Pathway unusual

Clavulones I and II are members of an unusual family of marine prostanoids from the coral Clavularia viridis which are biosynthesiied by a cationic (i.e. non-radical, non-endoperoxide) pathway. The total synthesis of clavulones I and II was accomplished from cyclopentadiene as SM goal. 

The initial series of major tranquilizers consists of alkylated derivatives of 4-aryl-4-hydroxypiperidines. Construction of this ring system is accomplished by a set of rather unusual reactions. Condensation of methylstyrenes with formaldehyde and ammonium chloride afford the corresponding hexahydro-1,3-oxazines (119). Heating these oxazines in the presence of acid leads to rearrangement with loss of water to the tetrahydropyridines. Scheme 1 shows a possible reaction pathway for these transformations. Addition of hydrogen bromide affords the expected 4-bromo compound (121). This last is easily displaced by water to lead to the desired alcohol (122) The side chain (123) is obtained by Friedel-Crafts acylation of p-fluorobenzene with 4-chloro-butyryl chloride. Alkylation of the appropriate arylpiperidinol with 123 affords the desired butyrophenone derivative. Thus,... 

The isomerization of isopentenyl diphosphate to dimethylally diphos phate is catalyzed by JPP isomerase and occurs through a carbocation pathway Protonation of the IPP double bond by a hydrogen-bonded cysteine residue ir the enzyme gives a tertiary carbocation intermediate, which is deprotonated b a glutamate residue as base to yield DMAPP. X-ray structural studies on the enzyme show that it holds the substrate in an unusually deep, well-protectec pocket to shield the highly reactive carbocation from reaction with solvent 01 other external substances. 

In the fifty or so years since the discovery of a-metalated epoxides, our understanding of their reactivity has advanced to such a level that their use in routine organic synthesis is now possible. Many research groups continue to examine their unusual reaction pathways and to develop these into synthetically useful processes. In contrast, the chemistry of a-metalated aziridines is still in its infancy and there are undoubtedly many interesting facets of their nature still to be explored and applied in organic synthesis. 

The [3S+1C] cycloaddition reaction with Fischer carbene complexes is a very unusual reaction pathway. In fact, only one example has been reported. This process involves the insertion of alkyl-derived chromium carbene complexes into the carbon-carbon a-bond of diphenylcyclopropenone to generate cyclobutenone derivatives [41] (Scheme 13). The mechanism of this transformation involves a CO dissociation followed by oxidative addition into the cyclopropenone carbon-carbon a-bond, affording a metalacyclopentenone derivative which undergoes reductive elimination to produce the final cyclobutenone derivatives. 

The reaction of alkoxyarylcarbene complexes with alkynes mainly affords Dotz benzannulated [3C+2S+1C0] cycloadducts. However, uncommon reaction pathways of some alkoxyarylcarbene complexes in their reaction with alkynes leading to indene derivatives in a formal [3C+2S] cycloaddition process have been reported. For example, the reaction of methoxy(2,6-dimethylphenyl)chromium carbene complex with 1,2-diphenylacetylene at 100 °C gives rise to an unusual indene derivative where a sigmatropic 1,5-methyl shift is observed [60]. Moreover, a related (4-hydroxy-2,6-dimethylphenyl)carbene complex reacts in benzene at 100 °C with 3-hexyne to produce an indene derivative. However, the expected Dotz cycloadduct is obtained when the solvent is changed to acetonitrile [61] (Scheme 19). Also, Dotz et al. have shown that the introduction of an isocyanide ligand into the coordination sphere of the metal induces the preferential formation of indene derivatives [62]. 

The unconventional structure of fulvenes with a unique C=C bond conjugation leads to unusual cycloaddition reactions with other unsaturated systems. For example, alkenylcarbene complexes react with fulvenes leading to indanone or indene derivatives which can be considered as derived from a [6S+3C] cycloaddition process [118] (Scheme 72). The reaction pathway is well explained by an initial 1,2-addition of the fulvene to the carbene carbon followed by [1,2]-Cr(CO)5-promoted cyclisation. 

The reaction conditions, normally applied, are those described in chap. 2 for the radical pathway. These are a platinum anode, high current densities, no additives and a slightly acidic medium. However, the dimerizations shown in Table 2, No. 2, also gave in some cases good yields at a carbon anode in acetonitrile-water [52] or at a baked carbon anode in methanol [48]. With propionic and butyric acid an unusually high portion of alkene is formed at the cost of the dimer. 

By the radical pathway l, -diesters, -diketones, -dienes or -dihalides, chiral intermediates for synthesis, pheromones and unusual hydrocarbons or fatty acids are accessible in one to few steps. The addition of the intermediate radicals to double bonds affords additive dimers, whereby four units can be coupled in one step. By way of intramolecular addition unsaturated carboxyhc acids can be converted into five raembered hetero- or carbocyclic compounds. These radical reactions are attractive for synthesis because they can tolerate polar functional groups without protection. 

Both MeMn(CO)5 and PhMn(CO)5 react with acetylenes to yield vinyl ketone tetracarbonyl complexes, most likely via a pathway involving CO insertion [Eq. (18)] 14, 36). Reactions of these same alkyls with 1,3-dienes may proceed similarly 16, 95, 96). The chelating ligand o-styryldiphenyl-phosphine (L—L) converts MeMn(CO)j into two products 25) whose structures (XXII and XXIII) were elucidated by X-ray crystallography 24). An unusual migration of COMe onto L—L occurs subsequently to the initial insertion step. 

Eairley DJ, DR Boyd, ND Sharma, CCR Allen, P Morgan, MJ Larkin (2002) Aerobic metabolism of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in Archaea via an unusual pathway involving an intramolecular migration (NIH shift). Appl Environ Microbiol 68 6246-6255. 

The degradation of phenylacetate has remained enigmatic for several years, and details of the pathway used by Escherichia coli were elucidated using C-labeled substrate. Using the full complement of NMR technology, the structures of critical intermediates were determined and provided details of an unusual pathway (Ismail et al. 2003). 

Unusual pathways have been found in the bacterial degradation of a number of 4-hydroxybenzoates and related compounds, and in some of them rearrangements (NIH shifts) are involved ... 

A formally comparable pathway is used by a strain of Alcaligenes sp. that degrades 4-hydroxyacetophenone to 4-hydroxybenzoyl methanol, which is oxidized in an unusual reaction to 4-hydroxybenzoate and formate. The 4-hydroxybenzoate is then metabolized to 3-ketoadipate via 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (Figure 8.35b) (Hopper et al. 1985). 

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