Oxepin reactions

Considered in this section are two groups of oxepine reactions (1) addition and cycloaddition reactions peculiar to their conjugated carbon chain, and (2) those characteristic of vinyl ethers, particularly, beginning from an attack on ring oxygen. Both reaction types are discussed in detail in CHEC(1984) and CHEC-II(1996) therefore, only several important new examples are given here. 

Apparent nucleophilic attack on large, fully unsaturated rings may occur by way of attack on a valence tautomer, such as the reaction of oxepin with azide ion. Attack on the oxanorcaradiene valence tautomer leads to ring opening of the three-membered ring, and formation of 5-azido-6-hydroxy-l,3-cyclohexadiene (Section 5.17.2.2.4). 

Diene moieties, reactive in [2 + 4] additions, can be formed from benzazetines by ring opening to azaxylylenes (Section 5.09.4.2.3). 3,4-Bis(trifluoromethyl)-l,2-dithietene is in equilibrium with hexafluorobutane-2,3-dithione, which adds alkenes to form 2,3-bis-(trifluoromethyl)-l,4-dithiins (Scheme 17 Section 5.15.2.4.6). Systems with more than two conjugated double bonds can react by [6ir + 2ir] processes, which in azepines can compete with the [47t + 27t] reaction (Scheme 18 Section 5.16.3.8.1). Oxepins prefer to react as 47t components, through their oxanorcaradiene isomer, in which the 47r-system is nearly planar (Section 5.17.2.2.5). Thiepins behave similarly (Section 5.17.2.4.4). Nonaromatic heteronins also react in orbital symmetry-controlled [4 + 2] and [8 + 2] cycloadditions (Scheme 19 Section 5.20.3.2.2). 

Ring closure by making a C—C bond is a common synthetic method for rings of all sizes. Scheme 7 gives a few examples of displacement reactions. Other examples are found in the preparation of benzazepines (Section 5.16.4.1.2) and oxepins (Section 5.17.3.2.1). 

Oxepin, 2-acetoxy-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-thermal reactions, 7, 559 Oxepin, 3-chloro-synthesis, 3, 725 Oxepin, 2,3-dihydro-cycloaddition reactions, 7, 563 nucleophilic reactions, 7, 562 reduction, 7, 563 Oxepin, 2,5-dihydro-synthesis, 7, 578, 580 Oxepin, 4,5-dihydro-formation, 7, 579 reduction, 7, 563 synthesis, 7, 579 Oxepin, 2,7-dimethyl-NMR, 7, 552... 

Oxepin, 4-ethoxycarbonyl-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-synthesis, 7, 578 Oxepin, 2-methyl-enthalpy of isomerization, 7, 555 Oxepin, 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-reduction, 7, 563 synthesis, 7, 578 Oxepin, 2,3,4,7-tetrahydro-synthesis, 7, 578 Oxepin, 2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-oxidation, 7, 563 reduction, 7, 563 Oxepin-2,6-dicarboxylic acid stability, 7, 565 Oxepinium ions synthesis, 7, 559 Oxepins, 7, 547-592 antiaromaticity, 4, 535 applications, 7, 590-591 aromatization, 7, 566 bond lengths and angles, 7, 550, 551 cycloaddition reactions, 7, 27, 569 deoxygenation, 7, 570 dipole moment, 7, 553 disubstituted synthesis, 7, 584... 

H-Pyran, 2-alkoxy-4-methyl-2,3-dihydro-conformation, 3, 630 4H-Pyran, 2-amino-IR spectra, 3, 593 synthesis, 3, 758 4H-Pyran, 4-benzylidene-synthesis, 3, 762 4H-Pyran, 2,3-dihydro-halogenation, 3, 723 hydroboration, 3, 723 oxepines from, 3, 725 oxidation, 3, 724 reactions, with acids, 3, 723 with carbenes, 3, 725 4H-Pyran, 5,6-dihydro-synthesis, 2, 91 4H-Pyran, 2,6-diphenyl-hydrogenation, 3, 777 4H-Pyran, 6-ethyl-3-vinyl-2,3-dihydro-reactions, with acids, 3, 723 4H-Pyran, 2-methoxy-synthesis, 3, 762 4H-Pyran, 2,4,4,6-tetramethyl-IR spectra, 3, 593 4H-Pyran, 2,4,6-triphenyl-IR spectra, 3, 593... 

