N-ALKOXY-N-ACYLNITRENIUM IONS IN INTRAMOLECULAR AROMATIC ADDITION REACTIONS

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)81665-3

N-alkoxy-N-acylnitrenium ions are generated by treatment of N-alkoxy-N-chloroamides with silver ions in ethereal solvents.These intermediates readily cyclise onto aromatic nuclei on alkoxy side-chains to give benzoxazines and benzoxazepines and on the acyl side-chains to give γ, δ and ε benzolactams.Spirane products are formed by ipso addition when a 4-methoxy substituent is present on the side-chain aromatic rings.The yields and regioselectivities of these reactions have been ascribed to different transition structures for cyclisation onto the acyl and alkoxy side-chains which involve respectively an exocyclic and endocyclic N-O ?-bond.Evidence for this exeptionally high ?-bond character has been obtained from MNDO calculations which predict a ?-bond order of 0.9 and a rotational barrier of 29.7 kcalmol^-1