Enamine ring-forming reactions

The intramolecular Heck reaction presented in Scheme 8 is also interesting and worthy of comment. Rawal s potentially general strategy for the stereocontrolled synthesis of the Strychnos alkaloids is predicated on the palladium-mediated intramolecular Heck reaction. In a concise synthesis of ( )-dehydrotubifoline [( )-40],22 Rawal et al. accomplished the conversion of compound 36 to the natural product under the conditions of Jeffery.23 In this ring-forming reaction, the a-alkenylpalladium(n) complex formed in the initial oxidative addition step engages the proximate cyclohexene double bond in a Heck cyclization, affording enamine 39 after syn /2-hydride elimination. The latter substance is a participant in a tautomeric equilibrium with imine ( )-40, which happens to be shifted substantially in favor of ( )-40. 

Olefins conjugated with electron-withdrawing groups other than a carbonyl group undergo reactions with enamines in a manner similar to the carbonyl-conjugated electrophilic alkenes described above. Namely, they condense with an enamine to form a zwitterion intermediate from which either 1,2 cycloaddition to form a cyclobutane ring or simple alkylation can take place. 

An approach to isobacteriochlorins1 ln-e makes use of Pd(II) or metal-free bilatrienes 1 as starting materials. Cyclization of the corresponding bilatriene derivatives is induced by base in the presence of palladium(II) or zinc(II) which exercise a template effect. Zinc can be readily removed from the cyclized macrotetracycles by acid whereas palladium forms very stable complexes which cannot be demetalated. Prior to the cyclization reaction, an enamine is formed by elimination of hydrogen cyanide from the 1-position. The nucleophilic enamine then attacks the electrophilic 19-position with loss of the leaving group present at the terminal pyrrole ring. 

The epimerization likely occurs through an enamine retro-aAAol reaction after formation of the initial cyclized product (92) (Scheme 6.16) [47]. First, a ring opening of 92 forms the enamine-aldehyde (93a). Rotation about the C-C a-bond in 93a provides intermediate 93b in which enamine addition to the aldehyde to reclose the ring would give 93c. After protonation of the enolate, 91 would result with an overall epimerization of the spirocyclic carbon. In addition to the 2D NMR data, we also planned a complement of experiments to support the epimerization assignment. 

The acetic anhydride-induced cyclodehydration of the symmetrical diamide 411, derived from the tetrahydro-benzothiophene / -amino ester 410 and diethyl malonate, afforded the thieno[2,3-r7 [h3]oxazine derivative 413 rather than the expected bis-oxazine 412 (Scheme 78). The reaction probably takes place through sequential cyclizations, in which the pyridine ring of 413 is produced by condensation of the exocyclic double bond of the enamine tautomeric form of the 1,3-oxazine moiety and the mixed anhydride formed by the carboxylic group and acetic anhydride <2003PS245>. 

Four-membered carbocyclic ring systems are commonly formed by cycloaddition of electrophilic alkenes, ketenes and arynes to enamines. Since cycloaddition reactions of enamines are dealt with in Chapter 18 these reactions will only be mentioned briefly here. 

One Heteroatom.—Ring-opening reactions have been used to prepare nitrogen-containing compounds. Thus the fused /3-methoxy-/S-lactam (1) reacts with HOAc, water, and EtOH to form the enamine ketone derivative (2), while (3) and (4), which are intermediates in syntheses related to mitomycin anti-tumour antibiotics, have been obtained by the photochemical oxygenation of (5) and the electrophilic ring-opening of (6) with trifluoroacetic anhydride, respectively. 

Interestingly, an unexpected ring-opened product 25 was also produced. Its formation is proposed to occur after cyclopropane formation but before hydrolysis of the imiifium, whereby an enamine is formed a second time and undergoes a retro-Michael reaction to give the olefin (Scheme 1.6). 

An interesting synthesis of (-l-)-mesembrine has been described by Otani and Yamada (55). The approach follows from earlier studies (56) by these authors on the enantioselective synthesis of chiral 4,4-disubstituted cyclo-hexenones (see Scheme 26) in which construction of the t clohexenone ring is effected with Michael addition of methyl vinyl ketone to an enamine (103) formed from L-proline pyrrolidide and the aldehyde 104. In the reactions presented in Scheme 26, the il-(-l-)-isomer of 4-methyM-phenylcyclohexe-none was obtained in S0% enantiomeric access. 

The observed excellent stereoselectivities (dr=91 9 to >95 5, 94 to >99% ee) could be ascribed to the steric hindrance created by the employed catalyst in each step of the catalytic cycle reported below (Scheme 2.56). Once the chiral amine (S)-70 activates the acrolein 131 as electrophile by generating the vinylogous iminium ion A, the indole 171 performs an intermolecular Friedel-Crafts-type reaction. The resulting enamine B acts as nucleophile in the Michael addition of the nitroalkene 140 leading to the iminium ion D, which upon hydrolysis liberates the catalyst and yields the intermediate aldehyde 173. The latter compound enters in the second cycle by reacting with the iminium ion A, previously formed by the free catalyst. The subsequent intramolecular enamine-mediated aldol reaction of E completes the ring closure generating the intermediate F, which after dehydration and hydrolysis is transformed in the desired indole 172. 

As stated in the previous bullet, imine, enamine, and acetal forming reaction mechanisms are open to debate. Another point in these mechanisms where there is room for argument is in the proton transfers. Usually it is proposed that a solvent or other molecule picks up a proton from one atom and delivers it to another atom (as in Steps 3 and 4 in CTQ 21) but you can also accomplish this via a cyclic transition state. Such intramolecular proton transfer steps do not involve any other molecule, and are most favorable for six-member ring transition states. As noted in the activity, four-member cyclic transition states are not favorable. 

It is observed that 1,5-hydride transfer can be accelerated by iminium activation. Therefore, it is speculated that cinnamaldehyde derivatives 194 represent ideal acceptors that are susceptible to activation by secondary amine catalysts capable of forming an iminium ion (Scheme 1.85) [132], The resulting iminium ion activation is expected to increase hydride transfer to alkene. The subsequent ring-closure reaction mediated by enamine catalysis furnishes ring-fused tetrahydroquinoline derivatives in moderate yields and high levels of enantioselectivity. 

The direct connection of rings A and D at C l cannot be achieved by enamine or sul> fide couplings. This reaction has been carried out in almost quantitative yield by electrocyclic reactions of A/D Secocorrinoid metal complexes and constitutes a magnificent application of the Woodward-Hoffmann rules. First an antarafacial hydrogen shift from C-19 to C-1 is induced by light (sigmatropic 18-electron rearrangement), and second, a conrotatory thermally allowed cyclization of the mesoionic 16 rc-electron intermediate occurs. Only the A -trans-isomer is formed (A. Eschenmoser, 1974 A. Pfaltz, 1977). 

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