Indoles 1-hydroxy-, ring synthesis

The oxidation of indolines with sodium tungstate/hydrogen peroxide both aromatises and also oxidises the nitrogen, resulting in 1-hydroxy-indoles. 1-Hydroxy-indoles can also be obtained via ring synthesis involving lead-promoted reductive cyclisation of ortfto-nitrobenzyl-ketones (or -aldehydes)." ... 

Nitrone cycloaddition reactions with alkynes have been widely used for the synthesis of imidazolidine nitroxides (736) and (737), containing chelating enam-ino ketone groups (821). Different heterocyclic systems were obtained, such as 3-(2-oxygenated alkyl)piperazin-2-ones (738) (822), also compounds containing the isoxazolo[3,2-i]indole ring system (739) (823) and a new class of ene-hydroxylamino ketones- (l )-2-( 1-hydroxy-4,4,5,5-tetraalkylimidazolidin-2-ylidene)ethanones (740) (824) (Fig. 2.46). 

Bcnzofuran-4,7-dioncs have been synthesized regioselectively by [3 + 2] photoaddition of 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinones with a range of alkenes (equation 185)664. The reaction occurs in 30-60% yield and is a useful method for the synthesis of the benzofuran ring system, which is important in natural products like acamelin665. Substituted naphthoquinones may also be used in this reaction666,667 and this has lead to a very simple two-step synthesis of maturinone. In a similar reaction, a [3 + 2] photoaddition reaction of 2-amino-1,4-naphthoquinones with electron-rich alkenes gave 13-82% yields of 2,3-dihydro-177-bcn/ /]indole-4,9-diones in a single-step process which involved photolysis followed by oxidation (equation 186)668,669. 

Heterocyclic Synthesis. - The reactions of phosphorus ylides with phenan-threne-9,10-quinone (113) have been used to prepare phenanthrene [9,10-x]-fused compounds with four, five, and six membered heterocyclic rings. (E)-4-carbethoxymethylene-l,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-quinolones 114 have been obtained from the stereoselective reaction of 3-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-2,4-diones and ethyl(triphenylphosphoranylidene)acetate. A -trifluoroacetylanilines 115 react with Ph3P=C02Et producing enamine derivatives 116 as a mixture of (E)- and (Z)-isomers. Enamines 116 are useful precursors for the synthesis of indoles and quinolones. 

Isocyanides readily undergo cycloaddition reactions, and these are very valuable in the formation of heterocyclic rings. Reaction of j5-nitrostyrene with an alkyl isocyanide gives a hydroxy indole (146). Reaction proceeds even more readily between tosylmethyl isocyanide (147), in which the methylene is activated, and aryldiazonium compounds. With ketenes, isocyanides give imino lactones. However, with r-butylcyanoketene, the reaction follows a different pathway involving the carbonyl bond of the ketene, to yield 148. A [1 + 3] cycloaddition of an isocyanide to a 1,3-dipole has been used to prepare azetidines. The method has been used for synthesis of a number of azetidines . 

Six articles cover general aspects of heterocyclic chemistry 1,3-dipolar cycloreversions, syntheses with arylnitrenes and a-metallated isocyanides, and photo-oxygenation of nitrogen heterocycles,while others deal with more specialized subjects, i.e. preparation and use of halogeno-lactones, aspects of the chemistry of furan, 1-hydroxy-indoles, ring-opening of azoles by the action of amines, " the use of 2-chlorobenzoxazolium (1) and other heterocyclic onium salts for dehydration and condensation reactions," the synthesis of monosub-stituted tetrathiafulvalenes (2), cycloadditions of azoles containing three heteroatoms,sydnone imines (3), the conversion of acyl-benzofuroxans into nitro-indazoles (cf. p. 199), and advances in the chemistry of pyrrolizidine " and indolizine." ... 

Intramolecular enolate addition to an -fluoroacrylate was a key step in the synthesis of a heteroyohimbine indole alkaloid containing a 2,3-dihydrofuran moiety <01SL1125>. An endo ring closure at the s/j-hybridized carbon center of an allenyl unit to form a 2,3-dihydrofuran as shown below was observed when the allenyl sulfoxide containing a primary 6-hydroxy group was allowed to react with potassium rert-butoxide <01OL3385>. 

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