The mixture was heated under reflux and a solution of 0.2 g of ethyl iodide in 5 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran was allowed to flow into the reaction medium. When the reaction started, a solution of 6.2 g of 7heated under reflux until the complete disappearance of the magnesium turnings. The reaction medium was then cooled in an ice bath, after which there was added thereto a solution in 45 ml of tetrahydrofuran of 7 g of 6-oxo-benzo[b] -benzofurano[2,3-e] oxepin. The reaction mixture was allowed to stand for 20 hours at a temperature of 20°C, and was then poured into a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride maintained at a temperature of 5°C. The mixture was extracted with ether and the organic portion was washed and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. After evaporation of the solvent, 9.4 g of crude product were obtained, which after recrystallization from isopropanol, provided 6.7 g of pure 6-(3-dimethylam nopropyl)-8-hydroxybenzo[b] benzofurano-[2,3-e] oxepin, melting point 160°C (yield, 71 %). 

In 1911, the first dibenzoxepin was obtained in a degradation reaction of morphothebaine,42 but it was not until 1960 that oxepins attracted interest from a chemical point of view (see refs 12 and 43 for a review). 

Substituted 2-phenoxyphenylacetic acids readily cyclize under Friedel-Crafts conditions or acid catalysis to give dibenz[Z>,/]oxepin-10(l l//)-ones.71 85,104- 108 When this reaction is carried out in methanolic hydrochloric acid the 10-methoxy-substituted dibenz[6,/]oxepin system 9a can be isolated.109 5-(Nitro-2-phenoxyphenyl)-2-oxopropanoic acid undergoes cyclization in the presence of polyphosphoric acid yielding the carboxylated dibenzoxepin 9b.107... 

The analogous oxide of pyrene undergoes the same reaction to give tribenz[6,c,t/]oxepin in 36% yield [mp 134°C (MeOH)].117119... 

When additional substituents are introduced in the 2- and/or 4-position, the thermal rearrangement gives products in which the substituents that were originally located in the 1- and 5-position of the quadricyclane are then located at C4 and C5 of the oxepin 7.30,123 In order to trap intermediates of this rearrangement reaction by intramolecular cycloaddition vinyl and acetylene groups were linked with different spacer groups to C2 of quadricyclane.123 In this manner two different intramolecular cycloadducts were isolated in addition to oxepin derivatives.123... 

Thermolyses of 3-oxaquadricyclanes with different substituents at C1(C5) and C6(C7) such as carboxy and phenyl groups showed that the reaction generally gives oxepins with the carboxy functions in the 4- and 5-position.24 This is also true when the substituents in the 6- and 7-positions form a bridge of six carbon atoms, e.g. formation of 9.129131 The rearrangement of these 3-oxaquadricyclanes gives access to the [6]paracyclophane system. 

Attempts have been made to catalyze the arrangement of 3-oxaquadricyclane to oxepins with transition-metal complexes.1 32 1 35 When dimethyl 2,4-dimethyl-3-oxaquadricyclane-l,5-dicarboxylate is treated with bis(benzonitrile)dichloroplatinum(II) or dicarbonylrhodium chloride dimer, an oxepin with a substitution pattern different from that following thermolysis is obtained as the main product. Instead of dimethyl 2,7-dimethyloxepin-4,5-dicarboxylate, the product of the thermal isomerization, dimethyl 2,5-dimethyloxepin-3,4-dicarboxylate (12), is formed due to the cleavage of a C O bond. This transition metal catalyzed cleavage accounts also for the formation of a 6-hydroxyfulvene [(cyclopentadienylidene)methanol] derivative (10-15%) and a substituted phenol (2-6%) as minor products.135 The proportion of reaction products is dependent on solvent, catalyst, and temperature. 

In a similar reaction, dimethyl 3-oxa-2,4-octanoquadricyclane-l,5-dicarboxylate gives the 6-hydroxyfulvene in 45% yield in addition to oxepin (15%) when bis(benzonitrile)dichloropal-ladium is used as catalyst.132 In the presence of silver(I) perchlorate the yield of 6-hydroxyful-vene reaches 85% whereas the thermal isomerization gives exclusively the oxepin (95% yield). 

