Esters nitrile oxide cycloadditions

Yamamoto and co-workers (135,135-137) recently reported a new method for stereocontrol in nitrile oxide cycloadditions. Metal ion-catalyzed diastereoselective asymmetric reactions using chiral electron-deficient dipolarophiles have remained unreported except for reactions using a-methylene-p-hydroxy esters, which were described in Section 11.2.2.6. Although synthetically very useful and, hence, attractive as an entry to the asymmetric synthesis of 2-isoxazohnes, the application of Lewis acid catalysis to nitrile oxide cycloadditions with 4-chiral 3-(2-aIkenoyl)-2-oxazolidinones has been unsuccessful, even when > 1 equiv of Lewis acids are employed. However, as shown in the Scheme 11.37, diastereoselectivities in favor of the ffc-cycloadducts are improved (diastereomer ratio = 96 4) when the reactions are performed in dichloromethane in the presence of 1 equiv of MgBr2 at higher than normal concentrations (0.25 vs 0.083 M) (140). The Lewis acid... 

Wallace et al. (293) applied the boronic ester derivative 177 of Oppolzer s sultam acrylate for a special nitrile oxide cycloaddition (Scheme 12.53). This reaction has the advantage that it allows for the introduction of a hydroxy group in the 4-position of the isoxazoline product 178 after oxidative cleavage of the boronic... 

Nitrone-Nitrile Oxide Cycloaddition. Unsaturated sugars have been used for the simultaneous formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen bonds in a cir-relation. One of the best ways to achieve this transformation is the cycloaddition of nitrone or nitrile oxides. The cycloaddition of nitrones with olefins has been reviewed [133]. The regioselec-tivity is almost complete when using activated double bonds, such as enone, enelactone (see compound 98, Scheme 35), or esters. 

Much of the more recent work using isoxazolines involves ste-reocontrolled synthesis. Kozikowski and Ghosh (84JOC2762) used nitrile oxide cycloaddition to prepare the /8-hydroxyester (143) and the jS-hydroxyketone (145) from the dioxolane (S)-(48b) (Schemes 63 and 64). The ester (143) and ketone (145) are masked triols, suitable for use in the synthesis of sugars, as shown through the elaboration of the ester (143)... 

In the case of the ( )-alkene, the diastereoselectivity parallels that observed in nitrile oxide cycloadditions, since the cis configuration is derived from the inside (C-4)-alkoxy conformation. For the inside alkoxy conformation for the (Z)-alkene, a severe steric interaction of the ester group and a methyl of the isopropylidene group is present, hence the ra i-diastereomer is obtained135. 

The enantioselective total synthesis of the 13-membered macrolide fungal metabolite (+)-brefeldin A was accomplished using a triple chirality transfer process and intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition in the laboratory of D. Kim. To set the correct stereochemistry at C9, the stereoselective ortho ester Claisen rearrangement was applied on a chiral allylic alcohol precursor. The rearrangement was catalyzed by phenol and it took place at 125 °C in triethyl orthoacetate to give 84% isolated yield of the desired diester. 

By a similar series of transformations, ethyl ester 775b has been converted to nitroethyl allylic sulfide 782. This has been used as a substrate for an intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition, which furnishes a 64 36 mixture of the diastereomers anti-lH3 and syn-lH4 [221] (Scheme 105). 

Scheme9.42 Nitrile oxide cycloadditions to alkenylboronic esters.

Nitromethyl ketones react with p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) in refluxing toluene to give the corresponding furo-xans in 97% yield [20]. When refluxed several hours in xylene or mesitylene in the presence of dipolarophiles and catalytic PTSA, not only activated nitro compounds but also phenylnitromethane and 1-nitropropane afforded the expected isoxazole derivatives, as a result of nitrile oxide cycloadditions [21]. Microwave irradiation in the presence of catalytic PTSA has been successfully applied to condensations between methyl nitroacetate and dipolarophiles [22]. Nitroacetic esters have been converted into the corresponding furoxans with cold sulfuric acid [23], while phenylnitromethane and phenylacetylene in ethereal boron trifluoride etherate are reported to give 3,5-diphenylisoxazole [24]. 

