Metathesis reactions, ring-closure

The reaction of 4,4-bis(tnfluoromethyl)-I,3-diaza-1,3-butadienes with certain a,P-unsaturated ketones yields pyrimidine derivatives A two-step mechanism, metathesis-electrocyclic ring closure and metathesis-intramolecular ene reaction, is a plausible explanation for the experimental results (pathway 4, equa-bon 25) [259]... 

While the mechanishc principles were settled some time ago [4], structurally defined, tailored catalysts came along only recently, especially for functionalized olefins. Olefin metathesis, previously a most parameter-sensitive reaction, is no longer restricted to simple olefins, and it am now also be conducted in polar solvents. Ring-opening metathesis (ROMP), aciycHc a,< -diene metathesis (ADMET), ring-closure metathesis (RCM), and just simple metathesis are the main applications. 

Abstract For many years after its discovery, olefin metathesis was hardly used as a synthetic tool. This situation changed when well-defined and stable carbene complexes of molybdenum and ruthenium were discovered as efficient precatalysts in the early 1990s. In particular, the high activity and selectivity in ring-closure reactions stimulated further research in this area and led to numerous applications in organic synthesis. Today, olefin metathesis is one of the... 

An example of the efficient formation of an electron-deficient double bond by RCM was disclosed by a Japanese group in a novel total synthesis of the macrosphelides A (209) and B (208) (Scheme 41) [100]. When the PMB-pro-tected compound 204 was examined as a metathesis substrate, the ring closure did not proceed at all in dichloromethane using catalysts A or C. When the reaction was carried out using equimolar amounts of catalyst C in refluxing 1,2-dichloroethane, the cyclized product 205 was obtained in 65% yield after 5 days. On the other hand, the free allylic alcohol 206 reacted smoothly at room temperature leading to the desired macrocycle 207 in improved yield. 

The metal-catalysed olefin metathesis (equation 122) when applied to dienes results in ring-closure and expulsion of an olefin (equation 123). Thus the molybdenum carbene complex 241 promotes the decomposition of the 1,6-heptadiene derivative 242 to a mixture of the cyclopentene 243 and ethylene (equation 124)122. An analogous reaction of the alcohol 244 gives 245 (equation 125), and 4-benzyloxy-l,7-decadiene (246) affords the cyclohexene 247 and 1-butene (equation 126). These transformations, which occur in benzene at room temperature, proceed in excellent yields122. 

With the C12,C13 disconnection producing an effective solution to the synthesis of epothilone A (4), it would seem likely that the metathesis approach could be extended readily to the preparation of epothilone B (5). However, installation of the desired C12 methyl group requires ring-closure of a diene precursor in which one of the olefins is disubstituted. Recently, such reactions have been shown to be problematic for Grubbs initiator 3 but more successful with Schrock s molybdenum initiator 1 [19]. Consistent with these reports, Danishefsky demonstrated that triene 38 would not undergo RCM with 3, whereas 1 was effective in promoting the transformation of 38 into a 1 1 mixture of 39a and 39b in good yield [14b] (Scheme 8). 

Another group of reactions that emerged as supporting companions to catalytic RCM reactions are transformations that provide specially outfitted and useful diene substrates for the metathesis process. Such compounds, in the presence of la, lb or 2, can be converted to otherwise difficult-to-make organic molecules. Research activity in this area has led to the design of synthesis methods that elevate the utility of 1 and 2 beyond ring closure. 

Considering the facility with which dimerization products 81 and 84 are obtained, we reasoned that, in catalytic ring closure of 77, the derived dimer is perhaps initially formed as well. If the metathesis process is reversible [17b], such adducts may subsequently be converted to the desired macrocycle 76. To examine the validity of this paradigm, diene 77 was dimerized (— 85) by treatment with Ru catalyst lb. When 85 was treated with 22 mol% 2 (after pretreatment with ethylene to ensure formation of the active complex), 50-55% conversion to macrolactam 76 was detected within 7 h by 400 MHz H NMR analysis (Eq. 8). When 76 was subjected to the same reaction conditions, <2% of any of the acyclic products was detected. Although we do not as yet have a positive proof that 85 is formed in cyclization of 77, this observation suggests that if dimerization were to occur, the material can be readily converted to the desired macrolactam, which is kinetically immune to cleavage. 

The aryl radical cyclization has been successfully used for the preparation of substituted dihydrobenzo[Z)]indoline derivatives [59], An example is shown in Reaction (7.49). The diene 42 was preliminarly subjected to ring-closure metathesis using Grubbs catalyst and then treated with (TMS)3SiH and EtsB at -20 °C, in the presence of air, to provide the compound 43 with an excellent diastereoselectivity. 

The convergent synthesis is based on the closure of the macrolide ring through a ring closure metathesis reaction that can be performed on a multigram scale (Fig. 48) [128]. Clinical trials are ongoing [129]. 

Carbacephem 69 is obtained in excellent yield by ring-closure of the 1,4-diallyl-P-lactam 68 by a metathesis reaction in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst <99JCS(P1)1695>. Annulated carbacephams 71 is obtained by cyclization of the piperidine 70 in the presence of a 2-chloro-l-methylpyridinium salt <98JOC8170>. 

Ring-closing metathesis, which has proved to be a popular route to the marine toxins, has found a further application as the key step in the synthesis of the pheromone (-)- and ( )-frontalin <99TL1425>. The precursor in this reaction is a mixture of the syn- and anri-isomers 39. Ring closure in the presence of a ruthenium benzylidene catalyst occurs within minutes at room temperature when only the syn-isomer cyclises to 40. The unreacted anri-isomer can be re-equilibrated for a further cyclisation. 

Base-induced isomerization of propargyl amide 29a gives chiral ynamide 30a, which is subjected to ring-closure metathesis to afford cyclic enamide 31a. Diels-Alder reaction of 31a with dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD) gives quinoline derivative 32. In a similar manner, propargyl amide 29b is converted into ynamide 30b, RCM of which gives bicyclic compounds 31b and 31b in a ratio of 1 to 1 (Scheme 10). 

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