Under photochemical conditions, 12-oxatricyclo[7.2.1.02,8]dodeca-2(8),3,6,10-tetraen-5-one gives 8//-cyclohept[c/]oxepin-8-one in good yield.147 This reaction has been applied to the synthesis of a number of 2- and 2,4-substituted 8//-cyclohept[rf]oxepin-8-ones 17 147,148... 

The knowledge of the valence tautomerization of benzene oxides to oxepins12 prompted several groups to synthesize oxepins by dehydrohalogenation of 7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane derivatives. Numerous examples have been described for the base-catalyzed elimination of hydrogen bromide from the 3,4-dibromo-7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane system. The reaction products are usually obtained as mixtures of oxepin 1 and benzene oxide 2. The 2,7-bis(hydroxy-methyl)oxepin 1 p obtained by this route can be converted to the 2,7-dicarbaldehyde with man-ganese(IV) oxide.23... 

Oxabicyclo[4.1.0]hept-3-enes with a bromo substituent in position 2 can be converted to oxepins 11 by reaction with an appropriate base such as potassium ter+butoxide or triethylamine (see the experimental procedures for the preparation of the parent system in Houben-Weyl, Vol. 6/ld, pi78 and Vol. 6/4, p462).12,156,157 Usually the reaction products are mixtures of oxepin 11 and benzene oxide 12. In the case of ZerZ-butyl 7-oxabicyclo[4,1.0]hept-3-ene-2-carboxylate, the equilibrium lies completely on the benzene oxide side 12a.158... 

The dehydrohalogenation reaction has been extended to benzannulated oxepins. Elimination of hydrogen bromide from 3-bromo-4-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-l-benzoxepin with 1,5-diazabicyclo-[4.3.0]non-5-ene gives 4-phenyl-1-benzoxepins 15a15 and 15b16 in low yield. 

Hydrogen bromide is eliminated from 10,11-dibromo-l 0,1 l-dihydrodibenz[7>,/]oxepin with potassium tert-butoxide at room temperature to give 10-bromodibenz[i,/]oxepin (17a).160161 When the elimination reaction was performed in boiling toy-butanol the yield increased from 58 to 92%.261 Dehydrohalogenation of 10-chloro-2,3-dimethoxy-10,ll-dihydrodi-benz[/),/]oxepin afforded 2,3-dimethoxydibenz[6,/]oxepin (17b) in 52% yield.162... 

Generally, oxepins have a tendency to contract to a six-membered carbocycle when treated with acid. The driving force is the aromaticity of the phenol formed. However, when the less stable cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-diol with an appropriate substitution pattern is treated with acid, the oxepin system is obtained. The treatment of cyclohexadienediols that are substituted with tert-butyl groups in the 2- and 6-positions and aryl at Cl and C4 with trifluoroacetic acid produces oxepins 1 with elimination of water.186 187 This reaction, however, is restricted to certain aryl substituents with at least some electron-donating effect. Generally, cyclohexa-2,4-dienone derivatives 2 are formed.187,188... 

The central C-C double bond of dibenz[, /]oxepin displays the properties of an activated aromatic system and undergoes substitution reactions. Nitration and acid-catalyzed dcutcration gives the dibenzo[i>,/]oxepins 1 with the respective substituent in position 10.161... 

The bromo substituent in 10-bromodibenz[/>,/]oxepin can be replaced by nucleophiles. With copper(I) cyanide in the presence of pyridine, dibenz[fr,/]oxepin-10-carbonitrile (3) is obtained.161 The substitution of bromine by various TV-substituted piperazines to give dibenz[/>,/]oxepins 4 has been accomplished using potassium cm-butoxide.197 This latter reaction probably proceeds via an intermediate with a C-C triple bond.160... 

In a similar reaction, 2,3,6-trimethoxydibenz[6,/]oxepin gives 10,11-dihydro-2,3,6-trimeth-oxydibenz[/>,/]oxepin-cw-10,l 1-diol upon treatment with osmium(VIII) oxide in the presence of A-methylmorpholine A -oxide.262 When treated with acid the diol undergoes a pinacol rearrangement to the corresponding xanthene-9-carbaldehyde. 

The oxidation of diethyl 3,6-hexanooxepin-4,5-dicarboxylate with a mixture of sodium periodate and potassium permanganate as oxidizing agent gives diethyl 3-[(formyioxy)methylene]-l 0-oxocyclodec-l-en-l,2-dicarboxylate (2) in 91 % yield.130 A minor modification of the reaction conditions gives two products 2 (35 %) and a product which retains the oxepin structure (23 %) identified as the same lactone described in Section 1.2.1.1.129... 

