Electroreductive Coupling of Phthalimides with α,ß-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds and Subsequent Acid-Catalyzed Rearrangement to 4-Aminonaphthalen-1-ols: Density Functional Theory Study of the Acid-Catalyzed Rearrangement of Ketene Silyl Acetals.

The electroreductive coupling of phthalimides with α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in the presence of TMSCl and successive treatment of the electrochemically coupled products with TFA gave two types of rearranged products, 3- and 2-substituted 4-aminonaphthalen-1-ols. The substituent (R) on the nitrogen atom of phthalimides determined which type of 4-aminonaphthalen-1-ol was preferentially formed. Bulky and less bulky N substituents selectively afforded 3- and 2-substituted 4-aminonaphthalen-1-ols, respectively. It was presumed by the density functional theory calculations for the acid-catalyzed rearrangement of silyl ketene acetals produced by the electroreductive coupling that the rearranged product selectivity depends on whether O or N protonation of the amide group of the silyl ketene acetals occurs more rapidly.

Electroreductive Intermolecular Coupling of 4-Quinolones with Benzophenones: Synthesis of 2-Substituted 4-Quinolones.

The electroreductive coupling of 1-alkoxycarbonyl-4-quinolones with benzophenones in the presence of trimethylsilyl chloride gave adducts reacted at the 2-position of 4-quinolones as trimethylsilyl ethers. The adducts were transformed to 2-(diarylhydroxymethyl)-4-quinolones. The electroreduction of 1,3-diethoxycarbonyl-4-quinolones and polyhalogenated 3-alkoxycarbonyl-1-alkyl-4-quinolones with benzophenones also gave adducts reacted at the 2-position of 4-quinolones. On the contrary, the electroreductive coupling of 1,3-diethooxycarbonyl-8-methoxy-4-quinolones occurred at the 4-position of 4-quinolones to give 4-substituted quinolines.