Friedel cyclization catalyzed

A cytochrome P450-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts reaction is proposed in the biosynthesis of viridicatumtoxin (225, Scheme 45). ° The transformation involves a spirocyclization of the geranyl-substituted substrate (226). This biosynthetic chemistry is notable as the first terpene cyclization catalyzed by a P450 enzyme (VrtK). It suggests a mechanism with oxidation to the allyl cation (227), with subsequent ring formation, hydride shift, and Friedel-Crafts cyclization steps. The proposed mechanism was further studied by quantum chemical calculations. 

Cydopentane reagents used in synthesis are usually derived from cyclopentanone (R.A. Ellison, 1973). Classically they are made by base-catalyzed intramolecular aldol or ester condensations (see also p. 55). An important example is 2-methylcydopentane-l,3-dione. It is synthesized by intramolecular acylation of diethyl propionylsucdnate dianion followed by saponification and decarboxylation. This cyclization only worked with potassium t-butoxide in boiling xylene (R. Bucourt, 1965). Faster routes to this diketone start with succinic acid or its anhydride. A Friedel-Crafts acylation with 2-acetoxy-2-butene in nitrobenzene or with pro-pionyl chloride in nitromethane leads to acylated adducts, which are deacylated in aqueous acids (V.J. Grenda, 1967 L.E. Schick, 1969). A new promising route to substituted cyclopent-2-enones makes use of intermediate 5-nitro-l,3-diones (D. Seebach, 1977). 

Raston has reported an acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts reaction [89] in which compounds such as 3,4-dimethoxyphenylmethanol were cyclized to cyclotriveratrylene (Scheme 5.1-57). The reactions were carried out in tributylhexylammonium bis(tri-fluoromethanesulfonyl)amide [NBu3(QHi3)][(CF3S02)2N] with phosphoric or p-toluenesulfonic acid catalysts. The product was isolated by dissolving the ionic liq-uid/catalyst in methanol and filtering off the cyclotriveratrylene product as white crystals. Evaporation of the methanol allowed the ionic liquid and catalyst to be regenerated. 

Friedel-Crafts reaction remains unexplored, possibly due to the difficulty of the cycloalkyne formation. A mild, versatile, and efficient method for the one-step synthesis of substituted dihydro- and tetrahydroisoquinolines has been developed by the FeCl3-6H20-catalyzed intramolecular allenylation/cyclization reaction of benzylamino-substituted propargylic alcohols, representing the first example of the intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction of propargylic alcohols (Scheme 8) [24, 25]. FeCls, InCls, and Yb(OTf)3 also exhibit good catalytic activity for the reaction. 

Base-catalyzed condensation between phenylacetic acid and phthalic acid produces enol lactone 78, which is reduced to benzoate 79 with HI and phosphorous. Friedel-Crafts cyclization by polyphosphoric acid followed by reduction produces alcohol 80. This alcohol forms ethers exceedingly easily, probably via the carbonium ion. Treatment with N-methyl-4— piperidinol in the presence 6f acid leads to the antidepressant hepzidine (81). 

In the same year, Enders and coworkers reported an asymmetric one-pot, two-step synthesis of substituted isoindolines 159 in the presence of chiral A-triflyl phosphoramide (R)-Ae (10 mol%, R = d-NO -C H ) (Scheme 67) [87]. The cascade was triggered by a Brpnsted acid-catalyzed aza-Friedel-Crafts reaction of indoles 29 and A-tosyliminoenoates 160 followed by a DBU-mediated aza-Michael cyclization of intermediates 161 to afford the isoindolines 159 in high yields (71-99%) and short reaction times (10 min to 4 h) along with good enantioselectivities (52-90% ee). Longer reaction times (16 h to 10 days) caused increasing formation of the bisindole byproduct 162 (Scheme 68) along with amplified optical purity of isoindolines 159. 

Related to these intramolecular Friedel-Crafts cyclizations are the aluminum chloride and PPA catalyzed ring closures of 3-phenylpropyl iso- and thioiso-cyanates to 2H-2-benzazepin-l-ones and their -1-thiones respectively (79H(12)131i, 77JCS(Pl)2357). The method has also been applied to the cyclization of o-isocyanatodiphenylmethanes to 5,6-dihydro[6,e]azepin-6-ones (65HCA336). 

Sames et al. studied the cyclization of phenyl/propargyl ethers catalyzed by different metal salts since this Friedel-Crafts alkenylation had previously been reported to be catalyzed by metals such as Pd, Zr In and Sc [122-124] or even zeolites by hereogeneous catalysis [125]. In this preliminary research, the maximum yield of the desired product achieved by gold was only 6%, the best results being obtained with PtCl2 as catalyst [126]. 

A similar abnormal cyclization of 2-pyrrolylthioacetic acid (162) by PPA to the ketone (163) has been reported (Scheme 53) (61JOC2615, 61AK(18)15l). Thus, this Friedel-Crafts approach is not of synthetic value in the [2,3-6]-fused series. The acid-catalyzed cyclization of a 3-thienylthioacetic acid to give a thieno[3,4-6]thiophene was successful, but only if the highly reactive 2-position was blocked. For example, 2,5-dimethyl-3-thienylthioacetic acid (164) was cyclized with anhydrous HF to ketone (165), subsequent reduction of which gave 4,6-dimethylthieno[3,4-6]thiophene (166 Scheme 54) <76AHC(19)123>. 

