Photocycloadditions, of imines

The synthesis of nitrogen containing heterocyclic systems by photocylo-addition processes is virtually limited to examples involving [ 2 + 2] cycloaddition of imines, nitriles, and azo compounds. Successful additions are few in number and the requirements for success uncertain. The reactions do not proceed with the facility with which carbonyl containing compounds undergo photocycloaddition to alkenes to give oxetans, and various explanations have been advanced to account for this observed lack of reactivity.226... 

A very remote secondary H/D isotope effect has been measured for the 2 + 2-cycloaddition of TCNE to 2,7-dimethylocta-2,fran -4,6-triene. The reaction of nitric oxide with iV-benzylidene-4-methoxyaniline to produce 4-methoxybenzenediazonium nitrate and benzaldehyde is thought to proceed via a 2 + 2-cycloaddition between nitric oxide and the imine double bond. A novel mechanism for the stepwise dimerization of the parent silaethylene to 1,3-disilacyclobutane involves a low-barrier [1,2]-sigmatropic shift. Density functional, correlated ab initio calculations, and frontier MO analysis support a concerted 2 + 2-pathway for the addition of SO3 to alkenes. " The enone cycloaddition reactions of dienones and quinones have been reviewed. The 2 + 2-photocycloadditions of homochiral 2(5H)-furanones to vinylene carbonate are highly diastereoisomeric. ... 

The first examples of imine photocycloaddition were observed with nitrogen heterocycles. Irradiation of oxadiazole 1 in the presence of furan or indene gives the cycloadducts 2 and 3, respectively, in low yield100101. 

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. 

Alkenes, perfluoro-cycloadditions to benzyl azide, 60, 35 pyridine imines and ylids, 60, 36 Alkenes, perfluoro-, as heterocyclic precursors, 59, 10 Alkylation, free-radical, of 1,3-dimethyluracil, 55, 227 A-Alkylation, [ 1,2,4]triazolo[ 1,5-u)-pyrimidines, 57, 110 Alkynes, photocycloaddition to uracils, rearrangement with HCNO elimination, 55, 149 Alkynes, ethoxy-, cyclaoddition to hexafluoroacetone azine, 60, 32 Alkynes, perfluoro-, as heterocyclic precursors, 59, 10 Allenes... 

Cycloadditions. The scope of the Evans asymmetric aziridination is broadened by the ready availability of nitrene precursor 4-02NCjH S02N=IPh. The oxazolidinone-Af-acetic acid derived from (+)-cw-2-amino-l,2-diphenylethanol participates in p-lactam formation with imines. The predominant products (>99 1) have the (3/f,45)-configuration. The intramolecular [2+2]photocycloaddition involving a chiral allenylsilane moiety is an excellent method for accessing optically active methylenecyclobutane derivatives. ... 

---