A variety of 1-azirines are available (40-90%) from the thermally induced extrusion (>100 °C) of triphenylphosphine oxide from oxazaphospholines (388) (or their acyclic betaine equivalents), which are accessible through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides (389) to alkylidenephosphoranes (390) (66AG(E)1039). Frequently, the isomeric ketenimines (391) are isolated as by-products. The presence of electron withdrawing functionality in either or both of the addition components can influence the course of the reaction. For example, addition of benzonitrile oxide to the phosphorane ester (390 = C02Et) at... 

Dipolar cycloaddition reactions are of main interest in nitrile oxide chemistry. Recently, reviews and chapters in monographs appeared, which are devoted to individual aspects of these reactions. First of all, problems of asymmetric reactions of nitrile oxides (130, 131), including particular aspects, such as asymmetric metal-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions (132, 133), development of new asymmetric reactions utilizing tartaric acid esters as chiral auxiliaries (134), and stereoselective intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions (135) should be mentioned. Other problems considered are polymer-supported 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, important, in particular, for combinatorial chemistry... 

However, most asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of nitrile oxides with alkenes are carried out without Lewis acids as catalysts using either chiral alkenes or chiral auxiliary compounds (with achiral alkenes). Diverse chiral alkenes are in use, such as camphor-derived chiral N-acryloylhydrazide (195), C2-symmetric l,3-diacryloyl-2,2-dimethyl-4,5-diphenylimidazolidine, chiral 3-acryloyl-2,2-dimethyl-4-phenyloxazolidine (196, 197), sugar-based ethenyl ethers (198), acrylic esters (199, 200), C-bonded vinyl-substituted sugar (201), chirally modified vinylboronic ester derived from D-( + )-mannitol (202), (l/ )-menthyl vinyl ether (203), chiral derivatives of vinylacetic acid (204), ( )-l-ethoxy-3-fluoroalkyl-3-hydroxy-4-(4-methylphenylsulfinyl)but-1 -enes (205), enantiopure Y-oxygenated-a,P-unsaturated phenyl sulfones (206), chiral (a-oxyallyl)silanes (207), and (S )-but-3-ene-1,2-diol derivatives (208). As a chiral auxiliary, diisopropyl (i ,i )-tartrate (209, 210) has been very popular. 

Baker s yeast catalyzed the regioselective cycloaddition of stable aromatic nitrile oxides ArCNO [Ar = 2,6-C12C6H3, 2,4,6-Me3C6H2, 2,4,6-(MeO)3C6H2] to ethyl cinnamate, ethyl 3-(p-tolyl)acrylate, and tert-butyl cinnamates (218). Reactions of dichloro- and trimethoxybenzonitrile oxides with all three esters proceeded regio- and stereoselectively to form exclusively alkyl tran.v -3,5-diary 1 -... 

Dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxide at the C=N bond of indole imino esters 130, followed by elimination of the alcohol moity gives oxadiazole derivatives 131 (Scheme 1.26) (298). Reaction of N-arylbenzamidines with arenenitrile N-oxides (generated in situ from oximoyl chlorides) produce unstable 5-amino-4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-oxadiazoles which, on aqueous acidic treatment hydrolyze to open-chain N-benzoyloxy-N -arylareneamidines (299). 

Cyclic imidate esters, 2-ethoxypyrrolin-5-one and 2-ethoxy-1II -indol-3-one, undergo 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions with nitrile oxides, the reaction site being at the pyrroline C=N bond (317). Rigid and sterically congested pyrroline spiro compounds 148 demonstrate complete diastereofacial selection in site and regiospecific cycloaddition reactions with nitrile oxides to give products 149 (318). 

R2=MeC>2C, R3 = d-F CC F ), regioisomeric 4-trifluoromethyl-5-isoxazole-carboxylates, 213 (R1 =Me02C, R2 =CF3, R3 = 4-F3CC6H4) and unexpectedly oximinoyl chloride 214, resulted by 1,4-addition. Product distribution is rationalized in terms of two competing reactions, either 1,4-addition of the oximate anion to the acetylenic ester or formation of the nitrile oxide followed by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Anionic 1,4-addition of the oximinoyl chloride to the acetylenic ester is favoured at low temperatures, while nitrile oxide formation, followed by cycloaddition, occur at temperatures above 0 ° (371). 

