Nitrones, cyclic 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions

The intramolecular cycloadditions of cychc nitronates have received much more attention. The cyclic nitronate structure provides three basic modes of intramolecular cycloaddition (Fig. 2.15). Attachment of the tether to the C(3) position of the nitronate results in the formation of a sprro system (sprro mode). However, if the tether is appended to the C(4) position of the nitronate, the dipolar cycloaddition yields a fused ring system (fused mode). Finally, if the tether is attached at any other point of the cyclic nitronate, the cycloadducts obtained will consist of bicyclic structures (bridged mode). 

Dipolar cycloadditions of five-member cyclic nitrones to a,(3-unsaturated acid derivatives 99H(50)1213. 

In a more recent work the same research group has applied cyclic and acyclic vinyl ethers in the oxazaborolidinone-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction with nitrones [30]. The reaction between nitrone 5 and 2,3-dihydrofuran 6 with 20 mol% of the phenyl glycine-derived catalyst 3c, gave the product 7 in 56% yield as the sole diastereomer, however, with a low ee of 38% (Scheme 6.9). 

The above described reaction has been extended to the application of the AlMe-BINOL catalyst to reactions of acyclic nitrones. A series chiral AlMe-3,3 -diaryl-BINOL complexes llb-f was investigated as catalysts for the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction between the cyclic nitrone 14a and ethyl vinyl ether 8a [34], Surprisingly, these catalysts were not sufficiently selective for the reactions of cyclic nitrones with ethyl vinyl ether. Use of the tetramethoxy-substituted derivative llg as the catalyst for the reaction significantly improved the results (Scheme 6.14). In the presence of 10 mol% llg the reaction proceeded in a mixture of CH2CI2 and petroleum ether to give the product 15a in 79% isolated yield. The diastereoselectiv-ity was the same as in the acyclic case giving an excellent ratio of exo-15a and endo-15a of >95 <5, and exo-15a was obtained with up to 82% ee. 

A quite different type of titanium catalyst has been used in an inverse electron-demand 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Bosnich et al. applied the chiral titanocene-(OTf)2 complex 32 for the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between the cyclic nitrone 14a and the ketene acetal 2c (Scheme 6.25). The reaction only proceeded in the presence of the catalyst and a good cis/trans ratio of 8 92 was obtained using catalyst 32, however, only 14% ee was observed for the major isomer [70]. 

The reactions of nitrones constitute the absolute majority of metal-catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. Boron, aluminum, titanium, copper and palladium catalysts have been tested for the inverse electron-demand 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitrones with electron-rich alkenes. Fair enantioselectivities of up to 79% ee were obtained with oxazaborolidinone catalysts. However, the AlMe-3,3 -Ar-BINOL complexes proved to be superior for reactions of both acyclic and cyclic nitrones and more than >99% ee was obtained in some reactions. The Cu(OTf)2-BOX catalyst was efficient for reactions of the glyoxylate-derived nitrones with vinyl ethers and enantioselectivities of up to 93% ee were obtained. 

We are the first group to succeed with the highly enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitronates [75]. Thus, the reaction of 5,6-dihydro-4H-l,2-oxazine N-oxide as a cyclic nitronate to 3-acryloyl-2-oxazilidinone, at -40 °C in dichloro-methane in the presence of MS 4 A and l ,J -DBFOX/Ph-Ni(II) complexes, gave a diastereomeric mixture of perhydroisoxazolo[2,3-fe][l,2]oxazines as the ring-fused isoxazolidines in high yields. The J ,J -DBFOX/Ph aqua complex prepared from... 

Asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of cyclic nitrones to crotonic acid derivatives bearing chiral auxiliaries in the presence of zinc iodide gives bicyclic isoxazolidines with high stereoselectivity (Eq. 8.51). The products are good precursors of (3-amino acids such as (+)sedridine.73 Many papers concerning 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones to chiral alkenes have been reported, and they are well documented (see Ref. 63). 

