5 -oxazolones, unsaturated preparation

One strategy to prepare saturated 5(4//)-oxazolones from unsaturated oxazo-lones takes advantage of the reactivity of the exocyclic double bond. In this context, numerous reactions have been explored including reductions, Michael reactions, cycloaddition reactions, and many others. These reactions will be discussed in the context of the reactivity of the exocyclic double bond of the unsaturated oxazolones and will be described in Section 7.4.3. 

Unsaturated 5(477)-oxazolones have been well known for many years and new examples are constantly described every year in specialized organic journals. In general, a wide variety of substituted unsaturated oxazolones have been prepared and many applications have been described for these compounds (Fig. 7.40). 

The first procedure to prepare unsaturated 5(4//)-oxazolones was the Erlenmeyer synthesis" " that was described more than one hundred years ago and is still used extensively with some variations in the experimental conditions. In general, the reaction employs an acylamino acid, for example, A-acetyl- or A-benzoylglycine are the most common, and a carbonyl compound, usually an aldehyde, in the presence of a cyclodehydrating agent such as acetic anhydride (Scheme 7.114). Hundreds of unsaturated oxazolones 363 have been obtained via this procedure and these compounds are valuable intermediates for the synthesis of many interesting organic compounds. 

Ammomethylene)-5(4/i/)-oxazolones 412 have also been used as starting materials to prepare unsaturated oxazolones. Alkylation of the exocyclic nitrogen gives 4-(A,A-disubstituted-l-aminoalkylidene)-5(4/f)-oxazolones 413 that are intermediates for peptides, pharmaceuticals and pesticides (Scheme 7.133). Heterocyclic rings such benzimidazole or benzotriazole have been prepared as well (Scheme 7.134). ... 

One of the fundamental cleavage reactions of the heterocyclic ring in unsaturated oxazolones is the conversion to acids or esters. This process leads to dehydroamino acid derivatives from which a wide variety of amino acids are prepared by hydrogenation. The side chain of the final amino acid is determined by the aldehyde used to prepare the unsaturated oxazolone. For example, benzalde-hyde and an A -acylglycine afford 2-acylaminocinnamic acids 434 after hydrolysis of the oxazolone 433. In turn, 434 are excellent precursors to phenylalanine. 

Other alcohols ring-open unsaturated oxazolones including glycerol that was used to prepare monoglycerides of acylamino acids.In addition, alcoholysis with 3,4,4-trifluorobut-3-enol leads to amino acid fluorobutenyl esters that are used as pesticides.Finally, (dimethylamino)ethanol and other amino alcohols have also been used to obtain the corresponding aminoalkyl esters. 

Hydrogenation of the double bond in dehydroamino acids prepared from unsaturated 5(4H)-oxazolones derived from unsymmetrical ketones gives rise to two stereogenic centers. As a consequence, four stereoisomers are possible. If the hydrogenation of each geometric isomer is performed separately, then the erythro and threo pair of enantiomers can be obtained independently. In this respect, the unsaturated oxazolones from 2-butanone have been prepared as a Z/E) mixture. The mixture was separated and each stereoisomer was independently converted to the erythro and threo pairs of enantiomers. ... 

The mechanism of the aminolysis and the electronic effects of substituents at C-2 or C-4 on the kinetics of amide bond formation have been studied. In some cases, ring opening with amines occurs with partial isomerization of the exocyclic double bond. However, with more hindered compounds, such as unsaturated oxazolones derived from ketones, ring opening is stereospecific.Ring opening using diamines has also been described. Selected examples of dehydroamino acid amides prepared by aminolysis of unsaturated 5(4//)-oxazolones are shown in Table 7.40 (Fig. 7.51). 

Therefore, suitable unsaturated oxazolones can be used as intermediates to prepare dehydropeptides wherein the synthetic strategy used will depend on the position of the double bond in the final compound. If the double bond is located in the N-terminal amino acid, ring opening of the oxazolone 516 with the appropriate amino acid or peptide generates the desired dehydropeptide 517 directly. 

Reaction of unsaturated 5(4//)-oxazolones with bis(nucleophiles) opens the way for the preparation of diverse heterocyclic compounds depending on the nucleophilic atoms of the reagent. First, if we consider nitrogen-containing bis(nucleo-philes), the reaction of anthranilic acid with unsaturated oxazolones 550 gives rise to substituted 3,l-benzoxazin-4-ones 551 (Scheme 7.174). " °... 

