Dienamides, cyclization

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. 

Cyclic a-amino acids with an enamine pattern can be obtained upon enantioselective hydrogenation followed by a hydroformylation/cyclization sequence in a single-pot version Rh(I)-DuPHOS acts as a catalyst for both steps, the enantioselective hydrogenation of prochiral dienamides and the hydroformylation of the resulting homoallylic amines (Scheme 13) [52,53]. 

In a short known reaction sequence, enal 250 was obtained from commercially available material 184). With methylamine and magnesium sulfate imine 251 was formed and combined with acyl chloride 252 185) (>4 steps). The use of low temperatures for this acylation led exclusively to the less substituted dienamide 253. The desired basic skeleton of dendrobine 254 was obtained by cyclizing 253 at 180°C in an acceptable 50% yield, Adduct 254 was accompanied by small amounts of the exo-adduct. Epoxidation led exclusively to exo-epoxide 255, which by means of trimethylsilyltriflate was converted into the allylic silyl ether. Acid treatment liberated the hydroxy group and subsequent oxidation of alcohol 256 led to enone 163, an intermediate of Inubushi s dendrobine synthesis and thus concluded this formal synthesis. The intermediate 163 was obtained from commercially not available materials in seven steps in 22.5% overall yield. To reach ( )-dendrobine according to Inubushi et al. would afford six additional steps, reducing the overall yield to 0.4% without including the preparation of the starting materials from commercially available compounds. 

Many heterocyclic analogues of the stilbene-phenanthrene cyclization have been reported, and the utility of enamide and dienamide photocyclizations has been dealt with in comprehensive reviews. Only a few selected examples will be mentioned here. 

Clark AJ, Geden JV, Thom S, Wilson P. regiochemistry of copper(I)-mediated cyclization reactions of halo-dienamides. J. Org. Chem. 2007 72(15) 5923-5926. 

Palladium The Pd(0)-BINAP complex has been shown to catalyse the aza-Michael 6 N) -endo-trig cyclization of dienamides (487), activated by both A-/ -toluenesulfonyl group and the R substituents the reaction affords 2-piperidinones (488) with <81%... 

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