The reaction of 2-nitrodibenz[6,/]oxepin-10-carboxylic acid with potassium dichromate in acetic acid takes a rather unexpected course 9-methyl-2-nitroxanthene (2) is formed by loss of the carboxylic group and ring contraction.107... 

Numerous reactions have been described in which the oxygen of the oxepin system is removed to give benzene derivatives. The formation of the aromatic products can be rationalized by an arene oxide as intermediate. A suitable reagent for the elimination of an oxygen atom from this heterocycle is triphenylphosphane, e.g. formation of l,24 2a,12 and 2b.1,9... 

The deoxygenation reaction by means of transition-metal complexes has been extended to oxepins with a tetramethylene bridge across the C2-C3 bond to give products 5.133... 

Due to the instability of the seven-membered heterocyclic ring, oxepin is prone to isomerization reactions to bicyclic heterocycles such as benzene oxide. Irradiation of oxepin with UV light of/. > 310 nm gives the isomeric 2-oxabicyclo[3.2.0]heptadiene(l) in high yield.12 207 At shorter wave lengths, phenol is formed predominantly.207... 

When the hydride ion of lithium alanate is used as nucleophile, cyclohexa-2,4-dien-l-ol is obtained as a labile addition product which eliminates water on standing to give benzene.12 The reaction of an oxepin derivative that possesses a hexamethylene bridge across C3-C6 with sodium methoxide gives an addition product 5 in which the seven-membered heterocyclic system is retained.213 214... 

Unsubstituted oxepin reacts with methyllithium to give ew-6-methylcyclohexa-2,4-dien-l-ol216 and traces of the /runs-product,12 whereas the reaction with dimethylmagnesium gives a mixture of cis- and /rani-isomers in a ratio of 37 63.216 By using deuterated starting material it has been shown that a 1,6-addition takes place.216,217... 

The reactivity of the unsaturated system of oxepin gives rise to a variety of cycloaddition reactions. A number of 3,6-bridged oxepins have been reacted with peracids to give 2,3-ep-oxyoxepins i,129 154.213.218 At higher temperature, the 2,3,6,7-diepoxy derivatives 2 are formed.164... 

A related reaction is the addition of l,l,2-trichloro-2-nitrosoethene to the oxepin/benzene oxide mixture. The primary adduct cannot be isolated but the rearrangement product 9-(tri-chlorovinyl)-tra . -3,6-dioxa-9-azatetracyclo[6.1.0.0z,4.05,7]nonane (6) is obtained in 17% yield.221... 

Since both oxepin and its valence isomer benzene oxide contain a x-tb-diene structure they are prone to Diels-Alder addition reactions. The dienophiles 4-phenyl- and 4-methyl-4//-l,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione react with substituted oxepins at room temperature to give the 1 1 adducts 7 formed by addition to the diene structure of the respective benzene oxide.149 190,222... 

Methyl-7-(trimethylsilyl)oxepin and 4-methyl-4//-l,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione as dienophile undergo a Diels-Alder reaction in which the 4,6-diene structure of the seven-membered ring react. Contrary to the aforementioned reactions, the primary adduct 12 is stable and does not rearrange to a carbonyl compound.222... 

I.2.4.2.2. Carbofunctional Groups Diels-Alder Reactions with Oxepin as Diene... 

The equilibrium between oxepin and benzene oxide created interest in performing Diels-Alder reactions trapping one or both isomeric structures.1 The reaction of maleic anhydride or maleic imide with oxepin and substituted derivatives gives products 1 derived from the addition of the dienophile to the benzene oxide structure.2-l4-126 14 9 156 158 228 231-259... 

However, when 3,5-diphenyl-4//-pyrazol-4-one, a reagent that undergoes Diels- Alder reactions with inverse-electron demand, is used, addition of the 2,4-diene part of oxepin to one of the two C-N double bonds of the pyrazolone is observed to give 4.232... 

In 1-benzoxepins the benzene oxide form is energetically unfavorable. Thus, the adducts 5 formed with dienophiles such as ethenetetracarbonitrile arise from the oxepin structure with the nonaromatic double bonds as diene fragment.233 The yields of these reactions arc almost quantitative. 

Diels-Alder Reactions with Oxepin as Dienophile... 

---