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Chiral spirocylic oxaphospholenes were prepared in a three-step sequence from chiral pool terpenoid ketones. After addition of a metal acetylide, the resulting propargyl alcohols were converted stereoselectively into their allenylphosphonate counterparts. In the last step, they were conveniently cyclized into spirooxaphospholenes with one equivalent of iodine without purification. When starting from sterically hindered terpenes, allenylphosphonates were also easily obtained but showed to be unreactive or rearranged under these cyclization conditions.

Enantiopure 4-formyl-β-lactams were deployed as synthons for the diastereoselective formation of chiral 2-(2,2,2-trifluoro-1-hydroxyethyl)azetidines via trifluoromethylation through aldehyde modification followed by reductive removal of the β-lactam carbonyl moiety. Subsequent treatment of the (in situ) activated 2-trifluoroethylated azetidines with a variety of nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and fluorine nucleophiles afforded chiral 3,4-disubstituted 2-(trifluoromethyl)pyrrolidines in good to excellent yields (45-99%) and high diastereoselectivities (dr >99/1, 1 H NMR) via interception of bicyclic aziridinium intermediates. Furthermore, representative pyrrolidines were N,O-debenzylated in a selective way and used for further synthetic elaboration to produce, for example, a CF 3 -substituted 2-oxa-4,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.0]octan-3-one system.

Several natural products containing a 1,4-oxazepane-2,5-dione-core are known. One example is serratin, isolated from Serratia marcescens. Because of the presence of a carboxylic amide, which has a preference for a trans-conformation, and the presence of a labile lactone in this core, many synthetic methodologies commonly used for the cyclization toward medium-sized heterocycles cannot be applied. As N-acyl amino acids lacking a third substituent at nitrogen failed to undergo ring-closure, several N-protecting groups were evaluated. With the use of the removable PMB-group, an N-unsubstituted 1,4-oxazepane-2,5-dione was synthesized. Via the application of pseudoprolines (i.e. serine-derived oxazolidines as another type of protecting group), a compound with the presumed structure of the natural product serratin was obtained. As a result of the differences in spectral data, the incorrect structural assignment of the natural product serratin was identified. Instead of the predicted seven-membered heterocycle, a symmetrical serratamolide analogue is proposed to be the correct structure of serratin.

The addition of phosphite nucleophiles across linear unsaturated imines is a powerful and atom-economical methodology for the synthesis of aminophosphonates. These products are of interest from both a biological and a synthetic point of view: they act as amino acid transition state analogs and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reagents, respectively. In this work the reaction between dialkyl trimethylsilyl phosphites and α,β,γ,δ-diunsaturated imines was evaluated as a continuation of our previous efforts in the field. As such, the first conjugate 1,6-addition of a phosphite nucleophile across a linear unsaturated N-containing system is reported herein. Theoretical calculations were performed to rationalize the observed regioselectivites and to shed light on the proposed mechanism.

N-Benzoyl β,β-difluoroenamides and N-benzoyl fluoroynamides are novel structural units which have been explored as precursors in heterocyclic synthesis. The presence of two fluorine atoms at the β-position of the enamide moiety endows unique electrophilic reactivity. Treatment of these enamides with oxygen nucleophiles gives rise to a nucleophilic vinylic substitution (S(N)V) reaction, which was directed toward 2-fluoro-1,4-benzoxazines and 2-fluoro-1,4-benzoxazepin-5-ones. Furthermore, fluorinated ynamides, a new type of building block, were prepared in excellent yields for the first time. In this case, β-addition of nucleophiles across the triple bond is observed also.

A convenient and stereoselective approach toward cis- and trans-1-alkyl-2-(methyl/phenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)aziridines was developed starting from the corresponding α,α,α-trifluoroketones via imination, α-chlorination, and hydride-induced ring closure. The reactivity of these newly synthesized nonactivated α-CF3-aziridines was evaluated by applying N-protonation or N-alkylation to effect regio- and stereospecific aziridine ring opening by oxygen, halogen, sulfur, and nitrogen nucleophiles. Furthermore, nonactivated α-CF3-aziridines were easily transformed into their activated analogues by replacing the N-benzyl protecting group with a N-tosyl group, rendering these α-CF3-aziridines much more susceptible to nucleophilic ring opening.

Phosphonylated pyrroles were obtained by a ZnCl2-catalyzed 5-exo-dig hydroamination of propargylic enamines. These starting compounds were obtained in two steps from commercially available β-ketophosphonates. The method tolerates a wide variety of substituents at the 1,2- and 5-position of the pyrrole, while further derivatization allows for the introduction of substituents at the 4-position via lithiation or halogenation.

