Methylenecyclopropane derivatives cycloaddition reaction

Due to their tendency to dimerize in different thermal conditions, the formal [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of methylenecyclopropane derivatives and their... 

The methylenecyclopropane derivative 3-SPh with its capto-dative substitution pattern has demonstrated essentially the same reaction mode and underwent dimerization to afford a mixture of E) and (Z)-17 (ratio 1.3 1) upon attempted cycloaddition of 3-SPh onto bicyclopropylidene [7h, 291 (Scheme 5). The assignment of these diastereomers was secured by an X-ray crystal structure analysis of E) and (Z)-16 [11c, 30] as well as E)-17 [29]. 

The highly strained double bond in methylenecyclopropane displays enhanced reactivity in cycloaddition reactions. In addition to normal [4+2] cycloaddition to 1,3-dienes (e.g. equation 13)32, methylenecyclopropane and its derivatives have a pronounced tendency to undergo thermal [2+2] cycloaddition reactions. For example, thermal dimerization of methylenecyclopropane in the gas phase results in formation of isomeric dispirooctanes 16 and 17 (equation 14)33. This unusual cyclization is considered to proceed via a stepwise radical mechanism involving the intermediacy of biradical 18 (equation 15)34. Equation 15 demonstrates that methylenecyclopropanes possessing substituents capable of stabilizing intermediate radicals undergo efficient [2+2] dimerization even... 

Cyclopropene, methylenecyclopropane and their derivatives have proved to be valuable reagents in transition metal-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions. Small and medium carbocycles can be prepared by this method. The chemoselectivity observed in some of these reactions is quite remarkable. In addition, high degree of regio- and stereoselectivity is obtained in most cases. In particular the new [3+2] cycloaddition described here and which involves methylenecyclopropane and its derivatives as trimethylenemethane synthones, shows great synthetic promise as a method for constructing fivemembered rings. 

Furyl derivatives 76, with an allylether or allylamine-type linkage to a methylenecyclopropane framework, readily undergo high pressure-promoted intramolecular cycloaddition" to give spirocyclopropane tricyclic products 77. No cycloaddition reaction occurred at ambient pressure and the products were mostly tar and polymers. Lewis acid catalysis was only marginally successful (Scheme 7.18). At 1.0 GPa and a slightly elevated temperature (60-70 °C) the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction occurs readily and is exo-diastereo-selective. To quantify the pressure effect on the kinetics the volumes of activation were determined. 

A catalytic asymmetric cycloaddition reaction between norbomadiene and methylenecyclopropane can also be achieved in the presence of a [Ni(cod)2]-(—)-benzylmethylphenylphosphine catalyst to give the cycloadduct (72) in an optically active form. This reaction may proceed via a metallocyclopentane intermediate. The reactions of methylenecyclopropane with [Ni(cod)2l-phosphine systems do not appear to involve cleavage of the three-membered ring. However, the bis(acrylonitrile)nickel-catalysed cycloaddition reaction of methylenecyclopropane with methyl acrylate, which yields 3-methoxy-carbonylmethylenecyclopentane (73), does involve C—C bond cleavage. Reaction with the deuterium-substituted compound CHD=CDC02Me gives the cyclopentane derivative (74). An intermediate of the type (75) may be involved in this reaction. 

Ring-opening of methylenecyclopropanes in the presence of Pcl(O) or Ni(0) catalysts has served as an alternative pathway to gain access to reactive tri-methylenemethanes for [2-i-3]-cycloaddition reactions [40]. Binger obtained excellent asymmetric induction with chiral acrylamide 81 derived from Oppolzer s camphorsultam (Equation 9) [111]. Ni-catalyzed opening of cyclopropane 150 and cycloaddition afforded the desired adduct 151 in 99 1 dr. 

Cycloaddition of COj with the dimethyl-substituted methylenecyclopropane 75 proceeds smoothly above 100 °C under pressure, yielding the five-membered ring lactone 76. The regiocheraistry of this reaction is different from that of above-mentioned diphenyl-substituted methylenecyclopropanes 66 and 67[61], This allylic lactone 76 is another source of trimethylenemethane when it is treated with Pd(0) catalyst coordinated by dppe in refluxing toluene to generate 77, and its reaction with aldehydes or ketones affords the 3-methylenetetrahy-drofuran derivative 78 as expected for this intermediate. Also, the lactone 76 reacts with a, /3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The reaction of coumarin (79) with 76 to give the chroman-2-one derivative 80 is an example[62]. 

The last [2 + 2] cycloaddition performed onto methylenecyclopropane itself consists of the use of ketene derivatives, particularly of dimethylketene 508 (Table 40, entry 1) [133]. The result is an almost equimolar mixture of the two possible regioisomers 511, albeit no yield has been reported. Anyway, the particular reactivity of methylenecyclopropane was confirmed, since it was found to be around 15 times more reactive than isobutene [133]. The scarce regioselectivity of this cycloaddition was confirmed by the reactions of the same ketene 508 with 2,2-disubstituted methylenecyclopropanes (entries 2 and 3) [134], BCP has also been shown to be reactive towards chloro-substituted ketenes 509 and 510, affording the expected cycloadducts 514 and 515 in mild conditions (entries 4 and 5) [13b],... 

These reactions of 1-Me resemble that of (dichloromethylene)cyclopropane [31] and radicophilic alkenes with a capto-dative substitution pattern [32]. Thus, it is not surprising that 1-Me reacts with a-ferf-butylthioacrylonitrile (18), yielding the two isomeric cyclobutane derivatives 19a, b (ratio 2.2 1) as a mixture of two diastereomers each [29] (Scheme 5), and this reaction occurs under milder conditions than the [2-1-2] cycloaddition of 18 onto methylenecyclopropane. 

