1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions furoxans

Azidofurazans and -furoxans undergo dipolar cycloaddition reactions with unsaturated compounds, in some cases regiospecifically. Thus, reaction of 3-amino-4-azidofurazan with l-morpholinyl-2-nitroethene (toluene, reflux, 70 hours) gives 4-nitro-l,2,3-triazole 204 in 87% yield (99MI1, 000KGS406). Cycloaddition of the same azide to alkynes was accomplished by formation of a mixture of position isomers 205 and 206. Regiospecific addition was observed only in singular cases... 

These routes are dimerization to furoxans 2 proceeding at ambient and lower temperatures for all nitrile oxides excluding those, in which the fulmido group is sterically shielded, isomerization to isocyanates 3, which proceeds at elevated temperature, is practically the only reaction of sterically stabilized nitrile oxides. Dimerizations to 1,2,4-oxadiazole 4-oxides 4 in the presence of trimethylamine (4) or BF3 (1 BF3 = 2 1) (24) and to 1,4,2,5-dioxadiazines 5 in excess BF3 (1, 24) or in the presence of pyridine (4) are of lesser importance. Strong reactivity of nitrile oxides is based mainly on their ability to add nucleophiles and particularly enter 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions with various dipolarophiles (see Sections 1.3 and 1.4). 

Some routes of chemical transformations of nitrile oxides connected with the problem of their stability were briefly discussed in Section 1.2. Here only two types of such reactions, proceeding in the absence of other reagents, viz., dimerization to furoxans and isomerization to isocyanates, will be considered. All other reactions of nitrile oxides demand a second reagent (in some cases the component is present in the same molecule, and the reaction takes place intramolecularly) namely, deoxygenation, addition of nucleophiles, and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. Also, some other reactions are presented, which differ from those mentioned above. 

DFT studies of the intramolecular ene-like (or the so-called 1,3-dipolar ene) reaction between nitrile oxides and alkenes show that this reaction is a three-step process involving a stepwise carbenoid addition of nitrile oxide to form a bicyclic nitroso compound, followed by a retro-ene reaction of the nitrosocyclopropane intermediate. The competitive reactions, either the intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition between nitrile oxides and alkenes or the intermolecular dimerization of nitrile oxides to form furoxans, can overwhelm the intramolecular 1,3-dipolar ene reaction if the tether joining the nitrile oxide and alkene is elongated, or if substituents such as trimethylsilyl are absent (425). 

Acetyl- and 3-benzoylisoxazoles 389 (and isoxazolines) have been prepared by one-pot reactions of alkynes (and alkenes) with ammonium cerium(iv) nitrate (CAN(lv)) or ammonium cerium(lll) nitrate tetrahydrate (CAN(m))-formic acid, in acetone or acetophenone. These processes probably involve 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides produced via nitration of the carbonyl compound by cerium salts. The existence of nitrile oxides as reaction intermediates was proved by the formation of the dimer furoxan 390 when the above reaction was carried out in absence of any dipolarophile (Scheme 95) <2004T1671>. An analogous improved procedure has been applied to alkynyl glycosides as dipolarophiles for the preparation of carbohydrate isoxazoles <2006SL1739>. 

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