Thorpe cyclization

A very popular route to piperid-4-ones is by a Dieckmann or Thorpe cyclization of appropriate diesters or dinitriles. In most cases the nitrogen atom is tertiary, to avoid the formation of amides as by-products. A simple example is provided by the synthesis of the piperidone ester (129) which, after hydrolysis and decarboxylation, gives the piperid-4-one (130) (45JOC277). The diesters are available by addition of amines to acrylates and so the two ester fragments can be different. For the production of AT-benzoylpiperid-4-one (132) the whole operation from benzamide and ethyl acrylate to the ester (131) can be achieved... 

It is known that 3-aminobenzo[6]furan can be prepared from o-cyanophenols and a-halogenocarbonyl compounds with subsequent Thorpe cyclization (73JPR779). The extension of this synthesis to heteroatom substituted benzo[6]furans is straightforward (76JPR313). The reaction of potassium salts of 3-cyano-2-pyridones (e.g. 27) with a-halogenocarbonyl compounds (esters, ketones) yields 2-alkoxy-3-cyanopyridines which can be cyclized in the presence of sodium ethoxide to give 3-aminofuro[2,3-6]pyridines (Scheme 6). 

Several novel IOji bicyclic imidazoles (63 or 65), obtained from polysubstituted imidazoles, were reported during this period. The first synthesis of an imidazo[4 ,5 4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyri-midine commences with l-benzyl-2-(methylthio)-4-bromo-5-cyanoimidazole (62) [95TL12807]. Sequential metallation, sulfurization, S-alkyiation, and Thorpe cyclization of 62 afforded the thienoimidazole intermediate 63. Precursor 62 was obtained from 1 -benzyl-2,4,5-tribromoimida-zole in a series of metallation-electrophile trapping protocols. Nitroimidazo[l,5-a]imidazoles (65) were readily obtained from l-(acylmethyl)-2-methyl-4-nitro-5-bromoimidazoles (64) by sequential amination and cyclization [94KGS490]. 

While cycloaddition approaches have been discussed extensively in this chapter, there are certain substitution patterns that are not amendable to such approaches. In these cases, the more traditional annelative approaches are necessary. For example, the 5,6-dihydropyrrolo[3,4-rf]imidazol-4(3//)-one (286) is obtained from the diamine (285) and triethyl orthoformate. If formamide is used in excess, 6-(formamidomethylene)-5,6-dihydropyrrolo[3,4-d]imidazol-4(3//)-one (287) is obtained (Scheme 53) <70JPS1732>. A variant of the Thorpe cyclization was employed in the preparation of 3-amino-4//-pyrrolo[3,4-c]isoxazoles (289) from a-cyanooximes (288) (Equation (66)) <68JMC453>. 3-Acyltetramic acid (290 X = NR2) and 3-acyltetronic acid (292 X = O) hydrazones undergo ready cyclization in refluxing xylene with catalytic p-toluenesulfonic acid to afford 4-oxo-l,4-dihydro-6/f-pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrazoles (291) and 4-oxo-l,4-dihydro-6//-furo[3,4-c]pyrazoles (293), respectively (Equation (67)) <82SC43l>. The novel synthesis of 5-amino-6a-hydroxydihydro-6//-pyrrolo[2,3-j]isoxazole (296) from 3,4-disubstituted 4-(amino)isoxazol-(4//)-ones (294) is hypothesized to occur by the cyclization of the ketene aminal intermediates (295) (Scheme 54) <91S127>. 

Aminocyclopentenecarbonitrile, which is prepared by Thorpe cyclization of adiponitrile, reacts with acid anhydrides to give 2-(acylamino)cyclopentenecarbonitriles (87).74 Excellent yields of 4-amino-2-hydroxy-6,7-dihydro-5/y-l-pyrindines (88-91) are obtained when derivatives of 87 are treated with sodamide in liquid ammonia... 

Thiurets — see 1,2,4-Dithiazolidines, diimino-Thonzylamine antihistamine, 3, 153 Thorpe reaction benzothiophenes from, 4, 876 Thorpe-Ziegler cyclization, 2, 74 Three-membered heterocyclic compounds basicity, 7, 23... 

Synthesis of amino derivatives of five-membered heterocycles by Thorpe-Ziegler cyclization 99AHC(72)79. 

Shorter chain dienes have an increased propensity to form stable five-, six-, and seven-membered rings. This thermodynamically controlled phenomenon is known as the Thorpe-Ingold effect.15 Since ADMET polymerization is performed over extended time periods under equilibrium conditions, it is ultimately thermodynamics rather than kinetics that determine the choice between a selected diene monomer undergoing either polycondensation or cyclization. 

The intramolecular Thorpe reaction can also be carried out under solvent-free conditions. When a mixture of powdered adiponitrile (80) and Bu OK was kept at room temperature for 3 h, cyclization product 81 was obtained as a... 

Until recently the products of all nitrile cyclizations by the Thorpe reaction had been formulated as imines, although the products were found in 1955 to be better written as the enamine structure. In order to verify the reaction mechanism of the Thorpe reaction, the solid-state reaction of 84 and Bu OK was monitored by measurement of IR spectra in Nujol mulls. As the reaction proceeds (Scheme 14), the CN absorption of 84 at 2250 cm" decreases and a new CN absorption of the imine intermediate (87) arises at 2143 cm As 87 is converted into 88 by a proton migration, the CN absorption of 87 at 2143 cm" disappears, and only the CN absorption of 88 at 2189 cm remains finally [13]. 

The preparation of cyclobutanes via the catalytic conditions can be extremely efficient provided that the radical formed after epoxide opening is sterically shielded and cyclization promoted by the Thorpe-Ingold effect. It... 

Brummond and Shibata independently reported the Rh(i)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of allenynes to cross-conjugated trienes. The rhodium conditions were shown to have broad functional group tolerance. Brummond et al 9 observed rate and selectivity enhancements when they switched to an iridium catalyst (Equation (77)). The rate acceleration observed in the Alder-ene cyclization of aminoester containing allenyne 121 (Equation (78)) was attributed to the Thorpe-Ingold effect.80... 

List and coworkers reasoned that BINOL phosphates (specific Brpnsted acid catalysis) could be suitable catalysts for an asymmetric direct Pictet-Spengler reaction [26], Preliminary experiments revealed that unsubstituted tryptamines do not undergo the desired cyclization. Introduction of two geminal ester groups rendered the substrates more reactive which might be explained by electronic reasons and a Thorpe-Ingold effect. Tryptamines 39 reacted with aldehydes 40 in the presence of phosphoric acid (5)-3o (20 moI%, R = bearing 2,4,6-triisopropyI-... 

In 2008, the Ackennann group reported on the use of phosphoric acid 3r (10 mol%, R = SiPhj) as a Brpnsted acid catalyst in the unprecedented intramolecular hydroaminations of unfunctionaUzed alkenes alike 144 (Scheme 58) [82], BINOL-derived phosphoric acids with bulky substituents at the 3,3 -positions showed improved catalytic activity compared to less sterically hindered representatives. Remarkably, this is the first example of the activation of simple alkenes by a Brpnsted acid. However, the reaction is limited to geminally disubstituted precursors 144. Their cyclization might be favored due to a Thorpe-Ingold effect. An asymmetric version was attempted by means of chiral BINOL phosphate (R)-3( (20 mol%, R = 3,5-(CF3)2-CgH3), albeit with low enantioselectivity (17% ee). 

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