Isonitriles amides

Several examples of the monocyclic isothiocyano sesquiterpenoids having the bisabolane (83) skeleton are known. Along with the hydrocarbon theonellin (84), isothiocyanate 86 and formamide 87 were obtained from the Okinawan sponge Theonella cf. swinhoei. It seems remarkable, but not unusual, that not only was the amide the major constituent, but the isonitrile 85 was the missing member of the triad [57], Relative stereostructures were indicated by NMR analysis of theonellin formamide (87) and its transformation products. 

A recent total synthesis of tubulysin U and V makes use of a one-pot, three-component reaction to form 2-acyloxymethylthiazoles <06AG(E)7235>. Treatment of isonitrile 25, Boc-protected Z-homovaline aldehyde 26, and thioacetic acid with boron trifluoride etherate gives a 3 1 mixture of two diastereomers 30. The reaction pathway involves transacylation of the initial adduct 27 to give thioamide 28. This amide is in equilibrium with its mercaptoimine tautomer 29, which undergoes intramolecular Michael addition followed by elimination of dimethylamine to afford thiazole 30. The major diastereomer serves as an intermediate in the synthesis of tubulysin U and V. 

The first solid-phase application of the Ugi four-component condensation, generating an 18-member acylamino amide library, was presented in 1999 by Nielsen and Hoel [53]. The authors described a library generation utilizing amino-functionalized PEG-polystyrene (Tentagel S RAM) as the solid support (Scheme 7.36). A set of three aldehydes, three carboxylic acids, and two isonitriles was used for the generation of the 18-member library. 

Mechanisms of the manifold reactions of a-dialkylamino alkyllithium intermediates R(Me2N)CLiNu, formed when tertiary amides (RCONMc2) react with PhMc2SiLi followed by a second lithium reagent NuLi, have been discussed. The formation of diverse products following 1 1 insertion of an isonitrile RNC into the Li-C bond of LiCH(SiMc3)2 has been discussed. ... 

Convertible isocyanide reagent 66 allows a mild and chemoselective in situ post-Ugi activation of the isonitrile bom amide with simultaneous deprotection of the nucleophilic amine, that is, liberation and activation of two Ugi-reactive groups, if desired also under subsequent lactam formation [33]. Another recently introduced convertible isocyanide, l-isocyano-2-(2,2-dimethoxyethyl)-benzene 73, was shown effective by Rhoden et al. In the course of this short sequence, a hydrolytically labile W-acylindole 78 is formed, which is displaced intramolecularly by the amine portion of the former Boc-protected amino acid 75 (Scheme 13). 

One way to gain fast access to complex stmctures are multicomponent reactions (MCRs), of which especially the isocyanide-based MCRs are suitable to introduce peptidic elements, as the isonitrile usually ends up as an amide after the reaction is complete. Here the Ugi-4 component reaction (Ugi CR) is the most suitable one as it introduces two amide bonds to form an M-alkylated dipeptide usually (Fig. 2). The Passerini-3CR produces a typical element of depsipeptides with ester and amide in succession, and the Staudinger-3CR results in p-lactams. The biggest unsolved problem in all these MCRs is, however, that it is stUl close to impossible to obtain products with defined stereochemistry. On the other hand, this resistance, particularly of the Ugi-reaction, to render diastereo- and enantioselective processes allows the easy and unbiased synthesis of libraries with all stereoisomers present, usually in close to equal amounts. 

Fig. 3 The three most common modes to activate linear Ugi-products for cyclization, especially if the cyclization involves Ugi-reactive groups (e.g., acid, oxo-compound, or amine). Activation is mostly achieved with convertible isonitriles, i.e., activated amides (see text). Other MCRs follow similar concepts. With orthogonal second functionalities for cyclizations such deprotection and/or activation is not required (see below, e.g., RCM or cycloadditions)...

One of the pioneer works in the synthesis of DKPs through MCRs was reported by Hulme and coworkers in a three-step solution phase protocol based on UDC [33, 34]. They have obtained a series of different DKPs by reacting Armstrong s convertible isocyanide with aldehydes, M-Boc-protected amino acids as bifunctional acid component containing a protected internal amino nucleophile, and amines in methanol at room temperature. After Ugi-reaction, the isonitrile-derived amide is activated with acid (UAC) and allows cyclization to the DKP with the... 

Scheme 7 Hulmes UDC approach to DKPs with common isonitriles. The intermediate amide is activated as leaving group by acid and microwave (MAOS) heating...

A similar approach was recently reported by Hulme and coworkers. They published an Ugi-reaction-based DKP synthesis that does not require special isonitriles but uses simple linear ones like W-butyl isocyanide. The corresponding Amide-Ugi-products usually do not cyclize well, but under microwave conditions, good yields were obtained (Scheme 7) [39]. 

This procedure illustrates the best way to prepare aryl isocyanides. It is quite general, having been used by Ugi and Meyr e to make the following isocyanides from the corresponding form-amides phenyl (56%), />-tolyl (66%), 2,6-dimethylphenyl (88%), mesityl (80%), o-chlorophenyl (43%), -chlorophenyl (54%), 2-chloro-6-methylphenyl (87%), -methoxyphenyl (64%), p-di-ethylaminophenyl (75%), -nitrophenyl (41%), and 2-naphthyl (50%). Aliphatic isonitriles are generally best prepared by a simpler procedure involving the action of phosphorus oxychloride on an N-alkylformamide in the presence of pyridine.7... 

A further strategy used to prepare amides on insoluble supports is based on the Ugi reaction (Figure 13.8). Simple mixing of an amine, an aldehyde, an acid, and an isonitrile can lead to the formation of a-amino acid amides. The mechanism of this remarkable reaction is outlined in Figure 13.8. Sometimes, the amine is first condensed with the aldehyde to form an imine, which is then combined with the acid and the isonitrile. 