It is well known that hydrogenation of dehydroamino acid derivatives derived from ring opening of unsaturated 5(4H)-oxazolones affords new racemic amino acids and, in some cases, enantiomerically pure compounds. On the other hand, a number of attempts have been made to hydrogenate the double bond of the unsaturated oxazolone itself. For example, 4-benzyl-2-methyl-5(4//)-oxazolone was prepared from 4-benzylidene-2-methyl-5(4H)-oxazolone using Raney Ni as a catalyst. This process is reported to be a general procedure to prepare saturated oxazolones directly (Scheme 7.194). 

The azlactones of a-benzoylaminocinnamic acids have traditionally been prepared by the action of hippuric acid (1, Ri = Ph) and acetic anhydride upon aromatic aldehydes, usually in the presence of sodium acetate. The formation of the oxazolone (2) in Erlenmeyer-Plochl synthesis is supported by good evidence. The method is a way to important intermediate products used in the synthesis of a-amino acids, peptides and related compounds. The aldol condensation reaction of azlactones (2) with carbonyl compounds is often followed by hydrolysis to provide unsaturated a-acylamino acid (4). Reduction yields the corresponding amino acid (6), while drastic hydrolysis gives the a-0X0 acid (5). ... 

Several improved methods for the preparation of known unsaturated azlactones as well as some interesting new compounds of this type have been reported. Crawford and Little observed that the direct use of 2-phenyl-5-oxazolone (1) in the Erlenmeyer reaction gave much improved yields (35-74%) of unsaturated azlactones with aliphatic aldehydes and with ketones such as acetone and cyclohexanone [Eq, (1)], The usual procedure of mixing a carbonyl compound, hippuric acid, acetic anhydride, and sodium (or lead) acetate affords poor yields in the aliphatic series. 

The 4-unsaturated-5-oxazolones provide convenient starting materials for the synthesis of other nitrogen-containing heterocyclic systems. The preparation of tetrazoles and isoquinolines is discussed in Sections II,B, 1 and II,B,2,b. 

Several approaches to the 1,2,3-triazole core have been published in 2000. Iodobenzene diacetate-mediated oxidation of hydrazones 152 led to fused 1,2,3-triazoloheterocycles 153 <00SC417>. Treatment of oxazolone 154 with iso-pentyl nitrite in the presence of acetic acid gave 1,2,3-triazole 155, a precursor to 3-(W-l,2,3-triazolyl)-substituted a,P-unsaturated a amino acid derivatives <00SC2863>. Aroyl-substituted ketene aminals 156 reacted with aryl azides to provide polysubstituted 1,23-triazoles 157 <00HC387>. 2-Aryl-2T/,4/f-imidazo[43-d][l,2,3]triazoles 159 were prepared from the reaction of triethyl AM-ethyl-2-methyl-4-nitro-l//-imidazol-5-yl phosphoramidate (158) with aryl isocyanates <00TL9889>. 

Alkyl(aryl)-2-(trifluoromethyl)-5(277)-oxazolones have been used as intermediates to prepare 2-(trifluoromethyl)pyrroles interesting compounds frequently used as insecticides and acaricides. The oxazolones react with electron-dehcient unsaturated compounds in the presence of a base. Reaction of 5(277)-oxazolones, usually with a substituted aryl ring at C-4, with a wide variety of alkynes and alkenes has given rise to numerous 2-(trifluoromethyl)pyrroles 56. For example,... 

Enamines and Formamidines. Enamines, prepared from methylpyridines, methyl-pyridazines, methylpyrimidines or methyltriazine, and A, A -dimethylformamide dimethylacetal or ferf-butoxybis(dimethylamino)methane, react with 2-phenyl-5(4//)-oxazolone 146 to afford the unsaturated 5(477)-oxazolones 199 and 201 that are intermediates in the synthesis of fused pyridones 200 and pyridotriazi-nones 202, respectively (Scheme 7.61). ... 

Unsaturated 5(477)-oxazolones have been studied as ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing layers," " as fungicides," " and as antibacterial agents." " " For example, 4-(3-phenoxybenzylidene)-2-substituted-5(4r/)-oxazolones 358 have been prepared and used as herbicides and fungicides." " ... 

