Dipolarophiles cyclobutenes

The types of cycloadditions discovered for enamines range through a regular sequence starting with divalent addition to form a cyclopropane ring, followed by 1,2 addition (i) of an alkene or an alkyne to form a cyclo-cyclobutane or a cyclobutene, then 1,3-dipolar addition with the enamine the dipolarophile 4), and finally a Diels-Alder type of reaction (5) with the enamine the dienophile. 

Finally, it is important to mention that there are other related publications in which porphyrin macrocycles are not directly used as dipolarophiles but are transformed into new derivatives that can react with carbonyl ylides via ACE (alkene cyclobutene epoxide) reactions. This idea arose in 1997, when Russell and co-workers found that fused ester-activated cyclobutene epoxides 86 can be ring-opened to give carbonyl ylides 87, and that these can be trapped stereospecifically by ring-strained alicyclic dipolarophiles, such as 2,5-norbomadiene, to form hetero-bridged norbomanes 88 in good yields, through ACE transformations (Scheme 31) <97CC1023>. 

The meso-ionic 1,3-oxazol-S-ones show an incredible array of cycloaddition reactions. Reference has already been made to the cycloaddition reactions of the derivative 50, which are interpreted as involving cycloaddition to the valence tautomer 51. In addition, an extremely comprehensive study of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of meso-ionic l,3-oxazol-5-ones (66) has been undertaken by Huisgen and his co-workers. The 1,3-dipolarophiles that have been examined include alkenes, alkynes, aldehydes, a-keto esters, a-diketones, thiobenzophenone, thiono esters, carbon oxysulfide, carbon disulfide, nitriles, nitro-, nitroso-, and azo-compounds, and cyclopropane and cyclobutene derivatives. In these reactions the l,3-oxazol-5-ones (66)... 

A number of examples involving nitrile oxide cycloadditions to cyclic cis-disubstituted olefinic dipolarophiles was presented in the first edition of this treatise, notably to cyclobutene, cyclopentene, and to 2,5-dihydrofuran derivatives (15). The more recent examples discussed here also show, that the selectivity of the cycloaddition to 1,2-cis-disubstituted cyclobutenes depends on the type of substituent group present (Table 6.8 Scheme 6.41). The differences found can be explained in terms of the nonplanarity (i. e., pyramidalization) of the double bond in the transition state (15) and steric effects. In the cycloaddition to cis-3,4-diacetyl-(197) and cis-3,4-dichlorocyclobutene (198), the syn-pyramidalization of the carbon atoms of the double bond and the more facile anti deformability of the olefinic hydrogens have been invoked to rationalize the anti selectivity observed. 

The two faces of the dipolarophile are not equivalent for the suprafacial addition of the dipole. Additions to c/5 -3,4-disubstituted cyclobutenes belong to this group. 

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