see Section 3.6.4.3). 

The reversibility of the process means that cyclic 2-alkoxycarbonyl ketones can be cleaved by alkoxide in the retro-Dieckmann reaction, a process of synthetic significance (see Section 3.6.9.1). More recently, nonequilibrium conditions have been employed in the reaction and this may lead to a change in regioselectivity (see Section 3.6.3.3.3). 

The diester enantiomer (108) derived from ribonolactone, has been cyclized and decarboxylated to the bicyclic ketone (109) in 83% overall yield for the two steps (Scheme 38)." Similarly, the cyclopentanol diester (110) has been cyclized and decarboxylated to (111), separation of the two diastereomers being effected on the deprotected alcohols (Scheme 39)." Cyclization of (112) occurs regioselectively as expected to give (113) in 81% yield (equation 32)." The 9-azaprostaglandin skeleton has been formed through a combination of Michael and Dieckmann reactions." ... 

However, there are two additional lessons to be learned from these rearrangements. First, the sigmatropic reaction starting from 224 leads regioselectively to enolate 226, which in situ triggers a Dieckmann reaction to form the 1,3-diketone 225. 

We begin with the discussion of intramolecular reactions. An example of a regioselec-tive Dieckmann condensation (J.P. Schaefer, 1967) used an educt with two ester groups, of which only one could form an enolate. Regioselectivity was dictated by the structure of the educt. 

A classical way to achieve regioselectivity in an (a -i- d -reaction is to start with a-carbanions of carboxylic acid derivatives and electrophilic ketones. Most successful are condensations with 1,3-dicarbonyl carbanions, e.g. with malonic acid derivatives, since they can be produced at low pH, where ketones do not enolize. Succinic acid derivatives can also be de-protonated and added to ketones (Stobbe condensation). In the first example given below a Dieckmann condensation on a nitrile follows a Stobbe condensation, and selectivity is dictated by the tricyclic educt neither the nitrile group nor the ketone is enolizable (W.S. Johnson, 1945, 1947). 

Some straightforward, efficient cyclopentanellation procedures were developed recently. Addition of a malonic ester anion to a cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic ester followed by a Dieckmann condensation (S. Danishefsky, 1974) or addition of iJ-ketoester anions to a (l-phenylthiocyclopropyl)phosphonium cation followed by intramolecular Wittig reaction (J.P, Marino. 1975) produced cyclopentanones. Another procedure starts with a (2 + 21-cycloaddition of dichloroketene to alkenes followed by regioselective ring expansion with diazomethane. The resulting 2,2-dichlorocyclopentanones can be converted to a large variety of cyclopentane derivatives (A.E. Greene. 1979 J.-P. Deprds, 1980). 

The intramolecular condensation reaction of diesters, the Dieckmann condensation, works best for the formation of 5- to 7-membered rings larger rings are formed with low yields, and the acyloin condensation may then be a faster competitive reaction. With non-symmetric diesters two different products can be formed. The desired product may be obtained regioselectively by a modified procedure using a solid support—e.g with a polystyrene 10 ... 

---