Unsaturated 5(4//)-oxazolones have also been used as intermediates to prepare analogues with diverse biological activities. For example, the oxazolone derived from 4-biphenylcarboxaldehyde is a synthetic precursor of the antiinflammatory agent 4-biphenylacetic acid." In addition, 2-substituted oxazolones derived from 2-thioarylbenzaldehydes are starting materials for the preparation of dibenzothie-pine derivatives that are useful to treat schizophrenia." Other oxazolones have been used as intermediates to prepare insecticides and acaricides." ... 

Isocyanides have also been used to prepare unsaturated 5(4//)-oxazolones and they are particularly useful for the synthesis of 4-(aminomethylene)-5(4//)-oxazo-lones 374. For instance, cyclization of an unsaturated isocyanide obtained from condensation of alkyl isocyanoacetates and lactam acetals has been reported (Scheme 7.120). ° ... 

Reaction of unsaturated 5(4//)-oxazolones with appropriate nucleophiles affords new unsaturated 5(4//)-oxazolone analogues used as intermediates to prepare a variety of interesting compounds. 4-(Chloromethylene)-5(4/i/)-oxazolones react with a variety of nucleophiles. For example, 4-(chloromethylene)-2-phenyl-5(4F/)-oxazolone 395 reacts with imidazole to afford 4-[(imidazol-l-yl)methyl-ene]-2-phenyl-5(4F/)-oxazolone 396. The authors found no evidence for the product derived from carbon-carbon bond formation, that is, 4-[(imidazol-4-yl)methylene]-2-phenyl-5(4//)-oxazolone (Scheme 7.126). 

Synthesis oe Heterocyclic Compounds. In some cases, dehydroamino acids obtained from unsaturated 5(477)-oxazolones have been used as intermediates to prepare other heterocyclic compounds. For example, reaction of 2-benzoylamino-3-substituted-2-alkenoic acids 485 with alkyl or arylisothiocyanates affords 4-aryl-methylene-l,2-disubstituted-5-oxo-4,5-dihydroimidazoles 486 (Scheme 7.155). ... 

Unsaturated 5(4//)-oxazolones derived from aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes including phthalic anhydride/ antipyrine/ " chromone/ indoles/ pyridines/" ° quinolines/" diazines/" benzoxazoles/" and benzimidazoles " " have been prepared. Reaction with nitrogen nucleophiles and subsequent cycliza-tion leads to the expected 5(477)-imidazolones. 

Reaction of suitably functionahzed phosphonium ylides with unsaturated 5(47/)-oxazolones 579 has opened the way for the use of new C,C-bis(nucleophiles). Of particular interest is ethyl 3-oxo-4-(triphenylphosphoranylidene)butyrate used to prepare dihydrobenzoxazoles 582 and diastereoisomeric 1,3-cyclohexanedione ylides 583 (Scheme 7.184). ... 

Both reactions have been utilized to prepare heterocyclic compounds such as pyrazoles 681 (X = A -Ph) and isoxazoles 681 (X = O) as shown in Scheme 7.214. " Starting from an unsaturated 5(4//)-oxazolone 677, either a cycloaddition-ring-opening reaction sequence (677 678 680) or a ringopening-cycloaddition reaction sequence (677 679 680) affords the same product. 

Condensation of A -acylglycines with carbonyl compounds, the Erlenmeyer synthesis, continues to be exploited to prepare of a wide variety of unsaturated-5(47/)-oxazolones. The reaction is performed in the presence of a cyclodehydrating agent and recently bismuth(lll) acetate has been evaluated in this capacity. Alternatively, unsaturated 5(47/)-oxazolones can be obtained from hippuric acid and a carbonyl compound or from the appropriate dehydroamino acid derivative using 3-(aIkoxycarbonyl)benzotriazole-l-oxides as the cyclodehydrating agent. 

Bergmann s synthesis (1926) is still used to prepare unsaturated azlactones containing only alkyl substituents. It consists of the treatment of a-alkyl a- (a-halogenoacyl)amino acids with acetic anhydride and it involves the isomerization of an intermediate 2-methylene-5(2H)-oxazolone. An example is given in equation (153). 

Arylmethylene-5(2i/)-oxazolones, unsaturated pseudooxazolones , are prepared by the combined action of acetic anhydride and pyridine on a-(/3-chloroarylacetyl) amino acids (equation 159) or on a-acryloylamino acids (equation 160). 

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