2H,3'H-Spiro[benzofuran-3,2'-naphthoquinones], constituting a new spiroheterocyclic skeleton, were synthesized starting from 2-aryloxymethyl-1,4-naphthoquinones by means of a palladium(II)-catalyzed reaction, which is a new spirocyclic transformation. Under optimal conditions, i.e. 10 mol % of palladium(II) acetate, 15 mol % of 3,5-dichloropyridine, and 5 mol % of trifluoroacetic acid in acetic acid at 110 °C, various 2H,3'H-spiro[benzofuran-3,2'-naphthoquinones] were synthesized in yields strongly dependent on the substitution pattern of the aryloxy group. Unsubstituted or ortho-substituted 2-aryloxymethyl-1,4-quinones were found to rearrange toward the corresponding 2-(4-hydroxyaryl)-1,4-quinones upon treatment with trifluoroacetic acid.

3-Azabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-en-1-yl phosphonates were prepared in a five-step reaction route from β-ketophosphonates. The key steps in this sequence are an atom-transfer radical cyclization and an unforeseen lithium-halogen exchange with n-BuLi. The cyclization reaction proceeds with excellent diastereoselectivity. The resulting cyclic imines were reduced, and 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-1-yl phosphonates were obtained.

Reaction of N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-halo imines with alkoxides afforded new N-tert-butanesulfinyl 2-amino acetals in good to excellent yield. These N-tert-butanesulfinyl 2-amino acetals are convenient precursors for the TMSOTf-promoted synthesis of the corresponding N-protected α-amino aldehydes and ketones, as well as for the HCl-promoted synthesis of 2-amino acetal hydrochlorides and α-amino ketone and α-amino aldehyde hydrochlorides in high yield. Via this method, an asymmetric synthesis of (S)-cathinone hydrochloride (er 94:6) was achieved.

A convenient approach toward nonactivated 1-alkyl-2-(trifluoromethyl)azetidines as a new class of constrained azaheterocycles was developed starting from ethyl 4,4,4-trifluoroacetoacetate via imination, hydride reduction, chlorination, and base-induced ring closure. Furthermore, the reactivity profile of these 2-CF(3)-azetidines was assessed by means of quaternization and subsequent regiospecific ring opening at C4 of the azetidinium intermediates by oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, and halogen nucleophiles, pointing to a clear difference in reactivity compared to azetidines bearing other types of electron-withdrawing groups at C2.

The reactivity of 2-bromomethyl-2-methylaziridines toward oxygen, sulfur, and carbon nucleophiles in different solvent systems was investigated. Remarkably, the choice of the solvent has a profound influence on the reaction outcome, enabling the selective formation of either functionalized aziridines in dimethylformamide (through direct bromide displacement) or azetidines in acetonitrile (through rearrangement via a bicyclic aziridinium intermediate). In addition, the experimentally observed solvent-dependent behavior of 2-bromomethyl-2-methylaziridines was further supported by means of DFT calculations.

Zincated 3-chloro-3-methyl-1-azaallylic anions undergo a stereoselective aldol addition across aromatic aldehydes and subsequent mesylation to produce syn α-chloro-β-mesyloxyketimines, which were isolated in 80-84% yield and high diastereomeric excess (dr > 97/3) after purification via flash chromatography. The syn α-chloro-β-mesyloxyketimines were further stereoselectively reduced to give stereochemically defined 3-aminopropyl mesylates, which were cyclized to 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted 3-chloroazetidines containing three contiguous stereogenic centers. DFT calculations on the key aldol addition revealed the presence of a highly ordered bimetallic six-membered twist-boat-like transition state structure with a tetra-coordinated metal cyclic structure. DFT calculations revealed that chelation of both zinc and lithium cations in the transition state structure leads to the experimentally observed high syn diastereoselectivity of aldol reactions.

The reactivity of 2-(2-mesyloxyethyl)azetidines, obtained through monochloroalane reduction and mesylation of the corresponding β-lactams, with regard to different nucleophiles was evaluated for the first time, resulting in the stereoselective preparation of a variety of new 4-acetoxy-, 4-hydroxy-, 4-bromo-, and 4-formyloxypiperidines. During these reactions, transient 1-azoniabicyclo[2.2.0]hexanes were prone to undergo an S(N)2-type ring opening to afford the final azaheterocycles, which was rationalized by means of a detailed computational analysis. This approach constitutes a convenient alternative for the known preparation of 3,4-disubstituted 5,5-dimethylpiperidines, providing an easy access to the 5,5-nor-dimethyl analogues as valuable templates in medicinal chemistry. Furthermore, cis-4-bromo-3-(phenoxy or benzyloxy)piperidines were elaborated into the piperidin-3-one framework via dehydrobromination followed by acid hydrolysis.

