Iron-mediated aromatic substitution

A novel synthetic route for the preparation of unsymmetrically substituted benzophenones was developed in the laboratory of C.-M. Andersson utilizing an iron-mediated aromatic substitution as one of the key steps. The power of this method was demonstrated by the formal synthesis of the benzophenone moiety of the protein kinase C inhibitor balanol. In the late stages of the synthesis, it became necessary to convert the aromatic methyl ketone functionality of the highly substituted benzophenone substrate to the corresponding carboxylic acid. Bromine was added to sodium hydroxide solution, and the resulting sodium hypobromite solution was slowly added to the substrate at low temperature. Upon acidification the desired carboxylic acid was obtained in fair yield. 

Despite many applications of the iron-mediated carbazole synthesis, the access to 2-oxygenated tricyclic carbazole alkaloids using this method is limited due to the moderate yields for the oxidative cyclization [88,90]. In this respect, the molybdenum-mediated oxidative coupling of an arylamine and cyclohexene 2a represents a complementary method. The construction of the carbazole framework is achieved by consecutive molybdenum-mediated C-C and C-N bond formation. The cationic molybdenum complex, required for the electrophilic aromatic substitution, is easily prepared (Scheme 23). 

Tricarbonyliron-coordinated cyclohexadienylium ions 569 were shown to be useful electrophiles for the electrophilic aromatic substitution of functionally diverse electron-rich arylamines 570. This reaction combined with the oxidative cyclization of the arylamine-substituted tricarbonyl(ri -cyclohexadiene)iron complexes 571, leads to a convergent total synthesis of a broad range of carbazole alkaloids. The overall transformation involves consecutive iron-mediated C-C and C-N bond formation followed by aromatization (8,10) (Schemes 5.24 and 5.25). 

Over the past 15 years, we developed three procedures for the iron-mediated carbazole synthesis, which differ in the mode of oxidative cyclization arylamine cyclization, quinone imine cyclization, and oxidative cyclization by air (8,10,557,558). The one-pot transformation of the arylamine-substituted tricarbonyl(ri -cyclohexadiene) iron complexes 571 to the 9H-carbazoles 573 proceeds via a sequence of cyclization, aromatization, and demetalation. This iron-mediated arylamine cyclization has been widely applied to the total synthesis of a broad range of 1-oxygenated, 3-oxygenated, and 3,4-dioxygenated carbazole alkaloids (Scheme 5.24). 

The two key steps for the construction of the carbazole framework by the iron-mediated approach are, first, C-C bond formation by electrophilic aromatic substitution of the arylamine with the tricarbonyliron-complexed cyclohexadienyl cation and, second, C-N bond formation and aromatization by an oxidative cyclization. Application of this methodology provides murrayanine (9) and koenoline (8) in three steps and 15%, and in four steps and 14% overall yield, respectively, starting from the commercial nitroaryl derivative 601 (573,574) (Scheme 5.33). 

Electrophilic aromatic substitution of 708 with the iron-coordinated cation 602 afforded the iron-complex 714 quantitatively. The iron-mediated quinone imine cyclization of complex 714, by sequential application of two, differently activated, manganese dioxide reagents, provided the iron-coordinated 4b,8a-dihydrocarbazole-3-one 716. Demetalation of the iron complex 716 with concomitant... 

Electrophilic aromatic substitution of the arylamine 780a using the iron-complex salt 602 afforded the iron-complex 785. Oxidative cyclization of complex 785 in toluene at room temperature with very active manganese dioxide afforded carbazomycin A (260) in 25% yield, along with the tricarbonyliron-complexed 4b,8a-dihydro-3H-carbazol-3-one (786) (17% yield). The quinone imine 786 was also converted to carbazomycin A (260) by a sequence of demetalation and O-methylation (Scheme 5.86). The synthesis via the iron-mediated arylamine cyclization provides carbazomycin A (260) in two steps and 21% overall yield based on 602 (607-609) (Scheme 5.86). 

The construction of the carbazole framework was achieved by slightly modifying the reaction conditions previously reported for the racemic synthesis (614). Reaction of the iron complex salt 602 with the fully functionalized arylamine 814 in air provided the tricarbonyliron-coordinated 4b,8a-dihydrocarbazole complex 819 via sequential C-C and C-N bond formation. This one-pot annulation is the result of an electrophilic aromatic substitution and a subsequent iron-mediated oxidative cyclization by air as the oxidizing agent. The aromatization with concomitant demetalation of complex 819 using NBS under basic reaction conditions, led to the carbazole. Using the same reagent under acidic reaction conditions the carbazole was... 

Four years later, we reported an improved iron-mediated total synthesis of furostifoline (224) (689). This approach features a reverse order of the two cyclization reactions by first forming the carbazole nucleus, then annulation of the furan ring. As a consequence, in this synthesis the intermediate protection of the amino function is not necessary (cf. Schemes 5.178 and 5.179). The electrophilic aromatic substitution at the arylamine 1106 by reaction with the iron complex salt 602 afforded the iron... 

Electrophilic aromatic substitution of 5-hydroxy-2,4-dimethoxy-3-methylaniline by reaction with the iron complex salts affords the corresponding aryl-substituted tricarbonyliron-cyclohexadiene complexes. O-Acetylation followed by iron-mediated arylamine cydization with concomitant aromatization provides the substituted carbazole derivatives. Oxidation using cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) leads to the carbazole-l,4-quinones. Addition of methyllithium at low temperature occurs preferentially at C-1, representing the more reactive carbonyl group, and thus provides in only five steps carbazomycin G (46 % overall yield) and carbazomycin H (7 % overall yield). 

Electrophilic substitution of the appropriately functionalized arylamine and subsequent iron-mediated oxidative cyclization with aromatization generates the carbazole skeleton. Annulation of the furan ring by treatment with catalytic amounts of amberlyst 15 affords furostifoline directly. Comparison of the six total syntheses reported so far for furostifoline demonstrates the superiority of the iron-mediated synthesis (Table 1 in ref. [43a]). Starting from the 2-methoxy-substituted tricarbonyliron-coordinated cyclohexadienylium salt this sequence has been applied to the synthesis of furoclausine-A (Scheme 15.12) [45]. 

In 2010, Zhu and coworkers first reported the direct intramolecular C(sp )-H amination of Af-arylpyridine-2-ammes using a combination of Cu(OAc)2 and Fe(N03)3 as a bimetalUc catalytic system to furnish pyrido[l,2-a]benzimidazoles in satisfactory yields [13]. The authors believe that a Cu(lll)-catalyzed electrophilic aromatic substitution (SEAr) pathway is operating in this process according to the results of mechanistic studies, wherein iron(lll) acts a unique role to facilitate the formation of the more electrophilic Cu(III) species because in the absence of iron(III), a much less efficient and reversible Cu(II)-mediated SEAr process takes place. 

Another important class of reactions involves the introduction of a cyano group by substitution in an Ar-Z precursor. In fact, novel pathways leading to aromatic nitriles-for example, photosubstitution reactions-are desirable in view of the many applications of aryl cyanides as agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Today, the classical copper(l)-mediated Rosenmund-von Braun and Sandmeyer reactions, from aryl halides and aryldiazonium salts respectively, have been supplanted by reactions which employ palladium- or copper-catalysis [57]. The rather common use of excess cyanide anion may lead to a deactivation of the catalyst, and affect to a remarkable extent each of the key steps of the catalytic cycle [58aj. Although the use of complex iron cyanide has been shown to offer an effective solution to this limitation [58b,c], photocyanation provides an equally useful alternative [10],... 

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