Hetero Diels-Alder reactions heterocyclic synthesis

The Diels-Alder reaction is of wide scope. Not all the atoms involved in ring formation have to be carbon atoms the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction involving one or more heteroatom centers can be used for the synthesis of six-membered heterocycles. The reverse of the Diels-Alder reaction—the retro-Diels-Alder reaction —also is of interest as a synthetic method. Moreover and most importantly the usefulness of the Diels-Alder reaction is based on its 5y -stereospecifi-city, with respect to the dienophile as well as the diene, and its predictable regio-and c ifo-selectivities. °... 

Nesi R., Giorni D. and Turchi S. Synthesis of Nitrogen Heterocycles hy Hetero Diels-Alder Reactions in Seminars in Organic Synthesis. 24th Summer Sch A. Corbella 1999 225, Ed. Trombini, Pb. Soc. Chim. Ital. 

Tietze L. F. Domino-Reactions the Tandem-Knoevenagel-Hetero-Diels-Alder Reaction and Its Application in Natural Product Synthesis J. Heterocycl. Chem. 1990 27 47-69... 

As already described for the all-carbon-Diels-Alder reaction, a hetero-Diels-Alder reaction can also be followed by a retro-hetero-Diels-Alder reaction. This type of process, which has long been known, is especially useful for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds. Sanchez and coworkers described the synthesis of 2-aminopyridines [48] and 2-glycosylaminopyridines 4-144 [49] by a hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of pyrimidines as 4-143 with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate followed by extrusion of methyl isocyanate to give the desired compounds (Scheme 4.30). This approach represents a new method for the synthesis of 2-aminopyridine nucleoside analogues. In addition to the pyridines 4-144, small amounts of pyrimidine derivatives are formed by a Michael-type addition. 

The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction is one of the most important methods of synthesis of heterocycles, yet as a potentially powerful synthetic tool it has found relatively little general use. Microwave irradiation has been used to improve reactions involving heterodienophiles and heterodienes of low reactivity. 

Hetero Diels-Alder reactions are very useful for constructing heterocyclic compounds, and many important chiral molecules have thus been synthesized. Although the retro Diels-Alder reaction does not itself involve the asymmetric formation of chiral centers, this reaction can still be used as an important tool in organic synthesis, especially in the synthesis of some thermodynamically less stable compounds. The temporarily formed Diels-Alder adduct can be considered as a protected active olefin moiety. Cyclopentadiene dimer was initially used, but it proved difficult to carry out the pyrrolytic process. Pentamethyl cyclopentadiene was then used, and it was found that a retro Diels-Alder reaction could easily be carried out under mild conditions. 

Tietze LF (1990) Domino-reactions - the tandem-Knoevenagel-hetero-Diels-Alder reaction and its application in natural product synthesis. J Heterocycl Chem 27 47-69... 

Scheme S.5. Synthesis of diversified heterocycles by domino-Knoevenagel-hetero-Diels-Alder reaction.

In this article we describe novel developments in the synthesis of heterocycles by hetero Diels-Alder reactions covering the literature from 1989. However, as a background and if neccessary for the understanding, also older publications will be presented. Due to the restriction of space only the most important and synthetically most useful dienes and dienophiles which are displayed in Table 1-1 and Table 1-2 will be discussed in this article. 

The multitude of hetero Diels-Alder reactions found in the literature clearly demonstrates the importance of this transformation. Thus, this type of cycloaddition is today one of the most important methods for the synthesis of heterocycles. Striking features of this method are the tremendous diversity, excellent efficiency especially in those cases where the reactive dienes and dienophiles are formed in situ, and high stereoselectivity in many cases. There is a broad scope and only little limitation. In recent years the use of Lewis acid, the development of diastereoselective and enantioselective reactions as well as the application of high pressure gave an enormous push. In addition, many of the obtained heterocycles can be transformed into acyclic compounds allowing the stereoselective preparation of e.g. amino and hydroxyl functionalized open chain compounds or even carbocycles to be of interest. Also, for the synthesis of natural products, the hetero Diels-Alder reaction is of great value. Since heterocycles,... 

The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction is amongst the most efficient processes for the synthesis of six-membered heterocyclic ring systems. Solvent-free conditions have been used to improve reactions of heterodienophiles and heterodynes with low reactivities. Cado et al. (1997) have described the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of ethyl lH-perimidine-2-acetate as heterocyclic ketene aminal with ethyl propiolate nnder solvent-free conditions with focused microwave irradiation. The new fused perimi-dines (23) were obtained in good yields (67-98%). 

Hetero-Diels-Alder reactions performed with trifluoromethyl-substituled heterodienes or with trifluoromcthyl-substituted heterodienophiles have resulted in the synthesis of a large number of fluoro-heterocyclic compounds. Ketones, thioketones, imincs, nitriles, and their parent a,/3-unsaturated systems have been studied in cycloaddition reactions. Cycloadditions are regioselec-tive. An interesting aspect is the competition with ene-type reactions, aldol reactions and, depending on the partners, with [2 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions. 

Tietze, L E, Kettschau, G, Hetero-Diels-Alder reactions in organic chemistry. In Topics in Current Chemistry Stereoselective Heterocyclic Synthesis I, Metz, P, Ed., Springer, Berlin, pp. 1-120, 1997. 

The diene alcohol derivative 68 is used to prepare the starting material 69 for an intramolecular hetero-Diels-Alder reaction to give a new heterocyclic ring 70 that can be cleaved with phenyl Grignard to release a sulfoxide 71 for the preparation of a new allylic alcohol 72. Notice that the stereochemistry of the sulfoxide is shown and that there is complete control over 2D and 3D stereochemistry. The allylic alcohol 72 was used in Weinreb s synthesis of toxins10 produced by fresh water blue-green algae. 

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