Fluorinated pyrazoles bearing additional functional groups that allow further functionalization are of considerable interest as building blocks in medicinal chemistry. The developed synthetic strategy for new 3-amino-4-fluoropyrazoles consists of a monofluorination of β-methylthio-β-enaminoketones using 1-(chloromethyl)-4-fluoro-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bis(tetrafluoroborate) (Selectfluor) toward the corresponding monofluorinated enaminoketones, followed by condensation with different hydrazines.

The synthetic utility of N-alkylidene-(2,3-dibromo-2-methylpropyl)amines and N-(2,3-dibromo-2-methylpropylidene)benzylamines was demonstrated by the unexpected synthesis of 3-methoxy-3-methylazetidines upon treatment with sodium borohydride in methanol under reflux through a rare aziridine to azetidine rearrangement. These findings stand in contrast to the known reactivity of the closely related N-alkylidene-(2,3-dibromopropyl)amines, which are easily converted into 2-(bromomethyl)aziridines under the same reaction conditions. A thorough insight into the reaction mechanism was provided by both experimental study and theoretical rationalization.

New chiral α-chloro-β-amino-N-sulfinyl imidates were synthesized in high yield and excellent diastereomeric excess via highly anti-selective Mannich-type reactions of (R(S))-methyl N-tert-butanesulfinyl-2-chloroethanimidate with aromatic aldimines. The α-chloro-β-amino-N-sulfinylimidates proved to be excellent building blocks for the asymmetric synthesis of β-amino-α-chloro amides and esters, aziridine-2-carboxylic amides and esters, trans-2-aryl-3-chloroazetidines, and methyl 4-phenyloxazolidin-2-one-5-carboxylate. The obtained absolute anti-diastereoselectivity is the opposite of the stereochemical outcome observed for α-methyl-substituted imidates.

trans-4-Aryl-3-chloro-1-(2-chloroethyl)azetidin-2-ones, prepared through cyclocondensation of chloroketene and the appropriate imines in a diastereoselective way, were unexpectedly transformed into 3-aryl-2-(ethylamino)propan-1-ols using LiAlH(4) in THF under reflux. A stepwise analysis showed that the initially formed 1-(1-aryl-2-chloro-3-hydroxypropyl)aziridines were converted into trans-2-aryl-3-(hydroxymethyl)aziridines, most probably via N-spiro bis-aziridinium intermediates, which were subsequently prone to undergo ring opening by LiAlH(4) to afford 3-aryl-2-(ethylamino)propan-1-ols.

α-Alkylation of N-sulfinyl imidates with 1-chloro-3-iodopropane successfully led to 2-substituted N-tert-butanesulfinyl-5-chloropentanimidates in acceptable diastereomeric ratios (dr 67/33 to 72/28) and good yields (74-86%). Subsequent reduction with NaBH(4) led to the corresponding 2-substituted N-tert-butanesulfinyl-5-chloropentylamines, which could be cyclized to a range of new chiral 3-substituted N-tert-butanesulfinylpiperidines using NaH in DMSO. Finally, the N-tert-butanesulfinylpiperidines could be efficiently deprotected to enantiomerically pure 3-alkyl- and 3-arylpiperidine hydrochlorides.

2-(2-Cyano-2-phenylethyl)aziridines were converted into novel cis- and trans-2-chloromethyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carbonitriles via alkylation with 1-bromo-2-chloroethane followed by microwave-assisted 6-exo-tet cyclization and regiospecific ring opening. The latter piperidines were used as eligible substrates for the synthesis of stereodefined 2-chloromethyl-, 2-hydroxymethyl-, and 2-carboxymethyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acids, 2-hydroxymethyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carbonitriles, 3-hydroxy-5-phenylazepane-5-carbonitriles, and 5-phenyl-2,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes.

Chiral short-chain alpha-chloroaldehydes were prepared starting from enantiomerically pure amino acids in a three-step approach, thus providing a practical synthetic alternative for known organocatalytic alpha-chlorination procedures. The latter aldehydes proved to be useful starting materials for the stereoselective Staudinger synthesis of (3S,4S)-4-[(1S)-1-chloroalkyl]azetidin-2-ones in high diastereomeric ratios and good overall yields, which were used as chiral building blocks for the preparation of a number of azetidines and pyrrolidines.

