Reaction 2-alkyl-4- -oxazolones

Reaction of oxazolones with 1-azadienes, for example, imines prepared from 3-(2-furyl)acrolein or cinnamaldehyde, affords 2-pyridones 316. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the formation of 316. However, products like 315 have also been isolated. The authors proposed that 315 arises from alkylation at C-4 of the oxazolone by the 1-azadiene. Subsequent nucleophilic attack by the amino group with ring opening then yields the 2-pyridone (Scheme 7.103). Representative examples of 2-pyridones prepared from 1-azadienes are shown in Table 7.28 (Fig. 7.30). 

To minimize racemization, the use of nonpolar solvents, a minimum of base, low reaction temperatures, and carbamate protective groups (R = O-alkyl or O-aryl) is effective. (A carbamate, R = O-r-Bu, has been reported to form an oxazolone that appears not to racemize during base-catalyzed coupling.) ... 

Carbamates can be used as protective groups for amino acids to minimize racem-ization in peptide synthesis. Racemization occurs during the base-catalyzed coupling reaction of an A-protected, carboxyl-activated amino acid and takes place in the intermediate oxazolone that forms readily from an A-acyl-protected amino acid (R = alkyl, aryl) ... 

In contrast to these ring-opening reactions, it was observed by Horner and Schwahn that 4-arylidene-(isopropylidene and cyclo-hexylidene)-oxazolones react with alkyl Grignard reagents by conjugate addition to give saturated azlactones 29a as the only products [Eq. (18)]. 

When an a-amino acid is treated with an anhydride in the presence of pyridine, the carboxyl group is replaced by an acyl group and the NH2 becomes acylated. This is called the Dakin-West reaction The mechanism involves formation of an oxazolone. The reaction sometimes takes place on carboxylic acids even when an amino group is not present. A number of N-substituted amino acids, RCH-(NHR )COOH, give the corresponding N-alkylated products. 

V-alkoxycarbonylamino add (Figure 1.10, path B) did not occur without immediate expulsion of the alkyl group, giving the amino-acid Af-carboxyanhydride (see Section 7.13). 2-Alkoxy-5(47/)-oxazolones are now recognized as intermediates in coupling reactions and are products that are generated by the action of tertiary amines on activated A-alkoxy carbonyl amino adds (see Section 4.16).20 22... 

FIGURE 7.6 Decomposition of a mixed anhydride (A) to the 2-alkoxy-5(4//)-oxazolone and the alkyl carbonate.9 The latter is in equilibrium with the anion whose reaction (B) with a second molecule of anhydride produces pyrocarbonate and the acid anion whose reaction (C) with a third molecule produces the symmetrical anhydride. The oxazolone eventually reacts with the alcohol to give the ester. (D) Acyloxonium ions formed by reaction of the anhydride with dimethylformamide and tetrahydrofuran. 

The reaction of aliphatic and aromatic ketone oximes 97 with a dialkyl carbonate 98 in the presence of K2CO3 at 180-190 °C yields 3-alkyl-4,5-disubstituted-2(3//)-oxazolones 104 in 22-48% yields. Mechanistically, it is proposed that N-alkylation of the initially formed oxime O-carbonate 99 yields 100, which affords the enamine 101 in the presence of base. A [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement ensues to produce 102, which then cyclizes to 104. In cases where 97 contains two methylene groups in proximity to the C=N bond, one of which is benzylic, the above reaction sequence is regioselective for the benzylic methylene group (Fig. 5.25 Table 5.6, Fig. 5.26). ... 

There are relatively few syntheses of simple 2-alkyl- or 2-aryl-4(5/l)-oxazolones and these have been summarized previously. An excellent and comprehensive review of the synthesis and reactions of 4(5fl)-oxazolones covering the early literature up to 1983 has been published. Subsequent to this work extensions of earlier methods and a few additional examples have appeared in the literature and these will be described in detail. 

