Organoaluminum-Promoted Beckmann Rearrangement of Oxime Sulfonates

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00347a052

The Beckmann rearrangement of oxime sulfonates with simultaneous nucleophilic trapping of the intermediary iminocarbocation by organoaluminum reagents is described.This process provides a new and highly efficient route to imino thioethers, imino selenoethers, imino nitriles, and α-alkylated amines starting from oxime sulfonates by the use of dialkylaluminum thiolates, selenolates, diethylaluminum chloride-trimethylsilyl cyanide, and trialkylaluminum-diisobutylaluminum hydride systems, respectively.The present organoaluminum-promoted Beckmann rearrangement of oxime sulfonates has been successfully applied to the synthesis of naturally occuring alkaloids, pumiliotoxin C and solenopsin A and B, in stereoselective fashion.Moreover, α,α-dialkylation of amines can be realized by the successive treatment of oxime sulfonates with trialkylaluminum followed by allylic or propargylic Grignard reagents in synthetically useful yields.