Tandem intermolecular Diels-Alder

SCHEME 45 Tandem intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction/lactonization reaction. 

The Diels-Alder reaction of ester-tethered trienes is also known as a powerful methodology to construct polycylic Y lactones [68]. Romo et al. [69] surveyed effective organic nucleophilic catalysts for tandem intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction/lactonization reaction of achiral a, 3-unsaturated acid chlorides with dienyl alcohol 100 (Scheme 45). In this case, when chiral Lewis base 102 was used as a nucleophilic catalyst, excellent enantioselectivity was realized. Lipase-catalyzed domino kinetic resolution/intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of furfuryl alcohols with acrylic acids was also carried out by Akai and Kita [70]. 

For clarification, individual transformations of independent functionalities in one molecule - also forming several bonds under the same reaction conditions -are not classified as domino reactions. The enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-chlorothricolide 0-4, as performed by Roush and coworkers [8], is a good example of tandem and domino processes (Scheme 0.1). I n the reaction of the acyclic substrate 0-1 in the presence of the chiral dienophile 0-2, intra- and intermolecular Diels-Alder reactions take place to give 0-3 as the main product. Unfortunately, the two reaction sites are independent from each other and the transformation cannot therefore be classified as a domino process. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful tandem reaction that allows the establishment of seven asymmetric centers in a single operation. 

In this original and imaginitive approach, a rapid assembly of the phenanthrene core of morphine, containing a novel non-aromatic A ring, was achieved in an intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction between quinone 173 (prepared from 3-methoxy-2-hydroxy benzaldehyde in 7 steps and an overall yield of 35%) and diene 174 (from 1,4-cyclohexanedione monoethylene ketal in 2 steps with an overall yield of 30%), Scheme 20. In one of several unsuccesful attempts to aromatize ring A, an unexpected tandem... 

If the oxidation is performed in the presence of an external dienophile, the respective products of [4+2] cycloaddition are formed [351-356]. Typical examples are illustrated by a one-pot synthesis of several silyl bicyclic alkenes 283 by intermolecular Diels-Alder reactions of 4-trimethylsilyl substituted masked o-benzoquinones 282 generated by oxidation of the corresponding 2-methoxyphenols 281 [351] and by the hypervalent iodine-mediated oxidative dearomatization/Diels-Alder cascade reaction of phenols 284 with allyl alcohol affording polycyclic acetals 285 (Scheme 3.118) [352]. This hypervalent iodine-promoted tandem phenolic oxidation/Diels-Alder reaction has been utilized in the stereoselective synthesis of the bacchopetiolone carbocyclic core [353]. 

The tandem Knoevenagel-Diels-Alder sequence is well known, and has been extensively studied by Tietze and others. The Knoevenagel products have been shown to be active as dienophiles in normal-electron-demand Diels-Alder reactions, as well as heterodienes in inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels-Alder reactions. One of the most elegant examples of a tandem Knoevenagel-hetero-Diels—Alder sequence is Tietze s synthesis of hirsutine 76. In this sequence, a mixture of aldehyde 70, Meldrum s acid 71, enol ether 73 (a mixture of isomers) and a catalytic amount of ethylenediamine diacetate were sonicated in Benzene for 12 h at 60 °C. This effected a cascade sequence that began with Knoevenagel condensation to form the heterodiene 72, followed by intermolecular hetero-Diels-Alder reaction with enol ether 73 to lead to 74, which underwent in situ hydrolysis and decarboxylation to yield intermediate 75 in 84% yield. 

The Lewis acid-promoted tandem inter[4 + 2]/intra[3 + 2]-cycloaddition of the (fumaroyloxy)nitroalkene (124) with the chiral /i-silylvinyl ether (125) is the key step in the total synthesis of (+)-crotanecine (126), the necine base of a number of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Scheme 46).237 The tandem inter[4 + 2]/intra[3 + 2]-cycload-ditions of nitroalkenes (127) with dipolarophiles attached to the /f-carbon of a vinyl ether (128) provides a method of asymmetric synthesis of highly functionalized aminocyclopentanes (129) (Scheme 47).238 trans-2-( 1 -Methyl-phenylethyl)cyclohex-anol has been developed as a new auxiliary in tandem 4 + 2/3 + 2-cycloadditions of nitroalkenes.239 The scope and limitations of the bridged mode tandem inter-[4 + 2]/intra[3 + 2]-cycloadditions involving simple penta-1,4-dienes are described in detail.240 A tandem intermolecular/intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition was successfiilly used to synthesize a B/C cA-fused taxane nucleus (130) in 50% overall... 

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