3-Hydroxymollugin 2 and 3-methoxymollugin 3 are cytotoxic compounds isolated as minor compounds from Pentas longiflora and Rubia cordifolia. Syntheses of 3-hydroxymollugin 2 and 3-methoxymollugin 3 were developed starting from easily available 3-bromomollugin 6. Surprisingly, it was found that the reaction of 3-bromomollugin 6 with sodium methoxide in methanol resulted in the formation of 3-methoxymollugin 3 and the ring-contracted methyl isopropenylfuromollugin 7. A mechanism for this ring contraction is proposed on the basis of a pericyclic retro oxa-6pi ring-opening reaction. A second synthesis of 3-hydroxymollugin 2 was based on epoxidation of methyl 3-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone-2-carboxylate 17 and subsequent reduction of the quinone moiety, ring transformation, and DDQ oxidation. The latter oxidation process results in 3-hydroxymollugin 2 along with the rearranged furomollugin 4, which is a ring-contracted analogue of the natural product mollugin 1.

Synthetic strategies toward 4-substituted 3,3-difluoropiperidines were evaluated. 4-Alkoxymethyl- and 4-aryloxymethyl-3,3-difluoropiperidines were synthesized via 1,4-addition of ethyl bromodifluoroacetate to 3-substituted acrylonitriles in the presence of copper powder, followed by borane reduction of the cyano substituent, lactamization, and reduction of the lactam. This method was applied to establish the synthesis of N-protected 3,3-difluoroisonipecotic acid, a fluorinated gamma-amino acid. 4-Benzyloxy-3,3-difluoropiperidine was prepared using an analogous methodology and was converted to N-protected 3,3-difluoro-4,4-dihydroxypiperidine, a compound with high potential as a building block in medicinal chemistry.

ABC analogues of the antitumor antibiotic lavendamycin, which contain the key metal chelation site and redox-active quinone unit essential for biological activity, were prepared via the palladium(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of various 2-haloheteroaromatics with 2-stannylated pyridines and quinolines. Using the Stille reaction, 2-bromo substituted quinolines and 1-bromoisoquinolines were found to undergo efficient coupling with 2-pyridinylstannanes to provide unsymmetrical heterobiaryl derivatives. While the Stille reaction using the reverse coupling partners (i.e., 2-quinolinylstannanes and haloheteroaromatics) had not received much attention in the literature, we found that this alternative coupling reaction efficiently provided several new heterobiaryl derivatives. The gold-catalyzed intramolecular cycloisomerization of N-(prop-2-ynyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxamide smoothly afforded a beta-carbolinone derivative that was subsequently used for a Pd(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling directed toward the synthesis of lavendamycin analogues.

Alpha-alkylation of N-sulfinyl imidates, prepared via condensation of tert-butanesulfinamide with ortho esters, led to alpha-substituted N-sulfinyl imidates in good-to-excellent diastereomeric ratios (dr up to >99:1) and yields. Deprotection of the alkylated N-sulfinyl imidates gave access to the corresponding imidate hydrochlorides in outstanding yields. These imidate hydrochlorides proved to be excellent intermediates for an easy transformation to chiral amides in good yields and enantiomeric excess upon simple heating in chloroform. Hydrolysis of the alpha-benzylated imidate hydrochlorides afforded the corresponding chiral esters with >95% ee.

Synthetic strategies toward 3-fluoroazetidine-3-carboxylic acid, a new cyclic fluorinated beta-amino acid with high potential as building block in medicinal chemistry, were evaluated. The successful pathway includes the bromofluorination of N-(diphenylmethylidene)-2-(4-methoxyphenoxymethyl)-2-propenylamine, yielding 1-diphenylmethyl-3-hydroxymethyl-3-fluoroazetidine after reduction of the imino bond, ring closure, and removal of the 4-methoxybenzyl group. Changing the N-protecting group to a Boc-group allows further oxidation to 1-Boc-3-fluoroazetidine-3-carboxylic acid, a new fluorinated heterocyclic amino acid.

5-Alkoxymethyl-2-aryl-3-fluoro-1H-pyrroles and 2-aryl-3-fluoro-1H-pyrrole-5-carbaldehydes were efficiently prepared from the corresponding 2-aryl-5-(bromomethyl)-1-pyrrolines via electrophilic alpha,alpha-difluorination of the imino bond, using Selectfluor (1-chloromethyl-4-fluoro-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bistetrafluoroborate) and subsequent aromatization by dehydrofluorination. This methodology provides a new and easy entry toward various new 3-fluorinated pyrroles.

