The Development of Carbon-Carbon Bond Forming Reactions of Aminal
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Tetrahedron 71 (2015) 1448e1465 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Tetrahedron journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tet The development of carbonecarbon bond forming reactions of aminal radicals David A. Schiedler, Jessica K. Vellucci, Yi Lu, Christopher M. Beaudry * Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, 153 Gilbert Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-4003, USA article info abstract Article history: Aminal radicals were generated and used in synthetic reactions for the first time. Aminal radicals are Received 20 October 2014 formed from aminals by radical translocation using AIBN and a stoichiometric hydrogen atom donor, or Received in revised form 18 December 2014 by SmI2 reduction of N-acyl amidines or amidinium ions in the presence of a proton source. Aminal Accepted 18 December 2014 radicals were found to participate in inter- and intramolecular CeC bond forming reactions with electron Available online 10 January 2015 deficient alkenes. Chemical yields were as high as 99%. Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Aminal radicals Alkaloids Samarium iodide Radical translocation 1. Introduction electron lone pair on the adjacent nitrogen atom and react with alkenes to give products of CeC bond formation.9 This reactivity has Many biologically active molecules, including pharmaceuticals, proven useful for the synthesis of heterocycles as well as in the total contain one or more nitrogen atoms. As a result, nitrogen-rich synthesis of alkaloids.10 Carbon-centered radicals bearing two ad- compounds, such as alkaloids and pharmaceuticals, make com- jacent heteroatoms, such as acetal radical 2, are also known to pelling synthetic targets.1 However, the complex reactivity of ni- undergo CeC bond forming reactions with alkenes (Scheme 1, Eq. trogen can be problematic in synthesis. The ability to quaternize, 2). Additionally, N,S- and N,O-acetal radicals (3) have been pre- the Lewis basic lone pair, and the weakly acidic NeH protons found sumed as intermediates in CeC bond forming reactions (Scheme 1, in nitrogen-containing molecules often give rise to undesired Eq. 3).11 reactivity. Carbon-centered radicals bearing two adjacent nitrogen atoms In order to mask the complex Lewis acidebase reactivity of ni- (i.e., aminal radicals) have been implicated as intermediates in the trogen, synthetic chemists often resort to the use of protective free radical and radiative damage of DNA nucleotide bases,12 they groups.2 Other strategies, which have proven successful for the have been experimentally generated and studied spectroscopi- synthesis of nitrogen-containing structures include opting to install cally,13 and long-lived aminal radicals have been isolated.14 Appli- nitrogen late in the synthesis3 or in the form of a less reactive cations of aminal radicals include their use as photochromic dyes15 functional group (e.g., as a nitro4 or nitrile5 group). An alternative and as tools for mechanistic investigations.16 Although there are means to circumvent the pitfalls of alkaloid synthesis is the use of reports of fragmentation,17 protonation,18 and dimerization re- single electron reactivity (i.e., free radical reactions). Free radicals actions of aminal radicals, there had been no reports of their syn- are known to tolerate heteroatom lone pairs, and NeH bonds are thetic utility prior to recent work from our laboratory.19 resistive to homolytic cleavage.6 As a result, free radical reactions Having considered the known reactivity of acetal and a-ami- have been used successfully for key CeC bond forming reactions in noalkyl radicals, the creation of a new reaction was envisioned the synthesis of complex alkaloids (e.g., Scheme 1, Eq. 1).7 wherein an aminal radical would undergo addition to an alkene to The addition of carbon-centered radicals bearing heteroatoms give the product of CeC bond formation. Computational studies to CeC multiple bonds has been known for over 50 years.8 a- indicated that aminal radicals are 1e2 kcal/mol more stable than Aminoalkyl radicals, such as 1 (Scheme 1), gain stability from the analogous a-aminoalkyl radicals.20 This suggested that it would be possible to selectively generate aminal radicals in the presence of carbon atoms bearing a single nitrogen atom. Based on these con- * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ1 541 737 6746; fax: þ1 541 737 2062; e-mail siderations, we postulated that aminal radical intermediates would address: [email protected] (C.M. Beaudry). be well suited for the construction of the carbon framework in http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tet.2014.12.067 0040-4020/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. D.A. Schiedler et al. / Tetrahedron 71 (2015) 1448e1465 1449 Scheme 1. Selected transformations involving radical intermediates bearing a-heteroatoms. nitrogen-rich molecules. For example, Fig. 1 shows a selection of aminals, which do not bear an electron-withdrawing group, biologically active aminal containing natural products, which have a deuterium labeling study on the translocation reactions of ami- attracted the interest of many synthetic chemists.21 Furthermore, nals, which do not bear an electron-withdrawing group, and ap- commercial pharmaceuticals quinethazone and metolazone also plications of the translocation method to acyclic aminals relevant to possess the aminal functional group. the synthesis of indole alkaloids. 