Isoquinolinium species

The cycloaddition reactions of isoquinolinium species produce fused isoquinoline products. The Af-ylide of 53, formed with base addition, couples with alkenes <99S51> or imines <99T7279> to afford tricyclic products, such as 54. Pyrrole-fused isoquinolines result from the reaction between mUnchnone imine intermediates and a,yff-ethylenic esters <99EJOC297>. N-Arylimides undergo 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with strained frani-cyclooctenes, as opposed to common cycloalkenes, to tdford the pyrazolidine-fused ring system <99H(50)353>. 

The mass spectrum of tetrahydroberberine shows the same type of characteristic fragmentation pattern with fragments at m/e 164 and m/e 149 corresponding to c and c-Me in the norcoralydine spectrum and the fragment ascribed to the isoquinolinium species e is now found at the expected m/e 174. 

Ag-catalyzed in situ generation of azomethine ylides from alkynyl A-benzylidene glycinates 35 and their reaction with electron-deficient alkynes 36 were demonstrated by Su and Porco (Scheme 16.17) [26]. This reaction is supposed to be initiated by cycloisomerization of alkynyl imines 35 to isoquinolinium species A with the assistance of AgOTf. Subsequent proton transfer would afford azomethine ylides B with regeneration of Ag(I). 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition with alkynes 36 followed by aerobic oxidation may furnish pyrroloisoquinoline products 37. It is worth noting that various types of electron-deficient alkynes, irrespective of internal and terminal alkynes, are applicable to this reaction. 

While this reaction to pyridine 56 occurs in a single pot, it is proposed to proceed via the 1,5-diketo derivative 55 obtained by a Michael addition of the pyridinium species 53 to enone 54. Although one does not typically isolate this intermediate, it has been obtained in reactions of the isoquinolinium series. ... 

Representatives of all these distinct categories of charged or charge-separated species have been isolated from natural sources. Salts of cationic alkaloids are widespread in nature, among them pyridinium, quinolinium, and isoquinolinium alkaloids. Examples of monocationic alkaloids are Cryptaustoline (1) (Cryptocarya) and the antitumor active Avicine (2)... 

In general, the A -methyl derivative of a given compound absorbs at longer wavelengths than the O-methyl derivative. The intensity of a band which appears in aqueous solutions beyond the maximum absorption in alcohol and which is due to the absorption of the betainic species alone, is a measure of the tautomeric equilibrium. The pA"a value of the 2-methyl-hydroxyisoquinolinium chlorides increase in the order 4-hydroxy (4.93), 8-hydroxy (5.81), 6-hydroxy (6.02), 5-hydroxy (6.90), and 7-hydroxy (7.09 in water at 25 °C, respectively) (57JCS5010). Thus, 2-methyl-4-hydroxyisoqui-nolinium chloride is the strongest acid. The UV spectra of 2-methyl-isoquinolinium-5-olate (34) and 2-methyl-isoquinolinium-8-olate (39) were also presented (61BCJ533) and the formation of a quinoid structure of 2-methyl-isoquinolinium-6-olate (38) can also be detected by means of UV-spectroscopy. 

The intermediary radical species is formed by an ECEC mechanism, and the first electroreduction takes place at the isoquinolinium moiety. 

Compound 79 is structurally related to TIQ 80, obtained on condensation of norepinephrine with formaldehyde (164), and to TIQ 81, detected in animal tissues after exposure to acetaldehyde (165). Acid-catalyzed dehydration of TIQ 82, the N-methyl analog of TIQ 79, should lead to the iminium species 83 (166), which on two-electron oxidation or by disproportionation should give the isoquinolinium salt 84. Such reactions, if occurring in vivo, would parallel similar reactions seen with the neurotoxin MPTP in its conversions to MPDP and MPP (167) and could possibly explain the neurotoxic effects seen with 117 (168). 

Pyridinium, quinolinium, and isoquinolinium cations are the major species undergoing electrophile substitution reactions under acidic conditions [90AHC(47)1]. As expected from Table XXIII, the electrophilic reaction of pyridinium ion occurs at the 3-position, and an electrophile attacks at the 5- and 8-positions of quinolinium and isoquinolinium cations. Electrophile reactivity of 1 is rather low because of its electron accepting character. Molecular orbital calculations of its orientation did not give a consistent conclusion. Electron density and superdelocalizability (electrophile) predict that position 1 will be the most reactive towards an electrophile, while inspection of the localization energy (electrophile) predicts that electrophilic reaction takes place at position 4. 

Reactions with Electrophiles. The structure of isoquinoline 1 is the result of fusing benzene and pyridine together. Electrophilic aromatic substitution predominately occurs on the benzene ring under acidic conditions and usually addition takes place at the 5-position but can sometimes add to the 8-position. The rate of electrophilic aromatic substitution is slower for isoquinoline compared to naphthalene. The nitrogen in isoquinoline reacts similar to a pyridine nitrogen and will add a variety of electrophilic species such as 0-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)hydroxylamine 2 to aminate the nitrogen (eq 1). Friedel-Crafts acylation and alkylation do not work due to the formation of IV-acyl or IV-alkyl isoquinolinium salts. 

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