During the synthesis of tricyclic phosphonopyrrolidines via intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of 1-acylamino(furan-2-yl)methyl phosphonates, two isomers are formed in most cases. The presence of a short three-atom tether together with spectroscopic data, including difference NOE, revealed that the cycloaddition occurred exo, but the phosphonate substituent on the tether had an exo or endo orientation. This was confirmed via X-ray analysis. A thermodynamic preference for the product with the phosphonate function in the endo position was observed experimentally and was confirmed theoretically. Density functional theory methods and several high-level post Hartree-Fock procedures were used to rationalize the observed isomer ratio of the IMDAF-reactions. This was done for two different types of reagents: with the activating carbonyl group in the tether or as a substituent on the tether. For the first type of molecules there is a large steric hindrance of the bulky tether substituents that disfavors the exo-isomer. In the latter case, there was a very small energy difference between the transition states causing a mixture of epimers being formed.

A synthesis of benzo[f]isoindole-4,9-diones 1 is presented starting from the reaction of 2,3-bis(bromomethyl)-1,4-dimethoxynaphthalene 15 with primary amines affording 2,3-bis(aminomethyl)-1,4-dimethoxynaphthalenes 14, which could be converted by CAN-mediated oxidation in one step to benzo[f]isoindole-4,9-diones 1. An alternative synthesis of benzo[f]isoindole-4,9-diones 1 starts from 2,3-bis(bromomethyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone 9 via 2,3-dihydrobenzo[f]isoindoles 10 which spontaneously oxidize.

Difluoropiperidines attract considerable interest from organic and medicinal chemists, but their synthesis is often problematic. This paper describes a new synthetic pathway toward valuable 3,3-difluoropiperidines starting from suitable delta-chloro-alpha,alpha-difluoroimines. The latter imines can be synthesized via electrophilic fluorination of the corresponding delta-chloroimines using NFSI (N-fluorodibenzenesulfonimide) in acetonitrile. After hydride reduction of the imino bond and subsequent intramolecular substitution of the chloride atom, new 3,3-difluoropiperidines were obtained in good yields. In addition, this methodology was applied to establish the first synthesis of N-protected 3,3-difluoropipecolic acid, a new fluorinated amino acid.

A combined experimental and theoretical study is presented on 2-azetines, a class of azaheterocyclic compounds, which are difficult to access but have shown a unique reactivity as strained cyclic enamines. New highly substituted 2-azetines bearing aryl substituents at the 2- and 4-position were synthesized from 3,3-dichloroazetidines. Whereas 2-aryl-3,3-dichloroazetidines gave stable 2-aryl-3-chloro-2-azetines upon treatment with sodium hydride in DMSO, 2,4-diaryl-3,3-dichloroazetidines showed a remarkably different reactivity in that they afforded benzimidoyl-substituted alkynes under similar mild treatment with base. The formation of the alkynes involves electrocyclic ring opening of intermediate 2,4-diaryl-3-chloro-2-azetines and elimination of hydrogen chloride. Ab initio theoretical calculations confirmed the experimental findings and demonstrated that the 4-aryl substituent is responsible for this remarkably enhanced reactivity of 2-azetines toward electrocyclic conrotatory ring opening by a significant decrease in reaction barrier of about 30 kJ/mol. This activation effect by an aryl group in the allylic position toward electrocyclic ring opening of unsaturated four-membered rings is of general importance since a similar increased reactivity of 4-aryloxetes, 4-arylthiete-1,1-dioxides, and 3-arylcyclobutenes has been reported in literature as well.

An efficient synthesis of naturally occurring compounds isolated from Pentas longiflora, cis-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydromollugin 2, and trans-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydromollugin 3 is described. The O-protected mollugins were dihydroxylated using OsO4 to achieve the corresponding cis-dihydroxy derivatives in excellent yield. The synthesis of trans-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydromollugin was achieved using Oxone in good yield. A mechanism for the formation of cis-3,4-dihydroxymollugin acetonide from the reaction of mollugin with Oxone is proposed.

