Knoevenagel cyclization

G. Marandi, M. T. Maghsoodlou, N. Hazeri, S. M. Habibi-Khorassani, N. A. Torbati, F. Rostami-Charati, B. W. Skelton, M. Makha, Mol. Divers. 2011, 15, 197-201. Synthesis of cyano-2,3-dihydropyrrolo[l,2-/ phenanthridine derivatives via a domino-Knoevenagel-cyclization. 

The xylose derivative (43), on periodate oxidation, gave an aldose which underwent spontaneous Knoevenagel cyclization to the... 

Besides the domino Michael/SN processes, domino Michael/Knoevenagel reactions have also been used. Thus, Obrecht, Filippone and Santeusanio employed this type of process for the assembly of highly substituted thiophenes [102] and pyrroles [103]. Marinelli and colleagues have reported on the synthesis of various 2,4-disubstituted quinolines [104] and [l,8]naphthyridines [105] by means of a domino Michael addition/imine cyclization. Related di- and tetrahydroquinolines were prepared by a domino Michael addition/aldol condensation described by the Hamada group [106]. A recent example of a domino Michael/aldol condensation process has been reported by Brase and coworkers [107], by which substituted tetrahydroxan-thenes 2-186 were prepared from salicylic aldehydes 2-184 and cycloenones 2-185 (Scheme 2.43). 

A Knoevenagel condensation followed by a double intramolecular cyclization provides a route from the ketohy-drazone 506 to the thienopyrimidopyridazine 507 (Equation 232) <2000JRM510, 2000PS(167)29>. 

The tandem-Knoevenagel-ene reaction is a powerful tool to synthesize five-and six-membered carbocycles.2 5 The process is exemplified by the diastereoselective synthesis of 4a. Compound 4a has been obtained In both enantiomeric forms and as a racemate according to the procedure described here. The sequence includes the Knoevenagel reaction of citronellal, 1, and dimethyl malonate, 2, followed by the intramolecular ene cyclization of the chiral 1,7-diene 3 to yield the trans 1,2-disubstituted products 4a and 4b. Whereas the thermal cyclization of 3 at 160°C provides 4a and 4 b in a ratio of only 89.7 10.3, the Lewis acid... 

Another interesting example of a photochemi-cally induced domino process is the combination of the photocyclization of aryl vinyl sulfides with an intramolecular addition as described by Dittami et al. [901 as intermediate a thiocarbonyl ylide can be assumed. The domino-Norrish I-Knoevenagel-allyl-silane cyclization developed by us allows the efficient stereoselective formation of 1,2-trans-subsituted five- and six-membered carbocycles.1911 A photochemical cycloaddition of enamino-aldehydes and enamino-ketones with the intermediate formation of an iminium salt followed by addition to allylsilanes gives access to novel bicyclic heterocy-des. New examples of photochemically induced... 

Ene catalyst.1 FeCl3 is superior to ZnBr2 or alkylaluminum halides as a catalyst for ene cyclization of the chiral 1,7-diene 1, the Knoevenagel adduct from citronellal and dimethyl malonate. Thermal cyclization provides the 1,2-trans-substituted... 

With the aid of a Knoevenagel condensation and a Staudinger reaction, 2-azidocyclopent-l-ene 1-carbaldehydes (195) can be converted into suitable products for a cyclopenta[b]pyridine synthesis [89JCS(P1)1369], as shown in Scheme 72. In order to bring the ester carbonyl function and the imino-phosphorane group into close proximity suitable for cyclization reactions, the 1,3-diene system 196 should possess the s-cis conformation. Furthermore, the exocyclic double bond should show a cis conformation. To achieve... 

Generally, MCRs based on aminoazoles and synthetic precursors of a,p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds proceed via a sequence of Knoevenagel-type condensation, which was already mentioned (see Scheme 3), Michael-like addition, cyclization, and water elimination. For example, the authors of [47] considered the following mechanism (Scheme 9). 

Interestingly enough, a closely related protocol was successfully proposed for the synthesis of spirooxindoles-containing tetrahydrochromene skeletons when aromatic aldehydes were switched for isatin derivatives. This high-yielded reaction was performed with dimedone, 4-hydroxycoumarin, or barbituric acids in water using triethylbenzylammonium chloride (TEBA) as catalyst (Scheme 36) [125]. A Knoevenagel condensation occurred first between isatin and malonitrile derivative, followed by Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl substrates and cyclization to the cyano moiety. 

