Intramolecular Benzannulation

An unexpected varying regiochemistry in intramolecular benzannulation has also been observed in the synthesis of cyclophanes. As mentioned above, there are only two possible regiochemical outcomes in the benzannulation reaction, which differ in the direction of alkyne incorporation. / -Tethered vinyl-carbene chromium complexes undergo an intramolecular benzannulation reaction with incorporation of the tethered alkyne with normal regioselectivity to give meta-cyclophanes [28]. 

The second option involves the incorporation of either chiral amines or chiral alcohols into the heteroatom-carbene side chain (R ), which represents the most versatile approach to diastereoselective benzannulation. The optically pure (2R,3R)-butane-2,3-diol was used to tether the biscarbene complex 37. The double intramolecular benzannulation reaction with diphenylbutadiyne allowed introduction of an additional stereogenic element in terms of an axis... 

For that reason an intramolecular benzannulation was developed, which incorporates all components for the intramolecular alkoxycarbonylation into the naphthoquinone 105 [65]. Based on that strategy a short and convergent pathway for the synthesis of racemic deoxyfrenolicin 108 was accomplished. Xu et al. replaced the allylacetylene 100 in the reaction sequence for nanaomycin A by alkynoate 106. The benzannulation product 107 was an appropriate precursor for a subsequent tandem oxa-Pictet-Spengler cyclisation/DDQ-induced coupling reaction [66]. Following this strategy the total synthesis of enan-tiomerically pure deoxyfrenolicin could be accomplished (Scheme 48). 

A palladium-catalyzed intramolecular benzannulation of bis-enynes 1135 proceeds chemoselectively to afford dihydroisocoumarins 1136 (Equation 441) <2002JOC2653>. A reaction sequence involving ruthenium-catalyzed yne-ene cross-metathesis of a polystyrene supported undecynoic acid ester followed by a Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction with DMAD provides the basis for a combinatorial approach to dihydroisocoumarins featuring a variety of side chains at C-6 and C-8 <1999SL1879>. 

Benzannulation is compatible with the construction of non-planar or strained aromatic rings. This is demonstrated by both the annulation of boat-like arene decks in [2.2]meta-cyclophanes and by an intramolecular benzannulation to form a hydroquinone deck itself. The first effort concentrated on the annulation of the strained ethene bridge in the [2.2]para-... 

Even the distorted boat-like deck in [2.2]metacyclophanes can be constructed by an intramolecular version of the benzannulation. A suitable precursor bears a chromium vinylcarbene and an allcyne moiety linked to a meta-phenylene core by two-atom bridges, as shown for complexes 80. Benzannulation under the typical conditions affords hydro-quinonophanes 81 in fair yields (Scheme 31) [73]. Interestingly, the intramolecular benzannulation approach even tolerates heteroatom bridges, which impose both additional strain and helicity on the cyclophane skeleton [73b]. 

Scheme 31. An intramolecular benzannulation approach to [2.2]meta-and [2.2](hetera)metacyclophanes.

A complementary access to extended indole and carbazole systems is based on the thermal intramolecular benzannulation of ortfio-al kyn ylan i 1 i nocarbene complexes or on a photo-induced benzannulation of phenylpyrrolylcarbene complexes. The first example involves an intramolecular access to the carbazole skeleton. Refluxing a solution of orflio-alkyn yl phen yl amino carbene complex 109 in acetonitrile gave a 63 % yield of benzocarbazole 110. Less strongly coordinating solvents (TBME, THF, or di-n-butyl ether) or other substituents less bulky than 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (for example, phenyl or 4-methylphenyl) led to a considerably reduced yield (Scheme 39) [83]. 

Pyrazolyl- [85], dihydropyridyl- [86], and pyrrolizinylcarbene complexes [87] have also been subjected to the benzannulation to give the respective oxygenated benzo-N-heterocycles. Finally, a,/ ,y,dienyl carbene complexes containing a heterocyde at the internal double bond have been utilized to prepare 2,3-dihydro-l,2-benzisoxazoles and indazoles by intramolecular benzannulation [60h]. 

A one-pot synthesis of dibenzo[f>,d]pyranones from the aryl propenoate 17 proceeds via sequential Sonogashira coupling and an intramolecular benzannulation. <02JOC5138>. 

We reported that the phthalide 146 and 3,4-dihydroisocoumarin 147 were prepared using the palladium-catalyzed intramolecular benzannulation... 

