Pschorr reaction ring closure

By a modified Bischler-Napieralsky reaction, 6 -nitrophenylaceto-jS-3 4-methylenedioxyphenylethylamide, resulting from the condensation of -3 4-methylenedioxyphenylethylamine with 2-nitrophenylacetyl chloride, was converted into 6 nitro-l-benzyl-6 7-methylenedioxy-3 4-dihydroisoquinoline. The methiodide of the latter was reduced with zinc and hydrochloric acid to 6 -amino-l-benzyl-2-methyl-6 7-methylenedioxy-1 2 3 4-tetrahydro/soquinoline dihydrochloride, which by the Pschorr ring-closure reaction, produced dZ-roemerine (IV, p. 317), m.p. 85-7°. By treatment in succession with d- and Z-tartaric acids, the dZ-base was resolved into Z- and tZ-forms. Synthetic Z-roemerine is dimorphic, m.p. 85-7° and 102°, and has [aju — 79-9° (EtOH), these constants being in good agreement with those of the natural base. 

DeLos F. DeTar, The Pschorr Synthesis and Related Diazonium Ring Closure Reactions, Org. React. 1957, 9, 409 162. 

The Pschorr Synthesis and Related Diazonium Ring Closure Reactions ... 

Pschorr ring closure 15, 561 Pseudoacids s. Hydroxylactones Pseudoaromatic rings s. Di-thiylium salts. Metal complex compounds, ar., Tropenium salts Pseudoazulenes 15, 468 N-Pseudoazulenes 14, 791 0-Pseudoazulenes 14, 338 Pseudobase adducts and their reactions 13, 584 —, dehydrogenation 14, 769 —, p-methylation of quinolines via — 14, 769 Pseudobases 11, 323 Pseudobases, N-heterocyclic (s. a. 0-Alkylpseudobases, N-heterocyclic) 15, 304... 

Pschorr s synthesis of phenanthrene (1893) in five steps with the essential dediazoniation and ring closure of 2-diazonio-a-phenylcinnamic acid giving, on addition of copper powder, phenanthrene-9-carboxylic acid, is today still the highest yielding one of all the reactions discussed in this section, Pschorr was able to get 93% yield, and today electrochemically induced Pschorr and related reactions141 give almost quantitative yields in several cases. 

As a step in the synthesis of a higher homologue of the antibiotic thienamycin, the closure of the pyridine ring is effected by warming the diazo ester (793) with rhodium(II) acetate (review of rhodium-catalysed reactions [3928]) the product (79.6, R = H) is more easily isolated and purified as its O-tosyl derivative (79.6, R = Ts). Intramolecular homolytk cyclization (the Pschorr reaction) of the diazonium salt of N-methylbenzanilide gives moderate yields which are comparable with those given by the pyrolytic cyclization of the 2-iodo analogue (see Chapter 90, Section II.2 [2303]). 

Cyclization on to aromatic rings has been investigated by a number of researchers. Some of this work has already been mentioned in the section on Cyclizations (see Scheme 15)." " Other work has focused upon the copper-mediated Pschorr cyclization of (39) to give (40) (Scheme 29). The reaction has been shown to proceed via direct closure to give a six-membered ring and not via initial 5-exo cyclization... 

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