Reactions with Nitroalkenes as Heterodienes

If nitroalkenes are employed as heterodienes in hetero Diels-Alder reactions instead of nitrosoalkenes, cyclic nitrones are formed. These cycloadducts undergo numerous subsequent reactions, and especially the combination of this hetero Diels-Alder reaction with a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is an extremely powerful tool for the synthesis of polycyclic alkaloids. This domino [4+ 2]/[3+ 2] cycloaddition chemistry has been comprehensively reviewed by Denmark and Thorarensen very recently, and this review also covers many hetero Diels-Alder reactions of nitroalkenes being not part of this sequential transformation [5]. Therefore the present article will focus on some selected examples which might highlight the advanced state of the art concerning stereocontrol of these reactions. On the other hand, an insight shall be given into the multitude of polycyclic structures accessible by means of nitroalkene cycloaddition chemistry. 

Chiral dienophiles, e.g. enol ethers and enamines, allow to conduct these hetero Diels-Alder reactions in a highly stereoselective manner. In an exemplary transformation described by Backvall et al. the nitrone 4-50 was formed as a single diastereomer upon treatment of the chiral enamine 4-48 with the nitroalkene 4-49 which was generated in situ from the seleno compound 4-47 [387]. Interestingly, the enamine 4-48 did not only act as dienophile, it also catalysed the initial base induced elimination of PhSeH from 4-47 (Fig. 4-11). 

It is as well possible to obtain excellent simple diastereoselectivities in intramolecular cycloadditions of appropriate achiral nitro-l,n-dienes [388]. 

Cyclic nitrones generated by [4+ 2]-cycloaddition of nitroalkenes undergo various, synthetically very valuable reactions. Thus, Denmark et al. have developed an elegant access to different enantiopure, 3- and 3,4-substituted pyrrolidine derivatives by reductive ring contraction of the cyclic nitrone resulting from a hetero Diels-Alder reaction [389,390]. Upon reaction of -2-nitrostyrene 4-51 with the chiral enol ether 4-52 in the presence of the bulky Lewis acid MAPh (4-53), three diastereomeric cycloadducts 4-54, 4-55 and 4-56 were formed. Hydrogenolysis of the main product 4-54 yielded the desired pyrrolidine 4-57 in excellent optical purity and allowed nearly quantitative recovery of the chiral auxiliary (Fig. 4-12) [391]. It is noteworthy that the nature of the Lewis acid catalyst, especially its steric demand, decisively influences the stereochemical course of such cycloadditions [392]. 

However, far the most powerful synthetical methodology involving cycloaddition chemistry of nitroalkenes is the combination of a hetero Diels-Alder reaction with a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the resulting nitrone. Up to six stereo-genic centers may be constructed in the course of this protocol, and a multitude of preparative options results from applying either intra- or intermolecular varieties of the single steps and from the different modes to connect the resulting cyclic entities (Fig. 4-13). 

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