1,3-Butadiynamides the Ethynylogous Ynamides: Synthesis, Properties and Applications in Heterocyclic Chemistry.

1,3-butadiynamides-the ethynylogous variants of ynamides-receive considerable attention as precursors of complex molecular scaffolds for organic and heterocyclic chemistry. The synthetic potential of these C4-building blocks reveals itself in sophisticated transition-metal catalyzed annulation reactions and in metal-free or silver-mediated HDDA (Hexa-dehydro-Diels-Alder) cycloadditions. 1,3-Butadiynamides also gain significance as optoelectronic materials and in less explored views on their unique helical twisted frontier molecular orbitals (Hel-FMOs). The present account summarizes different methodologies for the synthesis of 1,3-butadiynamides followed by the description of their molecular structure and electronic properties. Finally, the surprisingly rich chemistry of 1,3-butadiynamides as versatile C4-building blocks in heterocyclic chemistry is reviewed by compiling their exciting reactivity, specificity and opportunities for organic synthesis. Besides chemical transformations and use in synthesis, a focus is set on the mechanistic understanding of the chemistry of 1,3-butadiynamides-suggesting that 1,3-butadiynamides are not just simple alkynes. These ethynylogous variants of ynamides have their own molecular character and chemical reactivity and reflect a new class of remarkably useful compounds.

Media-Driven Pd-Catalyzed Reaction Cascades with 1,3-Diynamides Leading Selectively to Either Indoles or Quinolines.

Divergent Pd-catalyzed reaction cascades with various 1,3-diynamides yielding either 2-amino-3-alkynylindoles or 2-amino-4-alkenylquinolines were established. Omitting or adding TBAF (tetrabutylammonium fluoride) to the reaction of N,N-(2-iodophenyl)(4-toluenesulfonyl)-1,3-diynamides with secondary or primary amines in the presence of KOH in THF and catalytic amounts of Pd(PPh3 )4 completely changed the outcome of the reaction. In the absence of TBAF, 2-amino-3-alkynylindoles were the sole products, while the presence of TBAF switched the product formation to 2-amino-4-alkenylquinolines. Deuterium labeling proceeded selectively at the C3 and C11 positions of the 2-amino-4-alkenylquinoline products and this suggests the unprecedented formation of [4]cumulenimines from 1,3-diynamides as reactive key intermediates.

Synthesis and Structure-Photophysics Evaluation of 2-N-Amino-quinazolines: Small Molecule Fluorophores for Solution and Solid State.

2-N-aminoquinazolines were prepared by consecutive SN Ar functionalization. X-ray structures display the nitrogen lone pair of the 2-N-morpholino group in conjugation with the electron deficient quinazoline core and thus representing electronic push-pull systems. 2-N-aminoquinazolines show a positive solvatochromism and are fluorescent in solution and in solid state with quantum yields up to 0.73. Increase in electron donor strength of the 2-amino substituent causes a red-shift of the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) band (300-400 nm); whereas the photoluminescence emission maxima (350-450 nm) is also red-shifted significantly along with an enhancement in photoluminescence efficiency. HOMO-LUMO energies were estimated by a combination of electrochemical and photophysical methods and correlate well to those obtained by computational methods. ICT properties are theoretically attributed to an excitation to Rydberg-MO in SAC-CI method, which can be interpreted as n-π* excitation. 7-Amino-2-N-morpholino-4-methoxyquinazoline responds to acidic conditions with significant increases in photoluminescence intensity revealing a new turn-on/off fluorescence probe.

Regioselective Synthesis of 4-Aryl-1,3-dihydroxy-2-naphthoates through 1,2-Aryl-Migrative Ring Rearrangement Reaction and their Photoluminescence Properties.

4-Aryl-1,3-dihydroxy-2-naphthoates having the less accessible 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted naphthalene scaffold and that show photoluminescence emission from solid state as well as in solutions, were selectively synthesized from brominated lactol silyl ethers through the 1,2-aryl-migrative ring rearrangement reaction.

Application of Ynamides in the Synthesis of 2-(Tosylamido)- and 2,5-Bis(tosylamido)thiophenes.

A step-economic and metal-catalyst-free synthesis of 2-(tosylamido)- and 2,5-bis(tosylamido)-thiophenes from nonsymmetrical 1,3-butadiynamides and symmetrical 1,3-butadiyne-1,4-diamides is reported. The reaction proceeds in the presence of Na2S·9H2O (2-3 equiv) under mild reaction conditions (50 °C) and is facilitated by polarized carbon-carbon triple bonds in ynamides. This new approach to thiophenes based on the chemistry of ynamides was applied to the synthesis of a bis(tosylamido)-capped terthiophene having a string of N,S-heteroatoms embedded in a highly π-conjugated molecular frame.

Iron(II)-catalysed [2+2+2] cycloaddition for pyridine ring construction.

We report a new, simple and air-stable iron(II) complex pre-catalyst for the synthesis of substituted pyridines via a [2+2+2] cycloaddition between diynes and nitrile derivatives.

6,12-Bis(hex-yloxy)-5H,11H-indolo[3,2-b]carbazole.

The title compound, C30H36N2O2, was prepared in a twofold Cadogan cyclization. The mol-ecule is located about a center of inversion. The indolocarbazole skeleton is essentially planar [maximum deviation = 0.028 (2) Å], the C-N bond lengths are nearly identical and the C-C bond lengths of the pyrrole unit are significantly longer than those of the benzene subunits.