Similarly, partially fluorinated and perfluonnated methylenecyclopropanes [87, 82], cyclopropenes [85, 84, 85], cyclobutenes [75, 86], and bicychc alkenes [87, 88, 89, 90] apparently derive dienophihc reactivity from relief of their ground-state strain during reaction Thus 2,2-difluoromethylenecyclopropane and perfluoromethylenecyclopropane undergo exclusive [2+4] cycloadditions [87, 82] (equations 72 and 73), whereas (difluoromethylene)cyclopropane undergoes only [2+2] cycloadditions [87]... 

Nickel(0)-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloadditions of methylenecyclopropanes with A(-substituted maleimides (56 equation 22) lead almost exclusively to 5-alkylidenehexahydro-l//-cyclopenta[c]pynolo-l,3-diones (57) and (58 equation 23). A similar reaction occurs in the presence of a palladium(O) catalyst, but with lower selectivity. Unsubstituted maleimide and maleic anhydride do not undergo this cycloaddition. Ozonolysis of (57) and (58) into the corresponding ketone derivatives (62-78% yield) followed by reduction of both carbonyl groups gives l//-cyclopenta[c]pynoles, which are of interest with regard to their pharmacological activity (98% yield). ... 

Whereas the transition metal catalyzed cyclotrimerization and cyclotetramerization of alkynes leading to benzene or cyclooctatetraene and their derivatives is a rather common reaction, there exist only a few examples of cooligomerizations between alkynes and alkenes or 1,3-butadienes leading to 1,3- or 1,4-cyclohexadiene derivatives20S). It is therefore surprising that the [3+2]-cycloaddition between methylenecyclopropanes and alkynes, catalyzed by triarylphosphite modified Ni(0) compound, is a rather convenient method to synthesize 4-methylenecyclopentenes 206). A wide range of methylenecyclopropanes and alkynes, in the latter case mainly 1,2-disubstituted ones, can be used for these reactions (Eqs. 98-100, see p. 127-128). 

The two Pd(0) or Ni(0) catalyzed [3+2]-cycloadditions starting with the readily accessible trimethylenemethane -precursors [2-(acetoxymethyl)-3-allyl]trimethyl-silan, methylenecyclopropane, and their substituted derivatives are important new methods for the synthesis of methylenecyclopentanes. Because of the simplicity with which many problems of cyclopentane-syntheses can be solved in a convenient one pot reaction this new methodology may be compared with the synthesis of six-membered rings by the powerful 4+2]-cycloaddition of the Diels-Alder reaction. 

A suitable approach to the synthesis of spiro[2.3]hexanes is the [2-1-2] cycloaddition of alkenes to the double bond of methylenecyclopropanes. This reaction is often described as a codimerization and usually requires catalysis by a nickel(O) complex such as bis(cycloocta-l,5-diene)nickel. l,l-Dimethyl-2-methylenecyclopropane reacts with alkyl acrylates to give a mixture of alkyl cis- and tranj-l,l-dimethylspiro[2.3]hexane-5-carboxylates 1 (19-40%) and alkyl 3,3-dimethyl-4-methylenecyclopentanecarboxylate 2 (60-81 %). The proportion of spiro [2.3]hexane derivative was highest when rer/-butyl acrylate was used as the activated alkene. 

Under high pressure, intramolecular [2 + 4] cycloadditions of a methylenecyclopropane moiety without being activated by an electron-withdrawing group - can be achieved. Thus, furfuryl derivatives 3, with an allyl ether or allylamine type linkage to a methylenecyclopropane, undergo intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions at 10-12 kbar to yield interesting new spirocyclo-propane-annulated tricyclic compounds 4 diastereoselectively in excellent yields. 

An enantioselective version of the cyclopentaannulation via [3 + 2] cycloaddition has been developed using cyclopent-2-enone and several different methylenecyclopropanes. Whereas chiral phosphane ligands, such as menthyldiphenylphosphane (21), or the camphor-derived sultam 22 only result in enantiomeric excesses of 31% at a maximum in nickel(0)-catalyzed reactions, the enantioselectivity dramatically increases when the bidentate azaphospholene ligand 23 is employed. The yields, however, are relatively low due to the competing formation of alkylation products. ... 

Cycloaddition.2 In the presence of this nickel catalyst, methylenecyclo-propanes undergo an unusual cycloaddition across carbon-carbon double bonds. Thus methylenecyclopropane (1) when heated in a sealed tube (60°, 48 hrs.) with excess methyl acrylate in the presence of bis(acrylonitrile)nickel(0) gives the 1 1 adduct, methyl 3-methylenecyclopentanecarboxylate (2), in 82% yield. Methyl vinyl ketone or acrylonitrile is also a suitable substrate. The reaction provides a useful synthesis of methylenecyclopentane derivatives. 

The two double bonds in 2,3-dimethoxycarbonyInorbomadiene are almost equally active. Furthermore, the reactions with methylenecyclopropane are stereoselective leading exclusively to the exo-isomers. Both observations are in striking contrast to the results obtained in the Pd(0) catalyzed cycloadditions of 2-[(tri-methylsilyl)methyl]allyl acetate with norbornadiene derivatives The last observations automatically lead to the conclusion that non-activated alkenes also could undergo these reactions. Indeed it was found that ethylene, norbornene, norbornadiene and allene react with methylenecyclopropane to give cycloadducts (Scheme 7). The reason for the limitation to these alkenes lies in the ability of methylenecyclopropane to compete successfully with alkenes in n-complexation to the metal. Thus cyclodimerization of methylenecyclopropane is much faster than codimerization with other alkenes, which give less stable rt-com-plexes with Pd(0). 

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