1 -Methyl-2- acrylate, Diels-Alder

The Diels-Alder reaction provides us with a tool to probe its local reaction environment in the form of its endo-exo product ratio. Actually, even a solvent polarity parameter has been based on endo-exo ratios of Diels-Alder reactions of methyl acrylate with cyclopentadiene (see also section 1.2.3). Analogously we have determined the endo-exo ratio of the reaction between 5.1c and 5.2 in surfactant solution and in a mimber of different organic and acpieous media. These ratios are obtained from the H-NMR of the product mixtures, as has been described in Chapter 2. The results are summarised in Table 5.3, and clearly point towards a water-like environment for the Diels-Alder reaction in the presence of micelles, which is in line with literature observations. 

Barrelene was obtained via a double Diels-Alder reaction from a-pyrone with methyl acrylate (H.E. Zimmerman, I969A). The primarily forming bicyclic lactone decarboxylates in the heat, and the resulting cyclohexadiene rapidly undergoes another Diels-Alder cyclization. Standard reactions have then been used to eliminate the methoxycarbonyl groups and to introduce C—C double bonds. Irradiation of barrelene produces semibullvalene and cyclooctatetraene (H.E. Zimmerman. 1969B). 

Heteroatom functionalized terpene resins are also utilized in hot melt adhesive and ink appHcations. Diels-Alder reaction of terpenic dienes or trienes with acrylates, methacrylates, or other a, P-unsaturated esters of polyhydric alcohols has been shown to yield resins with superior pressure sensitive adhesive properties relative to petroleum and unmodified polyterpene resins (107). Limonene—phenol resins, produced by the BF etherate-catalyzed condensation of 1.4—2.0 moles of limonene with 1.0 mole of phenol have been shown to impart improved tack, elongation, and tensile strength to ethylene—vinyl acetate and ethylene—methyl acrylate-based hot melt adhesive systems (108). Terpene polyol ethers have been shown to be particularly effective tackifiers in pressure sensitive adhesive appHcations (109). 

Enamines have been observed to act both as dienophiles (46-48) and dienes (47,49) (dienamines in this case) in one-step, Diels-Alder type of 1,4 cycloadditions with acrylate esters and their vinylogs. This is illustrated by the reaction between l-(N-pyrrolidino)cyclohexene (34) and methyl t/-a i-2,4-pentadienoate (35), where the enamine acts as the dienophile to give the adduct 36 (47). In a competitive type of reaction, however, the... 

The ability of 1,2 (or l,6)-dihydropyridines to undergo a Diels-Alder reaction with dienophiles such as methyl vinyl ketone, methyl acrylate, and acrylonitrile has been utilized in the synthesis of polyfunctional isoquinuclidine as a key intermediate in the synthesis of aspidosperma- and iboga-type alkaloids (66JA3099). 

When methyl 2-(indol-2-yl)acrylate derivative (22a) reacted with A-methoxy-carbonyl-l,2-dihydropyridine (8a) in refluxing toluene, in addition to the dimer of 22a (25%), a mixture of the expected isoquinculidine 23a and the product 24a (two isomers) was obtained in 7% and 45% yields, respectively (81CC37). The formation of 24a indicates the involvement of the 3,4-double bond of dihydropyridine. Similarly, Diels-Alder reaction of methyl l-methyl-2-(indol-2-yl)acrylate (22b) with 8a gave, in addition to dimer of 22b, a mixture of adducts 23b and 24b. However, in this case, product 23b was obtained as a major product in a 3 2 mixture of two isomers (with a- and (3-COOMe). The major isomer shows an a-conhguration. The yields of the dimer, 23b, and 24b were 25%, 30%, and 6%, respectively. Thus, a substituent on the nitrogen atom or at the 3-position of indole favors the formation of the isoquinuclidine adduct 23. 

The Diels-Alder reactions of the methyl or ethyl ester of benzenesulfonylindole-2-acrylic acid with several l-alkoxycarbonyl-l,2-dihydropyridines are reported and only a single stereoisomer was obtained, as in the case of l-methoxy(ethoxy)-carbonyl-1,2-dihydropyridines. However, when the Diels-Alder reaction of 17 was carried out with 8g[R = (CHsjsC], a mixture of two stereoisomers 18gand25were obtained in a 1 1 ratio (65% total yield). The bulky rerr-butyl group creates sufficient steric interference with the indole ring to cause the loss of stereochemistry ... 

Wulff and coworkers have applied their aluminum catalyst 2 containing a vaulted biphenanthrol ligand (VAPOL, Section 2.1) to the Diels-Alder reaction between methyl acrylate and cyclopentadiene [25] (Scheme 1.32). In this Diels-Alder reaction auto-induction is observed, because of a cooperative interaction between the product... 

