Synlett 2008(14): 2107-2110  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1078253
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Microwave-Enhanced α-Functionalisation of Tetramates

Mark G. Moloney*, Muhammad Yaqoob
Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
Fax: +44(1865)285002; e-Mail: mark.moloney@chem.ox.ac.uk;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 9 July 2008
Publication Date:
05 August 2008 (online)

Abstract

Bicyclic tetramic acids may be efficiently allylated or arylated either directly or via the corresponding triflate, using a microwave-enhanced protocol; under these conditions, the yield and diastereoselectivity are very high.

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General Method without Microwave To a solution of tetramic acid 3 (50 mg, 0.20 mmol) in dry THF [5 mL; or dry CH2Cl2 (5 mL)] was added the allyl bromide (0.22 mmol) and Et3N (0.22 mmol) at 0 ˚C and the mixture stirred for 3 d at r.t. The reaction was monitored by TLC, and when complete it was quenched with sat. aq NH4Cl solution, extracted with EtOAc (3 × 20 mL), washed with brine (10 mL), dried over MgSO4, and the solvent was evaporated in vacuo. Column chromatography with PE-EtOAc gave the product.
General Method with Microwave
To a solution of tetramic acid 3 (100 mg, 0.37 mmol) in dry THF (2 mL) in a microwave reaction tube was added allyl bromide (0.1 mL, 0.40 mmol) and Et3N (0.1 mL, 0.40 mmol) and stirred at 60 ˚C for 10 min at 13.8 bar under microwave power of 75 W. The solvent was evaporated the product obtained by column chromatography.
(3 R ,6 R ,7a R )-Methyl 6-Allyl-3- tert -butyl-6-methyl-5,7-dioxohexahydropyrrolo[1,2- c ]oxazole-7a-carboxylate ( 4a) and (3 R ,7a R )-Methyl 7-(Allyloxy)-3- tert -butyl-6-methyl-5-oxo-1,3,5,7a-tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2- c ]oxazole-7a-carboxylate (5a) Product 4a: R f = 0.65 (PE-EtOAc, 4:1); [α]D ²4 +93 (c 1, CHCl3). IR (neat): νmax = 2960 (m), 1780 (m), 1750 (s), 1720 (s), 1484 (w), 1280 (s), 1015 (m) cm. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.92 [9 H, s, C(CH3)3], 1.22 (3 H, s, CH3), 2.63 (2 H, m, CH2CH=CH2), 3.42 (1 H, d, J = 8.9 Hz, CH2O), 3.83 (3 H, s, CO2CH3), 4.85 (1 H, d, J = 8.9 Hz, CH2O), 5.06 (1 H, s, CHt-Bu), 5.16 (2 H, m, CH2CH=CH2), 5.75 (1 H, m, CH2CH=CH2). ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 17.1 (CH3), 24.7 [C(CH3)3], 35.3 (C), 40.9 (CH2), 53.5 (CO2CH3), 54.7 (C), 69.3 (CH2O), 78.6 (C), 99.0 (CH), 120.1 (CH2), 130.5 (CH), 167.1 (CO), 179.8 (CO), 204.1 (CO). HRMS (microTOF): m/z calcd for C16H23NO5Na: 332.1474; found: 332.1468 [M + Na]+.
Product 5a: R f  = 0.3 (PE-EtOAc, 4:1); [α]D ²4 +96 (c 0.83, CHCl3). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.91 (9 H, s, t-Bu), 1.90 (3 H, s, CH3), 3.39 (1 H, d, J = 8.4 Hz, CH2O), 3.78 (3 H, s, CO2CH3), 4.68 (1 H, s, CHt-Bu), 4.72 (1 H, m, OCH2CH=CH2), 4.82 (1 H, d, J = 8.4 Hz, CH2O), 5.30 (2 H, m, OCH2CH=CH2), 5.90 (1 H, m, OCH2CH=CH2). ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 8.37 (CH3), 24.6 [C(CH3)3], 35.1 (C), 53.0 (CO2CH3), 70.1 (CH2O), 71.8 (OCH2CH=CH2), 74.0 (C), 96.7 (CHt-Bu), 105.4 (C), 118.4 (OCH2CH=CH2), 131.9 (OCH2CH=CH2), 166.7 (C), 169.2 (C), 179.7 (C). HRMS (microTOF): m/z calcd for C16H23NO5Na: 332.1474; found: 332.1468 [M + Na]+.
(3 R ,6 R ,7a R )-Methyl 3- tert -Butyl-6-cinnamyl-6-methyl-5,7-dioxohexahydropyrrolo[1,2- c ]oxazole-7a-carboxylate (4b) R f = 0.56 (PE-EtOAc, 4:1); [α]D ²4 +81.0 (c 0.4, CHCl3). IR (neat): νmax = 3485 (w), 3030 (s), 2960 (s), 1715 (s), 1600 (w), 1485 (s), 1450 (s), 1280 (s), 1100 (s), 750 (s) cm. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.92 [9 H, s, (C(CH3)3], 1.27 (3 H, s, CH3), 2.79 (2 H, d, J = 7.6 Hz, CH2CHCHPh), 3.45 (1 H, d, J = 8.9 Hz, CH2O), 3.73 (3 H, s, CO2CH3), 4.86 (1 H, d, J = 8.9 Hz, CH2O), 5.03 (1 H, s, CHt-Bu), 6.13 (1 H, s, m, CH2CHCHPh), 6.46 (1 H, d, J = 15.7 Hz, CH2CHCHPh), 7.22-7.38 (5 H, m, Ph). ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 17.9 (CH3), 24.8 [C(CH3)3], 35.3 [C(CH3)3], 40.2 (CH2CHCHPh), 53.6 (CO2CH3), 55.0 (C), 69.3 (CH2O), 78.7 (C), 99.2 (CHt-Bu), 122.0 (CH), 126.4 (CH), 127.7 (CH), 128.5 (CH), 134.9 (CH), 136.8 (C), 167.1 (CO), 180.0 (CO), 204.3 (CO). MS (ES+): m/z (%) = 444.28 (60) [M + 59]+, 277.3 (100). HRMS (microTOF): m/z calcd for C22H27NO5Na: 408.1787; found: 408.1781 [M + Na]+.
(3 R ,6 R ,7a R )-Methyl 3- tert -Butyl-6-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-6-methyl-5,7-dioxohexahydro-pyrrolo-[1,2- c ]oxazole-7a-carboxylate (6) R f = 0.33 [PE (40-60)-EtOAc, 4:1]; [α]D ²¹ +121.0 (c, 0.33, CHCl3). IR (neat): νmax = 3425 (w), 3110 (s), 2960 (s), 1715 (s), 1615 (s), 1540 (s), 1480 (s), 1350 (s), 1065 (s), 740 (s) cm. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.93 (9 H, s, t-Bu), 1.49 (3 H, s, CH3), 3.57 (1 H, d, J = 8.6 Hz, CH2O), 3.90 (3 H, s, CO2CH3), 4.75 (1 H, s, CHt-Bu), 4.83 (1 H, d, J = 8.6 Hz, CH2O), 7.44 (1 H, d, J = 9.1 Hz, CHAr), 8.51 (1 H, dd, J = 2.7, 9.1 Hz, CHAr), 8.87 (1 H, d, J = 2.7 Hz, CHAr). ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 8.3 (CH3), 24.6 [C(CH3)3], 35.1 [C(CH3)3], 53.5 (CO2CH3), 70.1 (CH2O), 73.8 (C), 80.5 (C), 96.9 (CHt-Bu), 121.4 (CH, Ar), 122.1 (CH, Ar), 127.8 (CH, Ar), 140.3 (C, Ar), 143.9 (C, Ar), 151.6 (C, Ar), 168.1 (CO), 176.5 (CO), 198.0 (CO). MS (ES-): m/z (%) = 434.26 (20) [M - H]+, 568.13 (100). HRMS (microTOF): m/z calcd for C19H22N3O9: 436.1351; found: 436.1351 [M + H]+.