The Dotz benzannulation was employed as a key step in the formation of a metacyclophane natural product, kendomycin (Scheme 21.33) [37]. The intramolecular benzannulation of the vinylcarbene and alkyne, linked with the highly functionalized tether, afforded the corresponding metacyclophane in good yield. 

The Wulff-Ddtz reaction is another approach to the synthesis of the cyclophane system by formal [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition. The intramolecular benzannulation of the Fischer carbene complex, which has an alkyne tethered to the a-position of the alkenyl substituent, gave a para-cyclophane in moderate yield under highly diluted conditions (Scheme 8.6) [6]. 

Jones and EHidly developed an effective two-step strategy for the synthesis of benzo-fused indanes 65 the tandem addition/fragmentation of vinylogous acyl tri-flates 64 and the copper-catalyzed intramolecular benzannulation of o-alkynylphenyl ketones 59 (Scheme 15.26) [38]. 

Hildebrand et al. demonstrated the effective formation of medium-sized rings, such as seven- and eight-membered rings 67 by platinum-catalyzed intramolecular benzannulation of 66 (Scheme 15.27) [39]. 

Dyker and Hildebrand reported the total synthesis of heliophenanthrone 83 by use of the platinum-catalyzed intramolecular benzannulation of 81 (Scheme 15.31). They also developed a method of constructing a steroid framework and chrysenone derivative 87 with gold-catalyzed annulation (Scheme 15.32) [43],... 

Other examples of [2C+2S+1C0] cycloaddition reactions have been described by Herndon et al. by the use of chromium cyclopropyl(methoxy)carbenes. These complexes react with alkynes releasing ethene and forming cyclopenta-dienone derivatives, which evolve to cyclopentenone derivatives in the presence of chromium(O) and water [122] (Scheme 76). This reaction has been extended to intramolecular processes and also to the synthesis of some natural products [123]. These authors have also described another process involving a formal [2C+2S+1C0] cycloaddition reaction. Thus, the reaction of methyl and cyclo-propylcarbene complexes with phenylacetylene derivatives does not afford the expected benzannulated products, and several regioisomers of cyclopentenone derivatives are the only products isolated [124] (Scheme 76). 

Structural analogues of the /]4-vinylketene E were isolated by Wulff, Rudler and Moser [15]. The enaminoketene complex 11 was obtained from an intramolecular reaction of the chromium pentacarbonyl carbene complex 10. The silyl vinylketene 13 was isolated from the reaction of the methoxy(phenyl)-carbene chromium complex 1 and a silyl-substituted phenylacetylene 12, and -in contrast to alkene carbene complex 7 - gave the benzannulation product 14 after heating to 165 °C in acetonitrile (Scheme 6). The last step of the benzannulation reaction is the tautomerisation of the /]4-cyclohexadienone F to afford the phenol product G. The existence of such an intermediate and its capacity to undergo a subsequent step was validated by Wulff, who synthesised an... 

Nanaomycin A 103 and deoxyfrenolicin 108 are members of a group of naphthoquinone antibiotics based on the isochroman skeleton. The therapeutic potential of these natural products has attracted considerable attention, and different approaches towards their synthesis have been reported [65,66]. The key step in the total synthesis of racemic nanaomycin A 103 is the chemo-and regioselective benzannulation reaction of carbene complex 101 and allylacety-lene 100 to give allyl-substituted naphthoquinone 102 after oxidative workup in 52% yield [65] (Scheme 47). The allyl functionality is crucial for a subsequent intramolecular alkoxycarbonylation to build up the isochroman structure. However, modest yields and the long sequence required to introduce the... 

This photodriven benzannulation was used in the synthesis of indolocar-bazoles (Eq. 22) [96] and calphostins (Eq. 23) [97]. The thermal insertion of isonitriles into these same classes of carbenes provided a complementary approach to similar benzannulations [98-100]. Manganese alkoxycarbene complexes underwent both inter- [101] and intramolecular [102] photodriven benzannulation reactions with alkynes (Eqs. 24 and 25). 

The propargylic alcohol 102, prepared by condensation between 100 and the lithium acetylide 101, was efficiently reduced to the hydrocarbon 103, which on treatment with potassium tert-butoxide was isomerized to the benzannulated enyne-allene 104 (Scheme 20.22) [62], At room temperature, the formation of 104 was detected. In refluxing toluene, the Schmittel cyclization occurs readily to generate the biradical 105, which then undergoes intramolecular radical-radical coupling to give 106 and, after a prototropic rearrangement, the llJ-f-benzo[fo]fluorene 107. Several other HJ-f-benzo[fo]fluorenes were likewise synthesized from cyclic aromatic ketones. 