5,11-Dimethyl-6,12-dimeth-oxy-indolo[3,2-b]carbazole.

The title compound, C(22)H(20)N(2)O(2), was prepared in a twofold Cadogan cyclization followed by double N-methyl-ation. The crystal structure is characterized by a zigzag arrangement of centrosymmetric mol-ecules. The indolocarbazole framework is essentially planar [maximum deviation = 0.028 (2) Å] and the meth-oxy groups are orthogonal to this plane [C-C-O-C torsion angle = -88.2 (2)°]. The lengths of the C-N bonds are nearly identical and all C-C bonds of the pyrrole subunit are significantly longer than the C-C bonds in the benzene rings.

Synthesis of ß- and γ-carbolines via ruthenium and rhodium catalysed [2+2+2] cycloadditions of yne-ynamides with methylcyanoformate.

A flexible approach towards substituted ß- and γ-carbolines based on transition metal catalysed [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions between functionalised yne-ynamides and methylcyanoformate is described. The versatility of this new reaction sequence is demonstrated by its application in the total synthesis of the marine natural product eudistomin U.

Total syntheses of the marine illudalanes alcyopterosin I, L, M, N, and C.

The combination of a modular assembly of enantiopure triynes and a powerful rhodium-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] alkyne cyclotrimerization reaction opens new and efficient entries to a set of alcyopterosins, including the first total synthesis of the alcyopterosins L, M, and C.

Synthesis and molecular properties of donor-pi-spacer-acceptor ynamides with up to four conjugated alkyne units.

A set of push-pull ynamides with up to four conjugated triple bonds has been synthesized and the molecular properties of these new carbon rods have been characterised showing effective intramolecular charge transfers and high values for the change of the electrical dipole moment after transition from the ground to the Franck-Condon excited state.

4-Methyl-9-[(4-methyl-phen-yl)sulfon-yl]thio-pyrano[3,4-b]indole-3(9H)-thione.

The title compound, C(19)H(15)NO(2)S(3), is the first example of a dithia analogue of pyrano[3,4-b]indolone. The almost planar thio-pyrano-indole-thione ring system (r.m.s. deviation for all non-H atoms = 0.030 Å) makes a dihedral angle of 80.70 (8)° with the p-tolyl ring. In the crystal, mol-ecules are connected via C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into two chains along the b axis. These chains are connected via π-π inter-actions between symmetry-related thio-pyrano-indole-thione ring systems [centroid-centroid distance = 3.588 (1) Å].

Structure determination of bisacetylenic oxylipins in carrots (Daucus carota L.) and enantioselective synthesis of falcarindiol.

Although bisacetylenic oxylipins have been demonstrated to exhibit diverse biological activities, the chemical structures of many representatives of this class of phytochemicals still remain elusive. As carrots play an important role in our daily diet and are known as a source of bisacetylenes, an extract made from Daucus carota L. was screened for bisacetylenic oxylipins, and, after isolation, their structures were determined by means of LC-MS and 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy. Besides the previously reported falcarinol, falcarindiol, and falcarindiol 3-acetate, nine additional bisacetylenes were identified, among which six derivatives are reported for the first time in literature and three compounds were previously not identified in carrots. To determine the absolute stereochemistry of falcarindiol in carrots, the (3R,8R)-, (3R,8S)-, (3S,8R)-, and (3S,8S)-stereoisomers of falcarindiol were synthesized according to a novel 10-step total synthesis involving a Cadiot-Chodkiewicz cross-coupling reaction of (S)- and (R)-trimethylsilanyl-4-dodecen-1-yn-3-ol and (R)- and (S)-5-bromo-1-penten-4-yn-3-ol, respectively. Comparative chiral HPLC analysis of the synthetic stereoisomers with the isolated phytochemical led to the unequivocal assignment of the (Z)-(3R,8S)-configuration for falcarindiol in carrot extracts from Daucus carota L.

Iodoxolone-based hypervalent iodine reagents.

The fast access to simple (Z)-3-iodo acrylic acid derivatives which can be easily oxidized to the corresponding hypervalent iodine(III) reagents is described. They can be used for various reactions with superior or similar reactivity as conventional hypervalent iodine(III) reagents.

First total synthesis of antiostatin A1, a potent carbazole-based naturally occurring antioxidant.

The first total synthesis of the potent antioxidant antiostatin A1 is reported, where its key features rely on a chemo- and regioselective rhodium-catalysed crossed alkyne cyclotrimerisation reaction applying functionalised ynamides and a palladium-catalysed arylamidation reaction.

First total synthesis of the marine illudalane sesquiterpenoid alcyopterosin E.

The first synthesis of the marine illudalane sesquiterpenoid alcyopterosin E was accomplished through a concise ABC ring-formation strategy using a rhodium(I)-catalysed intramolecular alkyne cyclotrimerisation as key connection.

N-Functionalized 1-Alkynylamides: New Building Blocks for Transition Metal Mediated Inter- and Intramolecular [2+2+1] Cycloadditions.

A conceptually new, stereoselective approach to compounds such as 1 and 2 is expected from the so far unknown class of N-functionalized 1-alkynylamides. Building blocks of the type I and II can be applied to inter- and intramolecular, regio- and stereoselective [Co2 (CO)8 ]-mediated [2+2+1] cycloadditions.