1,2,4,5-Tetrazine reactions

A new potential synthesis of anthraquinones based on l-acetoxybenzo[c]furan (470) has been reported. The s-tetrazine reaction used to generate the benzo[c]furan proceeded in the presence of N-methylmaleimide to give the expected adduct (471). The reaction takes a different path in the presence of quinones to yield a novel phthalide (472), the structure of which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (81AJC1223). 

For stereochemical investigations of the reaction type mentioned above cis-trans isomeric dienophiles (or dienes) are normally used. For the tetrazine reactions in question electron-rich dienophiles are necessary, such as cK-/ra 5-isomeric enamines or enol ethers. C -enamines are extremely sensitive, isomerizing to the more stable trans isomers very quickly <69CB1917>. Hence, it is not surprising that only very few examples are available to prove that the (4 -I- 2) cycloaddition reactions of 1,2,4,5-tetrazines are stereospecific, in accord with concerted bond making. Cis-trans isomeric... 

Scheme 6 a Schematic of strategy for expanding the genetic code, b Unnatural amino acid bearing a tetrazine reaction group for site-specific incorporation via genetic code expansion, a Adapted with permission from [84], Copyright (2014) American Chemical Society... 

A large number of pyridazines are synthetically available from [44-2] cycloaddition reactions. In one general method, azo or diazo compounds are used as dienophiles, and a second approach is based on the reaction between 1,2,4,5-tetrazines and various unsaturated compounds. The most useful azo dienophile is a dialkyl azodicarboxylate which reacts with appropriate dienes to give reduced pyridazines and cinnolines (Scheme 89). With highly substituted dienes the normal cycloaddition reaction is prevented, and, if the ethylenic group in styrenes is substituted with aryl groups, indoles are formed preferentially. The cycloadduct with 2,3-pentadienal acetal is a tetrahydropyridazine derivative which has been used for the preparation of 2,5-diamino-2,5-dideoxyribose (80LA1307). 

In 1959 Carboni and Lindsay first reported the cycloaddition reaction between 1,2,4,5-tetrazines and alkynes or alkenes (59JA4342) and this reaction type has become a useful synthetic approach to pyridazines. In general, the reaction proceeds between 1,2,4,5-tetrazines with strongly electrophilic substituents at positions 3 and 6 (alkoxycarbonyl, carboxamido, trifluoromethyl, aryl, heteroaryl, etc.) and a variety of alkenes and alkynes, enol ethers, ketene acetals, enol esters, enamines (78HC(33)1073) or even with aldehydes and ketones (79JOC629). With alkenes 1,4-dihydropyridazines (172) are first formed, which in most cases are not isolated but are oxidized further to pyridazines (173). These are obtained directly from alkynes which are, however, less reactive in these cycloaddition reactions. In general, the overall reaction which is presented in Scheme 96 is strongly... 

Benzo[Z)]thiophene reacts with dimethyl l,2,4,5-tetrazine-3,6-dicarboxylate in a cyclo-addition-fragmentation reaction to yield (143), whereas benzo[A]furan and N- methylindole yield products (144) arising from ring opening and recyclization (76AP679). 

The 27T-electrons of the carbon-nitrogen double bond of 1-azirines can participate in thermal symmetry-allowed [4 + 2] cycloadditions with a variety of substrates such as cyclo-pentadienones, isobenzofurans, triazines and tetrazines 71AHC(13)45). Cycloadditions also occur with heterocumulenes such as ketenes, ketenimines, isocyanates and carbon disulfide. It is also possible for the 27r-electrons of 1-azirines to participate in ene reactions 73HCA1351). 

A particularly interesting system where nitrogen is lost cheletropically after formation of the initial [4 + 2] cycloadduct involves the thermal reaction of azirines with tetrazines (82) (74CC45, 74TL2303, 74CC782, 75JHC183). A variety of heterocyclic products are produced depending on the structure of the azirine and tetrazine used and the reaction conditions. 

While enamines are poor dienophiles for Diels-Alder reactions, their addition to tetrazines has provided a route to pyridazines (595). 

Interestingly, in the inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reactions of oxepin with various enophiles such as cyclopentadienones and tetrazines the oxepin form, rather than the benzene oxide, undergoes the cycloaddition.234 236 Usually, the central C-C double bond acts as dienophile. Oxepin reacts with 2,5-dimethyl-3,4-diphenylcyclopenta-2,4-dienone to give the cycloadduct 6 across the 4,5-C-C double bond of the heterocycle.234 The adduct resists thermal carbon monoxide elimination but undergoes cycloreversion to oxepin and the cyclopenta-dienone.234... 

The reaction of oxepin with dimethyl l,2,4,5-tetrazine-3,6-dicarboxylate affords a 2 1 mixture of products 9 a and 10, whose formation can be rationalized by a [4+2] and a [4 + 6] cycloaddition, followed by nitrogen extrusion.235 With 2,7-dimethyloxepin, only dimethyl 6,8-dime-thy 1-2.4a-dihydrooxepino[4,5-c/]pyridazine-l,4-dicarboxy late (9b) as product of the [4 + 2] cycloaddition can be isolated.235 236... 

The reaction of oxepin and 2,7-dimethyloxepin with dimethyl 3-cyano-l,2,4-triazine-5,6-dicarb-oxylate takes the same course as the cycloaddition to the tetrazine. Two different addition products 11a and 12 are obtained in the case of oxepin, whereas dimethyloxepin yields only the [4 + 2] adduct lib.235... 

The Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopropenes with 1,2,4,5-tetrazines (see Vol.E9c, p 904), a reaction with inverse electron demand, gives isolable 3,4-diazanorcaradienes 1, which are converted into 4H-1,2-diazepines 2 on heating. The transformation involves a symmetry allowed [1,5] sigmatropic shift of one of the bonds of the three-membered ring, a so-called walk rearrangement , followed by valence isomerization.106,107... 

Cycloaddition-cyclorevcrsion reaction of 9-oxabicyclo[6.1.0]nona-2,4,6-triene (6) with 3,6-diphenyl-1,2,4,5-tetrazine followed by dehydrogenation with tetrachloro-1,2-benzoquinone (o-chloranil) yields the annulated oxonin 7.8... 

In an analogous reaction, treatment of 9 (R = Ac, C02Me) with 2,6-diphenyl-l,2,4,5-tetrazine leads to the annulated system 10.15... 

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