Thermally induced cyclobutenone rearrangements and domino reactions

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/anie.200603538

(Chemical Equation Presented) Four thermal-rearrangement pathways and a domino reaction leading to quinones arise from the thermolysis of cyclobutenones. The course of vinylcyclobutenone rearrangements is dictated by the nature of the substituent, R (see

Full text of DOI:10.1002/anie.200603538

Angewandte
Chemie
DOI: 10.1002/anie.200603538
Rearrangement
Thermally Induced Cyclobutenone Rearrangements and Domino
Reactions**
David C. Harrowven,* David D. Pascoe, and Ian L. Guy
The thermal rearrangement of vinylcyclobutenones has
become established as a reliable method of preparing hydro-
quinones owing, in large part, to the pioneering work of the
research groups of Moore and Liebeskind.[1–3] The basic
reaction, 1!2, extends to various aryl- and heteroaryl
from which two diastereoisomers of spirocycle 7 and dione 8
were isolated in yields ranging from 20 to 27%. Further
experimentation showed dione 8 to be an artifact derived by
aerial oxidation of 7, and that it could be produced in 73%
yield by oxidation of the crude product mixture with the
Dess–Martin periodinane reagent (Scheme 2).[7]
cyclobutenones,[3–5] and has been incorporated into
a
number of more-elaborate domino sequences.[1,6] From a
synthetic perspective, the rearrangement has been used
primarily to access quinones by the oxidation of 2 into 3
and in that capacity has featured in several natural-products
total syntheses.[1,5] Mindful of this, we conceived a simple
extension to facilitate the direct conversion of vinylcyclobu-
tenones into quinones. Our plan was to incorporate a leaving
group on the vinyl appendage in the hope that thermolysis
would induce a domino reaction comprising electrocyclic ring
opening to 4, electrocyclization to 5, and elimination of HX to
quinone 3 (Scheme 1). Herein we describe our realization of
that objective and the discovery of four new thermal
rearrangements of cyclobutenones.
Our discovery of a new vinylcyclobutenone rearrange-
ment raised questions as to the mechanistic course of the
reaction and the factors responsible for promoting this
pathway over the classical sequence depicted in Scheme 1.
Scheme 1. The Moore rearrangement and our planned approach to
quinones.
Our study began with the thermolysis of enol ether 6.
Unexpectedly, heating a THF solution of 6 at 1208C for
30 min by microwave irradiation failed to yield the antici-
pated quinone and gave instead a complex product mixture
[*] Prof. D. C. Harrowven, D. D. Pascoe, Dr. I. L. Guy
School of Chemistry
University of Southampton
Highfield, Southampton, SO171BJ (UK)
Fax: (+44)238-059-6805
E-mail: dch2@soton.ac.uk
[**] The authorsthank EPSRC for their support of thisprogramme.
Supporting information for thisarticle isavailable on the WWW
under http://www.angewandte.org or from the author.
Scheme 2. Thermal rearrangementsof (alkoxyvinyl)cyclobutenones
that lead to spirocycles. DCM=dichloromethane.
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To gain a better understanding of the rearrangement, we first
prepared a series of related enol ethers (9, 11, 13, ent-13, 15,
and ent-15) and subjected them to thermolysis. In each case a
spiro[4.5]deca-2,6-dien-1,4-dione (10, 12, 14, ent-14, 16, and
ent-16, respectively) was given as the major product after
oxidation of the crude product mixture with the Dess–Martin
periodinane reagent (Scheme 2 and 3). Of particular note was
the formation of a single diastereoisomer of spirocycle ent-16
from ent-15, as it implies that rearrangement occurs by an
initial electrocyclic ring opening to ketene 17, which in turn
induces a carbonyl-ene reaction to spirocycle 18 and tauto-
merism to 19 (Scheme 3).[8] Though a nonconcerted addition
of the nucleophilic enol ether to the ketene carbonyl in 17 is
also plausible, it is hard to rationalize the stereochemical
course of the reaction in that case.
Scheme 4. Thermal rearrangementsthat lead to cyclohex-2-en-1,4-
diones.
Scheme 3. Thermal rearrangement of cyclobutenone ent-15 to ent-16
and proposed mechanistic course of the reaction.
To ascertain whether the mode of collapse of the ketene
