Nitrile oxides isoxazoline synthesis

The first synthesis of a 3,5-diarylisoxazole from aryl hydroxamic acid chlorides and sodium phenyl acetylides was that effected by Weygand and Bauer in 1927. Beginning in 1946, when Quilico and Speroni showed that acid chlorides of hydroxamic acids on treatment with alkalies readily yielded nitrile oxides,numerous isoxazole and especially A -isoxazoline derivatives have been prepared. 

The intramolecular cycloaddition of a nitrile oxide (a 1,3-dipole) to an alkene is ideally suited for the regio- and stereocontrolled synthesis of fused polycyclic isoxazolines.16 The simultaneous creation of two new rings and the synthetic versatility of the isoxa-zoline substructure contribute significantly to the popularity of this cycloaddition process in organic synthesis. In spite of its high degree of functionalization, aldoxime 32 was regarded as a viable substrate for an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. Indeed, treatment of 32 (see Scheme 17) with sodium hypochlorite... 

The versatility of the INOC reaction is evident from the synthesis of tetrahy-drofurans fused to an isoxazoline 22a-f (Eq. 3) [181. a-Allyloxyaldoximes 21, formed by the reduction of jS-nitrostyrenes 19 with SnCl2 2H2O in the presence of an unsaturated alcohol 20, are transformed to isoxazolines 22 in high yield on treatment with NaOCl via stereoselective ring closure of a nitrile oxide intermediate (Table 2). 

In the seven-step stereoselective total synthesis of ptilocaulin 44 [21 ], a potent antileukemic and antimicrobial agent isolated [22] from marine sponges, the oxime 36 was treated with NaOCl providing the tricyclic isoxazoline 38 in 89% yield without isolation of the nitrile oxide intermediate 37 (Scheme 5) [23]. Isoxazoline 38 was obtained as a mixture of four diastereomers and their ratio was... 

The above methodology has been extremely useful for the synthesis of a variety of INOC precursors. For instance, treatment of 0-trimethylsilyl a-bro-moaldoximes 52b, e, f with F ion in presence of unsaturated alcohols 57 produces oximino ethers 58 which can be readily oxidized using NaOCl (Scheme 8) [29]. The transient nitrile oxide intermediates formed undergo spontaneous cyclization to fused isoxazolines 59. The preferred stereoisomer in the formation of the five-membered ring ethers is trans whereas in the six-membered ring ethers the cis isomer predominates (see Table 5). MM2 calculations helped rationalize the experimentally observed stereoselectivites (see Table 5). 

A one pot synthesis of isoxazolines 78a-f involves base mediated 1,4-addition of malonate or alcohol 76 possessing an allylic substituent, conversion of the resulting nitronate to the a-chloroaldoxime (hydroxymoyl chloride 77) and its subsequent dehydrohalogenation to the nitrile oxide intermediate which cyclizes to isoxazoline 78 (Eq. 7, Table 6) [32]. 

Synthesis of thiopheno[3,4-c]isoxazoline is shown in Eq. 4.4, in which the Michael addition of allyl thiol to 3-nitro enones and subsequent nitrile oxide cyclization are involved.7... 

Primary nitro compounds are good precursors for preparing nitriles and nitrile oxides (Eq. 6.31). The conversion of nitro compounds into nitrile oxides affords an important tool for the synthesis of complex natural products. Nitrile oxides are reactive 1,3-dipoles that form isoxazolines or isoxazoles by the reaction with alkenes or alky nes, respectively. The products are also important precursors for various substrates such as P-amino alcohols, P-hydroxy ketones, P-hydroxy nitriles, and P-hydroxy acids (Scheme 6.3). Many good reviews concerning nitrile oxides in organic synthesis exist some of them are listed here.50-56 Applications of organic synthesis using nitrile oxides are discussed in Section 8.2.2. 

As discussed in Section 6.2, nitro compounds are good precursors of nitrile oxides, which are important dipoles in cycloadditions. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides with alkenes or alkynes provides a straightforward access to 2-isoxazolines or isoxazoles, respectively. A number of ring-cleaving procedures are applicable, such that various types of compounds may be obtained from the primary adducts (Scheme 8.18). There are many reports on synthetic applications of this reaction. The methods for generation of nitrile oxides and their reactions are discussed in Section 6.2. Recent synthetic applications and asymmetric synthesis using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides are summarized in this section. 