An optically active cyclic nitrone in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition was first reported by Vasella in 1985. 81A variety of optically active cyclic nitrones have been devised since then. Some typical chiral nitrones described in Ref. 63c are shown in Scheme 8.17. Applications of these nitrones are also presented in this review. 

Alkyl and silyl nitronates are, in principle, /V-alkoxy and /V-silyloxynitrones, and they can react with alkenes in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions to form /V-alkoxy- or /V-silyloxyisoxaz.olidine (see Scheme 8.25). The alkoxy and silyloxy groups can be eliminated from the adduct on heating or by acid treatment to form 2-isoxazolines. It should be noticed that isoxazolines are also obtained by the reaction of nitrile oxides with alkenes thus, nitronates can be considered as synthetic equivalents of nitrile oxides. Since the pioneering work by Torssell et al. on the development of silyl nitronates, this type of reaction has become a useful synthetic tool. Recent development for generation of cyclic nitronates by hetero Diels-Alder reactions of nitroalkenes is discussed in Section 8.3. 

Recently, Denmark and coworkers have developed a new strategy for the construction of complex molecules using tandem [4+2]/[3+2]cycloaddition of nitroalkenes.149 In the review by Denmark, the definition of tandem reaction is described and tandem cascade cycloadditions, tandem consecutive cycloadditions, and tandem sequential cycloadditions are also defined. The use of nitroalkenes as heterodienes leads to the development of a general, high-yielding, and stereoselective method for the synthesis of cyclic nitronates (see Section 5.2). These dipoles undergo 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions. However, synthetic applications of this process are rare in contrast to the functionally equivalent cycloadditions of nitrile oxides. This is due to the lack of general methods for the preparation of nitronates and their instability. Thus, as illustrated in Scheme 8.29, the potential for a tandem process is formulated in the combination of [4+2] cycloaddition of a donor dienophile with [3+2]cycload-... 

The formation of enantiopure tricyclic compounds takes place by intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of acyclic nitrones to cyclic olefinic fragments (Scheme 2.214a,b) (706, 707a), or of cyclic nitrones to acyclic olefins (Scheme 2.214c) (116). Recently (707),b intramolecular nitrone cycloaddition reactions (according to Scheme 2.211a) have been applied in the synthesis of... 

Dipolarophiles D3. 1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions of suitably functionalized cyclic nitrones with terminal alkenes, which have potential leaving groups X at the end of the alkane chain -(CHo),- (D3), were successfully used for the synthesis of pyrrolozidine, indolizidine and quinolizidine alkaloids, such as (+ )-and (—)-lentiginosine, a potent amyloglucosidase inhibitor (Scheme 2.243) (742). Reductive cleavage of the N-0 bond in the cycloadduct is important for the subsequent cyclization to pyrrolozidines, indolizidines, and quinolizidines. 

The reaction of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of enantiopure cyclic nitrones to protected allyl alcohol, is the basis of stereoselective syntheses of bicyclic N, O-iso-homonucleoside analogs (747), of isoxazolidine, to analogs of C-nucleosides related to pseudouridine (748) and to homocarbocyclic-2 -oxo-3 -azanucleosides (749) (Fig. 2.36). 

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones to vinyl ethers is accelerated by Ti(IV) species. The efficiency of the catalyst depends on its complexation capacity. The use of Ti( PrO)2Cl2 favors the formation of trans cycloadducts, presumably, via an endo bidentate complex, in which the metal atom is simultaneously coordinated to the vinyl ether and to the cyclic nitrone or to the Z-isomer of the acyclic nitrones (800a). Highly diastereo- and enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of nitrones with alkenes, catalyzed by chiral polybi-naphtyl Lewis acids, have been developed. Isoxazolidines with up to 99% ee were obtained. The chiral polymer ligand influences the stereoselectivity to the same extent as its monomeric version, but has the advantage of easy recovery and reuse (800b). 

Main Aspects of Chemistry and Stereochemistry of Cyclic Nitroso Acetals Chemistry of cyclic nitroso acetals or nitrosals (the term was introduced by Prof. Seebach) has attracted interest only after the discovery of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitronates with olefins in 1962 by the research group of Prof. Tartakovsky. (Principal data on nitroso acetals up to 1990 were summarized in the review by Rudchenko (395).)... 