1-Allyl- and 1-(3-phenylallyl)-substituted 4-(2-bromo-1,1-dimethylethyl)azetidin-2-ones were transformed into 3-substituted 7-alkoxy-5,5-dimethyl-1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]octane-8-ones through radical cyclization by means of n-tributyltin hydride and AIBN in toluene with excellent diastereocontrol (>or=99%). The radical cyclization of 4-(2-bromo-1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-(2-methylallyl)azetidin-2-ones afforded 8-alkoxy-3,6,6-trimethyl-1-azabicyclo[5.2.0]nonan-9-ones in good diastereomeric excess (75-78%). The reductive ring opening of 1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]octane-8-ones and 1-azabicyclo[5.2.0]nonan-9-ones with lithium aluminum hydride resulted in novel 2-(1-alkoxy-2-hydroxyethyl)piperidines and -azepanes, which were isolated as single isomers.

gamma-Phosphono-alpha-aminobisphosphonates were synthesized from a new class of 4-phosphono-1-aza-1,3-dienes by the addition of dialkyl trimethylsilyl phosphites to these azadienes in the presence of acid. Depending on the steric demand of the group on nitrogen, double 1,2-addition or tandem 1,4-1,2-addition occurred.

A straightforward synthesis toward 2-fluorinated aziridines was developed via ring closure of beta-fluorinated beta-chloroamines, which were obtained via reduction of the corresponding alpha-fluorinated amides by borane. When 1-benzyl-2-fluoroaziridine was treated with methanol, reaction occurred at the 2-position, giving rise to N-benzyl-2,2-dimethoxyethylamine, while in the case of 1-benzyl-2,2-difluoroaziridine the 3-position was attacked, giving rise to N-benzyl-2-methoxyacetamide. These reactions point to the divergent reactive behavior of monofluoro- and difluoroaziridines.

1-Arylmethyl-2-(bromomethyl)aziridines were transformed into novel 2-(2-cyanoethyl)aziridines upon treatment with alpha-lithiated trimethylsilylacetonitrile in THF in an efficient and straightforward approach. The latter aziridines underwent ring opening by reaction with benzyl bromide in acetonitrile, affording 5-amino-4-bromopentanenitriles through a regiospecific ring opening of intermediate aziridinium salts by bromide. Further elaboration of these gamma-bromonitriles resulted in the synthesis of novel 2-[N,N-bis(arylmethyl)aminomethyl]cyclopropanecarbonitriles in high yields by means of a 1,3-cyclization protocol upon treatment with KOtBu in THF.

Mannich-type addition of benzophenone imine glycinates across newly synthesized N-(p-toluenesulfonyl) alpha-chloroaldimines afforded gamma-chloro-alpha,beta-diamino ester derivatives with moderate diastereoselectivity as separable mixtures of anti and syn diastereomers. The gamma-chloro-alpha,beta-diamino esters were efficiently cyclized under basic conditions to the corresponding beta,gamma-aziridino alpha-amino ester derivatives, representing a new class of conformationally constrained heterocyclic alpha,beta-diamino acid derivatives. The relative configuration of the aziridines was determined via X-ray diffraction analysis. Mechanisms and intermediate transition states to explain the stereochemical outcome of the Mannich reaction with different substrates or under different conditions are proposed. The synthetic importance of the beta,gamma-aziridino alpha-amino ester derivatives is demonstrated by their conversion into the corresponding Boc-protected derivatives and ring opening reactions to alpha,beta-diamino esters and a gamma-amino alpha,beta-unsaturated amino ester.

1-Arylmethyl-2-(cyanomethyl)aziridines were transformed into 4-(N,N-bis(arylmethyl)amino)-3-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)butanenitriles and 4-(N,N-bis(arylmethyl)amino)-2-butenenitriles via 4-(N,N-bis(arylmethyl)amino)-3-bromobutanenitriles in high yields and purity. The key steps involve the unprecedented regiospecific ring opening of intermediate 2-(cyanomethyl)aziridinium salts by bromide and pyrrolidine in acetonitrile, exclusively at the substituted aziridine carbon atom. The results were rationalized on the basis of ab initio calculations.

Reduction of (RS)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl alpha-halo imines afforded chiral aziridines in good to excellent yields. Upon reduction of (RS)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl alpha-halo imines with NaBH4 in THF, in the presence of 10 equiv of MeOH, (RS,S)-beta-halo sulfinamides were formed in excellent yield (up to 98%) with very good stereoselectivity (>98:2). Simple treatment of the latter (RS,S)-beta-halo-tert-butanesulfinamides with KOH afforded the corresponding (RS,S)-N-(tert-butylsulfinyl)aziridines in quantitative yields. On the contrary, its epimer, (RS,R)-N-(tert-butylsulfinyl)aziridine was synthesized by switchover of the reducing agent from NaBH4 to LiBHEt3. (RS,R)-N-(tert-Butylsulfinyl)aziridines were synthesized in good yields (up to 85%) and diastereoselectivity (up to 92:8) by reduction of (RS)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl alpha-halo imines with LiBHEt3 in dry THF and subsequent treatment with KOH. All chiral aziridines were obtained as a single diastereomer after recrystallization (overall yield up to 91%) or after flash chromatography.

