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Five 1-benzazepine heterocycles were synthesized by utilizing transition-metal-catalyzed processes in key bond-forming steps. exo-Methylene and methyl substituents were introduced at position 5, as well as a unit of unsaturation between positions 3 and 4, with benzoyl or benzyl N-substituents. Solution- and solid-state structures were examined, using dynamic NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, corroborated by molecular mechanics calculations. Greater amide distortion is associated with a more stable ground-state structure, which is in turn more reluctant to undergo conformational changes.

A synthetic route to 1-benzyl-tetrahydro-1-benzazepine is reported, which also permits access to analogous structures with alkyl and aryl substituents at position-2 of the aliphatic ring. Palladium catalysis is utilized in two of the three steps, constructing the seven-membered rings effectively from 2-bromoiodobenzene. Competitive β-hydride elimination was observed in the attempted carbonnitrogen bond formation with a sterically bulky substrate (when R=tert-butyl).

The development of a convenient “one pot” synthesis of 7α-formamido ACA(12) from 7-ACA(2) via quinone methide methodology is described.

[reaction: see text] Regioselective additions of arylsulfonamides to vinylarenes, norbornene, and cyclohexadiene were achieved using a copper-diphosphine catayst under mild reaction conditions. These processes appear to be ligand-accelerated.

Partially and fully reduced forms of benzo-fused eight- to ten-membered nitrogen heterocycles (1-benzazecines, 1-benzazonines and 1-benzazecines) have been prepared. Conformational features, transannular distances and dynamic behavior were studied using X-ray crystallography and VT NMR spectroscopy. The amide moiety in the nine-membered benzazonine ring 5b favors N-pyramidization, whereas the ten-membered benzazecine 5c adopts an amide twist. Molecular mechanics calculations reveals a correlation between the amide twist (tau) and ring stability. The dynamic behavior of the heterocycles in solution were also found to be dependent on the extent and nature of the amide distortion. We thus conclude that ring strain of these medium-sized heterocyclic rings is relieved through amide distortion, which leads to a more stable structure.