Evans s bis(oxazolinyl)pyridine (pybox) complex 17, which is effective for the Diels-Alder reaction of a-bromoacrolein and methacrolein (Section 2.1), is also a suitable catalyst for the Diels-Alder reaction of acrylate dienophiles [23] (Scheme 1.33). In the presence of 5 mol% of the Cu((l )-pybox)(SbF5)2 catalyst with a benzyl substituent, tert-butyl acrylate reacts with cyclopentadiene to give the adduct in good optical purity (92% ee). Methyl acrylate and phenyl acrylate underwent cycloadditions with lower selectivities. 

One of the earliest solvent polarity scales is Person s D scale. This scale is based on the endojexo ratio of the Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and methyl acrylate (Figure 3.5-2, O = logio endo/exo). This reaction has been conducted in a number of ionic liquids, giving values in the 0.46-0.83 range [26]. 

Figure 3.5-2 Diels-Alder cycloaddition between cyclopentadiene and methyl acrylate.

Diels-Alder reactions Neutral ionic liquids have been found to be excellent solvents for the Diels-Alder reaction. The first example of a Diels-Alder reaction in an ionic liquid was the reaction of methyl acrylate with cyclopentadiene in [EtNH3][N03] [40], in which significant rate enhancement was observed. Howarth et al. investigated the role of chiral imidazolium chloride and trifluoroacetate salts (dissolved in dichloromethane) in the Diels-Alder reactions between cyclopentadiene and either crotonaldehyde or methacroline [41]. It should be noted that this paper describes one of the first examples of a chiral cationic ionic liquid being used in synthesis (Scheme 5.1-17). The enantioselectivity was found to be < 5 % in this reaction for both the endo (10 %) and the exo (90 %) isomers. 

A similar study performed by Welton and co-workers studied the rate and selec-tivities of the Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and methyl acrylate in a number of neutral ionic liquids [44]. It was found that endo. exo ratios decreased slightly as the reaction proceeded, and were dependent on reagent concentration and ionic liquid type. Subsequently, they went on to demonstrate that the ionic liquids controlled the endo. exo ratios through a hydrogen bond (Lewis acid) interaction with the electron-withdrawing group of the dienophile. 

It has been established that alkoxy alkenylcarbene complexes participate as dienophiles in Diels-Alder reactions not only with higher rates but also with better regio- and stereoselectivities than the corresponding esters [95]. This is clearly illustrated in Scheme 51 for the reactions of an unsubstituted vinyl complex with isoprene. This complex reacts to completion at 25 °C in 3 h whereas the cycloaddition reaction of methyl acrylate with isoprene requires 7 months at the same temperature. The rate enhancement observed for this complex is comparable to that for the corresponding aluminium chloride-catalysed reactions of methyl acrylate and isoprene (Scheme 51). 

Other examples that involve intermediate allyl cations are illustrated in Scheme 1.4. The cationic palladium(II) complex [Pd(dppp)(PhCN)2](BF4)2 coordinates the carbonyl oxygen of benzaldehyde and the activated carbonyl carbon attacks the isoprene, forming the allyl cation 10 which then cyclizes to give the 4-methyl-6-phenyl-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran [22]. 2-Oxopropyl acrylate 11, in the presence of trimethylsilyltrifluoromethane sulfonate (TMSOTf) and methoxytrimethylsilane (MeOSMT), generates the cation 11a which is an efficient dienophile that reacts easily with the cyclohexadiene to give the Diels-Alder adduct in good yield [23]. 

Good yields and high diastereoselectivities were obtained by using zeolites in combination with Lewis-acid catalyst [21]. Table 4.7 illustrates some examples of Diels-Alder reactions of cyclopentadiene, cyclohexadiene and furan with methyl acrylate. Na-Y and Ce-Y zeolites gave excellent results for the cycloadditions of carbocyclic dienes, and combining these zeolites with anhydrous ZnBr2 further enhanced the endo diastereoselectivity of the reaction. An exception is the cycloaddition of furan that occurred considerably faster and with better yield, in comparison with the classic procedure [22], when performed in the presence of sole zeolites. 

Table 4.7 Diels-Alder reactions of carbo-and heterocyclic dienes with methyl acrylate catalyzed by zeolites and ZnBr2-doped zeolites...

The aqueous medium also has beneficial effects on the diastereoselectivity of the Diels-Alder reactions. The endo addition that occurs in the classical cycloadditions of cyclopentadiene with methyl vinyl ketone and methyl acrylate is more favored when the reaction is carried out in aqueous medium than when it is performed in organic solvents (Table 6.4) [2b, c]. 

