Strained compounds, cycloaddition

The introduction of carbenes and carbenoids into synthetic organic chemistry revolutionized the synthesis of cyclopropane derivatives21. In particular, cyclopropanation of methylenecycloalkanes became a very useful method for the preparation of SPC. Moreover, since cycloaddition of carbenes to olefins involves a very fast concerted process (i.e. it eliminates any intermediates during the formation of the three-membered ring)21, the method is equally efficient for the preparation of both unstrained and highly strained compounds. 

Breton et al. have synthesized A -l,2-diazetines by the cycloaddition reaction <20010L3185>. A -1,2-Diazetines are highly strained compounds and are quite unstable and difficult to synthesize (Schemes 40 and 41). Diels-Alder reactions have been widely used as a powerful tool to synthesize a number of compounds from a variety of dienophiles and diverse dienes. 

Intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition also occupies a pivotal position among the methods available for the synthesis of highly strained compounds. Owing to the proximity effect, this reaction occurs easily even in sterically encumbered cases. The synthesis of one of the first representatives of exotic hydrocarbons, Dewar benzene 388 by van Tamelen, was achieved by a surprisingly short route (Scheme 2.130). The readily available Diels-Alder adduct 389 was first converted into diene 389a. The latter underwent intramolecular [2 -i- 2] cycloaddition which led to the formation of the [2.2.0] bicyclohexene framework of the key intermediate 390. 

Although thermal [2 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions are essentially hmited to the cases described above, many (although by no means all) double-bond compounds undergo such reactions when photochemically excited (either directly or by a photosensitizer, see p. 340), even if they are not in the above categories. Simple alkenes absorb in the far UV (p. 332), which is difficult to reach experimentally, although this problem can sometimes be overcome by the use of suitable photosensitizers. The reaction has been applied to simple alkenes (especially to strained compounds, such as cyclopropenes and cyclobutenes), but more often the double-... 

Some unusual cycloaddition reactions of the triazolidinedione (449) have been described. These include the formation of the strained compound (453) from the /ra/is,cw-nonadiene (452) and that of the anomalous adducts... 

Intramolecular cycloaddition can often provide an easy synthetic entry to novel strained compounds. Thus the photocycloaddition of the butenolides (3) yields the adducts shown in the Scheme 22 Irradiation of the enone (4) at 330 nm affords the... 

Hydroxy-THISs react with electron-deficient alkynes to give nonisol-able adducts that extrude carbonyl sulfide, affording pyrroles (23). Compound 16 (X = 0) seems particularly reactive (Scheme 16) (25). The cycloaddition to benzyne yields isoindoles in low- yield. Further cyclo-addition between isoindole and benzyne leads to an iminoanthracene as the main product (Scheme 17). The cycloadducts derived from electron-deficient alkenes are stable (23, 25) unless highly strained. Thus the two adducts, 18a (R = H, R = COOMe) and 18b (R = COOMe, R = H), formed from 7, both extrude furan and COS under the reaction conditions producing the pyrroles (19. R = H or COOMe) (Scheme 18). Similarly, the cycloadduct formed between 16 (X = 0) and dimethylfumarate... 

The following compounds have been obtained from thiete 1,1-dioxide Substituted cycloheptatrienes, benzyl o-toluenethiosulfinate, pyrazoles, - naphthothiete 1,1-dioxides, and 3-subst1tuted thietane 1,1-dioxides.It is a dienophile in Diels-Alder reactions and undergoes cycloadditions with enamines, dienamines, and ynamines. Thiete 1,1-dioxide is a source of the novel intermediate, vinylsulfene (CH2=CHCH=SQ2). which undergoes cyclo-additions to strained olefinic double bonds, reacts with phenol to give allyl sulfonate derivatives or cyclizes unimolecularly to give an unsaturated sultene. - Platinum and iron complexes of thiete 1,1-dioxide have been reported. 

Strained bicyclic compounds can be obtained e.g. when cyclopropenes are used as dipolarophiles. Reaction of 3,3-dimethylcyclopropene 7 with diazomethane 4 gives the heterobicyclic cycloaddition product 8 in 85% yield ... 

Intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloadditions of alkenes is an important method of formation of compounds containing four-membered rings.184 Direct irradiation of simple nonconjugated dienes leads to cyclobutanes.185 Strain makes the reaction unfavorable for 1,4-dienes but when the alkene units are separated by at least two carbon atoms cycloaddition becomes possible. 

These results can be interpreted in terms of competition between recombination of the diradical intermediate and conformational equilibration, which would destroy the stereochemical relationships present in the azo compound. The main synthetic application of azo compound decomposition is in the synthesis of cyclopropanes and other strained-ring systems. Some of the required azo compounds can be made by 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of diazo compounds (see Section 6.2). 

Tandem transesterification and diastereoselective intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a-methoxycarbonylnitrones with chiral allyl alcohols give polycyclic compounds in one step with high stereoselectivity (Scheme 8.14).76 Transition state Ain Scheme 8.14 is more favorable than B because B has severe steric interaction (allylic 1,3-strain).77... 

An interesting strategy for the synthesis of pyrrolizidines and indolizidines has been developed by Brandi and co-workers. Cycloaddition between nitrones or nitrile oxides with methylenecyclopropanes generates strained tricyclic spiro compounds, which are prone toward further transformations, such as rearrangement, ring opening, and new ring closure (Scheme 10.17).116... 

The highly strained nature of methylene- and alkylidenecyclopropanes has been evidenced by spectroscopic measurements and X-ray analysis. The presence of the exocyclic double bond imposes a lengthening of the C(2)-C(3) bond as a result of an increase of the C(2)-C(l)-C(3) angle (compared to cyclopropane). This structural feature is reflected in a typical reactivity of these compounds which is a thermal or transition metal catalysed [3 + 2] cycloaddition with alkenes. This chemistry, usually referred to as TMM chemistry , has been the object of many studies and thoroughly reviewed by Binger and Buch [2] and Trost [8]. 

The formation of compound 16 likely involves an initial [4 + 2] cycloaddition across the exocyclic double bond to give the highly strained spirocyclo-proparene 15 which relieves the ring strain by rearrangement with concomitant ring expansion to 16. 

Hetero substituted 2-cyclopropylideneacetates are ring-strain activated acrylates, highly reactive dienophiles in Diels-Alder reactions, but also powerful Michael acceptors. The reactivity of these compounds is enhanced by the same strain release in the Diels-Alder cycloadditions as well as in the 1,4-additions, and indeed the borderline between tandem Michael-cyclization and Diels-Alder-type cycloaddition is not well defined in many cases. 

Although 1,1-disubstituted-l,3-dienes are quite unreactive in the Diels-Alder reaction, allylidenecyclopropanes exhibit a good reactivity especially toward activated dienophiles. The strain present in the alkylidenecyclopropane moiety is responsible for the reactivity enhancement observed in these compounds. The literature concerning the parent diene and few analogs until 1984 has been thoroughly reviewed by Krief [31]. Since then, some other examples of variously-substituted allylidenecyclopropane reacting as dienes in [4 + 2] cycloadditions were published. 

Strained ring compounds undergo insertion of a low-valence metal complex to give metallacycles and the cycloaddition of metallacycles has a potential in synthesis, as described above. This method is useful in ring transformations of cyclobutenediones and cyclobutenones. 

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