Radical cyclization, with pyrroles

A Sml2-induced reductive cyclization of (V-(alkylketo)pyrroles provided an entry into medium ring 1,2-annelated pyrroles <06EJO4989>. An oxidative radical alkylation of pyrroles with xanthates promoted by triethylborane provided access to a-(pyrrol-2-yl)carboxylic acid derivatives <06TL2517>. An oxidative coupling of pyrroles promoted by a hypervalent iodine(III) reagent provided bipyrroles directly <060L2007>. 

Beckwith and Storey have developed a tandem translocation and homolytic aromatic substitution sequence en route to spiro-oxindoles [95CC977]. Treatment of the bromoaniline derivative 122 with tin hydride at 160 °C generated the aryl radical 123 which underwent a 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer to give intermediate 124. Intramolecular homolytic aromatic substitution and aromatization gave the spiro-oxindole 125. Intramolecular aryl radical cyclization on to a pyrrole nucleus has been used to prepare spirocyclic heterocycles [95TL6743]. 

More recently, van der Donk and coworkers reported radical cyclizations catalyzed by vitamin B12 using titanium(III) citrate as a stoichiometric reducing agent (Fig. 69, entry 17) [330]. Here /V-allylic 2-(isopropenyl) pyrroles 290 or allyl 2-phenylallyl ethers serve as the starting material in tandem hydrocobaltation/ radical 5-exo cyclization sequences giving dihydropyrrolizine derivatives 291 or 292. The mechanistic course is not completely clear. However, it is assumed that the reactions start with an initial hydrocobaltation of the isopropenyl unit in the presence of the allylic alkene (see Sect. 5.7). The benzylic cobalt intermediate is subject to homolysis of the very weak cobalt-carbon bond and initiates the radical 5-exo cyclization. Interestingly, the fate of the cyclized radical is dependent on the... 

Intramolecular radical substitution of pyrroles and indoles has been well studied this is exemplified in Schemes 90 <1997TL7937> and 91 <2000TL10181>. Intramolecular radical acylation of l-(-halogenoalkyl)-2-methylsulfonyl-5-substituted pyrroles leads to bicyclic ketones with displacement of the sulfonyl moiety <2000TL3035>. Similar cyclizations can be achieved using acyl selenide precursors to generate an acyl radical... 

Chloroacetaldehyde oxime, 2-carbon cyclization using, 55, 287 N-Chloroamides, chlorinating agents for pyrroles, 57, 326 N-Chloroamines radical cyclizations from, 58, 19 radicals by photolysis of, 58, 10 Chlorocarbonylsulfenyl chloride, reaction with 5-aminouracils, 55, 153 Chlorodimethylsulfonium chloride,... 

Presumably, isomer 931 arises via reaction of the allylic radical 930 with Bu3SnH. No product of cyclization to C-3 of the pyrrole (6-endo) was detected indicating a preference for radical addition to C-2. Cyclization of pyrroles 933, in which the linking chain is attached to C-3 of the pyrrole ring, gave exclusively the rearomatized (y-endo cyclization product 935 via the intermediate radical 934 (Scheme 182). This cyclization proceeds in moderate yield to give a novel pyrroloquinolone ring system. 

Palladium-catalyzed cyclization of the oxime derivative 47 provided a good yield of the pyrrole 48 (Equation 9) <1999CL45>. Similar reactions have been observed in connection with cyclization studies of related ketone trimethylhydrazonium salts <2005H(65)273>. Photochemical radical cyclization of 7,5-unsaturated ketone oximes has been reported to produce 1-pyrrolines <2005TL2373>. Similar 0-acetyloximes may also be annulated to 1-pyrrolines by treatment with acetic acid in the presence of 1,4-cyclohexadiene and naphthalene-l,5-diol, possibly proceeding via a radical mechanism <2002CL144>. 

Other uses of cobalt(I) catalysts include the reductive intramolecular cyclization of bromocyclohexenones to form bicyclic ketones [391] and the radical cyclization of bro-moacetals [392,393]. Krautler and coworkers [394] found that 1,4-dibromobutane interacts with electrogenerated cob(I)alamin to afford a tetramethylene-l,4-di = Co -cobalamin species. In a recent study of the reactions of cobalt(I) tetraphenyl porphyrin with benzyl chloride or 1-chlorobutane, Zheng and coworkers [395] reported that alkyl radicals are transferred from the cobalt center to a nitrogen of a pyrrole ring, leading to formation of an A-alkyl cobalt porphyrin complex. 

Other heterocycles can be used in radical cyclizations. Treatment of pyrrole derivative 176 with AIBN and tributyltin hydride gave a 60% yield of 177. The sulfonyl group on the pyrrole ring was required for good yields of cyclized product. 1 6... 

There has been increasing interest in radical substitution and cyclization reactions of pyrroles and indoles. Both 2- and 3- carboethoxypyrroles undergo radical cyclizations (at C5 and C2, respectively) with appropriately placed iodoalkyl substituents. 