Isoxazolines are good precursors of a,(3-unsaturated ketones.63,94 This transformation is useful for synthesis of polyenes. For example, nitrile oxide cycloaddition chemistry is used to prepare 4-oxo-2-alkenylphosphonates, which are useful to synthesize a long polyethylenic unit via Woodworth-Emmons olefination (Eq. 8.66).101... 

Hassner and coworkers have developed a one-pot tandem consecutive 1,4-addition intramolecular cycloaddition strategy for the construction of five- and six-membered heterocycles and carbocycles. Because nitroalkenes are good Michael acceptors for carbon, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen nucleophiles (see Section 4.1 on the Michael reaction), subsequent intramolecular silyl nitronate cycloaddition (ISOC) or intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition (INOC) provides one-pot synthesis of fused isoxazolines (Scheme 8.26). The ISOC route is generally better than INOC route regarding stereoselectivity and generality. 

A solid-phase synthesis of 3-substituted isoxazoles 31 in good yields and purities was achieved by 1,3-DC of polymer-supported vinyl selenide with in situ generated nitrile oxides treatment of intermediate isoxazolines 30 with an excess of hydrogen peroxide resulted in the release of isoxazoles 31 while the use of Mel/Nal led to 3-substituted 5-iodoisoxazolines... 

Highly efficient modifications of Mukaiyama s procedure, convenient for combinatorial syntheses, were reported recently, namely the polymer-supported synthesis of isoxazolines via nitrile oxides, starting from primary nitroalkanes, in a one-pot process (75) and by microwave activation of the process (73). 

Achiral hydantoin- and isoxazoline-substituted dispirocyclobutanoids 394 have been prepared by solid-phase synthesis (437). The facial and selective Boc-NH-mediated H-bond delivery of nitrile oxides afford dispirocyclobutanoids 394 (R = Bz, Et R1 =Ph, PI1CH2, Bu) as major compounds. 

Macrocycles containing isoxazoline or isoxazole ring systems, potential receptors in host—guest chemistry, have been prepared by multiple (double, triple or quadruple) 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitrile oxides, (prepared in situ from hydroxamoyl chlorides) to bifunctional calixarenes, ethylene glycols, or silanes containing unsaturated ester or alkene moieties (453). This one-pot synthetic method has been readily extended to the preparation of different types of macrocycles such as cyclophanes, bis-calix[4]arenes and sila-macrocycles. The ring size of macrocycles can be controlled by appropriate choices of the nitrile oxide precursors and the bifunctional dipolarophiles. Multiple cycloadditive macrocy-clization is a potentially useful method for the synthesis of macrocycles. 

Diastereoselective intermolecular nitrile oxide—olefin cycloaddition has been used in an enantioselective synthesis of the C(7)-C(24) segment 433 of the 24-membered natural lactone, macrolactin A 434 (471, 472). Two (carbonyl)iron moieties are instrumental for the stereoselective preparation of the C(8)-C(ii) E,Z-diene and the C(i5) and C(24) sp3 stereocenters. Also it is important to note that the (carbonyl)iron complexation serves to protect the C(8)-C(ii) and C(i6)-C(i9) diene groups during the reductive hydrolysis of an isoxazoline ring. 

A strategy based on the diastereoselective dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitrile oxides and allylic alcoholates, has been applied to the synthesis of bis-(isoxazolines) that are precursors to polyketide fragments. These intermediates can be elaborated into protected polyols, for example, 439, by sequential chemos-elective reductive opening of each isoxazoline or, alternatively, by simultaneously, providing access to all stereoisomers of this carbon skeleton (479). 