The general method, that has been widely used for the synthesis of perhydropyrrolo[1,2-6]isoxazoles, is based on a cycloaddition reaction of cyclic nitrones with dipolarophiles. The nitrone is easily available by oxidation of the corresponding hydroxylamine with mercuric chloride. The cycloaddition of nitrone to dipolarophiles is highly regioselective and stereoselective and have been often applied in the total synthesis of natural products <20010L1367, 2004BML3967, 2005JOC3157>. As one representative example of dipolar cycloaddition, reaction... 

The retro-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of imidazo[l,5- ][l,2,4]oxadiazoles 40, promoted by reaction with triphenylphos-phine at reflux in THF, gives the cyclic nitrones 187 (unreported yields) (Equation 15) <1997T13873>. The ring opening of compounds 40 leading to heterocycles 187 (Equation 15) can also be achieved thermally in the condensed phase under vacuum <1997TL2299>. 

The synthesis of 8-homocastanospermine via the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of five-membered cyclic nitrone derived from malic acid and unsaturated D-threo-hexaldonolactone is reported <2006CJC534>. 

Oxidation of amines to nitrones.1 Secondary amines can be oxidized to nitrones by 30% H202 in the presence of a catalytic amount of Se02. The reaction is applicable to acyclic and cyclic amines. The products can be used without isolation in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions. 

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a five-membered cyclic nitrone derived from malic acid and unsaturated D-t/zreu-hexonolactone led to a single adduct 21, which was transformed into 1-homoaustraline via a sequence of well defined reactions (Fig. 7).16 Synthesis of similar derivatives was presented recently.17... 

The enantioselective catalytic 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of linear or cyclic nitrones to enals was accomplished using the half-sandwich rhodium(III) complex S, Rc)-[(ri -C5Me5)Rh (/ )-Prophos (H20)](SbF6)2 as catalyst precursor [33, 34]. At —25°C, quantitative conversions to the cycloadducts, with up to 95% ee, were achieved (Scheme 10). The intermediate with the dipolarophile coordinated to the rhodium has been isolated and completely characterized, including the X-ray determination of its molecular structure [33, 34]. 

Elsewhere, Heaney et al. (313-315) found that alkenyloximes (e.g., 285), may react in a number of ways including formation of cyclic nitrones by the 1,3-APT reaction (Scheme 1.60). The benzodiazepinone nitrones (286) formed by the intramolecular 1,3-APT will undergo an intermolecular dipolar cycloaddition reaction with an external dipolarophile to afford five,seven,six-membered tricyclic adducts (287). Alternatively, the oximes may equilibrate to the corresponding N—H nitrones (288) and undergo intramolecular cycloaddition with the alkenyl function to afford five,six,six-membered tricyclic isoxazolidine adducts (289, R = H see also Section 1.11.2). In the presence of an electron-deficient alkene such as methyl vinyl ketone, the nitrogen of oxime 285 may be alkylated via the acyclic version of the 1,3-APT reaction and thus afford the N-alkylated nitrone 290 and the corresponding adduct 291. In more recent work, they prepared the related pyrimidodiazepine N-oxides by oxime-alkene cyclization for subsequent cycloaddition reactions (316). Related nitrones have been prepared by a number of workers by the more familiar route of condensation with alkylhydroxylamines (Scheme 1.67, Section 1.11.3). 

While many researchers have used the 1,3-APT process to generate cyclic nitrones, it is clear that the operating reaction pathway in the oxime to isoxazolidine conversion may not always be predicted. In the work of Aurich and co-workers (317,318), the polycyclic isoxazohdine 292 was isolated as the major product from thermolysis of oxime 293 and may have been formed via two separate reaction paths (Scheme 1.61). In the proven route, initial 1,3-APT of 293 formed a 1,4-oxazine nitrone (294), which acted as the acceptor for the second 1,3-APT with the remaining oxime function. The cyclic nitrone 295 so formed underwent a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with the allyl ether forming the isolated polycyclic isoxazolidine adduct 292. 