One approach is to use a 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde to form all but two atoms of the molecule. The remaining atoms are supplied by malonic acid (propane-1,3-dioic acid), which combines with the aldehyde in a Knoevenagel condensation step, before cyclization (lactonization) and decarboxylation occur (Scheme 5.5). 

Phenylcoumarins are conveniently prepared by the Knoevenagel condensation of salicylaldehyde with a benzyl cyanide, in the presence of base such as sodium hydroxide or piperidine, followed by acid hydrolysis of the resultant imine. A second convenient synthesis is via condensation of 2-methoxybenzaldehyde with benzyl cyanide and cyclization of the 2-methoxy-a-phenylcinnamic nitrile in pyridine (Scheme 12). 

Knoevenagel reaction. Hydrogenation of the double bond, desilylation and oxidation of the released primary alcohol group to the aldehydic function with PCC in dichloromethane in the presence of molecular sieves, gives the branched chain L-riho-hepturonic acid derivative 31. Treatment with acetic anhydride and pyridine results in cyclization, and acetylation of the resulting alcohol affords the acetate 32 in 69% yield. 

Ethyl cyanoacetate in the presence of piperidine may also be used as the carbanionic component in reactions with salicylaldehyde. The initial Knoevenagel condensation is followed by a [l,7]-sigmatropic shift and cyclization to the 2-iminochromene derivative which adds another cyanoacetate molecule (67AP1). 

An indication of the scope of the Knoevenagel synthesis of coumarins is apparent from Table 7, but some further examples utilizing the conventional procedure are worthy of mention partly because some of the products are naturally occurring compounds. Graveolone (375), a benzodipyran, is obtained from the chroman-4-one shown by cyclization of the acrylic acid (Scheme 117) (78IJC(B)570). 

Intramolecular cyclization. Knoevenagel condensation of diphenylacetaldehyde with diethyl malonate (piperidinium acetate catalysis) results in only a trace of the expected product when molecular sieves are present, the a-naphthol 1 is formed in 52% yield.2 A similar reaction is observed with ethyl acetoacetate and ethyl benzoylacetate. 

The Knoevenagel condensation of aldehyde 433 with cyanothioaceta-mide followed by cyclization in boiling BuOH yielded hexahydro-lH-pyrazino[l,2-a]quinoline 291 (08CHE759). Cyanoacetamide gave only condensation product under similar conditions. 

Tandem Passerini/Knoevenagel reactions were also performed by employing 2-nitrophenylacetic acid as the acid component to give the butenolides 65 that were reduced to the intermediate amines 66, which immediately cyclized to give indoles 67 in very high yields via a ring-switching process (Scheme 2.24) [52],... 

A three-component reaction of aromatic aldehydes, malononitrile and phenols leads to 4-aryl-2-amino-3-cyano-4//-chromenes this reaction can be carried out in aqueous media with improvements in yield and obvious environmental advantages (Scheme 35). The aromatic aldehyde undergoes a Knoevenagel condensation with malononitrile, followed by ortho-alkylation of the phenol and cyclization to form the iminopyran intermediate 114, which isomerizes to the 4//-chrorncncs (Scheme 36) <2003SL2001>. High yields for this three-component reaction can also be achieved in aqueous media when mediated by 7-alumina <2004TL2297> or cetyltrimethylammonium chloride <2001T1395>. 

Styrylflavones can be accessed in modest yield by the reaction of l-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-phenylpropane-l,3-diones 759 with 2-phenylacetaldehydes. The reaction proceeds via an initial Knoevenagel condensation to form intermediate 760, which undergoes extended enolization and cyclization to afford 3-styrylflavones (Scheme 198) <1999TL6761>. 

The three-component reaction of indole (2) with sugar hydroxyaldehyde 281 and Meldrum s acid 282, with a catalytic amount of D,L-proline, afforded the 3-substitution product 283 as a single isomer [203]. The substituent possesses the czs-fused furo [ 3,2- b ] pyranonc skeleton. The proline catalyzes the Knoevenagel condensation of the sugar aldehyde 281 and Meldrum s acid 282 to provide the alkylidene derivative 284 of Meldrum s acid. Then a diastereo-selective Michael addition of indole and an intramolecular cyclization of this adduct 285 with evolution of carbon dioxide and elimination of acetone furnish the furopyranone in one-pot (Scheme 62). 

Substituted quinoline N-oxides have been prepared via the base-induced cyclization of alkylidene derivatives of O-nitroarylacetonitriles, which are readily available via the vicarious nucleophilic substitution cyanomethylation of nitroarenes followed by Knoevenagel condensation [9]. 

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