3- Pyrroline

Pyridyl)hydrazine (Aldrich), 4-acetylpyridine (Acros), N,N,N -trimethylethylenediamine (Aldrich), methylrhenium trioxide (Aldrich), InQj (Aldrich), Cu(N0j)2-3H20 (Merck), Ni(N03)2-6Il20 (Merck), Yb(OTf)3(Fluka), Sc(OTf)3 (Fluka), 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine (Acros), benzylideneacetone (Aldrich), and chalcone (Aldrich) were of the highest purity available. Borane dimethyl sulfide (2M solution in THE) was obtained from Aldrich. Methyl vinyl ketone was distilled prior to use. Cyclopentadiene was prepared from its dimer immediately before use. (R)-l-acetyl-5-isopropoxy-3-pyrrolin-2-one (4.15) has been kindly provided by Prof H. Hiemstra (University of Amsterdam). 

Finally a general approach to synthesize A -pyrrolines must be mentioned. This is tl acid-catalyzed (NH4CI or catalytic amounts of HBr) and thermally (150°C) induced tea rangement of cyclopropyl imines. These educts may be obtained from commercial cyan> acetate, cyclopropyl cyanide, or benzyl cyanide derivatives by the routes outlined below. Tl rearrangement is reminiscent of the rearrangement of 1-silyloxy-l-vinylcyclopropancs (p. 7 83) but since it is acid-catalyzed it occurs at much lower temperatures. A -Pyrrolines constitut reactive enamines and may be used in further addition reactions such as the Robinson anei lation with methyl vinyl ketone (R.V. Stevens, 1967, 1968, 1971). 

Amines undergo aminopalladation to alkynes. The intramolecular addition of amines to alkynes yields cyclic imines. The 3-alkynylamine 273 was cyclized to the 1-pyrroline 274, and the 5-alkynylamine 275 was converted into the 2,3,4,5-tetrahydropyridine 276[137]. Cyclization of o-(l-hexynyl)aniline (277)... 

Ornithine-Derived Alkaloids. Ornithine (23) undergoes biological decarboxylation reductively to generate either putrescine [110-60-1] (36), or its biological equivalent, and subsequent oxidation and cyclization gives rise to the pyrroline [6724-81-2], (37), C H N. 

The pyrrolines or dihydropyrroles can exist in three isomeric forms 1-pyrroline (3,4-dihyro-2JT-pyrrole [5724-81-2]) (16) is an unstable material that resiniftes upon exposure to air 2-pyrroline (2,3-dihydro-lJT-pyrrole [638-31-3]) (17) is even more unstable only 3-pyrroline (2,5-dihydro-lJT-pyrrole [109-96-6]) (18) is reasonably stable. 3-Pyrroline bods at 91°C and has a density of 0.9097 g/cm and a refractive index of 1.4664. 

Pyrrole can be reduced catalyticaHy to pyrroHdine over a variety of metal catalysts, ie, Pt, Pd, Rh, and Ni. Of these, rhodium on alumina is one of the most active. Less active reducing agents have been used to produce the intermediate 3-pyrroline (36). The 2-pyrrolines are ordinarily obtained by ring-closure reactions. Nonaromatic pyrrolines can be reduced easily with to pyrroHdines. 

Pyrrole oxidizes in air to red or black pigments of uncertain composition. More usehil is the preparation of 2-oxo-A -pyrrolines, which is best carried out by oxidation of the appropriate pyrrole with in pyridine (37), eg, 3,5-dimethyl-ethyl-3-pyrrolin-2-one [4030-24-4] from... 

Under suitable conditions, O-alkylation rather than N-alkylation takes place, eg, to form 2-methoxy-l-pyrroline [5264-35-7] (40) (74—76). 