As part of an extensive study of the 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of cyclic nitrones, Ali et al. (392-397) found that the reaction of the 1,4-oxazine 349 with various dipolarophiles afforded the expected isoxazolidinyloxazine adducts (Scheme 1.78) (398). In line with earlier results (399,400), oxidation of styrene-derived adduct 350 with m-CPBA facilitated N—O cleavage and further oxidation as above to afford a mixture of three compounds, an inseparable mixture of ketonitrone 351 and bicyclic hydroxylamine 352, along with aldonitrone 353 with a solvent-dependent ratio (401). These workers have prepared the analogous nitrones based on the 1,3-oxazine ring by oxidative cleavage of isoxazolidines to afford the hydroxylamine followed by a second oxidation with benzoquinone or Hg(ll) oxide (402-404). These dipoles, along with a more recently reported pyrazine nitrone (405), were aU used in successful cycloaddition reactions with alkenes. Elsewhere, the synthesis and cycloaddition reactions of related pyrazine-3-one nitrone 354 (406,407) or a benzoxazine-3-one dipolarophile 355 (408) have been reported. These workers have also reported the use of isoxazoles with an exocychc alkene in the preparation of spiro[isoxazolidine-5,4 -isoxazolines] (409). 

Aside from the relatively trivial conversions of nitronates to the corresponding oxime and carbonyl compounds (10,11), the chemistry of nitronates remained relatively unexplored for much of the early 1900s. However, in 1964, Tartakovskii et al. (12) demonstrated that alkyl nitronate esters were competent partners in the newly discovered class of dipolar cycloadditions with alkenes (Scheme 2.1). Both cyclic and acyclic nitronates participated, thus providing a new functional group were the nitrogen atom existed at the center of an acetal (13). These compounds were subsequently referred to as nitroso acetals (14) or nitrosals (15). 

The wide variety of methods for the preparation of alkyl nitronates, gives rise to a broader diversity of structures compared to silyl nitronates. Alkyl nitronates can be grouped into two subclasses, acyclic and cyclic. Both subclasses participate in dipolar cycloadditions with similar reactivity, however, minor differences are manifest in their stability and stereoselectivity. Additionally, the ability to prepare cyclic nitronates allows access to a wide variety of novel, multicyclic ring stractures. 

The cycloaddition of substituted acrylates has been investigated with cyclic nitronate 24 (Table 2.49) (14). The cycloaddition of a 1,1-disubstituted dipolar-ophile (entry 2), proceeds in good yield, but both 1,2-disubstituted alkenes fail to react. The effect of substitution pattern on the dipolarophile was investigated with a slightly more reactive nitronate (Table 2.50) (228). Less sterically demanding alkenes such as cyclohexene, cyclopentene, and methyl substituted styrenes react, albeit at elevated temperature. The only exception is the 1,1-disubstituted alkene (entry 4), which reacts at room temperature. Both stilbene and dimethyl fumarate fail to provide the desired cycloadduct. In a rare example of the dipolar cycloaddition of tetra-substituted alkenes, tetramethylethylene reacts at 50 °C over 3 days to give a small amount of the cycloadduct (entry 7). 

The carbo- and hetero-Diels-Alder reactions are excellent for the constmction of six-membered ring systems and are probably the most commonly applied cycloaddition. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition complements the Diels-Alder reaction in a number of ways. 1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions are more efficient for the introduction of heteroatoms and are the preferred method for the stereocontrolled constmction of five-membered heterocycles (1 ). The asymmetric reactions of 1,3-dipoles has been reviewed extensively by us in 1998 (5), and recently, Karlsson and Hogberg reviewed the progress in the area from 1997 and until now (6). Asymmetric metal-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions have also been separately reviewed by us (7-9). Other recent reviews on special topics in asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions have appeared. These include reactions of nitrones (10), reactions of cyclic nitrones (11), the progress in 1996-1997 (12), 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions with chiral allyl alcohol derivatives (13) and others (14,15). 

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