Intramolecular spirocyclization

Spiroannelation. A new method for intramolecular spirocyclization involves decarboxylation of eo-halogeno-/5-keto esters with lithium chloride in HMPT at 125— 140°. The method appears to be fairly general.1 Examples ... 

The desirability of the transformation of Scheme 12 was recognized as early as 1987, when Kita published a pioneering study of the oxidation of phenolic amides with iodobenzene bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA) [23]. However, this intramolecular spirocyclization fails due to the propensity of the nucleophilic oxygen atom of the amide to intercept the electrophilic intermediate arising through activation of the phenol (Scheme 13). The preferential formation of spirolactones is probably due to an electronic effect. In most cases non-nucleophilic solvents are required to prevent solvent participations [24]. 

Intramolecular reactions of electron donor and acceptor sites in cyclic starting materials produce spirocyclic, fused, or bridged polycyclic compounds. 

In the synthesis of spirocyclic systems via an intramolecular Sakurai reaction, allylsilanes with an allyl moiety attached to the 3-position of the 2-cyclohexenone are required as starting materials. 

The intramolecular cycloaddition of the norbornadiene-tethered nitrile oxides 110 (Eq. 11 and Table 11) was reported to be highly regio- and stereoselective, providing the exo cycloadduct 111 as the exclusive product out of the four possible regio/stereoisomers [36]. The cycloadduct 111 provides a stereoselective entry into tricyclic (e.g., 112) and spirocyclic (e.g., 113) frameworks. 

As part of a study on the synthesis of the anticancer natural product camptothecin, alcohol 96, was synthesized (Scheme 11) <1997T10953>. Conversion of the hydroxyl group under standard conditions resulted in 97 which subsequently underwent intramolecular cyclization due to the better leaving ability of the halide. The quaternary spirocyclic product 2 was formed on standing. 

In order to gain more insight into this proposed mechanism, Montgomery and co-workers tried to isolate the intermediate metallacycle. This effort has also led to the development of a new [2 + 2 + 2]-reaction.226 It has been found that the presence of bipyridine (bpy) or tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) makes the isolation of the desired metallacycles possible, and these metallacycles are characterized by X-ray analysis (Scheme 56).227 Besides important mechanistic implications for enyne isomerizations or intramolecular [4 + 2]-cycloadditions,228 the TMEDA-stabilized seven-membered nickel enolates 224 have been further trapped in aldol reactions, opening an access to complex polycyclic compounds and notably triquinanes. Thus, up to three rings can be generated in the intramolecular version of the reaction, for example, spirocycle 223 was obtained in 49% yield as a single diastereomer from dialdehyde 222 (Scheme 56).229... 

An intramolecular imino-ene reaction was used as the key step in the synthesis of the non-natural perhydrohis-trionicotoxin.90 The spirocycle 147 was obtained as a single diastereomer upon exposure of 145 to TiGl2(01Pr)2 (Scheme 31). The transition structure 146 was proposed to explain the high diastereoselectivity of this reaction. 

The reactivity of allenyl ketones is also manifested in the Hg(II)-catalyzed ipso substitution that converts 54 to spirodione 55 (Eq. 13.17) [19]. The reaction presumably involves activation of the allene by Hg(II), followed by intramolecular electrophilic attack on the aromatic ring. Hydrolytic cleavage of the metal from the intermediate product of the reaction, followed by rearrangement leads to the observed spirocyclic dione. 

The diastereofacial selective imine-ene reactions with a-imino esters prepared from (—)-8-phenylmenthyl glyoxylate have provided an efficient entry to the asymmetric synthesis of a-amino acids, and a Lewis acid-mediated intramolecular imine-ene reaction has been used for the key spirocyclization step in a recent synthesis of (—)-perhydrohistrionicotoxin. Asymmetric azo-ene reactions have been effected using the chiral azo-enophile, di-(—)-(lR,2S)-2-phenyl-l-cyclohexyldiazenedicarboxylate. ... 

Two additional synthetic routes to ( )-j8-vetivone (350) have been developed. In one of these a suitably substituted spirocyclic system [cf. (349)] is constructed by addition of Me2CuLi to the fulvene derivative (348)/ Subsequent functional group modification (cf. Scheme 32) provides ( )-j8 -vetivone (350). In the other total synthesis d the well-known intramolecular alkylation of para-substituted phenols has been used to produce a spirocyclic intermediate (353) which can be converted into ( )-/3-vetivone (350) (cf. Scheme 33). 