The 5-dig-mode of cyclization has been applied in the synthesis of N-heterocycles. For example, treatment of the /i-allenyl dithiosemicarbazide 37 with Bu3SnH and AIBN in hot benzene furnishes the substituted 3H-pyrrole 38 in 41% yield and the isomeric heterocycle 39 in 30% yield (Scheme 11.13) [68], Iminyl radical 40 is formed via Bu3Sn addition to the thiocarbonyl group of the radical precursor 37 and fragmentation of the adduct (not shown). Nitrogen-centered radical 40 adds 5-dig-selectively to provide substituted allyl radical 41. The latter intermediate is trapped by Bu3SnH to furnish preferentially product 38 with an endocydic double bond. 

A novel tandem carbonyiation/cyclization radical process has been developed for the intramolecular acylation of l-(2-iodoethyl)indoles and pyrroles <99TL7153>. In this process, an acyl radical is formed when CO is trapped by an alkyl radical formed from the AIBN-induced radical reaction of l-(2-iodoethyl)indoles 104 with BusSnH. Intramolecular addition of the acyl radical to the C-2 position of the heteroaromatic system presumably affords a benzylic radical which undergoes in situ oxidative rearomatization to the bicycloketones 105. 

Stephenson and coworkers applied reductive photoredox catalysis to trigger radical 6-exo cyclizations of co-pyrrole or co-indole-substituted a-bromocarbonyl compounds 124 [186] as well as radical 5-exo cyclizations of 2-bromo-2-(4-pentenyl)malonates 126 (Fig. 32) [187]. These cyclization processes provide bi- or tricyclic products 125 or cyclopentanecarboxylates 127 in moderate to excellent yields. The initial radical was formed with reduced ruthenium catalyst HOB generated similarly as above from 110 and a sacrificial amine... 

Cyclization of aryl radicals on to either 2- or 3-carbonyl substituted pyrroles occurs preferentially at the 2-position. In the case of the former cyclizations, the yields are poor but this could represent a rapid approach to a range of indole alkaloids. Thus, cyclization of 2-substituted pyrroles 929 by treatment with Bu3SnH (0.02 M) and AIBN (catalytic amounts) as initiator in refluxing toluene for 12 h gave the -exo cyclization products 931 and 932 as the major products judging by H NMR of the crude product (Scheme 181) <1995TL6743>. 

Benzindolizidine systems 963 are generated in moderate yields by a hexabutylditin-mediated consecutive radical addition, cyclization, and oxidation process from easily accessible l-(2-iodoethyl)indoles 962 and methyl acrylate, in one step (Scheme 186) <2000TL10181>. l-(2-Iodoethyl)-l//-pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde was also subjected to the tandem radical addition-cyclization process, and the indolizidine derivative 964 was isolated in modest yield as the major product together with a small amount of starting material (Equation 229). 

A tandem carbonylation-cyclization radical process in heteroaromatic systems bearing electron-attracting substituents such as l-(2-iodoethyl)indoles and pyrroles 970 result in the formation of 2,3-dihydto-l//-pyrrolo[l,2- ]indol-1-ones and 2,3-dihydro-l//-pyrrolizin-l-ones 974 (Scheme 188). The AIBN-induced radical reaction of compounds 970 with Bu3SnH under pressure of CO suggests that the acyl radical 972, derived from radical 971 and CO, would undergo intramolecular addition to C-2 of heteroaromatic system, and the benzylic radical 973 so obtained, upon in situ oxidation would produce final product 974 <1999TL7153>. 

The complete cis stereoselectivity which is generally observed can be attributed to the adsorption of the radical species by its unhindered face on the electrode surface. The stereochemistry of 1 was assigned on the basis of comparison with authentic c/.v-isomers, prepared by hydrogenation of 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles, and mixtures of cis- and trans-isomers prepared by mercury-mediated cyclization of the same 4-alkenylamines, and also by X-ray analysis of a derived quaternary pyrrolidinium iodide24. 

BusSnH-mediated intramolecular arylations of various heteroarenes such as substituted pyrroles, indoles, pyridones and imidazoles have also been reported [51]. In addition, aryl bromides, chlorides and iodides have been used as substrates in electrochemically induced radical biaryl synthesis [52]. Curran introduced [4-1-1] annulations incorporating aromatic substitution reactions with vinyl radicals for the synthesis of the core structure of various camptothecin derivatives [53]. The vinyl radicals have been generated from alkynes by radical addition reactions [53, 54]. For example, aryl radical 27, generated from the corresponding iodide or bromide, was allowed to react with phenyl isonitrile to afford imidoyl radical 28, which further reacts in a 5-exo-dig process to vinyl radical 29 (Scheme 8) [53a,b]. The vinyl radical 29 then reacts in a 1,6-cyclization followed by oxidation to the tetracycle 30. There is some evidence [55] that the homolytic aromatic substitution can also occur via initial ipso attack to afford spiro radical 31, followed by opening of this cyclo-... 

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