2. Results and discussion In 1958, Juveland reported the generation of a-aminoalkyl radical intermediate 4 under peroxide initiated conditions (Scheme 2, Eq. 1).22 Treatment of piperidine with di-tert-butylperoxide in the presence of 1-octene yielded 2-octyl piperidine. Extension of this method to the generation of aminal radicals could involve the treatment of an aminal with di-tert-butylperoxide in the presence of a suitable radical acceptor (Scheme 2, Eq. 2). Tetrahy- droisoquinazoline (5) was chosen because it was easy to prepare, it is chromatographically stable, and it contains a chromophore, which allowed for facile monitoring of reaction progress. Following Juveland’s procedure, 5 was heated in the presence of di-tert-butylperoxide and 1-octene in a sealed tube. The reaction produced an intractable mixture of products and none of the de- sired product 6 was observed. In an effort to affect cleaner re- activity, modified reaction conditions were investigated. Lowering the reaction temperature resulted in no reaction. Performing the Fig. 1. Selected aminal containing alkaloids and pharmaceuticals. reaction neat, tethering the radical acceptor to the substrate, or using activated alkenes as radical acceptors all resulted in the for- Herein we give a full account of the development of aminal mation of a complex mixture of products.23 radical reactivity for use in synthesis. In addition to expanded Based on these results, two plausible explanations were for- discussions of the results previously reported, we describe our mulated. Either the desired aminal radical 7 was generated, and it initial efforts to generate aminal radicals under peroxide initiated was reacting in an unselective manner to give the observed de- conditions, the efforts to optimize translocation reactions of composition, or aminal radical 7 had not been generated and the 1450 D.A. Schiedler et al. / Tetrahedron 71 (2015) 1448e1465 Scheme 2. Extension of Juveland’s method. observed degradation was arising from other reaction pathways. competent. However, in addition to the desired product 13, iso- Unable to easily distinguish between these possibilities, an alter- meric product 14,27 over addition product 15, and dehalogenated native method for the generation of aminal radicals was sought. product 16 were observed (Table 1). Formation of the undesired Ideally, this method would incorporate a functional handle that product 14 is competitive with the formation of desired product 13 could be used to determine whether aminal radicals were being as a result of the stability of the a-aminobenzylic radical from generated. which it presumably arises. The formation of dehalogenated 16 was Radical translocation24 of 2-iodobenzyl (IBn) protected amine 8 not surprising given that similar reaction conditions have been 28 with AIBN and Bu3SnH in the presence of methyl acrylate gives used to perform radical dehalogenation. Although Curran re- alkylated product 9 (Scheme 3).25 Reactions of this type proceed ported the oxidation of 2-iodobenzyl ethers under similar reaction through the generation of a phenyl radical (10) followed by 1,5-H conditions,29 no amidine formation was observed. atom transfer to form an a-aminoalkyl radical intermediate 11. Having successfully demonstrated that aminal radical in- The a-aminoalkyl radical then adds to the olefin and gives 9 after H termediates could be generated and added to alkenes using the atom abstraction from Bu3SnH. radical translocation method, efforts were turned to reaction op- Scheme 3. Protective radical translocation. The application of radical translocation as a means to generate timization. Variation of the Bu3SnH equivalents had little effect on aminal radicals was particularly attractive because it would provide the product distribution; however, the yield of 13 decreased when a functional handle through which problematic reactivity might be less than 2 equiv were added (Table 1, entries 1e3). Adjustment of diagnosed. Specifically, the loss of iodide is diagnostic for the for- the acrylate equivalents showed that only trace amounts of the mation of a phenyl radical. Deuteration experiments could be used desired products