This work has since been extended to cyclobutyl isoxazolidine adducts (e.g., 86) from the cycloaddition of 87 to methylenecyclopropane (88) (Scheme 1.18) (124— 127). Thermolysis afforded a mixture of products, of which the bicyclic azepinone (89) predominated. Spirocyclic adducts were also prepared from an intramolecular reaction in the synthesis of cyclic amines (Scheme 1.72, Section 1.11.3). 

Sha et al. (45) reported an intramolecular cycloaddition of an alkyl azide with an enone in an approach to a cephalotaxine analogue (Scheme 9.45). Treatment of the bromide 205 with NaN3 in refluxing methanol enabled the isolation of compounds 213 and 214 in 24 and 63% yields, respectively. The azide intermediate 206 underwent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to produce the unstable triazoline 207. On thermolysis of 207 coupled with rearrangement and extrusion of nitrogen, compounds 213 and 214 were formed. The lactam 214 was subsequently converted to the tert-butoxycarbonyl (t-Boc)-protected sprrocyclic amine 215. The exocyclic double bond in compound 215 was cleaved by ozonolysis to give the spirocyclic ketone 216, which was used for the synthesis of the cephalotaxine analogue 217. 

Molander and Hiersemann (60) reported the preparation of the spirocyclic keto aziridine intermediate 302 in an approach to the total synthesis of (zb)-cephalotax-ine (304) via an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of an azide with an electron-deficient alkene (Scheme 9.60). The required azide 301 was prepared by coupling the vinyl iodide 299 and the aryl zinc chloride 300 using a Pd(0) catalyst in the presence of fni-2-furylphosphine. Intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the azido enone 301 in boiling xylene afforded the desired keto aziridine 302 in 76% yield. Hydroxylation of 302 according to Davis s procedure followed by oxidation with Dess-Martin periodinane delivered the compound 303, which was converted to the target molecule (i)-cephalotaxine (304). 

Several mechanisms have been proposed for the intriguing interconversions of sulfur (or selenium) rings. These include the formation of (i) radicals by homolytic S-S bond cleavage, (ii) thiosulfoxides of the type S =S via ring contraction (an intramolecular process) or (iii) spirocyclic sulfuranes (or sele-nanes) via an intermolecular process. A fourth alternative (iv) invokes nucleophilic displacement reactions. Generic examples of mechanisms (ii)-(iv) for homoatomic sulfur or selenium rings are depicted in Scheme 12.1. 

Intramolecular interception of an Af-alkoxy-AT-acylnitrenium ion by an aromatic ring results in a spirocyclic species [203], There follows a C-migration (instead of N-migration) to restore aromaticity. This migration is assisted by the stabilization of the incipient carbocation by the resident donor nitrogen atom N-migration would not profit from this favorable electronic interaction. 

Spirocyclization with 2-silyt- 1,3-dithianes. Treatment of the trimcthylsilyl-alkanal 1 with fluoride ion liberates an anion that undergoes cyclization to the aldehyde group to yield 2. Various Lewis acids do not promote this cyclization. Similar desilylation of 3 is followed by an intramolecular Michael addition to give 4 in 64% yield. 

When five- or six-membered ring ethers can readily be formed by intramolecular alkoxymercuration of the initially formed alkenol, cyclic ethers are often the observed product (equation 219).341 This process has recently proven useful in the synthesis of spirocyclic acetals (equation 220).342... 

Few applications of cyclizations to form fused ring 8-lactones or tetrahydropyrans are found. Two consecutive bromolactonizations were used to effect stereoselective dihydroxylation of a cyclohexadi-enone system in a total synthesis of erythronolide B (Scheme S).64 Iodolactonization of an NJV-di-ethylbenzamide derivative to form a ds-fused benzolactone was a key step in a recent synthesis of pancratistatin.641 A di-fused tetrahydropyran was produced in good yield by intramolecular oxymercura-tion as shown in equation (17),59 although attempts to cyclize a more highly functionalized system have been reported to fail.65 Formation of a fused ring tetrahydropyran via an anti-Markovnikov 6-endo sel-enoetherification has been reported in cases where steric and stereoelectronic factors disfavor a 5-exo cyclization to a spirocyclic structure.38... 

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