4-monosubstituted-5 -oxazolones

Michael Reaction. 5(47/)-Oxazolones undergo base-catalyzed conjugate addition to activated unsaturated compounds to afford the corresponding C-4 Michael adducts. For example, base-catalyzed addition of a 4-monosubstituted-5(4//)-oxazolone 157 to methyl propiolate yields a mixture of diastereomeric methyl 3-(5-oxo-2-phenyl-2-oxazolin-4-yl)acrylates 158. Hydrolytic ring opening of 158 and subsequent oxidation with lead tetraacetate affords 3-acylacrylates 160... 

Monosubstituted-5(4//)-oxazolones behave differently upon reaction with imines. Here, 4-methyl-2-phenyl-5(4/7)-oxazolone 196 (Ri = Ph, R2 = Me) reacts with imines derived from 2-furancarboxaldehyde or 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde to give 3-amino-p-lactams 197. On the other hand, 196 reacts with chlorosul-fonyl isocyanate in a [2 + 2] cycloaddition to give dioxazabicycloheptanones 198 as shown in Scheme 7.60. ... 

Racemization is not encountered when 4-unsubstituted-5(477)-oxazolones or 4,4-disubstituted-5(477)-oxazolones are used as reagents. Indeed, 4-unsubstituted-5(47/)-oxazolones function as glycine synthons in the synthesis of A-acylglycyl-a-amino acids. For example, aminolysis of 2-(trifluoromethyl)-5(47/)-oxazolone with a-methylphenylalanine affords A-(trifluoroacetyl)glycyl-a-methylphenylalanine. 4,4-Disubstituted-5(4//)-oxazolones, readily available by alkylation of the monosubstituted derivatives, are very useful intermediates in the synthesis of peptides that incorporate ot,ot-disubstituted amino acids. As an example, 4-(aryl-methyl)-2-phenyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)-5(4//)-oxazolones 260 are key intermediates... 

Dimerization can also be achieved using nickel peroxide " or through a photooxidation reaction. In these cases, 4-monosubstituted-5(4//)-oxazolones 293 are converted to the corresponding 4,4 -bis(oxazolones) 294 (Scheme 7.97 ... 

A number of recent papers have appeared in the literature related to the synthesis of saturated 5(477)-oxazolones that were not yet covered in our contribution. 4-Acyl-2,4-dialkyl-5(477)-oxazolones 776 have been obtained from A-acylglycines. Thus, cyclization of an A-acylglycine in the presence of thionyl chloride affords a monosubstituted 5(477)-oxazolone 775. Acylation of 775 with an aroyl chloride in the presence of magnesium chloride occurred at C-4 to produce 776. Hydrolysis and decarboxylation of 776 gave the A-acylamino ketones 777 that are valuable intermediates to prepare oxazoles 778 (Scheme 7.236). 

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