Intramolecular photocycloaddition

Asymmetric [2 + 2] Photocycloadditions. Intramolecular copper-catalyzed [2 + 2] photocycloaddition is a useful methodology for the preparation of bicyclic cyclobutanes and recent studies deal with its asymmetric version albeit with variable success. Diastereoselective reactions are achieved under the control of stereogenic centers incorporated in the dienic precursors. Both CuOTf and the more stable and easy to handle Cu(OTf)2 are suitable catalysts in this context. In the latter case, it is assumed that the copper(I) species is generated from Cu(OTf)2 under the photochemical conditions. A noteworthy example is the application of the CuOTf-catalyzed [2 + 2] photocycloaddition in the stereoselective total synthesis of the tricyclic sesquiterpene kel-soene (eq 128). ... 

Whereas the cycloaddition of arylazirines with simple alkenes produces A -pyrrolines, a rearranged isomer can be formed when the alkene and the azirine moieties are suitably arranged in the same molecule. This type of intramolecular photocycloaddition was first detected using 2-vinyl-substituted azirines (75JA4682). Irradiation of azirine (54) in benzene afforded a 2,3-disubstituted pyrrole (55), while thermolysis gave a 2,5-disubstituted pyrrole (56). Photolysis of azirine (57) proceeded similarly and gave 1,2-diphenylimidazole (58) as the exclusive photoproduct. This stands in marked contrast to the thermal reaction of (57) which afforded 1,3-diphenylpyrazole (59) as the only product. 

As was mentioned in Section 13.2, the [27t + 27i] photocycloaddition of alkenes is an allowed reaction according to orbital symmetry considerations. Among the most useful reactions in this categoty, from a synthetic point of view, are intramolecular [27t + 2ti] cycloadditions of dienes and intermolecular [2ti + 2ti] cycloadditions of alkenes with cyclic a, -unsaturated carbonyl compounds. These reactions will be discussed in more detail in Section 6.4 of Part B. 

In this synthesis, we have witnessed the dramatic productivity of the intramolecular enone-olefin [2+2] photocycloaddition reaction. This single reaction creates three contiguous and fully substituted stereocenters and a strained four-membered ring that eventually provides the driving force for a skeletal rearrangement to give isocomene. 

Head-to-head [2+2]photocycloaddition of 1,2-diarylethanediones and 2-aminopropene nitriles (CH2 C(CN)NR2) occurs to yield oxetanes 10 in moderate to good yields. The formation of only one diastereoisomer in each of the cases investigated is rationalized in terms of the most easily accessible and stabilized 1,4-diradical intermediate <95RTC498>. 2,3,4-Trisubstituted oxetanes 11 are obtained in high yield by intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the anion from certain 2-(l-alkoxyethyl)-3-substituted oxiranes <96JOC4466>. 

Dihydropyran-4-ones are a source of phenols via an intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reaction and a Lewis-acid catalysed cleavage of the cyclobutane moiety <96TL1663>. 

Intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloadditions of alkenes is an important method of formation of compounds containing four-membered rings.184 Direct irradiation of simple nonconjugated dienes leads to cyclobutanes.185 Strain makes the reaction unfavorable for 1,4-dienes but when the alkene units are separated by at least two carbon atoms cycloaddition becomes possible. 

Although Wender s synthesis was completed prior to Hudlicky s, it was published later [65]. It utilized the technique of mefa-photocycloaddition of arenes that Wender developed into a general method of synthesis for both angular and linear triquinanes. The overall strategy was centered around an intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition for construction of the internal six-membered ring of the target. 

Numerous examples of intermolecular and intramolecular photocycloaddition to heterocyclic systems (including the dimerization of individual heterocycles) have now been reported. Two types of cycloaddition can readily be effected photochemically, namely, [n2 + 2] and [ 4 + 4] additions. Although concerted suprafacial additions of this type are allowed photochemical processes, in reality many cycloadditions occur via diradicals, zwitterions or exciplexes. 

Intramolecular [n2 + 2] photocycloadditions are equally numerous and many have considerable synthetic potential. 4-(But-3-enyloxy)quinol-(l//)2-one (254), for example, is converted into a mixture of isomeric adducts 255 and 256 on irradiation in methanol.208 Intramolecular cycloaddition has also been observed in the pyrimidinedione 257209 and in the dehydrovaline acrylamide 258 which on irradiation in dioxane affords the novel /1-lactam system 259.210... 