The availability of a general procedure to prepare 4-alkyl-2-(trifluoromethyl)-5(2F0-oxazolones 12 from a-amino acids and TFAA, and taking into account the tautomerization process, has led to many efforts to direct the alkylation reaction toward C-2 or C-4. For example, in the presence of triethylamine, Michael addition of 12 occurs at C-2 when tert-butylacrylate is used as electrophile. The resulting... 

In principle, 5(47/)-oxazolones 19 could also be used as starting materials to prepare 5(27/)-oxazolones 20 via an alkylation reaction, but this approach depends on many factors. Several years ago it was reported that a mixture of isomeric products 20 and 21 is usually obtained (Scheme 7.6) and the site of reaction in base-catalyzed addition reaction of 5(4//)-oxazolones with activated multiple bonds is determined primarily by the nature of the activated multiple bond. 

The reaction of 2-aryl-4-phenyl-5(4/b-oxazolones 22 with 4-methylenetriazoles 23 was also studied. The direction of the alkylation was strongly dependent on the nature of the substituent on the aromatic ring at C-2 in 22. Thus, oxazolones with electron-rich aryl substituents gave predominantly alkylation at C-4 to yield 24. In contrast, the isomeric products 25 are preferentially obtained when using substrates with electron-withdrawing substituents (Scheme 7.7). 

The nature of the arylthio substituent at C-4 of a 5(277)-oxazolone dictates which of two different synthetic strategies can be used. The first involves the use of sodium cyanodithioformate and the corresponding ketone as starting materials. The reaction occurs through a thiazolone 45 that must be alkylated on the sulfur atom followed by treatment with Hg(OAc)2 to afford the corresponding 4-(alkylthio)-5(2//)-oxazolone 47. The second strategy involves the addition of thiophenol to... 

Alkyl(aryl)-2-(trifluoromethyl)-5(277)-oxazolones have been used as intermediates to prepare 2-(trifluoromethyl)pyrroles interesting compounds frequently used as insecticides and acaricides. The oxazolones react with electron-dehcient unsaturated compounds in the presence of a base. Reaction of 5(277)-oxazolones, usually with a substituted aryl ring at C-4, with a wide variety of alkynes and alkenes has given rise to numerous 2-(trifluoromethyl)pyrroles 56. For example,... 

Alkyl-2-(trifluoromethyl)-5(2//)-oxazolones 78 react with 3-(dimethylamino)-2//-azirines 79 (Scheme 7.19 Table 7.13, Fig. 7.14). This reaction, investigated mechanistically, has been described as a new procedure for the synthesis of 5-... 

TABLE 7.14. 3-ALKYL ASPARTIC ACID DERIVATIVES EROM REACTION OF 5(277)-OXAZOLONES WITH YNAMINES"... 

Alkylation. Saturated 5(47/)-oxazolones are readily available compounds that can be easily obtained from a wide variety of natural amino acid derivatives. These heterocyclic compounds can be considered as nucleophilic synthons of a-amino acids and their most exploited reactivity, apart from oxazolone ring opening, is the reaction at C-4 with a variety of electrophiles. 

Alkylation of saturated 5(4//)-oxazolones at C-4 is a well-known reaction that can be achieved under a wide variety of conditions. Numerous articles have described this reaction as a means to prepare 4,4-dialkyl-5(477)-oxazolones 147 that are valuable intermediates to prepare ot,ot-disubstituted a-amino acids. For instance,2-phenyl-5(4//)-oxazolone 146 readily obtained from hippuric acid and A,A -dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), is alkylated at C-4 with allyl, benzyl, or phenacyl halides if the reaction is conducted in dipolar aprotic solvents in the presence of weak bases. Hydrolysis of the resulting 5(477)-oxazolones leads to a,a-dialkylglycines 148 (Scheme 7.43). 