Trialkyl phosphites were evaluated for addition reactions to alpha,beta-unsaturated imines. An acidic medium is required to allow consecutive 1,4- and 1,2-addition to occur. In this manner, 3-phosphonyl-1-aminophosphonates, phosphonic acid analogues of glutamate, are obtained in good yields (32-90%). The reaction is mainly influenced by the steric bulk of the nitrogen substituent: less steric N-substituents lead to better yields of the tandem adducts.

N-(Alkylidene or 1-arylmethylidene)-2-propenylamines were regiospecifically functionalized to novel N-(alkylidene or 1-arylmethylidene)-3-bromo-2-fluoropropylamines, which were proven to be excellent precursors for 3-fluoroazetidines.

A high-yielding, asymmetric synthesis of novel 4-formyl-1-(2- and 3-haloalkyl)azetidin-2-ones was developed as valuable starting materials for the synthesis of different enantiomerically enriched bicyclic azetidin-2-ones, such as piperazine, morpholine, and 1,4-diazepane annulated beta-lactam derivatives. Especially the hydride reduction of 4-imidoyl-1-(2- and 3-haloalkyl)azetidin-2-ones turned out to be an efficient and straightforward method for the preparation 2-substituted piperazines and 1,4-diazepanes.

3,3-Dichloro-1-azaallylic anions, generated by deprotonation of alpha,alpha-dichloroketimines 10 with lithium diisopropylamide, reacted with N-sulfonylaldimines 7 to produce the Mannich-type products N-[2,2-dichloro-3-(N-alkylimino)-1,3-diarylpropyl]benzenesulfonamides 11. The latter stable compounds were hydrolyzed at the imino functionality to afford N-[2,2-dichloro-3-oxo-1,3-diarylpropyl]benzenesulfonamides 12 in excellent yields. N-[2,2-Dichloro-3-(N-alkylimino)-1,3-diarylpropyl]benzenesulfonamides 11 were cyclized to cis-3-aryl-2-chloro-2-imidoylaziridines 19 in 81-99% yield with high diastereoselectivity, representing a novel and readily available class of stable 2-chloroaziridines. Finally, a highly stereoselective entry to 2-(aminomethyl)-2-chloroaziridines 27 (70-98% yield; de > 95-99) was worked out from the reaction of cis-3-aryl-2-chloro-2-imidoylaziridines 19 and sodium cyanoborohydride in the presence of acetic acid. The latter 2-(aminomethyl)aziridines 27 represent stereochemically defined small azaheterocyclic rings which were scarcely reported in the literature.

1-tert-Butyl-2-(allyloxymethyl)aziridine has been transformed for the first time diastereoselectively into cis-3,5-di(bromomethyl)-4-tert-butylmorpholine via an electrophile-induced ring closure using bromine in dichloromethane. The latter morpholine has been used as a substrate for the synthesis of the corresponding 3,5-di(methoxymethyl)morpholine and 3,5-di(cyanomethyl)morpholine upon nucleophilic displacement of both bromo atoms. Further evaluation of this protocol toward the synthesis of 4-arylmethyl- and 4-alkylmethyl-3,5-di(bromomethyl)morpholines showed that the premised cyclization of the corresponding 2-(allyloxymethyl)aziridines into 3,5-di(bromomethyl)morpholines only proceeded well for the N-neopentylmorpholine, which was subsequently transformed into a 3-oxa-7-thia-9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivative. Also, in some other cases, the desired 3,5-di(bromomethyl)morpholines were isolated in low yields and transformed into the corresponding 3,5-di(cyanomethyl)morpholines.

1-Arylmethyl-2-(cyanomethyl)aziridines were prepared in high yields from the corresponding 2-(bromomethyl)aziridines upon treatment with potassium cyanide in DMSO. Ring opening of the aziridine moiety with N-chlorosuccinimide in CCl4 and subsequent treatment of the thus formed 4-chloro-3-(N-chloro-N-(alpha,alpha-dichlorobenzyl)amino)butanenitriles with sodium methoxide in methanol resulted in novel methyl N-(2-chloro-1-(cyanomethyl)ethyl)benzimidates, although in low yields. The latter gamma-chloro nitriles were smoothly converted into methyl N-(2-cyanocyclopropyl)benzimidates as precursors of biologically relevant beta-ACC derivatives through a 1,3-cyclization protocol by reaction with potassium tert-butoxide in THF.

