Imidoyl iodide synthesis

The synthesis of analogous iminoacyl complexes by isonitrile insertion into linear alkyl-zirconocene chlorides is also known. In an overall regiospecific hydrocyanation of alkenes, iminoacyls 21 derived from tBuNC or Me3SiCN (as the Me3SiNC isomer) may be treated with I2 to rapidly generate an imidoyl iodide and subsequently the nitrile 22 (Scheme 3.6) [22], Less hindered iminoacyl complexes (e. g. R = Bu, Cy) may be hydrolyzed to afford aldehydes 23 [23]. 

Bowman et al. reported the total synthesis of ellipticine (228) involving an imidoyl radical cascade reaction (730). For this key step, the required imidoyl radical was generated from the imidoyl selanide 1290, which was obtained from ethyl 2-(4-pyridyl)acetate (1286). Reaction of 1286 with LDA, followed by addition of methyl iodide, led to the corresponding methyl derivative 1287. Treatment of 1287 with 2-iodoaniline (743) in the presence of trimethylaluminum (AlMes) afforded the amide 1288. Using Sonogashira conditions, propyne is coupled with the amide 1288 to afford the aryl acetylene 1289. The aryl acetylene 1289 was transformed to the... 

The mechanisms of these two cyclization reactions appear fairly different. While the xanthone synthesis would appear to follow a simple palladium migration/arylation mechanism, the fluoren-9-one synthesis has been subjected to isotope labeling experiments (Scheme 12), which indicate that more than one mechanistic pathway may apply. It turns out that the deuterium that replaces the iodide after palladium migration comes not only from the imidoyl position, but also from the pendent aromatic ring used to trap the migrated palladium via arylation. Such results can... 

BusSnH-mediated intramolecular arylations of various heteroarenes such as substituted pyrroles, indoles, pyridones and imidazoles have also been reported [51]. In addition, aryl bromides, chlorides and iodides have been used as substrates in electrochemically induced radical biaryl synthesis [52]. Curran introduced [4-1-1] annulations incorporating aromatic substitution reactions with vinyl radicals for the synthesis of the core structure of various camptothecin derivatives [53]. The vinyl radicals have been generated from alkynes by radical addition reactions [53, 54]. For example, aryl radical 27, generated from the corresponding iodide or bromide, was allowed to react with phenyl isonitrile to afford imidoyl radical 28, which further reacts in a 5-exo-dig process to vinyl radical 29 (Scheme 8) [53a,b]. The vinyl radical 29 then reacts in a 1,6-cyclization followed by oxidation to the tetracycle 30. There is some evidence [55] that the homolytic aromatic substitution can also occur via initial ipso attack to afford spiro radical 31, followed by opening of this cyclo-... 

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