Isoxazolines are partially unsaturated isoxazoles. In most cases these compounds are precursors to the isoxazoles, and as a result, the synthesis can also be found in Sect. 3.2.1b. Kaffy et al., used a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a nitrile oxide (186) with the respective styrene (201a or b) to generate isoxazolines (202a or b, respectively). Depending on the substitution of the vinyl portion of the styrene molecule, either 3- or 4-substituted isoxazolines could be formed (Scheme 55) [94], Simoni et al. employed similar chemistry to produce isoxazolines [60]. Kidwai and Misra emplyed microwave technology to treat chalcones with hydroxylamine and basic alumina [99]. The isoxazoles synthesized by Simoni et al. possess anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity in the micromolar range [60]. 

Nitrile oxides were also readily generated by reaction of aldoximes 172 with icri-butyl hydroperoxide and bis(tributyltin) oxide. The reaction proceeded nnder mild conditions, in which 0-stannylated aldoximes 173 were the key intermediates. This reaction system was applicable to the one-pot synthesis of isoxazoline 174 or isoxazole 175 derivatives... 

Novel polycyclic heterocyclic systems including the isoxazoline ring were described. Thus, oximes 191 and 193 in the presence of sodium hypochlorite afforded heterocycles 192 or 194, respectively (equations 83 and 84). Intramolecular cycloaddition of nitrile oxide was used in the synthesis of the A-ring fragments of la,25-dihydrovitamin D3 and taxane diterpenoids, sulphur-containing isoxazoles, fluoro-substituted aminocyclopentanols and aminocyclopentitols . New gem- and vic-disubstituted effects in such cyclization reactions have been reviewed by Jung. ... 

From the 1980s on, many efforts were directed toward asymmetric induction of nitrile oxide cycloadditions to give pure (dia)stereoisomeric isoxazolines, and acyclic products derived from them (17,18,20-23). The need to obtain optically active cycloaddition products for use in the synthesis of natural products was first served by using chiral olefins, relying on 1,2-asymmetric induction, and then with optically active aldehydes or nitro compounds for the nitrile oxide part. In the latter case, insufficient induction occurs using chiral nitrile oxides, a problem still unsolved today. Finally, in the last 5 years, the first cases of successful asymmetric catalysis were found (29), which will certainly constitute a major area of study in the coming decade. 

The most widely used, and often most convenient reagents for such one-pot reactions are sodium hypochlorite (45) or hypobromite (16). These reactions are performed in the presence of an organic base (generally triethylamine) that normally enhances the yield of cycloaddition products (45). This method was employed for many intermolecular reactions (71) and also seems especially suited for intramolecular ones (72-77) as well as for the solid-phase synthesis (78) of 2-isoxazolines. Hypohalite can also be replaced by sodium broruite in combination with a catalytic amount of tri-u-butyltin chloride (79). In a related method, O-tributylstannyl oximes were treated with tert-butyl hypochlorite to produce nitrile oxides that were trapped with aUcenes or alkynes to afford the corresponding isoxazolines or isoxazoles in moderate to good yield (80). 

Talaromycin B is a spiro-acetal produced by the fungus Talaromyces stipitatus, the toxicity of which may be due to its ability to block outward potassium fluxes. In an elegant synthesis, the requisite open-chain polyol with hydroxy groups in the y-and y -positions was assembled from nitrile oxide and olefin building blocks 50 and 51, both of which carry a f>w(hydroxyethyl) moiety protected as a cyclohexanone acetal (284). Hydrogenolysis of the N O bond of isoxazoline 52 using Raney nickel, followed by treatment with aqueous acid, gave the spiroketal 53, which was further transformed into racemic talaromycin B (54) (Scheme 6.54) (284). 

Isoxazolines can be transformed into a,p-enones by several methods from the initial aldol product. This strategy was applied by Barco et al. (285) toward the synthesis of ( )-pyrenophorin (98), a macrocychc fow(enone-lactone) with antifungal properties. The hydroxy group was introduced from the nitrile oxide component (95), while the carboxy function was derived from the acrylate dipo-larophile. Thus, cycloaddition of the optically active nitropentyl acetate 94 to methyl acrylate 95 afforded isoxazoline 96 as a mixture of optically active diastereomers. Reductive hydrolysis using Raney nickel/acetic acid gave p-hydro-xyketone (97), which was subsequently utilized for the synthesis of (—)-pyreno-phorin (98) (Scheme 6.63) (285). 

