Of nitroalkenes

The Barton-Zard reaction refers to the base-induced reaction of nitroalkenes 1 with alkyl a-isocyanoacetates 2 to afford pyrroles 3. Solvents used are THF or alcohols (or mixtures) and the reaction often proceeds at room temperature. 

In 1985, in the course of their interest in nitroalkane chemistry, Barton and Zard reported the base-catalyzed reaction of nitroalkenes with a-isocyanoacetates leading to pyrrole esters having an ideal substitution pattern for the synthesis of porphyrins and bile... 

The final class of reactions to be considered will be the [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction of nitroalkenes with alkenes which in principle can be considered as an inverse electron-demand hetero-Diels-Alder reaction. Domingo et al. have studied the influence of reactant polarity on the reaction course of this type of reactions using DFT calculation in order to understand the regio- and stereoselectivity for the reaction, and the role of Lewis acid catalysis [29]. The reaction of e.g. ni-troethene 15 with an electron-rich alkene 16 can take place in four different ways and the four different transition-state structures are depicted in Fig. 8.16. 

Dehydration of fi-nitro iilcohols provides an important method for the preparation of nitroalkenes. Because lower nitroalkenes such as nitroethylene, Tnitro-Tpropene, and 3-nitro- Tpropene tend to polymerize, they must be prepared careftdly and used immediately after preparation. Dehydration v/ith phthalic anhydride is the most reliable method for such lower nitroiilkenes. Such lower nitroalkenes have been used as important reagents for Michael acceptors or dienophiles in the Diels-Alder reacdon, which v/ill be... 

Instead of using the Dean-Stark apparanis, the reacdon can be carried out at reflux using MeNH-vCl/AcOK/MeOH with HCfOMe, as a water scavenger, A wide variety of nitroalkenes can be prepared in good yields by this method fEq, 3,35, " ... 

In d sumldf way, a-nitroselenides are prepared via the reacdon of nitronates with phenylse-lenyl bromide, which gives a new synthedc method of 1-nitroalkenes from nitroalkanes The sequence of ct-selenadon, nitro-aldol reacdon, and oxidadon provides a nsefid method for the preparadon of nitroalkenes with a hydroxymethyl group fEq 5 81 ... 

The direct conversion of nitroalkenes into ketones is especially useful for the preparation of arylacetones. They are readily prepared by the condensation of aromatic aldehydes with nitroethane and by the subsequent Nef reaction. "Typical examples are presented in Eq. 6.22 and Eq. 6.23 the product of Eq. 6.23 is used for total synthesis of perylenequinone, calphosdn D, which is a potent inhibitor of protein kmase C. "... 

The reacdon of nitroalkenes or nitroalkanes v/ithTCH and Me-SiN-, gives ct-azido fiincdon-alized hydroxamoyl chlciides, which act as precursors of nitnle oxides fEq. 6.34. " ... 

A new selective reduction of nitroalkenes into enamides has been carried out by a combina-m of iron powder, a carboxylic acid, and the corresponding anhydnde fEq 6 64)... 

Node and co-workers have found that the Diels-Alder reaction of nitroalkenes v/ith 1-methoxy-3-trimethylsilyloxy-l,3-butadiene (Danishefsky s dienesi exhibit abnormal exo-se-lecdvity Electrostadc repulsion between the nitro and the silyloxy group of the diene induces this abnormal exc-selecdvity (Tq 8 10 This selecdve reacdon has been used for the asymmetric synthesis of various naniral products as shovm in Scheme 8 6... 

The Diels-Alder reaction of nitroalkenes with Danishefsky s dienes is applied to synthesis of truncated carbocyclic analogues of a potent neuraminidase inhibitor 4-guanidino-NemAc en fsee Scheme 8.5. Carbocyclic analogs are found to retain interesting levels of antiviral activity comparable to those shovm by their oxygen-containing compounds in Scheme 8.5. 

A typlciil regioselecdvity and endo/exo selecdvity has been reported in the Diels-Alder reacdon of 2-W-acylamino -l,3-diene v/ith nitroalkenes fEq 8 21) Thus, exo products are predominandy formed, which is generiil for the Diels-Alder reacdon of nitroalkenes v/ith sterically hmdered dienes... 

High-pressnre promoted cycloadditions of nitroalkenes and enol ethers eliminate the nse of Lewis acids fEq 8 106 "Thus, even sterically hmdered nitroalkenes react with 2,3-thhydro-furan to give the exo cyclic nitronates stereoselecdvely without using Lewis acids... 