An efficient and straightforward two-step approach toward N3,N'3-polymethylene-bis-hydantoins was developed. As a first step, a pyroglutamate is reacted with a diisocyanate to produce a bis-carbamoyllactam. The second step is a double-ring transformation by treatment of this bis-carbamoyllactam with KOtBu in ethanol. In this fashion N3,N'3-polymethylene-bis-hydantoins are produced in two quantitative steps and under very mild conditions. When properly derivatized, these compounds can be converted to their macrocyclic derivatives upon treatment with 5 mol % of second-generation Grubbs' catalyst. These macrocyclic derivatives are so far not described in the literature. It was proven that exclusively (E)-isomers are formed.

A four-step synthesis of 2-phosphonopyrroles is presented starting from suitable aldehydes. The key step in the synthesis involves a one-pot ring-closing metathesis/oxidation sequence of a functionalized alpha-aminoalkenyl phosphonate. Notwithstanding the presence of a nucleophilic nitrogen atom and high substitution patterns in the substrate, the results of the RCM reaction are excellent using mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, a synergism is observed between the RCM catalyst and the oxidizing agent, causing higher oxidation rates and allowing reaction for substrates that normally fail to ring close under standard RCM conditions.

[reaction: see text] An efficient and straightforward route toward 3,4-cis-4-isopropenylazetidin-2-ones was developed from 4-(1-chloroalkyl)azetidin-2-ones. Starting from the latter beta-lactams, a new synthesis of pyrrolidin-2-ones was achieved. When 4-isopropenylazetidin-2-ones were treated with bromine in dichloromethane, diastereoselective electrophile-induced ring expansions toward 5-bromopyrrolidin-2-ones were performed. Further oxidation of 3-benzyloxypyrrolidin-2-ones with bromine toward 3-bromopyrrolidin-2-ones was also established. When 4-isopropenyl-beta-lactams were added to a mixture of NBS and TMSN(3), 5-azidopyrrolidin-2-ones were obtained in moderate to high yields.

[reaction: see text] The diastereoselective synthesis of highly functionalized gamma-lactams starting from 4-(1-bromoalkyl)-2-azetidinones via N-acyliminium intermediates is described. The carbenium ions, formed by dissociation of bromide from 4-(1-bromoalkyl)-2-azetidinones in polar medium, are converted via a ring expansion toward N-acyliminium ions, which are susceptible to attack of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon nucleophiles. In this way, a variety of 5-hydroxy-, 5-alkoxy, 5-cyano-, 5-allylamino- and 5-azido-4,4-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidinones were synthesized. It was found that dehydrobromination of 4-(1-bromoalkyl)-2-azetidinones constituted an important side reaction when the title reactions were carried out in DMSO. When THF was used as a solvent, generally no dehydrobromination was observed, implying that higher yields of gamma-lactams were obtained in THF compared to reactions performed in DMSO. Also substituents of the 4-(1-bromoalkyl)-2-azetidinones play an important role concerning the obtained diastereoselectivity and the degree of dehydrobromination.

A new, efficient, and straightforward synthesis of 3-arylmethyl-4-chloromethyl-2-imino-1,3-thiazolidines and 2-(N-acylimino)-3-arylmethyl-4-chloromethyl-1,3-thiazolidines has been developed by ring transformation of 1-arylmethyl-2-(thiocyanomethyl)aziridines upon treatment with a catalytic amount of titanium(IV) chloride in dichloromethane. The latter 2-(thiocyanomethyl)aziridines were prepared in high yields from 1-arylmethyl-2-(bromomethyl)aziridines by reaction with potassium thiocyanate in DMF. The 2-imino-1,3-thiazolidines and 2-(N-acylimino)-1,3-thiazolidines thus obtained can be easily interconverted, either by treatment with an acid chloride and a base in ether toward 2-(N-acylimino)thiazolidines or by treatment with potassium carbonate in methanol toward N-deprotected 2-iminothiazolidines. Dehydrohalogenation of 2-(N-acylimino)-3-arylmethyl-4-chloromethyl-1,3-thiazolidines by means of potassium tert-butoxide in DMSO afforded 2-(N-acylimino)-4-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-thiazolines in good yields.