Directed remote metalation (DreM) of biaryl amides and O-carbamates, conceptually based on the complex-induced proximity effect (CIPE) [15] provides, especially in view of their link to transition metal-catalyzed cross coupling regimens [16], general and versatile routes to fluorenones (16 —> 15, Scheme 4) [5,17] and biaryl amides (16 —> 17) [18] whose features are overriding Friedel-Crafts reactivity and yield enhancement in comparison to Suzuki-Miyaura coupling routes for highly hindered biaryls, respectively. Additional features of the O-carbamate DreM result is potential further DoM of 17 with appropriate phenol protection and cyclization to dibenzopyranones [18]. 

The intramolecular Friedel-Crafts cyclization of 3-(4-chlorophenylthio)butanoic acid to 6-chloro-2-methylthio-chroman-4-one is efficiently catalyzed by Bi and rare-earth triflates (Equation 195) <2003TL4007>. The cyclization of (3-arylthiopropanoic acids to thiochroman-4-ones by PPA is facilitated by microwave irradiation. Formation of these acids from the sodium salts of thiophenols and 3-chloropropanoic acid is similarly accelerated <2004JCM394>. 

Pertinent examples of zeolite-catalyzed reactions in organic synthesis include Friedel-Crafts alkylations and acylations and other electrophilic aromatic substitutions, additions and eliminations, cyclizations, rearrangements and isomeriza-tions, and condensations. 

A practical ligand-free palladium-catalyzed intramolecular reductive Heck cyclization was developed by Liu et al. <07TL2307>. The authors found that water was an essential component of the reaction mixture. Using a series of aryl halide intermediates this cyclization resulted in the desired 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines in high yields. Cook and co-workers found that InCU was an efficient catalyst for an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts cyclization of Ar-(4-bromobut-2-enyl)-A-(bcnzyl)-4-methylbcnzcncsulfonamidc to form the desired 3-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines <07OL1311>. 

Planar chiral phosphaferrocene-oxazolines (379) constitute another family of complexes that are usefiil as ligands in asymmetric catalysis. Preparation of these takes advantage of a modified Friedel-Crafts acylation of (373) and an unusual conversion of the resulting trifluoromethyl ketone into an amide that is then cyclized to an oxazoline. The diastereomeric complexes thus formed are chromatographically separable and are used in a palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution. Modification of this complex by using the anion derived from 3,4-dimethyl-2-phenylphosphole gives more... 

The use of alkenes as sources of electrophiles in Friedel-Crafts alkylations has also been studied. The intramolecular alkylation of l-(2-tolyl)-( )-pent-3-ene gives 1,5-dimethyl-l,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene in 95 % yield [55]. BF3 has been shown to form a complex with nitromethane which is particularly effective in catalyzing proton-initiated cascade cyclization like that shown in Eq. (29) [56]. 

Chiral titanium complexes are also employed as effective asymmetric catalysts for other carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, for example addition of diketene (Sch. 66) [154c,162], Friedel-Crafts reaction (Sch. 67) [163] (Sch. 68) [164], iodocar-bocyclization (Sch. 69) [165], Torgov cyclization (Sch. 70) [166], and [2 -i- 1] cycloaddition (Sch. 71) [167]. Asymmetric functional group transformations can also be catalyzed by chiral titanium complexes. These transformations, for example the Sharpless oxidation [168] or hydride reduction [169] are, however, beyond the scope of this review because of space limitations. Representative results are, therefore, covered by the reference list. 

Pyrrolo[l,2-a]indolequinones were prepared also by cyclization reactions. One of them involves copper-catalyzed pyrolysis of 2-azido-5-methoxy-6-methyl-3-(2,4-pentadienyl)-l,4-benzoquinone to give compound 45 (87JOC3956). The second pyrrole ring was also formed from a 2-hydroxy-propyl side chain of an indolo-4,7-dione (80JOC5057). Benzo analogs were prepared in a Friedel-Crafts reaction from either phthalic anhydride (67TL765) or 2-pyrrolidinylcarbonyl chloride (86H2797). 

There are a few tetra- and pentacyclic analogues. Benzo analogues of 245 were prepared from pyridine-2,3-dicarboxylic acid anhydride and a tetralin derivative under conditions of the Friedel-Crafts reaction (85JCR(S)338). Pentacyclic compounds 258 (R = H or Me) were prepared from the bis adduct of anthranilic (or IV-methylanthranilic) acid to 1,4-benzoquinone, followed by cyclization in concentrated sulfuric acid (55JCS4440 66CB1991). 6-Methylquinoline-5,8-dione dimerized in the presence of ethanolic N-methyl-cyclohexylamine to 259 in very low yield and the dimerization is interpreted as two base-catalyzed addition reactions and three oxidation steps (71JCS(C)1253). 

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