New methods for the synthesis of 2-oxazolone-4-carboxylates from 3-nosyloxy- and 3-bromo-2-ketoesters are described. Condensation of 3-nosyloxy-2-ketoesters with methyl carbamate in refluxing toluene in the presence of p-TSA provided 2-oxazolone-4-carboxylates in good yields (41-80%). Alternatively, bromination of alpha-ketoesters with CuBr2 provided 3-bromo-2-ketoesters which condensed with methyl carbamate in the presence of p-TSA and AgOTf under similar conditions to provide 2-oxazolone-4-carboxylates in comparable yields (30-79%). The 2-oxazolone-4-carboxylates bear functionality that can be elaborated to a variety of potentially useful compounds. For example, some of these heterocycles were readily N-acylated, reduced to alcohols, or saponified and coupled with amino acids.
The use of microwave technology in solid-phase organic synthesis has attracted much attention in recent years. The combination of solid support, either as a medium for chemical synthesis or as a carrier for organic reagents, with microwave heating offers several advantages over conventional techniques. Rapid and elevated heating of reaction mixtures can induce the completion of chemical transformations in minutes while several hours or days may be required for the same chemistry under conventional conditions. With decreased time of exposure to high temperatures and lessened thermal degradation, microwave accelerated chemistries often deliver products of higher purity when compared to conventional heating techniques. Several chemical syntheses on solid-phase employing microwave irradiation have been reported in the literature. The reagents, solvents, and equipment selected for microwave-mediated synthesis are important contributors to the success of the chemical transformation. Owing to the timesavings in performing chemical synthesis under microwave irradiation, the technique has become an emerging partner in solid-phase organic synthesis.
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