intermediate was determined by electronic or steric factors,
we prepared a series of vinylcyclobutenones bearing two
organyl substituents on the distal carbon atom of the vinyl
appendage. In each case thermolysis led to a cyclohex-2-en-
1,4-dione (Scheme 4), thereby demonstrating that the electro-
cyclization pathway outpaces the carbonyl-ene reaction in
such cases.
Further evidence that the course of thermal vinylcyclo-
butenone rearrangements is dictated by electronic rather than
steric factors came with the thermolysis of phenyl vinyl ether
30a and vinyl sulfide 30b. In stark contrast to the analogous
methyl vinyl ethers (Schemes 2 and 3), both substrates were
smoothly transformed into quinone 31. Thus, by the simple
expedient of attenuating electron density in the vinyl ether,
we had been able to promote the electrocyclic ring-opening–
electrocyclization–elimination sequence (Scheme 5) over the
spirocyclization pathway.
At this juncture our attention switched to other systems
for which an alternative pericyclic process might compete
with the classical electrocyclization pathway. 4-(o-Styryl)cy-
clobutenones provide a noteworthy case as these molecules
smoothly rearrange to form benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octenones on
heating (Scheme 6). The products can be viewed as arising
from an electrocyclic opening of the cyclobutenone and a
Scheme 5. Thermally induced domino reactions for the synthesis of
quinonesfrom vinylcyclobutenones.
subsequent intramolecular Diels–Alder cycloaddition,
namely 42![43]!47B. Several factors weigh against that
explanation, however. In particular, the transition state for an
intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition in 43 is highly strained,
whereas that for the more-usual [2+2] cycloaddition to 44 or
45 is readily adopted.[9] Indeed, we observed formation of a
[2+2] cycloadduct in the related rearrangement of styrylcy-
clobutenone 48 into benzobicyclo[4.2.0]octenone 49
(Scheme 8), albeit with a different regiochemistry. Addition-
ally, while thermolysis of (Z)-4-(o-styryl)cyclobutenones gave
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Angewandte
Chemie
Scheme 8. Rearrangement of 4-(o-styryl)-cyclobutenone 48 to
benzobicyclo[4.2.0]octenone 49.
The results are thus consistent with rearrangement occurring
by an initial electrocyclic ring opening of the cyclobutenone,
42, to an unsaturated ketene, 43, which in turn undergoes a
[2+2] cycloaddition to benzobicyclo[4.1.1]octenone 45. A
vinylcyclobutane rearrangement via biradical 46 completes
the sequence with the dynamics of rotation between 46B and
46A dictating the stereochemical outcome (Scheme 7).[10]
In conclusion, we have shown that a host of carbocyclic
ring systems can be prepared by the thermal rearrangement of
cyclobutenones. Of particular note is our finding that the
course of vinylcyclobutenone rearrangements is dictated by
the nature of substituents on the vinyl appendage. When the
distal carbon atom carries a powerful electron-donating
group, electrocyclic ring opening of the cyclobutenone is
followed by a carbonyl-ene reaction, which leads to a
cyclopentendione after oxidation (Scheme 2 and 3). In other
cases the unsaturated ketene intermediate undergoes an
electrocyclization reaction, which leads to a cyclohexadie-
none, for example, 5. The nature of the saturated carbon atom
within that cyclohexadienone then dictates whether it collap-
ses with elimination to a quinone (Scheme 5), or tautomerizes
Scheme 6. Rearrangementsof ( Z)-4-(o-styryl)-cyclobutenones to
benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octenones.
benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octenones as single diastereoisomers
(Scheme 6), the isomeric (E)-4-(o-styryl)cyclobutenones led
to diastereomeric mixtures (See Supporting Information).
to
a hydroquinone (Scheme 1) or a cyclohexenedione
(Scheme 4). From a synthetic perspective, the high yields
and lack of reagents add to the appeal of the transformations
described herein.
Received: August 30, 2006
Published online: December 5, 2006
Keywords: cyclization · domino reactions· rearrangement ·
.
spiro compounds · thermochemistry
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