Total synthesis 2+2 cycloadditions

The total synthesis of caryophyllene and its Z-isomer involved a photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction to generate the 4-membered ring and a fragmentation process Helv. Chim. Acta, 1951, 34, 2338) to establish the 9-membered ring. Caryophyllene and various oxygenated derivatives protect plants against insects. 

The intramolecular cycloaddition reaction of enamides has been exploited in alkaloid synthesis (81JOC3763). One successful application is provided by the total synthesis of the fused indolizidine 5 from 4 as a 1 1 mixture of epimers in 43% total yield 5 is a key intermediate in aspidosperma alkaloid synthesis (79JA3294). 

The parent TMM precursor (1), now commercially available, has played a pivotal role in the execution of many synthetic plans directed at natural and unnatural targets. Reaction of (1) with 2-(methoxycarbonyl)cyclohexenone (14, R=C02Me) in the presence of palladium acetate and triethyl phosphite produced the adduct (15) in near quantitative yield. This cycloadduct is a critical intermediate in the total synthesis of a hydroxykempenone (16), a component of the defensive substances secreted by termites (Scheme 2.5) [12]. In accord with a previous observation by Trost that unactivated 2-cyclohexenone reacts poorly with TMM-Pd [13], the substrate (14, R=Me) was essentially inert in the cycloaddition. 

Adducts derived from cyclopropyl-TMM reactions are versatile synthetic intermediates. Alkylidenecyclopropanes have been proven useful in further Pd-cata-lyzed transformations [4], On the other hand, vinylcyclopropanes can undergo smooth thermal ring-expansion to cyclopentenes. Thus, a total synthesis of 11-hy-droxyjasionone (27) was achieved with the cyclopropyl-TMM cycloaddition as the crucial step, and the thermal rearrangement of the initial adduct (28) as an entry to the bicyclo[6.3.0]undecyl compound (29), a key intermediate in the synthetic sequence (Scheme 2.9) [19]. 

The "acyl effect" proves crucial in the formation of the perhydroazulene systems cyclization can only take place with the presence of an acyl group on the TMM portion whereas the parent hydrocarbon fails. For example, treatment of substrate (51) with the palladium catalyst gave a mixture of the bicyclic compounds (52) and (53) in 51% yield. The formation of endocyclic olefin (52) is presumed to occur when the first formed (53) was exposed to silica gel during purification [22]. This intramolecular cycloaddition strategy was utilized in a highly diastereoselec-tive preparation of a key intermediate (54) in the total synthesis of (-)-isoclavuker-in A (55) (Scheme 2.16) [21]. 

The total synthesis of ( )-estrone [( )-1 ] by Vollhardt et al. is a novel extension of transition metal mediated alkyne cyclotrimeriza-tion technology. This remarkable total synthesis is achieved in only five steps from 2-methylcyclopentenone (19) in an overall yield of 22%. The most striking maneuver in this synthesis is, of course, the construction of tetracycle 13 from the comparatively simple diyne 16 by combining cobalt-mediated and ort/io-quinodimethane cycloaddition reactions. This achievement bodes well for future applications of this chemistry to the total synthesis of other natural products. 

The total synthesis of biotin (1) described in this chapter provides an impressive example of the intramolecular nitrone-olefin [3+2] cycloaddition reaction. Aiming for a practical process, the Hoff-mann-La Roche group utilized relatively simple and inexpensive starting materials, and ingeniously controlled the crucial [3+2] cycloaddition reaction to give only one stereoisomer by confining the cycloaddition precursor to a ten-membered ring. 

Enyne metathesis starting either from acetylenic boronates and homoallylic alcohols [104a,c] or from propargyl alcohols and allylboronates [104b] has recently been described. The resulting boronated dienes can be converted to allenes or cycloaddition products. The cross metathesis of vinylcyclopropyl-boronates directed toward the total synthesis of natural products has very recently been investigated by Pietruszka et al. [104d]. 

Scheme 79 Snapper s total synthesis of asteriscanolide (116) by sequential intramolecular cyclobutadiene cycloaddition, ring-opening CM (ROCM), and Cope rearrangement [167]...

Cycloaddition occurred by heating compound 117 at 200 °C in a sealed tube. This led to products 118, both of which may be versatile intermediates for the total synthesis of 119 (Equation 2.33). 

Decalin unit 121, an intermediate in the total synthesis of compactin, has been prepared by intramolecular cycloaddition reaction [117] of trienone-carboxylic acid 122 carried out under either thermal conditions or microwave irradiation. The desired cxo-adduct 123 was the major stereoisomer (Equation 2.34). Similar results were observed in the cycloadditions of the corresponding esters. 

Diels-Alder reaction of the furan derivative 148 with homochiral bicyclic enone 149 is the key step [56] in the total synthesis of the diterpenes jatropho-lone A and B, 151 and 152, respectively, isolated from Jatropha gossypiifolia L [57], Initial efforts to carry out the cycloaddition between 148 and 149 under thermal or Lewis-acid conditions failed due to diene instability. Application of 5kbar of pressure to a neat 1 1 mixture of diene and dienophile afforded crystalline 150 with the desired regiochemistry (Scheme 5.23). Subsequent aromatization, introduction of the methylene group, oxidation and methylation afforded (-l-)-jatropholones 151 and 152. 

