Sigmatropic rearrangements synthesis

U. Nubbemeyer, Recent Advances in Asymmetric [3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangements, Synthesis 2003, 961-1008. 

Mikami, K., Nakai, T. Acyclic stereocontrol via [2,3]-Wittig sigmatropic rearrangement. Synthesis 1991,594-604. 

Nubbemeyer, U. Recent Advances in Asymmetric [3.3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangements Synthesis 2003, 961-1008. Hill, R. K. Chirality Transfer via Sigmatropic Rearrangements Asymmetric Synthesis 1984, 3, 503-572. 

Retrosynthesis a in Scheme 7,1 corresponds to the Fischer indole synthesis which is the most widely used of all indole syntheses. The Fischer cyclization converts arylhydrazones of aldehydes or ketones into indoles by a process which involves orf/io-substitution via a sigmatropic rearrangement. The rearrangement generates an imine of an o-aminobenzyl ketone which cyclizes and aromatizes by loss of ammonia. 

The Fischer Indole Synthesis and Related Sigmatropic Syntheses. In the Fischer indole synthesis (26) an Ai-aryUiydra2one is cyclized, usually under acidic conditions, to an indole. The key step is a [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of an enehydra2one tautomer of the hydra2one. 

The Piloty-Robinson pyrrole synthesis (74JOC2575,18JCS639) may be viewed as a monocyclic equivalent of the Fischer indole synthesis. The conversion of ketazines into pyrroles under strongly acidic conditions apparently proceeds through a [3,3] sigmatropic rearrange-... 

Schmidt reaction of ketones, 7, 530 from thienylnitrenes, 4, 820 tautomers, 7, 492 thermal reactions, 7, 503 transition metal complexes reactivity, 7, 28 tungsten complexes, 7, 523 UV spectra, 7, 501 X-ray analysis, 7, 494 1 H-Azepines conformation, 7, 492 cycloaddition reactions, 7, 520, 522 dimerization, 7, 508 H NMR, 7, 495 isomerization, 7, 519 metal complexes, 7, 512 photoaddition reactions with oxygen, 7, 523 protonation, 7, 509 ring contractions, 7, 506 sigmatropic rearrangements, 7, 506 stability, 7, 492 N-substituted mass spectra, 7, 501 rearrangements, 7, 504 synthesis, 7, 536-537... 

Allylic uitro compounds undergo [3.3 sigmatropic rearrangement to afford rearranged idcohols, as shown in Eq. 7.43 ° and Eq. 7.44. Because the allylic uitro compounds used in these reacdons are readily prepared either by the Henry reacdon or the Michael adchdon, these rs may be usefril in orgardc synthesis. 

N,O-acetal intermediate 172, y,<5-unsaturated amide 171. It is important to note that there is a correspondence between the stereochemistry at C-41 of the allylic alcohol substrate 173 and at C-37 of the amide product 171. Provided that the configuration of the hydroxyl-bearing carbon in 173 can be established as shown, then the subsequent suprafacial [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement would ensure the stereospecific introduction of the C-37 side chain during the course of the Eschenmoser-Claisen rearrangement, stereochemistry is transferred from C-41 to C-37. Ketone 174, a potential intermediate for a synthesis of 173, could conceivably be fashioned in short order from epoxide 175. 

Since its discovery two decades ago, the reversible interconversion of allylic sulfenates to sulfoxides has become one of the best known [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements. Certainly this is not only because of the considerable mechanistic and stereochemical interest involved, but also because of its remarkable synthetic utility as a key reaction in the stereospecific total synthesis of a variety of natural products such as steroids, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, etc. 

In addition to the synthetic applications related to the stereoselective or stereospecific syntheses of various systems, especially natural products, described in the previous subsection, a number of general synthetic uses of the reversible [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic sulfoxides are presented below. Several investigators110-113 have employed the allylic sulfenate-to-sulfoxide equilibrium in combination with the syn elimination of the latter as a method for the synthesis of conjugated dienes. For example, Reich and coworkers110,111 have reported a detailed study on the conversion of allylic alcohols to 1,3-dienes by sequential sulfenate sulfoxide rearrangement and syn elimination of the sulfoxide. This method of mild and efficient 1,4-dehydration of allylic alcohols has also been shown to proceed with overall cis stereochemistry in cyclic systems, as illustrated by equation 25. The reaction of trans-46 proceeds almost instantaneously at room temperature, while that of the cis-alcohol is much slower. This method has been subsequently applied for the synthesis of several natural products, such as the stereoselective transformation of the allylic alcohol 48 into the sex pheromone of the Red Bollworm Moth (49)112 and the conversion of isocodeine (50) into 6-demethoxythebaine (51)113. 

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