Oxidative alkene aziridination

Although an efficient reaction, the Rees-Atkinson aziridination method suffers from two drawbacks the necessity for an N-phthalimido or N-quinazolinonyl substituent and the use of a highly toxic oxidant. Thus, recent efforts (especially in these green times) have focussed upon more benign methods for generation of the key nitrenoids. Yudin demonstrated the power of electrochemistry with a novel method that removes the need for an added metal oxidant, demonstrating an unusually and impressively broad substrate tolerance compared to many alkene aziridination reactions (Scheme 4.14) [10]. 

This review is written to cover the needs of synthetic chemists with interests in oxidizing alkenes by addition of nitrogenous substituents. Whilst some aspects have been covered in previous reviews (noted in the text), most notably in the Tetrahedron Report No. 144, Amination of Alkenes and prior reviews on aziridines and nitrenes, the present review is the fust conq>ilation of references to the whole range of these particular bond-forming processes. A review by Whitham provides a useful general introduction to reaction mechanisms of additions to alkenes in greater detail than can be covered here. The oxidation requirement excludes from the scope the additions of N H and most additions of N + Metal or N + C. Hence, unmodified Michael and Ritter reactions are excluded. These topics are mostly covered in Volume 4 of the present series. 

Furthermore, the authors of this publication have analyzed the requirements to make this reaction catalytic in iodoarene. This reaction requires an oxidant that wiU oxidize iodoarenes but that does not oxidize alkenes and it is possible that no such oxidant actually exists [44], However, the catalytic variant of this aziridination has been developed more recently employing an iodide-hypoiodite catalytic cycle (Section 4.4) [45]. 

N- Aminoaziridines have been converted to alkenes by reaction with a variety of oxidizing agents (70JA1784). Usually, the deamination reaction is stereospecific. The oxidation of l-amino-2,3-diphenylaziridines with manganese dioxide, however, was not stereospecific. The trans compound gives entirely frans-stilbene, whereas the cfs-aziridine forms a mixture of 85% trans- and 15% c -aikene. cw-Stilbene is not isomerized to trans under the reaction conditions, and the results are explained in terms of an azamine intermediate which can isomerize through a tautomeric equilibrium. 

Alkylaziridines can be stereospecifically deaminated to alkenes by reaction with m-chioroperbenzoic acid (70AG(E)374). The reaction and work-up are carried out in the dark to avoid isomerization of the cw-alkene, and the mechanism is thought to involve an initial oxidation to an amine oxide followed by a concerted elimination. Aziridine oxides have been generated by treating aziridines with ozone at low temperatures (71JA4082). Two... 

Other non-oxidative procedures have also been used to deaminate aziridines. For example, aziridines react with carbenes to yield ylides which subsequently decompose to the alkene. Dichlorocarbene and ethoxycarbonylcarbene have served as the divalent carbon source. The former gives dichioroisocyanides, e.g. (281), as by-products (72TL3827) and the latter yields imines (72TL4659). This procedure has also been applied to aziridines unsubstituted on the nitrogen atom although the decomposition step, in this case, is not totally stereospecific (72TL3827). 

Intramolecular alkylnitrene addition to an alkenic moiety situated S,e to the electron deficient center has been utilized for the preparation of bi- and tri-cyclic aziridines (Scheme 11) (68JA1650). Oxidation of the primary alkylamine can be effected cleanly with NCS, LTA or mercury(II) oxide. 

In many instances, however, the intermediate triazoline can be isolated and separately converted into the aziridine, often with poor stereoselectivity. The first practical modification to the original reaction conditions generated the (presumed) nitrenes by in situ oxidation of hydrazine derivatives. Thus, Atkinson and Rees prepared a range of N-amino aziridine derivatives by treatment of N-aminophthali-mides (and other N-aminoheterocydes) with alkenes in the presence of lead tetraacetate (Scheme 4.10) [7]. 

This chapter will begin with a discussion of the role of chiral copper(I) and (II) complexes in group-transfer processes with an emphasis on alkene cyclo-propanation and aziridination. This discussion will be followed by a survey of enantioselective variants of the Kharasch-Sosnovsky reaction, an allylic oxidation process. Section II will review the extensive efforts that have been directed toward the development of enantioselective, Cu(I) catalyzed conjugate addition reactions and related processes. The discussion will finish with a survey of the recent advances that have been achieved by the use of cationic, chiral Cu(II) complexes as chiral Lewis acids for the catalysis of cycloaddition, aldol, Michael, and ene reactions. 

There have also been significant advances in the imido chemistry of ruthenium and osmium. A variety of imido complexes in oxidation states +8 to +6 have been reported. Notably, osmium (VIII) imido complexes are active intermediates in osmium-catalyzed asymmetric aminohydroxyl-ations of alkenes. Ruthenium(VI) imido complexes with porphyrin ligands can effect stoichiometric and catalytic aziridination of alkenes. With chiral porphyrins, asymmetric aziridination of alkenes has also been achieved. Some of these imido species may also serve as models for biological processes. An imido species has been postulated as an intermediate in the nitrite reductase cycle. " ... 

Another aziridine synthesis based on intermediary nitrenes derived from the oxidation of aminotriazole 22 with IBD in the presence of alkenes is outlined in Scheme 11 (74TL2945). 

Oxidative amination of carbamates, sulfamates, and sulfonamides has broad utility for the preparation of value-added heterocyclic structures. Both dimeric rhodium complexes and ruthenium porphyrins are effective catalysts for saturated C-H bond functionalization, affording products in high yields and with excellent chemo-, regio-, and diastereocontrol. Initial efforts to develop these methods into practical asymmetric processes give promise that such achievements will someday be realized. Alkene aziridina-tion using sulfamates and sulfonamides has witnessed dramatic improvement with the advent of protocols that obviate use of capricious iminoiodinanes. Complexes of rhodium, ruthenium, and copper all enjoy application in this context and will continue to evolve as both achiral and chiral catalysts for aziridine synthesis. The invention of new methods for the selective and efficient intermolecular amination of saturated C-H bonds still stands, however, as one of the great challenges. 

Reaction with a cyclic amine in the presence of a base and at ambient temperature forms alkene. Thus, nitrosyl chloride reacts with aziridine to form ethylene and nitrous oxide ... 

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