3.4- Dihydroisoquinoline synthesis, isoquinoline

The Beckmann rearrangement-cyclization sequence terminated by aromatic moieties is fairly general. Recent examples of isoquinoline and dihydroisoquinoline synthesis exhibit two-step sequences using phosphorus pentachloride and phosphorus pentoxide via the cyclization of the intermediate imidoyl chlorides (equation 34). ... 

Synthesis of 1-subst. 2-carbamyM,2-dihydroisoquinolines from isoquinolines and isocyanates... 

Hydroisoquinolines. In addition to the ring-closure reactions previously cited, a variety of reduction methods are available for the synthesis of these important ring systems. Lithium aluminum hydride or sodium in Hquid ammonia convert isoquinoline to 1,2-dihydroisoquinoline (175). Further reduction of this intermediate or reduction of isoquinoline with tin and hydrochloric acid, sodium and alcohol, or catalyticaHy using platinum produces... 

The Bischler-Napieralski reaction involves the cyclization of phenethyl amides 1 in the presence of dehydrating agents such as P2O5 or POCI3 to afford 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline products 2. This reaction is one of the most commonly employed and versatile methods for the synthesis of the isoquinoline ring system, which is found in a large number of alkaloid natural products. The Bischler-Napieralski reaction is also frequently used for the conversion of N-acyl tryptamine derivatives 3 into p-carbolines 4 (eq 2). 

Kobayashi and co-workers have also reported an alternate synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted isoquinolines and a new synthesis of 1,3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivatives <06BCJ 1126 06S2934>. The 1,4-disubstituted isoquinolines 121 are synthesized in good yields by reacting a variety of organolithiums 122 with different benzonitriles 123. In addition, a variety of lithium dialkylamides 124 were also reacted with different benzonitriles 123 to form 1 -amino-4-substituted isoquinolines 121 in moderate yields. 

Isoquinoline alkaloids. The regioselective allylation of N-acyl heterocycles (13, 10) can be used for synthesis of isoquinoline alkaloids. Thus simultaneous reaction of the dihydroisoquinoline (1) with a diunsaturated acyl chloride (2) and allyltributyltin affords the 1,2-adduct (3), which undergoes a Diels-Alder cyclization... 

The photochemical electrocyclization of conjugated iminium salts 160, formed by protonation of 2-azadienes 159, led to isoquinolin-4-ones 162, presumably through hydrolysis and oxidation of the dihydroisoquinoline intermediates 161 (85TL5213) (Scheme 39). A closely related reaction served as the key step for a short synthesis of the pentacyclic marine alkaloid ascididemin as reported by Moody, Rees, and Thomas [90TL(31)4375 92T3589] the central reaction involves a 67r-electron pho-tocyclization of a syn- aza stilbene in sulfuric acid. 

Isoquinoline synthesis Bischler-Napieralski synthesis is used to synthesize isoquinolines. (3-phenylethylamine is acylated, and then cyclodehy-drated using phosphoryl chloride, phosphorus pentoxide or other Lewis acids to yield dihydroisoquinoline, which can be aromatized by dehydrogenation with palladium, for example in the synthesis of papaverine, a pharmacologically active isoquinoline alkaloid. 

This powerful quaternization method enabled the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of quaternary isoquinoline derivatives with 42 (R1 = Me) as a substrate. When 42 (R1 = Me) was treated with a,a -dibromo-o-xylene, CsOHH20 and (S,S)-le (1 mol%) in toluene at 0 °C, the transient monoalkylation product was rapidly produced, and subsequently transformed into the desired 44 (64%, 88% ee) during the work-up procedure. Catalytic asymmetric alkylation of 42 (R1 = Me) with functionalized benzyl bromide 45, followed by the sequential treatment with 1 M HC1 and then excess NaHC03, furnished the corresponding dihydroisoquinoline derivative 46 in 87% with 94% ee (Scheme 5.23) [25]. 

The key intermediates in the synthesis of isoquinolines are 3-arylethylamines. For instance, acylation of P-phenylethylamine 6.11 gives amides of general structures 6.12 which can be cyclised with phosphorus oxychloride to produce dihydroisoquinoline 6.13. Better yields are obtained... 

Numerous modifications to the Pomeranz-Fritsch synthesis of isoquinolines have been studied over the years without much success.42 Some of these cyclizations, had they been successful, would have generated 1,2-dihydroisoquinolines it is possible, at least in some cases, that the overall sequence failed because the conditions of cyclization were too harsh for the 1,2-dihydroisoquinolines formed to survive. 

Similar methodology was used in the synthesis of 3-methyl derivatives of the alkaloids thalactamine, doryanine, and 6,7-dimethoxy-A-methyl-l(2//)-isoquinolone652. The S l reaction between 0rr/20-halogenobenzylamines and enolates derived from a series of ketones and aldehydes affords 1,2-dihydroisoquinolines, from which the isoquinoline derivatives can be obtained by dehydrogenation and the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines by reduction653. The products of the S l reactions of (2-halo-4,5-dimethoxyphenyl)acetic... 

Because isoquinolines are dealt with in more detail in Chapter 51, we will give just one important synthesis here. It is a synthesis of a dihydroisoquinoline by what amounts to an intramolecular Vilsmeier reaction in which the electrophile is made from an amide and POCI3. Since, to make the isoquinoline, two hydrogen atoms must be removed from carbon atoms it makes more sense to use a noble metal such as Pd(0) as the oxidizing agent rather than the reagents we used for pyridine synthesis. 

A solid-phase Ugi-Reissert reaction on chloroformate resin, has been reported. The product, the ot-carbamoylated isoquinoline 230, is released by oxidative cleavage (Scheme 33a). Interestingly, the enamide moiety in the adduct can be exploited to perform this process in tandem with a Povarov MCR [189, 190]. In this way, by interaction of dihydroisoquinoline 231 with aldehydes, anilines and a suitable Lewis acid catalyst, the polyheterocyclic system 232 was prepared (Scheme 33b). The Zhu group devised an innovative approach for the synthesis of this class of compounds. They employed the heterocyclic amine 233, which was oxidized in situ to the dihydroisoquinoline 234 with IBX, to undergo the classic Ugi reaction. Remarkably, all the components are chemically compatible, allowing the sequence to proceed as a true MCR (Scheme 33c) [191]. 

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