Hetero Diels-Alder reacdons using nitroalkenes followed by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddidons provide a nsefid strategy for the constnicdon of polycychc heterocycles, which are found in naturM products. Denmark has coined the term tandem [4t-2 /[3t-2 cycloaddidon of nitroalkenes for this type of reacdon. The tandem [4-i-2 /[3-i-2 cycloaddidon can be classified into font famihes as shown in Scheme 8.31, where A and D mean an electron acceptor and electron donor, respecdvely. " In generril, electron-rich alkenes are favored as dienophdes in [4-i-2 cycloaddidons, whereas electron-deficient alkenes are preferred as dipolarophdes in [3-i-2 cycloaddidons. 

When Talkoxy-l,4-pentadienes are used Instead of 2-alkoxy-l,4-pentadienes, tandem Inter [4- 2 /lntra [3- 2 cycloaddidon of nitroalkenes followed by hydrogenolysls affords a versatile asymmetric synthesis of highly fiincdonalized aminocyclopentanes fScheme 8.47i. ... 

The Michael addidon to nitroalkenes followed by cyclizadoti provides a getieriil method for the synthesis of various pyrroles. The reacdoti of nitroalkenes v/iih acetoacetate followed by reducdoti v/ith Znin acedc acid provides another route to 3-methyl-3-pyrrolecarboxylates fEq. 10.8. °... 

The most important advantageof this procedure is that ct-free pyrroles are obtained direcdy. Reacdon of nitroalkenes withTosMIC gives 3-nitropytrolesin 55-85% yield FEq. 10.13. ° The... 

Barton and Zard found that the base-catalyzed reacdon of nitroalkenes or fi-n v/ith alkyl isocyanoacetate or TosMIC gives pyrrole-3-carboxylates or 3-suifonylpyrroles, respecdvely fsee Eqs 10 18 and 10 19) This reacdon is very convenient for the synthesis of... 

DBU IS most widely employed as the base m the Barton-Zard reaction Stronger nonionic bases such as PrMeNCH-,CH-j,N and the phosphazene base Csiipplied by Flukai are more effective to induce pyrrole formadon in the reaction of nitroalkenes v/ith isocyano esters than DBU Sterically hindered nitroalkenes are converted into the corresponding pyrroles using these bases, as shovm in Eq 10 35, but DBU is not effective in this transformation... 

The direct aziridinadon of nitroalkanes has been repotted for the first dme. Treatment of nitroalkene with an excess of CaO and NsONHCO-.Et fNs =4-nitroben2enesulfonyl gives the ct-nitroaziridine in good yields fEq. 10.70. ° The reaction proceeds via aza-Michael reaction followed by a ring closure. 

Anovelsynthedc approach toward the AB-ring system of9-azasteroids using the Diels-Alder reacdon of nitroalkene and subsequent reducdve cyclizadon has been shown fScherae 10.24. ... 

Francis K, B Russell, G Gadda (2005) Involvement of a flavosemiquinone in the enzymatic oxidation of nitroalkenes catalyzed by 2-nitropropane dioxygenase. J Biol Chem 280 5195-5204. 

Three methods for the preparation of nitroalkenes are outlined below. Describe the mechanism by which each of these transformations occurs. 

A very attractive method for the preparation of nitroalkenes, which is based on the reaction with NO, has been reported. Treatment of alkenes at ambient pressure of nitrogen monoxide (NO) at room temperature gives the corresponding nitroalkenes in fairly good yields along with P-nitroalcohols in a ratio of about 8 to 2. The nitroalcohol by-products are converted into the desired nitroalkenes by dehydration with acidic alumina in high total yield. This simple and convenient nitration procedure is applied successfully to the preparation of nitroalkenes derived from various terminal alkenes or styrenes (Eq. 2.27).53 This process is modified by the use of HY-zeolites instead of alumina. The lack of corrosiveness and the ability to regenerate and reuse the catalyst make this an attractive system (Eq. 2.28).54... 

Electrochemical oxidation of a mixture of alkenes, NaN02 and NaN03, in water is also a good method for the preparation of nitroalkenes.59... 

The synthetic applications of this reagent to the synthesis of nitroalkenes have been known since the 1960s.60 Nitration of alkenes with nitryl iodide, generated in situ from iodine and silver nitrite, is convenient for the synthesis of P-nitrostyrenes with various functional groups.61 This method is applied to the synthesis of ortho-methoxylated phenylisopropylamines, which are potent serotonine agonists (Eq. 2.31).62... 

In 1978, Corey reported a general synthetic route for the conversion of alkenes to conjugated nitroalkenes via nitro-mercuration and demercuration.74 Since then, many chemists have used this method for the preparation of cyclic nitroalkenes such as 1-nitrocyclohexene. However, the use of mercury salts is not recommended even for the small-scale preparation of nitroalkenes. This reaction is not as clean as expected, and formidable efforts are required to remove the mercury in the waste. 

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