Scheme 20.31 Intramolecular [2 + 2]-versus [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions of benzannulated enyne-allenes.

The Dotz benzannulation reaction, based on the alkyne cycloaddition to chromium carbene complexes, is the most important application of Fischer carbene complexes. Among the various Fischer carbene complexes, alkoxy and aminocarbene complexes of chromium undergo a novel inter- and intramolecular tandem alkyne insertion/ carbene annotation sequence to give 9H-carbazoles and nf/-benzo[fl]carbazoles. 

A completely new benzannulation reaction of conjugated enynes and alkynes catalysed by Pd complexes to give substituted benzenes has been developed recently. When the 1,3-enyne 150 is treated with a Pd(0) catalyst, homocyclodimerization of the enyne takes place to give the 2,6-disubstituted styrenes 151 as a single product in good yield [64], An interesting application of this reaction is the preparation of paracyclophane 153 by the intramolecular reaction of the bis-enyne 152 [65],... 

PhI(02CCF3)2-induced intramolecular cyclization of a-(2-arylethyl)cyclic-1,3-diketone (290) generates a high yield of a spiro-benzannulated compound (291), via SET [302]. 

Linear, as well as angular, benzannulated perhydroazulenes 88 and 89, which are related to some important classes of diterpenes, have been synthesized (Scheme 8.26) [34] by the intramolecular cydoaddition of the carbonyl ylide generated by the irradiation of a, 3-epoxyketone 86 and 87, respectively. 

Pandey, G., Karthikeyan, M., and Mumgan, A. (1998) New intramolecular a-arylation strategy of ketones by the reaction of silyl enol ethers to photosensitized electron transfer generated arene radical cations construction of benzannulated and benzospiroannulated compounds. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 63, 2867-2872. 

A versatile strategy for efficient intramolecular oc-arylation of ketones was achieved by the reaction of silyle enol ethers with PET-generated arene radical cations. This strategy involved one-electron transfer from the excited methoxy-substituted arenes to ground-state DCN [42]. Pandey et al. reported the construction of five- to eight-membered benzannulated as well as benzospiroannulated compounds using this approach (Sch. 20) [42a]. The course of the reaction can be controlled via the silyl enol ether obtained... 

The incorporation of alkynes bearing substituents of similar steric bulk next to the triple bond results in only poor regioselectivity. This restriction may be overcome by an intramolecular version of the benzannulation, in which the alkyne and the carbene complex are linked by a suitable spacer that may be detached upon oxidation [31, 54]. 

Apart from the construction of phenanthrenes, carbene complexes have also been used for the synthesis of more extended polycyclic arenes. An unusual dimerization of chromium coordinated ortbo-ethynyl aryl carbenes results in the formation of chrysenes (Scheme 37) [81]. This unusual reaction course is presumably due to the rigid C2 bridge that links the carbene and alkyne moieties, and thus prevents a subsequent intramolecular alkyne insertion into the metal-carbene bond. Instead, a double intermolecular alkyne insertion favored by the weak chromium-alkyne bond is believed to occur forming a central ten-membered ring that may then rearrange to the fused arene system. For example, under typical benzannulation conditions, carbene complex 97 affords an equimolar mixture of chrysene 98a and its monochromium complex 98b. The peri-interactions between the former alkyne substituent (in the 5- and 11-positions) and the aryl hydrogen induce helicity in the chrysene skeleton. 

Benzoindole 114 has been synthesized by a remarkable sequence, in which the benzannulation precursor 113 is pre-assembled starting from two different chromium carbenes. It is formed in a [3+2] cycloaddition, in which the acylamino carbene complex 111 acts as the dipolar component and the alkynylcarbene complex 112 serves as the dipolarophile. The resulting 3-pyrrolylcarbene complex 113 undergoes a photoinduced intramolecular benzannu-lation to give the benzoindole 114 [84a]. This strategy complements an approach towards carbazoles [84b], Isoindolines and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines are accessible from the reaction of pentacarbonyl (a-methoxyethylidene) chromium with 7r,co-dialkynes bearing a nitrogen atom in the carbon ether [84c]. 

---