In later work, Mioskowski and co-workers (320) used cyclohexenone 160 to prepare oxime 161 as part of a twofold nitrile oxide strategy to synthesize the basic taxol ring system. Cycloaddition of 161 was effected by means of sodium hypochlorite and gave tricyclic isoxazoline 162, which feamres rings A and C of taxol (320) (Scheme 6.79). Nagaoka and co-worker tried to apply a related intramolecular cycloaddition toward the synthesis of the taxane A/B ring but this approach failed, producing only the oxime derivative (248) (see Scheme 6.44, Section 6.3.1). 

Recently, the intramolecular nitrile oxide-alkene cycloaddition sequence was used to prepare spiro- w(isoxazolines), which are considered useful as chiral ligands for asymmetric synthesis (321). Reaction of the dibutenyl-dioxime (164) (derived from the diester 163) with sodium hypochlorite afforded a mixture of diastereomeric isoxazolines 165-167 in 74% combined yield (Scheme 6.80) (321). It was discovered that a catalytic amount of the Cu(II) complex 165-Cu(acac)2, where acac = acetylacetonate, significantly accelerated the reaction of diisopropylzinc... 

In the great major tiy of applications that use the intramolecular nitrile oxide-alkene cycloaddition, the intention is to prepare intermediates for the synthesis of natural products or related compounds. The most popular transformations of these isoxazolines are the following ring cleavage modes ... 

Intramolecular cycloaddition of the nitrile oxide intermediate generated from the unsaturated oxime 221 was used for an evenmal synthesis of la,2p,25-trihydroxy-vitamin D3 (262) (Scheme 6.90). Oxime 221, prepared from tri-O-isopropyhdene-d-mannitol (220), was processed as usual to give isoxazoline 222 in good yield and with excellent stereoselectivity. Conversion of 222 to the aldol 223 proceeded in the normal manner and further elaboration gave the desired diene intermediate 224 (262). 

Another related synthesis made use of the intramolecular cycloaddition of co-nitroalkene 243, also derived from geraniol epoxide 237. Generation of the expected nitrile oxide dipole using p-chlorophenyl isocyanate and triethylamine quantitatively gave the annulated isoxazoline 244 as a 2 1 mixture of diastereo-isomers (Scheme 6.94). Reductive hydrolysis of the cycloadduct to the aldol product followed by dehydration provided enone 245, which was used to prepare the sesquiterpene nanaimoal 246 (242). 

A stereoselective synthesis of testosterone (261) was advanced by Fukumoto and co-workers (331), where ring B was joined to the C/D part by an intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition. The key nitrile oxide dipole was generated in situ from oxime 258, which in turn was derived from the optically active tetrahydroin-danone 257. Tetracyclic isoxazoline (259) was obtained as a single stereoisomer... 

One of the very first uses of the intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition involved the synthesis of macrocyclic lactones. Asaoka et al. (238) conceived this approach to the 16-membered ring antibiotic A26771B (277). Nitro compound 274 [obtained from 11-acetoxydodecanal (273)] was dehydrated with 4-chlorophenyl isocyanate-triethylamine and this was followed by dipolar cycloaddition, which gave isoxazoline 275 as a 4 1 mixture of diastereomers (Scheme 6.100). 

Few examples of total syntheses have been reported that involve an intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition and ensuing reduction to an aminoalcohol. The very first example was reported by Confalone et al. (334) and involved a synthesis of the naturally occurring vitamin biotin (287). The nitro precursor 284 was easily prepared from cycloheptene. When treated with phenyl isocyanate-triethylamine, cycloaddition led to the all-cis-fused tricyclic isoxazoline 285 with high stereoselectivity (Scheme 6.102). Reduction with LiAlFLj afforded aminoalcohol 286 as a... 

For alkenyl nitrile oxides having the alkene in a cyclic structure, such as compound 141, high diastereoselectivities can be obtained (Scheme 12.47). Compound 141 is formed in situ, and undergoes a spontaneous cyclization to furnish 142 as the sole diastereomer. Toyota et al. (239) used the tricyclic isoxazoline 143 in the synthesis of (+)-pumiliotoxin C. 

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