Indium trichloride [30] and methylrhenium trioxide [31] catalyze the aqueous Diels-Alder reaction of acrolein and acrylates with cyclic and open-chain dienes. Some examples of the cycloaddition of methyl vinyl ketone with 1,3-cyclohexadiene are reported in Scheme 6.18. MeReOs does not give satisfactory yields for acroleins and methyl vinyl ketones with substituents at the jS-position and favors the self-Diels-Alder reaction of diene. 

Similar results were obtained [55] for the Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and methyl acrylate carried out in [EMIM]BF4 at 20 °C for 72 h. In [EMIMjX (X = OTf, NO3, PFg) the reaction yields were lower [55]. The best yields and the highest endo/exo selectivity were obtained in [FtNHsJNOs [56],... 

Chloroaluminate ionic liquids (typically a mixture of a quaternary ammonium salt with aluminum chloride see Table 6.9) exhibit at room temperature variable Lewis acidity and have been successfully used as solvent/catalyst for Diels-Alder reactions [57]. The composition of chloroaluminate ionic liquids can vary from basic ([FMIM]C1 or [BP]C1 in excess) to acidic (AICI3 in excess) and this fact can be used to affect the reactivity and selectivity of the reaction. The reaction of cyclopentadiene with methyl acrylate is an example (Scheme 6.31). 

The diastereoselection of the Diels Alder reaction of methyl acrylate with cyclopentadiene was investigated [74] in microemulsions prepared with isooctane oil, CTAB as surfactant and 1-butanol as cosurfactant, and the results were compared with those found in pure solvents and water (Table 6.12). In emulsions rich in 1-butanol and formamide (entries 1 and 4) the reaction was slow (72 h) and the diastereoselectivity was practically the same as that... 

Table 6.12 Diastereoselectivity of Diels-Alder reaction of methyl acrylate with cyclopentadiene in formamide microemulsion and pure solvents...

A systematic study of the effect of pressure and density on the regiochemical course of the Diels-Alder reactions of methyl acrylate and 2-substituted 1,3-butadienes carried out in SC-CO2 was recently reported [87]. The reactions were compared with those carried out in a conventional medium such as toluene. Some results are illustrated in Table 6.15. 

Table 6.15 Regioselectivity of Diels-Alder reactions of methyl acrylate with 2-substituted-l,3-butadienes in sc- CO2 and PhMe...

The cycloadducts formed from the Diels-Alder reaction of 3-amino-5-chloro-2(17/)-pyrazinones with methyl acrylate in toluene are subject to two alternative modes of ring transformation yielding either methyl 6-cyano-l,2-dihydro-2-oxo-4-pyridinecarboxylates or the corresponding 3-amino-6-cyano-l,2,5,6-tetrahydro-2-oxo-4-pyridinecarboxylates. From the latter compounds, 3-amino-2-pyridones can be generated through subsequent loss of HCN <96 JOC(61)304>. Synthesis of 3-spirocyclopropane-4-pyridone and furo[2,3-c]pyridine derivatives can be achieved by the thermal rearrangement of nitrone and nitrile oxide cycloadducts of bicyclopropylidene <96JCX (61)1665>. 

Reaction of the y9-ketosulfoxide 1201 with TMSOTf 20/DlPEA affords, in 100% yield, the diene 1202, which readily undergoes Diels-Alder reactions, e.g. with methyl acrylate [26] (Scheme 8.9). 

Inukai and Kojima (9) have studied the aluminum chloride catalyzed diene condensation of butadiene and methyl acrylate in benzene solution. The stoichiometry for this Diels-Alder reaction is... 

Consider the Diels-Alder reaction between 1,3-butadiene (B) and methyl acrylate (M) discussed in Illustration 8.3. 

In Illustrations 8.3 and 8.6 we considered the reactor size requirements for the Diels-Alder reaction between 1,4-butadiene and methyl acrylate. For the conditions cited the reaction may be considered as a pseudo first-order reaction with 8a = 0. At a fraction conversion of 0.40 the required PFR volume was 33.5 m1 2 3, while the required CSTR volume was 43.7 m3. The ratio of these volumes is 1.30. From Figure 8.8 the ratio is seen to be identical with this value. Thus this figure or equation 8.3.14 can be used in solving a number of problems involving the... 

Neier and coworkers have used a domino Diels-Alder/Ireland-Claisen process for the synthesis of (rac)-juvabione 4-46 and (rac)-epijuvabione [15]. Since neither the Diels-Alder reaction of the acetal 4-44 and methyl acrylate nor the sigmatropic rearrangement seemed to be stereoselective, these authors obtained the cyclohexene derivative 4-45 as a mixture of three diastereomers (Scheme 4.9). 

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