Indoles dipolar cycloadditions, intramolecular

By employing intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, syntheses of pyrrolo-, pyrido[l,2-a]indol (140),a pyrrolizidine and indolizidine (140b) derivatives have been reported (Scheme 2.216). 

In 1984, a facile synthesis of pyrrolo[3,4-/7]indole (5) as a stable indole-2,3-quinodimethane analogue using an intramolecular azide-alkene cycloaddition-cycloreversion strategy was reported (Scheme 9.2) (3). Treatment of bromo compound 3 with NaNs in aqueous tetrahydrofuran (THF) produced the triazoline 4 via an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of an intermediate azide. Treatment of the triazoline 4 with p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) effected 1,3-dipolar cycloreversion of 4 to give pyrroloindole 5 in 82% yield along with diethyl diazomalonate. 

Generally, cycloadditions represent powerful reactions for construction of heterocycles. Tandem intramolecular Diels-Alder/retro-Diels-Alder reaction sequences were applied in the syntheses of many A,B-diheteropentalenes <1996GHEC-II(7)1>. Gribble and co-workers <1998SL1061> reported new syntheses of pyrrolo[3,4-, ]indoles 426, benzo[4,5]furo[2,3-f]pyrroles 429, and benzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-4pyrroles 430 using the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition... 

As part of a project to synthesize stable analogs of the indole-2,3-quinodimethane system, the 2,4-di-hydropyrrolo[3,4]indole (251) has been prepared from formylindole (249). Knoevenagel condensation with ethyl malonate followed by bromination and nucleophilic substitution of the bromide with azide yields (250), which immediately undergoes intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to give the triazoline (252). Treatment of (252) with toluene-p-sulfonic acid affords diethyl diazomalonate and (251 ... 

The 2,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,4-Z)]indole (477) has been prepared as shown in Scheme 36 from the readily available formylindole (472) by the intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the azido-alkylidenemalonate (474) followed by 1,3-dipolar cycloreversion of the triazoline intermediates (475) with 50% overall yield <87JCS(Pl)977>. 

Carbon-carbon double bonds directly attached to indole rings have been shown to participate in cyclization reactions. The vinyl ether (395), on treatment with A -methylhydroxylamine, undergoes a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to the adduct (396) (Equation (110)) <85JA2569>. The intramolecular addition of a nitroalkane anion to an allylsulfinate gives a similar ergot alkaloid precursor (Equation (111)) <86TL3169>. 

Although Maier achieved the first intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of an isomunchnone, it was Padwa who unleashed the synthetic utility of this reaction. Thus Padwa and co-workers also found that isolated 7t-bonds can successfully and efficiently capture the in situ-generated isomunchnones, as shown by the examples 518 519 (Fig. 4.156). The alkene can also be tethered adjacent to the nitrogen atom (not shown). The indole double bond in 520 intercepts an isomunchnone 1,3-dipole to give the single diastereomer 521, the stmcture of which is supported by X-ray crystallography. 

Carbonyl ylides, most often in the form of isomunchnones (formed by decomposition of diketo diazo compounds in the presence of rhodium (II) acetate, and subsequent cyclization of the intermediate rhodium carbenoid species) are by far the most studied 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition partners for indole derivatives. These cycloadditions have been employed in elegant examples of complex ring construction en route to a number of polycyclic indole-containing natural products. Preliminary work by Pirrung [54, 55] (Scheme 23) on simple intermolecular cycloadditions was followed shortly by the utilization of intramolecular examples by Padwa, Boger and others. 

Early work by the Padwa group demonstrated the utility of the intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition reactions of indoles for the rapid preparation of complex ring systems. Diazoimides 94 and 96, when treated with rhodium (II) acetate gave... 

An interesting intramolecular cycloaddition reaction of indoles with azides has also been reported. Heating solutions of l-(D-azidoalkylindoles 199, which bear an electron-attracting substituent (e.g., CHO, COMe, C02Me, CN) at C-3, has led to the formation of tricyclic indoles 201 as products [87] (Scheme 55). The authors suggest that after the initial 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, the intermediate triazoline 200 loses nitrogen (perhaps via an aziridine intermediate) to produce the tricyclic products 201. 

D-Xylose has been converted to (25)-3-(indol-3-yl)propane-l,2-diol 237 by two different routes, one involving direct Fischer indolization of 238. The dibenzyl-dithioacetal 239 was elaborated to the fused triazoline 240 following reaction with MCPBA. Initial oxidation was followed by elimination of acetic acid allowing intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction to construct the triazole ring. The bicyclic iV,S -acetals 242 and 241 were prepared by reaction of the 2,3-0-isopropylidene-D-ribofuranose with 2-aminoethane thiol followed by Mitsunobu reaction. These products are considered analogues of castanosper-mine and australine. ... 

Nitrogen-containing heterocycles are also available via intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reactions. Williams employed an aza diene to prepare a complex polycyclic synthetic intermediate in his synthesis of versicolamide B. Boger reported a tandem intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder/l,3-dipolar cycloaddition sequence for the synthesis of vindorosine. Cycloaddition precursor 137 undergoes an inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction to yield 138. This compound decomposes via a retro dipolar cycloaddition to generate nitrogen gas and a 1,3-dipole that completes the cascade by reacting with the indole alkene to afford 139. Seven more steps enable the completion of vindorosine. ... 

A range of indolo(triazolo)-l,4-diazepine derivatives 104 were obtained by a microwave-heated three-component reaction involving tandem N-alkylation of indole 101 with epichlorohydrin 102, ring-opening of the epoxide with azide 103, and intramolecular azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions (13BJO401). Fused triazolodiazepinones were obtained via azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition followed by lactamization (13JHC430). 

Hashimoto and coworkers [69] have recently begun to explore the use of chiral rhodium catalysts in the intramolecular dipolar cycloadditirai reactions of indoles, and have applied their methodology to the synthesis of the Aspidosperma ring system. Thus, the cycloaddition of the cyclopropyl carbonyl ylides derived from cyclopropyl diazo-5-imido-3-ketoesters 135 upon treatment with dirhodium (11) tetrakis[Af-tetrachlorophthaloyl-(5)-ferf-leucinate] gave cycloadducts 136 along with the spiro[2.3]hexanes 137 in only moderate yields (Scheme 34). Although the reaction proceeds with exclusive endo diastereoselectivity, only moderate enantioselectivities of up to 66% enantiomeric excess (ee) could be obtained. 

---