Batch and flow photochemical benzannulations based on the reaction of ynamides and diazo ketones. Application to the synthesis of polycyclic aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds.

Highly substituted polycyclic aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds are produced via a two-stage tandem benzannulation/cyclization strategy. The initial benzannulation step proceeds via a pericyclic cascade mechanism triggered by thermal or photochemical Wolff rearrangement of a diazo ketone. The photochemical process can be performed using a continuous flow reactor which facilitates carrying out reactions on a large scale and minimizes the time required for photolysis. Carbomethoxy ynamides as well as more ketenophilic bis-silyl ynamines and N-sulfonyl and N-phosphoryl ynamides serve as the reaction partner in the benzannulation step. In the second stage of the strategy, RCM generates benzofused nitrogen heterocycles, and various heterocyclization processes furnish highly substituted and polycyclic indoles of types that were not available by using the previous cyclobutenone-based version of the tandem strategy.

Synthesis of polycyclic benzofused nitrogen heterocycles via a tandem ynamide benzannulation/ring-closing metathesis strategy. Application in a formal total synthesis of (+)-FR900482.

A two-stage "tandem strategy" for the synthesis of benzofused nitrogen heterocycles is described that is particularly useful for the construction of systems with a high level of substitution on the benzenoid ring. The first stage in the strategy involves a benzannulation based on the reaction of cyclobutenones with ynamides. This cascade process proceeds via a sequence of four pericyclic reactions and furnishes a multiply substituted aniline derivative which can bear a variety of functionalized substituents at the position ortho to the nitrogen. In the second stage of the tandem strategy, ring-closing metathesis generates the nitrogen heterocyclic ring. This two-step sequence provides efficient access to highly substituted dihydroquinolines, benzazepines, benzazocines, and related benzofused nitrogen heterocyclic systems. The application of this chemistry in a concise formal total synthesis of the anticancer agents (+)-FR900482 and (+)-FR66979 is described.

Synthesis of amides and lactams in supercritical carbon dioxide.

Supercritical carbon dioxide can be employed as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional organic solvents for the synthesis of a variety of carboxylic amides. The addition of amines to ketenes generated in situ via the retro-ene reaction of alkynyl ethers provides amides in good yield, in many cases with ethylene or isobutylene as the only byproducts of the reaction. Reactions with ethoxy alkynes are performed at 120-130 degrees C, whereas tert-butoxy derivatives undergo the retro-ene reaction at 90 degrees C. With the exception of primary, unbranched amines, potential side reactions involving addition of the amines to carbon dioxide are not competitive with the desired C-N bond-forming reaction. The amide synthesis is applicable to the preparation of beta-hydroxy and beta-amino amide derivatives, as well as amides bearing isolated carbon-carbon double bonds. Preliminary experiments aimed at developing an intramolecular variant of this process to afford macrolactams suggest that the application of CO(2)/co-solvent mixtures may offer advantages for the synthesis of large-ring compounds.

Asymmetric reactions in continuous flow.

An overview of asymmetric synthesis in continuous flow and microreactors is presented in this review. Applications of homogeneous and heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis as well as biocatalysis in flow are discussed.

[2+2] Cycloaddition of ketenes with ynamides. A general method for the synthesis of 3-aminocyclobutenone derivatives.

Ynamides react with ketenes in [2+2] cycloadditions leading to a variety of substituted 3-aminocyclobut-2-en-1-ones. The ynamides employed in these reactions are readily available via the copper-promoted N-alkynylation of carbamates and sulfonamides with alkynyl bromides and iodides. The scope of the [2+2] cycloaddition with regard to both the ketene and ynamide component is described.

Palladium-catalyzed amination of aryl bromides with hindered N-alkyl-substituted anilines using a palladium(I) tri-tert-butylphosphine bromide dimer.

An efficient palladium-catalyzed amination of aromatic bromides with hindered N-alkyl-substituted anilines is described, either using the combination of Pd(OAc)(2) and P(t-Bu)(3) or a palladium(I) tri-tert-butylphosphine bromide dimer, [Pd(mu-Br)(t-Bu(3)P)](2), a new, commercially available, and easily handled catalyst.