No abstract

Enantiopure 3‐((R)‐ and 3‐((S)‐1‐phenylethyl)‐4‐oxazoline‐2‐ones were evaluated as chiral building blocks for the divergent construction of heterocycles with stereogenic quaternary centers. The N‐(R)‐ or N‐(S)‐1‐phenylethyl group of these compounds proved to be an efficient chiral auxiliary for the asymmetric induction of the 4‐ and 5‐positions of the 4‐oxazolin‐2‐one ring through thermal and MW‐promoted nucleophilic conjugated addition to Michael acceptors and alkyl halides. The resulting adducts were transformed via a cascade process into fused six‐membered carbo‐ and heterocycles. The structure of the reaction products depended on the electrophiles and reaction conditions used. Alternative isomeric 4‐methylene‐2‐oxazolidinones served as chiral precursors for a versatile and divergent approach to highly substituted cyclic carbamates. DFT quantum calculations showed that the formation of bicyclic pyranyl compounds was generated by a diastereoselective concerted hetero‐Diels‐Alder cycloaddition.

We describe the one-pot synthesis of twenty polyheterocyclic pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-ones via a cascade process (Ugi-3CR/aza Diels-Alder/N-acylation/aromatization) in 20 to 95% overall yields, as well as four pharmacologically promising analogues via an improved cascade process (Ugi-3CR/aza Diels-Alder/N-acylation/aromatization/SN2): two piperazine-linked pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-ones in 33 and 34%, and a couple of Falipamil aza-analogues in 30 and 35% overall yields. It is worth highlighting the good substrate scope found, because final products are furnished with alkyl, aryl, and heterocyclic substituents. The use of chain-ring tautomerizable isocyanides (as key reagents for the Ugi-type three component reaction) allowed for a rapid and efficient assembly of the polysubstituted oxindoles, which were used in situ toward the complex products, conferring features like robustness, sustainability, and the one-pot approach to this synthetic methodology.

The scope and limitations of the strategy for the conversion of 2-anilinocyclohexenones and N-arylcyclohexane enaminones into the 1- and 2-oxygenated carbazole scaffolds, respectively, were evaluated. The one-pot palladium(0)-catalyzed aromatization/methylation process of the aforementioned substrates provided a diversity of the corresponding diarylamines. A subsequent palladium(II)-catalyzed cyclization of the latter delivered the desired 1- and 2-oxygenated carbazoles in good overall yields. Special attention was given to the synthesis of the uncommon 1,8-disubstituted carbazoles. This methodology was employed for the total synthesis of the naturally occurring clauraila A, clausenal, clausine P, and 7-methoxy-O-methylmukonal.

The hydrogenation of α-oximinoketones in methanol/HCl afforded α-aminoketones, which were applied without purification to the synthesis of 4-imidazolin-2-ones and 2-thiones, including chiral derivatives. The latter two series were obtained in high yields by a heteroannulation reaction of α-aminoketones with isocyanates and isothiocyanates, respectively. A double condensation of the α-aminoketones with two mol equivalents of the isocyanates produced a series of 4,5-dialkyl-N,3-diaryl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-imidazole-1-carboxamides. With isothiocyanates, a single condensation reaction furnished a series of 4,5-dialkyl-1-aryl-1H-imidazole-2(3H)-thiones, which underwent alkylation with alkyl halides to form the corresponding 1-aryl-2-thioalkyl-1H‑imidazoles in high yields.