Intramolecular 1,4-dipolar cycloaddition of an anhydro-4-hydroxy-2-oxo-1,3-thiazium hydroxide across a tethered indole pi-bond has been used for the construction of the pentacyclic skeleton of epi-16,17-dihydroeburnamenine. The reaction of 3-ethyl-3-(alkenyl)piperidinones with diketene and trimethylsilyl triflate in benzene at ambient temperature produced annulated pyridones in good yield. The initial reaction involved formation of a N-acetoacetylated amide which was further converted to the pyridone with TMSOTf. The overall process was found to proceed with complete stereospecificity. Treating a sample of 3-ethyl-3-[(E)-4-phenyl-3-butenyl]-2-piperidone with diketene and TMSOTf produced a cycloadduct in 63% yield whose stereochemistry was elucidated by a X-ray crystallographic study. The epimeric Z-isomer produced a different stereoisomer of the annulated dihydropyridone. The mechanism of the annulation involves a TMSOTf induced cyclization followed by proton removal and generation of a cross-conjugated heteroaromatic betaine. This 1,4-dipole undergoes a subsequent intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition across the neighboring pi-bond, and the resulting cycloadduct is subsequently converted to the annulated lactam. A related annulation sequence leading to a key intermediate previously utilized in the synthesis of the (+/-)-vallesamidine has been developed which is based on the intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition of a mesoionic betaine intermediate.

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