Intramolecular thermal transformations of N-phthalimidoaziridines: 1,3-dipolar cyclo-addition and rearrangements*

The intramolecular thermal cycloaddition of N-phthalimidoaziridines at multiple bonds of substituents with the intermediate formation of azomethine ylides leads to condensed pyrrole derivatives, in which the five-membered ring is adjacent to a five-, six-, or seven-membered ring. Rearrangements, which sometimes become the predominant reactions, compete with cycloaddition. Thus, aziridines with aryl substituents readily isomerize to give imines with a 1,2-shift of the phthalimide group to one of the carbon atoms. Aziridines with one electron-withdrawing substituent probably do not open to give 1,3-dipoles but rather undergo a Cope-type rearrangement involving the three-membered ring and C = O bond of the second substituent. Even in intramolecular reactions, very low activity is found for the cyano group triple bond and aromatic ring bonds as dipolarophiles.