Various approaches have been used to prepare pyrroles on insoluble supports (Figure 15.1). These include the condensation of a-halo ketones or nitroalkenes with enamines (Hantzsch pyrrole synthesis) and the decarboxylative condensation of N-acyl a-amino acids with alkynes (Table 15.3). The enamines required for the Hanztsch pyrrole synthesis are obtained by treating support-bound acetoacetamides with primary aliphatic amines. Unfortunately, 3-keto amides other than acetoacetamides are not readily accessible this imposes some limitations on the range of substituents that may be incorporated into the products. Pyrroles have also been prepared by the treatment of polystyrene-bound vinylsulfones with isonitriles such as Tosmic [28] and by the reaction of resin-bound sulfonic esters of a-hydroxy ketones with enamines [29]. 

A set of three aldehydes, three carboxylic acids and two isonitriles (Fig. 7.11) was used for the generation of the 18-member acylamino amide library. 

As in the case of P-3CRs, any of the four components can in principle, if chiral, control the generation of the new stereogenic center (with the exception of the isonitrile if mechanism B is operating). To date most efforts have been carried out with chiral amines, partly because removal of the chiral auxiliary is in this case easier and leads to synthetically useful secondary amides (instead of the tertiary amides usually obtained by the classical U-4CR). 

R CN (Table 2) [86]. The molecular structure of the 2,2-dimethylpropanonitrile derivative contains unsymmetrically bridging alkylidene amide ligands. Reaction of the yttrium and erbium hydride species with isonitrile results in the formation of a formidoyl moiety (Table 2) [87], Surprisingly the Ln-N interaction is in the range of the nitrile product A similar molecular structure was found in the oximato complex [Cp2Gd(/i-t/2-ONCMe2)]2 (Gd-Nav 2.42(1) A) [88]. 

With Aralkyl- or Wacylpyridinium salts, the addition of isonitriles takes place efficiently when a carboxamido group is present in the 3-position. The outcome of the reaction involves the stabilization of the nitrilium intermediates by the amide, which suffers a mild dehydration providing 3-cyano-4-carbamoyl-l,4-dihydropyridines. This method also works with the corresponding Wacylquinolinium and Wacylisoquinolinium salts (Equation 58) <2006OL5789, 2004JOC3550>. 

The proposed mechanism for formation of 151 is shown in (Scheme 27). Proton abstraction by the hydride base from the activated 2-position of the W-fluoropyridinum triflate yields a highly reactive carbene which undergoes attack by the acetonitrile solvent. The resulting nitrilium ylide eliminates fluoride and subsequently adds the isonitrile with cyclization. Finally, reduction by the hydride reagent and aromatization provide the imidazopyridine 151. The undesired amide 152 is a product of hydrolysis of the intermediate nitrilium compound. 

The retrosynthetic approach to welwitindolinone A isonitrile (6) used by the Wood group is shown in Scheme 33. After recognition of the possibility of deriving the vinyl isonitrile fragment from a ketone, the disconnection of 6 to 140 was proposed. A literature report of a samarium (II) iodide-mediated reductive coupling of acrylates with isocyanates to give amides, which could be expected to lead to a new spirooxindole synthesis, prompted the disconnection of 140 to 141. This compound was to be obtained from the readily available cyclohexadiene derivative 143, by way of bicyclic ketone 142. 

A related reaction is the addition of isonitriles 75 to aldehydes 1 (the Passerini reaction). Denmark has demonstrated that SiCU, upon activation by a chiral Lewis base, which increased the Lewis acidity of the silicon (vide supra Scheme 7.14), can mediate this reaction to produce a-hydroxy amides 77 after aqueous work-up (Scheme 7.16). Phosphoramide 60 was employed as the chiral Lewis-basic catalyst [74]. Modification of the procedure for hydrolysis of 76 gives rise to the corresponding methyl ester (rather than the amide 77) [74]. (For experimental details see Chapter 14.5.5). 

The Ugi reaction produces a-amino acid amides from four components (isonitrile, carboxylic acid, aldehyde, and amine) in a one-pot reaction. With glycosylamines and ZnCl2 as promoting Lewis acid, a-amino acid amides are obtained [13,45] with excellent stereoselectivity in these reactions. For example, the galactosylamine 2 gave Ugi product 30 with formic acid as carboxylic component and various aldehydes and isonitriles in high yields and a diastereoselectivity of 19 1 in favor of the D-amino acid amides 30 (Scheme 20). 

Formation of the racemate of the oxazole 196 was effected by Schollkopf s method addition of lithiated methyl isonitrile to the amide function of 201 (102, 103). The most efficient dimerization of seco acid derivatives 196-196b entailed... 

The reaction of -halo carbonyl compounds with primary amides is appropriate for oxazoles containing one or more aryl groups . Ureas form 2-aminooxazoles. Formamide can be used resulting in a free 2-position in the oxazole. A convenient synthesis of 5-substituted-4-cyanooxazoles 223 is based on the condensation of -hydroxy—cyanoenamines 222 with trimethyl orthoformate (Scheme 109). The cyanoenamine intermediates 222 are derived from Lewis acid-catalyzed Passerini reactions between /-butyl isonitrile and aldehydes <2002S1969>. 

The synthesis of 2-acyloxazoles has always been a challenging task. Their synthesis through the use of metallated oxazole is troubled by its ring opened form (as an enolate isonitrile) which is predominant. A very useful new procedure for this synthetic approach is offered by the use of i-PrMgCl as a metallating reagent and a Weinreb amide 102 as the electrophile. This procedure was applied both to 5-(hetero)-aryl substituted oxazoles and unsubstituted oxazoles <07JOC5828>. 

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