Spirocyclic oxindoles

Spirocyclic oxindole 60 was synthesized by [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of the Af-phenyl-O-acylhydroxamic acid 58 (equation 19). The potassium enolate formed by treatment of 58 with potassium hexamethyldisilazide at low temperature rearranged to 59, which easily cyclized to the spirocyclic oxindole 60. Spirooxindoles were previously synthesized by Wolff and Taddei. The spirooxindole 60 was formed in 51% yield from cyclohexanecarboxylic acid after heating the preformed lithium salts of phenyl hydrazide 61 to 205-210 °C. 

The final, critical oxidative spirocyclization of the 2,3-disubstituted indole to the spiro oxindole was effected by treatment of 124 with tert-butyl hypochlorite in pyridine to provide the labile 125 [Fig. (34)]. The Pinacol-type rearrangement was conducted by treating compound 125 with p-toluenesulfonic acid in THF/water. It is assumed that the chlorination of 124 proceeds from the least hindered face of the indole, to give the a-chloroindolene 125. The hydration of the imine functionality must also occur from the same a-face that is syn to the relatively large chlorine atom furnishing the syn-chlorohydrin 126, that subsequently rearranges stereospecifically to the desired spiro oxindole 127. 

Beckwith and Storey have developed a tandem translocation and homolytic aromatic substitution sequence en route to spiro-oxindoles [95CC977]. Treatment of the bromoaniline derivative 122 with tin hydride at 160 °C generated the aryl radical 123 which underwent a 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer to give intermediate 124. Intramolecular homolytic aromatic substitution and aromatization gave the spiro-oxindole 125. Intramolecular aryl radical cyclization on to a pyrrole nucleus has been used to prepare spirocyclic heterocycles [95TL6743]. 

The intramolecular Heck reaction is valuable for elaborating the spirocyclic oxindole system related to gelsemine. 

Cycloaddition reactions. The aminophosphite Hg-2C derived from octahydro-BINOL is found to promote the [3+3]cycloaddition of nitrones and trimethylenemethane derivatives to furnish 1,2-oxazines. Remarkable ligand effects have been observed in the spiroannulation of oxindoles products possessing opposite configuration at the spirocyclic center arise by changing the naphthyl substituents on the pyrrolidine ring (7A [a-Np] vs. 7B [P-Np])."... 

Cyclization and cycloreversion. Despite its adjacency to a carbonyl group a tertiary oxy substituent at C-3 of oxindoles undergoes ionization on exposure to BF3 OEt2, and that interaction with an alkenyl chain leads to spirocyclic products. ... 

Pummerer-like cyclization reactions were utilized to prepare spirocyclic oxindole derivatives <04OL1869, 04OL2849>. For example, treatment of 2-sulfenylindole 215 with an iodonium reagent in the presence of 2,6-lutidine produced thioimidate 216. Oxidation of the latter with cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) gave spirooxindole 217. 

An independent synthesis of the spirocyclic oxindole-lactone (20) constitutes a second formal synthesis of ( )-trypto-... 

Feldman KS, Karatjas AG (2006) Extending Pummaer reaction chtanistry. Asymmetric synthesis of spirocyclic oxindoles via chiral mdole-2-sulfoxides. Organic Lett 8 4137-4140... 

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of emerging strategies for the selective introduction of functionality at oxindole C3. Specific emphasis has been devoted toward asymmetric methods for the introduction of C3 quaternary centers and spirocyclic ring systems. The chapter has been divided into two sections oti general methodology for the stereoselective synthesis of oxindoles and spirooxin-doles, respectively. A third section is devoted toward efforts in natural product total synthesis involving oxindole or spirocyclic variants as targets or key intermediates. 

A variety of different tactics have been used to establish all-carbon spirocyclic moieties at oxindole C3. Overman and Watson have conducted an extensive investigation of intramolecular Heck reactions leading to the diastereoselective formation of spirocyclic dioxindoles, e.g., Ill and 114 (Scheme 29) [67-69]. Interestingly, while sequential Heck cyclizations of acetonide protected bis-anilide... 

The Kobayashi group has observed the intramolecular diastereoselective spirocyclization of racemic 2-haloindoles bearing a C3-tethered allylic alcohol [71, 72]. For example, CuCl-catalyzed intramolecular Ullmann coupling of 117 followed by spontaneous Claisen rearrangement of the intermediate pyranoindole 118 afforded, in a one-pot synthesis, the all-carbon quaternary center of spiro-oxindole 119 in 95% de (Scheme 31). The methodology has been extended to the synthesis of hexahydropyrroloindoles, e.g., ( )-debromoflustramine B and E. 

Although outside the specific realm of oxindole synthesis, an interesting intramolecular route into a spiroindoline scaffold has been reported by Amat, Bosch, and coworkers who unexpectedly observed the Lewis-acid catalyzed cyclization of tryptophan derived oxazolopiperidone lactams 120 in the presence of triethyl silane [73]. In the event, spiroindoline 122 was obtained as a single stereoisomer in 86% optimized yield (Scheme 32). It was demonstrated that the hydroxymethyl group of the ring-opened oxazolidine was important for directing the stereochemical outcome of the transformation as removal of the ethyl side chain of the lactam ring did not diminish the selectivity of the spirocyclization. 

The Trost group has devised a strategy for stereoselective spirocyclic ring installation across 3-alkylidene oxindoles via palladium-catalyzed [3-1-2] cycloaddition with cyano-substituted trimethylenemethane (Scheme 33) [74, 75]. As illustrated, the opposite sense of diastereoselectivity was observed depending on the choice of chiral ligand 125 or 126. Preferential orientation of the benzenoid portion of the oxindole as dictated by the varied steric environments of the naphthyl ring systems on the catalysts has been put forth as a rationale for the observed difference in stereochemical outcomes. Spirooxindoles 127 and 128 were obtained in 92% ee and 99% ee, respectively. A variation of this methodology has been applied in the racemic synthesis of marcfortine B [75]. 

Two independent reports have appeared that detail methodology for the introduction of pyran or oxepene spirocychc moieties onto oxindole scaffolds by means of a Prins cyclization (Scheme 35). In one study by Zhang and Panek, treatment of isatin dimethylketal 134 with sUyl alcohol (S )-135 afforded predominately c -137 or trans-Vi9 depending on reaction time and solvent polarity [78]. A mechanism involving epimerization of the cis-product to the trans adduct was put forward to explain the observed frans-selectivity with increased reaction time in polar solvents. A cyclic transition state involving a (Z)-oxonium intermediate formed via condensation of silyl alcohol 135 with isatin 134 was invoked to rationalize the preferential formation of the cis-spirocycle under kinetic control. Further optimization led to the formation of spirooxindoles 138, e.g., R, = Me, as single... 

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