Reaction of 4-alkyl(aralkyl)-2-phenyl-5(4//)-oxazolones 175 with difluoro- and trifluoroacetic anhydride yields ot-(benzamidoalkyl)-difluoro- and trifluoroketones 178 in good yield in a one-pot procedure (Scheme 7.53). ... 

Reaction of carbon disulfide with 2-phenyl-5(4//)-oxazolone 146 followed by S-alkylation with a methyl hahde gives 4-[bis(methylthio)methylene]-2-phenyl-5(4//)-oxazolone. The solvolysis and aminolysis of this compound have also been studied. ... 

Reaction of the 2-phenyl-4-(phosphoranylidene)-5(47/)-oxazolone 219 with alkyl halides gives 4-alkyl-2-phenyl-5(47/)-oxazolones 220 in good yields. Reaction of 219 with acyl iodides or bromides gives C-4- or O-acyl products 221 or 222. Reaction of 219 with acyl chlorides gives 4-(l-chloroalkylidene)-2-phenyl-5(47/)-oxazolones 224 that are Wittig-like products. The use of benzoyl fluoride gives rise to 4-(l-benzoyloxybenzylidene)-2-phenyl-5(47/)-oxazolone 223. These reactions are summarized in Scheme 7.68. 

The same reaction applied to 2-styryl-5(4/l/)-oxazolone 282 gives simultaneous acylation and alkylation of the arene to produce the corresponding a-acylamino ketones 283. ° Cyclodehydration of 283 then readily affords a 2,5-disubstimted oxazole (e.g. 284 as shown in Scheme 7.92). 

Mesoionic oxazolones (munchnones) 297 can be generated by cyclodehydration of N-substituted a-amino acids 295 or by alkylation of oxazolones 296 (Scheme 7.98). These compounds are reactive and versatile 1,3-dipoles that undergo cycloaddition reactions with dipolarophiles to generate a variety of heterocyclic systems. In particular, this is an extremely versatile methodology to prepare pyrroles that result from elimination of carbon dioxide from the initial cycloadduct. Numerous examples have appeared in the literature in recent years and several have been selected for discussion. The reader should consult Part A, Chapter 4 for an extensive discussion and additional examples. 

Finally, reaction of 2,4-diphenyl-5(4//)-oxazolone 322 with 4-phenyl-A -tosyl-1-azabuta-1,3-diene was found to be highly dependent on the experimental conditions. At room temperature the sole product was 323 that arises from alkylation of 322 by addition at the imine carbon. However, heating 322 and 4-phenyl-A-tosyl-1-azabuta-1,3-diene gave rise to several products including a 2-pyridone 324, 2,3,6-triphenylpyridine 325, and the pentasubstituted pyrroles 326 and 327. The authors postulated two different reaction mechanisms. Here, both a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the oxazolone and a nucleophilic addition of the oxazolone are possible and that may account for the formation of 324—327. The marked differences in reactivity of 4-phenyl-A-tosyl-l-azabuta-l,3-diene relative to A-alkyl- or A-aryl-1-aza-1,3-dienes was attributed to the powerful electron-withdrawing nature of the tosyl group (Scheme 7.107). ... 

Synthesis oe Heterocyclic Compounds. In some cases, dehydroamino acids obtained from unsaturated 5(477)-oxazolones have been used as intermediates to prepare other heterocyclic compounds. For example, reaction of 2-benzoylamino-3-substituted-2-alkenoic acids 485 with alkyl or arylisothiocyanates affords 4-aryl-methylene-l,2-disubstituted-5-oxo-4,5-dihydroimidazoles 486 (Scheme 7.155). ... 

Reaction of A -acylamino acids with the Vilsmeier-Haack reagent leads to 2-alkyl-4-[(Af,Af-dimethylamino)methylene]-5(47i)-oxazolones 814. The reactivity of these compounds with various nucleophiles has been studied. Primary alkylamines undergo amine exchange with 814 to afford 2-alkyl-4-[(alkylamino)methylene]-5(4/i)-oxazolones 815 (Scheme 7.250). ° ... 

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