Macrocycles containing isoxazoline or isoxazole ring systems, potential receptors in host—guest chemistry, have been prepared by multiple (double, triple or quadruple) 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitrile oxides, (prepared in situ from hydroxamoyl chlorides) to bifunctional calixarenes, ethylene glycols, or silanes containing unsaturated ester or alkene moieties (453). This one-pot synthetic method has been readily extended to the preparation of different types of macrocycles such as cyclophanes, bis-calix[4]arenes and sila-macrocycles. The ring size of macrocycles can be controlled by appropriate choices of the nitrile oxide precursors and the bifunctional dipolarophiles. Multiple cycloadditive macrocy-clization is a potentially useful method for the synthesis of macrocycles. 

A study of the regioselectivity of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of aliphatic nitrile oxides with cinnamic acid esters has been published. AMI MO studies on the gas-phase 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 1,2,4-triazepine and formonitrile oxide show that the mechanism leading to the most stable adduct is concerted. An ab initio study of the regiochemistry of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of diazomethane and formonitrile oxide with ethene, propene, and methyl vinyl ether has been presented. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of mesitonitrile oxide with 4,7-phenanthroline yields both mono-and bis-adducts. Alkynyl(phenyl)iodonium triflates undergo 2 - - 3-cycloaddition with ethyl diazoacetate, Ai-f-butyl-a-phenyl nitrone and f-butyl nitrile oxide to produce substituted pyrroles, dihydroisoxazoles, and isoxazoles respectively." 2/3-Vinyl-franwoctahydro-l,3-benzoxazine (43) undergoes 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with nitrile oxides with high diastereoselectivity (90% de) (Scheme IS)." " ... 

The 1,2,4-diazaarsoles are colorless oils or crystals. The unsubstituted compound is deprotonated by butyllithium and subsequently alkylated or acylated at N-1 <86TL2957>. The 1-acyl derivatives (9) (R = Me, Ph) readily undergo a regiospecific cycloaddition of nitrones, nitrile oxides and diazoacetic esters (Scheme 1). The cycloaddition of diphenyl nitrile imine is more general in respect to the 1-substituent (R = H, Me, Ph, COMe). The cycloreversion of the adduct (10) at higher temperatures provides an in situ access to the 1,3-diphenyl diazaarsole (11) which immediately enters another cycloaddition (Scheme 2) <86TL2957>. 

When acrylamides are used as dipolarophUes, FMO theory predicts that the 4-amido isomer should be preferred, which is contrary to the results found with tertiary amides (129). Semiempirical, ab initio, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied to the regioisomeric transition state stmctures of benzonitrile oxide cycloadditions (129-131). The results suggest that there is an unfavorable steric repulsion between the phenyl ring of the nitrile oxide and the methyl group of the ester (or amide) functionalities of the dipolarophile in the transition state leading to the 4-acyl regioisomer (Scheme 6.17). 

The use of chiral auxiliaries to induce (or even control) diastereoselectivity in the cycloaddition of nitrile oxides with achiral alkenes to give 5-substituted isoxazolines has been investigated by a number of groups. With chiral acrylates, this led mostly to low or modest diastereoselectivity, which was explained in terms of the conformational flexibility of the vinyl-CO linkage of the ester (Scheme 6.33) (179). In cycloadditions to chiral acrylates (or acrylamides), both the direction of the facial attack of the dipole as well as the conformational preference of the rotamers need to be controlled in order to achieve high diastereoselection. Although the attack from one sector of space may well be directed or hindered by the chiral auxiliary, a low diastereomer ratio would result due to competing attack to the respective 7i-faces of both the s-cis and s-trans rotamers of the acrylate or amide. 

Dipolar cycloaddition reactions between nitrile oxides and aUcenes produce 2-isoxazolines. Through reductive cleavage of the N—O bond of the 2-isoxazohnes, the resulting heterocycles can be readily transformed into a variety of important synthetic intermediates such as p-hydroxy ketones (aldols), p-hydroxy esters, a,p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, y-amino alcohols, imino ketones and so forth (7-12). 

In three separate papers, the use of chiral boronic esters in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions with nitrile oxides have been described (316-318). The reaction of 203 with nitrile oxides proceeded with low diastereoselectivities (Scheme 12.58). 

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