Radical cyclization, with enamides

The group of activated olefins, which has so far probably received most attention in radical cyclizations, are enamides. Syntheses of various natural products, especially alkaloids, have been successfully completed using this strategy. Cyclizations onto enamides of the 6-endo type led to erysotrine [76] and lycorine alkaloids [77-79]. The skeleton of hydroapoerysopines [80] was successfully constructed by a 1-endo cyclization. Two new examples of radical tandem reactions, which commence with a 1-endo type cyclization, have appeared in recent literature. Construction of the cephalotaxine core structure 29 was achieved from enamide 30 in only one step (Scheme 11) [81]. 

Bromo-enamides have been reported to give radical cyclization in excellent yields (82-99%) to p-lactams using catalytic amounts (30%) of tripyridylamine (TPA) copper halide complex [184]. The p-lactam developed under mild conditions via 4-exo bromine atom transfer and subsequent elimination of the tertiary bromide that could be readily achieved by reaction with DBU (Scheme 83). 

Reversed regioselectivity in aryl radical additions to enamides and enamines can also be observed with aryl substituents on the alkene [86]. This cyclization type has been successfully applied in the synthesis of protoberberines and the pavine alkaloids. Argemonine (39) was obtained from a 6-exo cyclization of 40 passing through a well-stabilized benzylic radical (Scheme 15). 

Several groups have reported the use of a radical cyclization cascade to form nitrogenous polycyclic structures. In one example, Parsons treated enamide 482 with... 

The methodology has been extended [68] to the total synthesis of the alkaloid lennoxanine 267 starting from the enamide 266. Subsequently an alternative methodology was also developed for lennoxanine 267 based on a 10-endo dig cyclization. The IQ-endo dig radical cyclization of the TMS-protected acetylene 268 generated the tricyclic compound 269, which was further cyclized and transformed into lennoxanine 267. The 0-endo dig radical cyclization reaction (268 269) with free acetylene was found to generate an E,Z mixture of olefins. 

Clerici and Porta reported that phenyl, acetyl and methyl radicals add to the Ca atom of the iminium ion, PhN+Me=CHMe, formed in situ by the titanium-catalyzed condensation of /V-methylanilinc with acetaldehyde to give PhNMeCHMePh, PhNMeCHMeAc, and PhNMeCHMe2 in 80% overall yield.83 Recently, Miyabe and co-workers studied the addition of various alkyl radicals to imine derivatives. Alkyl radicals generated from alkyl iodide and triethylborane were added to imine derivatives such as oxime ethers, hydrazones, and nitrones in an aqueous medium.84 The reaction also proceeds on solid support.85 A-sulfonylimines are also effective under such reaction conditions.86 Indium is also effective as the mediator (Eq. 11.49).87 A tandem radical addition-cyclization reaction of oxime ether and hydrazone was also developed (Eq. 11.50).88 Li and co-workers reported the synthesis of a-amino acid derivatives and amines via the addition of simple alkyl halides to imines and enamides mediated by zinc in water (Eq. 11.51).89 The zinc-mediated radical reaction of the hydrazone bearing a chiral camphorsultam provided the corresponding alkylated products with good diastereoselectivities that can be converted into enantiomerically pure a-amino acids (Eq. 11.52).90... 

Tandem radical additions have also been utilized for the synthesis of nitrogen containing heterocycles. These reactions have the same requirements as those discussed for the oxygen heterocycles. The reductive addition of phenylsulfanyl radicals to the unsaturated amide 153 has been investigated [95JCS(P1)19], The nucleophilic radical adds selectively to the enamide followed by 5-exo-cyclization to give 154 in excellent yield with high trans selectivity. 

Tandem radical additions have been used in the preparation of piperidines. Substituted nitrogen containing heterocycles with ring sizes ranging from 5-8 have been synthesized by radical methods [95JCS(P1)19]. Addition of sulfur radicals to 225 occurs selectively at the enamide portion followed by an intramolecular 6-exo cyclization to produce a diastereomeric mixture of 226 in good yield. 

The incorporation of nitrogen into the enone system does not radically affect the cycloaddition reactions as seen in the (2+2)-addition reactions encountered with the enamides (48). In this study the influence of chain length on the intramolecular cyclization of the enones (48) has been evaluated. Thus with a four atom chain (48a) the product is the crossed addition compound (49a). With a six atom side chain (48b) the head-to-head adduct (50a) is formed exclusively while with a five atom chain (48c) a mixture of (49b) and (50b) is produced.The (2-f 2)-cycloadducts (51) are obtained in good yield on irradiation of the enone (52). The reaction is dependent on the nature of the substituent on C-3 and when this is H or Cl no cycloaddition reaction takes place on irradiation... 

Cossy has reported a synthesis of a-kainic acid that establishes the stereogenic centers on a preformed pyrrolidine ring (Eq. 20) [40], Thus, ketone 57 was prepared from L-pyroglutamic acid in 11 steps. Samarium iodide-mediated cyclization of 57 gave 58 as a mixture of stereoisomers at the carbinol carbon. Dehydration gave 59, and a 6-step sequence, starting with oxidative cleavage of the double bond, provided a-kainic acid. One notable aspect of this synthesis is the use of an enamide as a free-radical acceptor in the key cyclization. This process has been used in a number of alkaloid syntheses as will be seen in the next section. 

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