Catalysts. Silver and silver compounds are widely used in research and industry as catalysts for oxidation, reduction, and polymerization reactions. Silver nitrate has been reported as a catalyst for the preparation of propylene oxide (qv) from propylene (qv) (58), and silver acetate has been reported as being a suitable catalyst for the production of ethylene oxide (qv) from ethylene (qv) (59). The solubiUty of silver perchlorate in organic solvents makes it a possible catalyst for polymerization reactions, such as the production of butyl acrylate polymers in dimethylformamide (60) or the polymerization of methacrylamide (61). Similarly, the solubiUty of silver tetrafiuoroborate in organic solvents has enhanced its use in the synthesis of 3-pyrrolines by the cyclization of aHenic amines (62). 

Pyridazin-3(2H)-ones rearrange to l-amino-3-pyrrolin-2-ones (29) and (30) upon irradiation in neutral methanol (Scheme 10), while photolysis of 5-amino-4-chloro-2-phenylpyridazin-3(2H)-one gives the intermediate (31) which cyclizes readily to the bis-pyridazinopyrazine derivative (32 Scheme 11). 

Complex reactions occur on the autoxidation of pyrroles (see Section 3.05.1.4) predictably, susceptibility to autoxidation increases with increasing alkyl substitution, llie photosensitized reaction of pyrrole and oxygen yields 5-hydroxy-A -pyrrolin-2-one, probably by way of an intermediate cyclic peroxide (Scheme 28) (76JA802). 

These observations can be extrapolated to the pyrrole series the 2-amino derivatives are very unstable whereas 3-aminopyrroles appear to be more stable. 3-Amino-l-tritylpyr-role (162) appears to exist in solution exclusively in the imino-A -pyrroline form (163) (83JCS(P1)93). 2-Aminoindole (164) is unusual in that it exists mainly as the 3//-tautomer (165). 4-Alkylaminoindoles (166) undergo an unexpected rearrangement to 4-amino-1-alkylindoles (167) when heated with p-toluenesulfonic acid hydrate (82CC1356). 

Dihydropyrroles (2-pyrrolines 231) are in tautomeric equilibrium with the corresponding 1-pyrrolines (232) the latter readily form trimers of type (233). The trimer dissociates in boiling THF to 1-pyrroline (232) trimerization is relatively slow at -78 °C and the monomer can be trapped by reaction with acylating reagents to give (V-acyl-2-pyrrolines (81JOC4791). 

A/ -Methoxycarbonyl-2-pyrroline undergoes Vilsmeier formylation and Friedel-Crafts acylation in the 3-position (82TL1201). In an attempt to prepare a chloropyrroline by chlorination of 2-pyrrolidone, the product (234) was obtained in 62% yield (8UOC4076). At pH 7, two molecules of 2,3-dihydropyrrole add together to give (235), thus exemplifying the dual characteristics of 2,3-dihydropyrroles as imines and enamines. The ability of pyrrolines to react with nucleophiles is central to their biosynthetic role. For example, addition of acetoacetic acid (possibly as its coenzyme A ester) to pyrroline is a key step in the biosynthesis of the alkaloid hygrine (236). 

Among the less widely exploited interconversion processes are those involving thermal reactions with ethyl azidoformate, which convert furan into A-ethoxycarbonyl-A -pyrrolin-2-one, and thiophenes into A-ethoxycarbonylpyrroles (Scheme 96a) (64TL2185). The boron trifluoride catalyzed reaction of l,3-diphenylbenzo[c]furan with A-sulfinylaniline results in the replacement of the oxygen by an iV-phenyl group (Scheme 96b) 63JOC2464). 

Azomethine ylides (Section 4.03.6.1.1) have been generated from a wide variety of aziridines using both thermal and photochemical methods. With carbon-carbon unsaturated dipolarophiles, pyrrolines or pyrrolidines are obtained. With hetero double bonds, however, ring systems of interest to this discussion result. 

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. 

When the chain between the azirine ring and the alkene end is extended to three carbon atoms, the normal mode of 1,3-intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition occurs. For example, irradiation of azirine (73) gives A -pyrroline (74) in quantitative yield 77JA1871). In this case the methylene chain is sufficiently long to allow the dipole and alkenic portions to approach each other in parallel planes. 

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