A novel intramolecular photocycloaddition involving vinylogous amides and allenes led to an interesting type lb entry to functionalized pyrroles <060L4031>. For example, photolysis of allene 11 provided fused pyrrole 12 via a [2+2] cycloaddition and retro-Mannich reaction. 

In the presence of a proper second molecule bimolecular photochemical processes occur. Obviously such reactions can also occur in an intramolecular fashion in bifunctional molecules containing both reactive centres. These reactions are a) hydrogen abstraction by the excited molecule if the second molecule (or reactive centre) is a hydrogen donor RH (1.14) b) photodimerisation (1.15) c) photoaddition or photocycloaddition (1.16) d) electron transfer (1.17), if no bonding takes place between the reactants (or reactive centres). ... 

The unsaturated aldehyde in (2.2) very often undergoes intramolecular photocycloaddition with formation of an oxetane (cf, chapter 4.3.6). The... 

The second reaction mode is rearrangement of the ketocarbene to a ketene. In the presence of a C—C double bond this species reacts further via an intramolecular photocycloaddition (cf. chapter 4.3.3), as shown in (2.23) 238). 

This chapter deals with [2 + 2]cycloadditions of various chromophors to an olefinic double bond with formation of a four-membered ring, with reactions proceeding as well in an intermolecular as in an intramolecular pattern. Due to the variety of the starting materials available (ketones, enones, olefins, imines, thioketones, etc.. . .), due to the diversity of products obtained, and last but not least, due to the fact that cyclobutanes and oxetanes are not accessible by such a simple one-step transformation in a non-photo-chemical reaction, the [2+2]photocycloaddition has become equivalent to the (thermal) Diels-Alder reaction in importance as for ring construction in organic synthesis. 

The synthetic applications 440) and mechanistic aspects 4411 of intermolecular photocycloaddition reactions of arenes to olefins have been reviewed recently. Intramolecular cycloadditions442a,b) have been studied in the context of the photochemical behaviour of bichromophoric molecules, as to investigate interchromophoric interactions in polyfunctional molecules. Three types of addition products can be formed in the photocycloaddition of benzene to an alkene (4.37)441. ... 

The uniqueness of the intramolecular 1,3-photocycloaddition of arenes to olefins with the developement of three new rings and up to six stereocentres has been efficiently demonstrated in the synthesis of (+)-a-cedrene from the... 

Mechanistic evidence indicates 450,451> that the triplet enone first approaches the olefinic partner to form an exciplex. The next step consists in the formation of one of the new C—C bonds to give a 1,4-diradical, which is now the immediate precursor of the cyclobutane. Both exciplex and 1,4-diradical can decay resp. disproportionate to afford ground state enone and alkene. Eventually oxetane formation, i.e. addition of the carbonyl group of the enone to an olefin is also observed452. Although at first view the photocycloaddition of an enone to an alkene would be expected to afford a variety of structurally related products, the knowledge of the influence of substituents on the stereochemical outcome of the reaction allows the selective synthesis of the desired annelation product in inter-molecular reactions 453,454a b). As for intramolecular reactions, the substituent effects are made up by structural limitations 449). 

The addition of the 2-substituted 2-cyclopentenone in (4.57) to ethylene affords an intermediate which is converted to tricyclo[4.2.0.01,4]octane 469a). A similar broken window compound was also obtained by an intramolecular photocycloaddition of a 2-cyclopentenone (4.58)469b). 

The literature of diene and polyene photochemistry provides many cases of synthetically useful reactions. As a result, certain arbitrary decisions have been made regarding what is covered in this chapter. For example, intramolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition reactions of a, >-dienes can be formally included under the general rubric of diene photochemistry. However, we have chosen to restrict our discussion to dienes and polyenes which constitute a self-contained chromophore, viz. conjugated, cross-conjugated and 1,4-diene systems. Likewise, arene-olefin photocycloadditions will not be considered. These two broad classes of photoreactions have been applied extensively in synthesis, and have been the subject of recent reviews3,4. 

Hoveyda has also studied the intramolecular variant of the furan-carbonyl photocycloaddition87. Several examples of this reaction, each of which proceeds in modest yield, are shown in Scheme 44. However, given the ease of synthesis of the starting materials and the complexity of the adducts produced in these photocycloadditions, these... 

Another unique example was observed for the recently isolated marine natural product, alteramide A (209), isolated from a symbiotic bacteria (Alteromonas sp.) found on the sponge Halichondria okaclai96. It was found that the tetraene core of this compound underwent intramolecular [4 + 4]-photocycloaddition upon exposure to sunlight (equation 9). Deliberate irradiation led to a quantitative conversion to cyclooctadiene 210. 

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