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(3 R ,7a R )-Methyl 3- tert -Butyl-6-methyl-5-oxo-7-(trifluoromethylsulfonyloxy)-1,3,5,7a-tetrahydro-pyrrolo[1,2- c ]oxazole-7a-carboxylate (7) To a solution of tetramic acid 3 (100 mg, 0.37 mmol), dry Et3N (0.16 mL, 1.16 mmol, 3 equiv) in dry CH2Cl2 (2 mL) at 0 ˚C was added Tf2O (0.19 mL, 1.13 mmol, 3 equiv) via syringe and stirred for 1 h. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo and the residue purified by flash column chromatography in PE (40-60)-EtOAc (4:1) to give the product 7 (110 mg, 73%) as a colourless oil.
R f  = 0.6 [PE (40-60)-EtOAc, 4:1]; [α]D ²³ +91 (c 0.7 in CHCl3). IR (neat): νmax = 2960 (m), 1730 (m), 1295 (m) cm. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.94 [9 H, s, C(CH3)3], 1.94 (3 H, s, CH3), 3.51 (1 H, d, J = 8.9 Hz, H-4endo), 3.83 (3 H, s, CO2CH3), 4.74 (1 H, s, H-2), 4.83 (1 H, d, J = 8.9 Hz, H-4exo). ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 8.2 (CH3), 24.7 [C(CH3)3], 35.1 [C(CH3)3], 53.6 (CO2CH3), 70.6 (C-4), 74.2 (C-5), 96.7 (C-2), 127.2 (C-7), 154.9 (C-6), 166.7 (CO2CH3), 173.8 (C-8). HRMS (CI+): m/z calcd for C14H19NO7F3S: 402.0834; found: 402.0831 [M + H]+.

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Allylations of Triflate 7 (with MW) in the Presence of Pd(OAc) 2 - General Method To a solution of the enol triflate 7 (20 mg, 0.05 mmol) in dry THF (2 mL) was added allyl bromide (0.2 mL, 2.3 mmol), Pd(OAc)2 (35 mg, 0.16 mmol), and Et3N (0.2 mL, 1.44 mmol) under N2. The reaction tube was inserted in microwave reactor, and the reaction was carried out for 10 min at 50 ˚C under 100 W microwave power. The reaction course was monitored by TLC. When the reaction was complete, it was diluted with EtOAc (20 mL), quenched with sat. aq NH4Cl (10 mL), washed with brine (5 mL), dried over MgSO4, and the solvent was evaporated in vacuum. Column chromatography with PE-EtOAc (4:1) afforded the product.

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Bioassay of Products
Microbiological assays were performed by the hole-plate method with the test organism Staphylococcus aureus N.C.T.C. 6571 or E. coli X580. Solutions (100 mL) of the compounds to be tested (4 mg/mL) were loaded into wells in bioassay plates, and incubated overnight at 37 ˚C. The diameters of the resultant inhibition zones were measured, and relative potency estimated by reference to standards prepared with Cephalosporin C.