Furan was used as building block in the total synthesis of ( )-palasonin <96JOC4816, 96TL1129>. A synthetic protocol to assemble a benzene ring mimicking the [4+2] cycloaddition of benzene and fiiran (or cyclopentadiene) was reported (Scheme 1, <96T14247>). 

An intramolecular variant of this cycloaddition process is combined with a Knoevenagel reaction in a total synthesis of the insectan leporin A, a pyrano[3,2-c]pyridine derivative <96JOC2839>. 

The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction has also utilized dienophiles in which both reactive centers are heteroatoms. Kibayashi reported that the intramolecular hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition of chiral acylnitroso compounds, generated in situ from periodate oxidation of the precursor hydroxamic acid, showed a marked enhancement of the trans-selectivity in an aqueous medium compared with the selectivity in nonaqueous conditions (Eq. 12.55).125 The reaction was readily applied to the total synthesis of (—)-pumiliotoxin C (Figure 12.5).126... 

Krapcho and Vivelo have described a new formal total synthesis of tropinone (124) and ( )-cocaine (98) (94). Cycloaddition of IV-methylpyrrole (182) and acetylenedicarboxylic acid leads to 183, which is hydrogenated to 184. The diacid mixture 184 is refluxed in MeOH/HCl to yield the diester mixture 185. Addition of this to an excess of metallic sodium in liquid ammonia at — 78°C leads to the N-methylpyrrolidine derivative 186 (cf. 95), whose diethyl analog 147 has earlier been converted to tropinone (124) and (+)-cocaine (98) (78-80) (Scheme 13). 

A total synthesis of (+)-55 was performed by Cushman et al. 69) (Scheme 17). It was based on cycloaddition of Schiff base 68 to anhydride 69. The addition product 70, received in the form of a mixture of diaste-reomers, was then subjected to thermal decarboxylation to give rise to diastereomer 71 with the desired trans configuration as the major product. The latter upon methanolysis and selective reduction furnished (+)-55. 

A total synthesis of O-methylarnottianamide (223) was performed by Falck et al. (177) (Scheme 34). The regio- and stereospecific cycloaddition of the 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) salt of 6,7-methylenedioxyisoquinoline (218) with a-methoxystyrene 219 resulted in 220. Compound 220 was hydrolyzed, then aromatized, and the resultant aldehyde was oxidized to carboxylic acid 221. Curtius rearrangement of the appropriate azide yielded urethane 222, which... 

Having an efficient total synthesis of the indole alkaloid vindoline in mind, the Boger group [47] developed a facile entry to its core structure using a domino [4+2]/[3+2] cycloaddition. Reaction of the 1,3,4-oxadiazoles 4-139 led to 4-140 in high yield and excellent stereoselectivity via the intermediates 4-141 and 4-142 (Scheme 4.29). 

A retro-l,3-dipolar cycloaddition followed by an 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition was used for a highly efficient total synthesis of (-)-histrionicotoxin (4-354) (HTX) by Holmes and coworkers [123]. HTX is a spiropiperidine-containing alkaloid which was isolated by Doly, Witkop and coworkers [124] from the brightly colored poison-arrow frog Dendrobates histrionicus. It is of great pharmacological interest as a noncompetitive inhibitor of acetylcholine receptors. 

A remarkable combination of a photochemical [2+2] cycloaddition with a retro-aldol reaction and cyclization is the so-called de Mayo reaction. Biichi and coworkers have used this method for the total synthesis of loganin (5-35). Thus, reac-... 

In a very new example, the Kita group has presented a neat combination of a lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of a-hydroxynitrones and a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, which was successfully applied in the asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-ros-marinecine [25]. 

Diastereoselective intramolecular cycloaddition of nitrones is useful for constructing nitrogen- containing cyclic structures. The reaction serves as a key step in a number of natural product syntheses.63 Tufarriello and coworkers have used this strategy for preparing cocaine and other alkaloids.74 As a classical example, enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-luciduline is presented in Scheme 8.13, in which a useful feature of the 1,3-dipolar addition of nitrones is nicely illustrated.75... 

Enantioselective total synthesis of antifungal agent Sch-38516 is reported. Stereocontrolled carbohydrate synthesis is based on the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of chiral nitrone to vinylene carbonate, as shown in Eq. 8.53.79... 

The total syntheses of the potent glycosidase inhibitors (+)-castanospermine, (+)-6-epicas-tanosperimine, (+)-australine, and (+)-3-epiaustraline have been reported. These four natural products are derived from a single common intermediate, the nitroso acetal (as shown in Scheme 8.43), which is created in the key step by the asymmetric tandem [4+2]/[3+2] cycloaddition between silaketal nitroolefin and chiral vinyl ether.182 The strategy of the synthesis is outlined in Scheme 8.43. Scheme 8.44 presents a total synthesis of (+)-castanosperimine and (+)-6-epi-castanosperimine from the common intermediate prepared by tandem [4+2]/[3+2] cycloaddition. 

Type Ilbd pyrrole syntheses fall into three general categories (1) Hinsberg-type (2) azomethine ylide cycloadditions and (3) isocyanide-based cyclocondensations. The Hinsberg pyrrole synthesis, the cyclocondensation between iminodiacetates and oxalates, has been further exploited in the total synthesis of the lamellarins <06T594,06TL3755>. 

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