From aziridines

From Aziridines. The well-known synthesis of 2-thiazolines (see Volume 1, p. 397) and thiazolidines (see this Volume, p. 636) by the ring expansion of aziridines has been further studied and utilized. 

2-Thiazolium salts (187) are produced from 1-substituted aziridines and thioacetamide in the presence of perchloric acid. Thioformamide affords 

Hanaki, Chem. and Pharm. Bull. Japan), 1970, 18, 1653, and previous papers 

Iwakura, K. Kurita, and F. Hayano, /. Polymer Sci., Part A-1, Polymer Chem., 

2-unsubstituted analogues that are not readily accessible by other methods. The extension to 1-substituted aziridines of reactions previously applied to ethyleneimine gives the expected products [(188) and (189)] when thiocyanate ion or thiourea is the nucleophile.  

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A certain number of seienazolidines were first prepared by Draquet and Renson (73) from aziridine using two different pathways (Table X-16j. 

Certain bifunctional nucleophiles allow cyclization after ring opening. The formation of 2-thiazolium salts (71JHC40S) and the analogous production of 2-amino-2-thiazolines (191) from aziridines and thiocyanic acid fall into this category (72JOC4401). 

Recently, Lee and co-workers reported an efficient method for the preparation of enantiomerically pure oxazolidin-2-ones from aziridine-2-carboxylates 186 (Scheme 3.68) [128]. This one-pot aziridine ring-opening and subsequent intramolecular cyclization process was highly regio- and stereoselective, affording 187 in high yield. 

FR900490 (264 Scheme 3.96), a new immunomodulator, has been prepared from aziridine-2-carboxylic ester 261 [146, 147]. This aziridine reacts with (S)-histi-dine (262) in the presence of 1 n sodium hydroxide, giving 263 in 31-44% yield... 

Anomalous Amino Acids from Aziridine-2-carboxylic Esters. 105... 

Enantiopure a-amino aldehydes are valuable synthons in natural product synthesis [57]. However, problems are often encountered with their configurational instability [58]. Aziridine-2-carboxaldehydes are also a-amino aldehydes and accordingly have a potential synthetic value. We found that M-tritylaziridine-2-carboxaldehyde 56 is a perfectly stable compound and therefore comparable to Garner s aldehyde (ferf-butyl 2,2-dimethyl-4-(S)-formyl-oxazolidine-3-car-boxylate). Aldehyde 56 can readily be prepared from aziridine-2-carboxylic ester 12 by the sequence shown in Scheme 42 [59]. 

Scheme 6.18 Rh-catalysed cyclopropanation of styrene with sulfonamide ligands derived from aziridine- and azetidine-2-carboxylic acids.

Oxazolines have also been obtained from aziridines and carboxylic imidazolides via iV-acylaziridinesJ1271 Isomerization of the Af-acylaziridines can be achieved by heating with a catalytic amount of tetrabutylammonium iodide or bromide. The transformation can be carried out as a one-pot reaction in quantitative yield (solvents THF, CHC13, benzene) with a wide spectrum of substituents R (R = H, alkyl, c-C6Hi i, C6H5,3-pyridyl). 

N-Nitrosoaziridines are unstable compounds formed from aziridines and nitrosyl chloride at low temperatures. At room temperature they decompose stereospecifically giving nitrous oxide and the olefine. 

In some cases 0-substituted oximes reacted with azomethine ylides. Thus, reaction of 0-substituted oxime (NC)2C=NOTs 139 with azomethine yhde derived from aziridine 140 afforded imidazoline 141 in 44% yield (equation 61). Addition of lithium derivative of silylated alkyne to oxime ethers 142 leads to 4-ethynyl-Af-hydroxy-2-imidazolines 143 in 49-72% yields (equation 62) . 

The thermolytic preparation by De Shong et al. (74) of azomethine ylides from aziridines and their intermolecular reactions are the first examples of singly stabilized ylides of this type. However, the protocol has been further extended to include intramolecular processes. Aziridines tethered to both activated and unactivated alkenes were subjected to flash vacuum thermolysis generating cycloadducts in moderate-to-excellent yields. While previously singly activated alkenes had furnished low material yields via an intermolecular process, the intramolecular analogue represents a major improvement. Typically, treatment of 222 under standard conditions led to the formation of 223 in 80% yield as a single cis isomer. Similarly, the cis precursor furnished adduct 224 in 52% yield, although as a 1 1 diastereomeric mixture (Scheme 3.77). 

In a similar approach, Garner et al. (78) made use of silicon-based tethers between ylide and dipolarophile during their program of research into the application of azomethine ylides in the total asymmetric synthesis of complex natural products. In order to form advanced synthetic intermediates of type 248 during the asymmetric synthesis of bioxalomycins (249), an intramolecular azomethine ylide reaction from aziridine ylide precursors was deemed the best strategy (Scheme 3.84). Under photochemically induced ylide formation and subsequent cycloaddition, the desired endo-re products 250 were formed exclusively. However, due to unacceptably low synthetic yields, this approach was abandoned in favor of a longer tether (Scheme 3.85). 

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