Helvetica Chimica Acta ± Vol. 88 (2005)
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2. Preparation of Starting Materials. 2.1. 2,2'-[1,2-Ethanediylbis(oxy)]bis[5-ethenylpyridine] (1) [6]. General
Procedure (GP 1). A soln. of 2,5-Dibromopyridine and ethane-1,2-diol in THF/DMF was allowed to react with
NaH to afford 2,2'-[1,2-ethanediylbis(oxy)]bis[5-bromopyridine] in 94% yield (Scheme 1). The dibromide was
subjected to Pd0-catalyzed coupling with tributyl(ethenyl)tin to afford the desired dimer 1 in 63% yield [6].
Colorless solid. M.p. 64.8 ± 65.68. 1H-NMR (CDCl3): 8.10 (d, J 2.5, 2 H); 7.70 (dd, J 8.5, 2.5, 2 H); 6.78 (d,
J 8.5, 2 H); 6.66 (dd, J 17.7, 11.0, 2 H); 5.65 (d, J 17.7, 2 H); 5.22 (d, J 11.0, 2 H); 4.67 (s, 4 H).
2.2. 5-Ethenyl-2-[2-(4-ethenylphenoxy)ethoxy]pyridine (5). Prepared in analogy to GP 1. Colorless solid.
M.p. 103.4 ± 104.28. 1H-NMR (CDCl3): 8.11 (d, J 2.1, 1 H); 7.71 (dd, J 8.9, 2.1, 1 H); 7.37 (d, J 8.9, 1 H);
7.34 (d, J 8.6, 1 H); 6.91 (d, J 8.9, 1 H); 6.83 (d, J 8.9, 1 H); 6.78 (d, J 8.6, 1 H); 6.67 ± 6.62 (m, 2 H);
5.65 (d, J 17.7, 1 H); 5.62 (dd, J 17.7, 0.9, 1 H); 5.23 (d, J 11.0, 1 H); 5.13 (dd, J 11.0, 0.9, 1 H); 4.69 ± 4.67
(m, 2 H); 4.34 (m, 2 H). HR-EI-MS: 267.1255 (M , C17H17NO2 ; calc. 267.1259).
2.3. 1,1'-[1,2-Ethanediylbis(oxy)]bis[4-ethenyl-2-methylbenzene] (8) [7]. Prepared in analogy to GP 1.
Colorless solid. M.p. 118.0 ± 118.98. 1H-NMR (CDCl3): 7.23 (s, 2 H); 7.20 (d, J 8.3, 2 H); 6.84 (d, J 8.3, 2 H);
6.64 (dd, J 17.7, 11.0, 2 H); 5.61 (d, J 17.7, 2 H); 5.11 (d, J 11.0, 2 H); 4.34 (s, 4 H); 2.22 (s, 6 H).
3. Photochemical Cyclization Reactions. 3.1. 10,13-Dioxa-8,15-diazatetracyclo[12.2.2.26,9.02,5]eicosa-
6,8,14,16,17,19-hexaene (2 and 3). General Procedure (GP 2). A 1000-ml flask with a magnetic stirring bar
was loaded with a soln. of 1 (400 mg, 1.5 mmol) in MeCN (750 ml), and through this soln. N2 gas was bubbled for
20 min. Then, the soln. was irradiated with a 400-W high-pressure Hg lamp using a Pyrex filter. The reaction was
monitored by HPLC and TLC. After the disappearance of 1 (ca. 2 h), the mixture was evaporated, and the
crude product was purified by column chromatography (CC) (SiO2, toluene/AcOEt) to afford the syn- and anti-
isomers 2 and 3, resp. Racemic (Æ)-3 was resolved by means of chiral HPLC (Chiralcel OD; i-PrOH) into its
antipodes.
Data of 2 (syn-isomer). Isolated yield: 42%. Colorless solid. M.p. 119.4 ± 120.18. 1H-NMR (CDCl3): 7.28 (d,
J 2.5, 2 H); 6.94 (dd, J 8.3, 2.5, 2 H); 6.33 (d, J 8.3, 2 H); 5.17, 5.14 (q-like AB system, J 6.3 each, 2 H);
4.42, 4,39 (q-like AB system, J 6.3 each, 2 H); 4.12 ± 4.07 (m, 2 H); 2.54 ± 2.48 (m, 2 H); 2.42 ± 2.36 (m, 2 H).
Anal. calc. for C16H16N2O2: C 71.62, H 6.01, N 10.44; found: C 71.61, H 6.01, N 10.35. X-Ray crystallography: see
Sect. 5 and Fig. 1.
Data of 3 (anti-isomer)3). Isolated yield: 42%. Colorless solid. M.p. 110.0 ± 111.08. [a]2D5 197.4 and
À 199.6 (c 0.1, MeCN) for ()- and (À)-3, resp. CD: Two perfectly symmetrical curves for the antipodes were
observed. 1H-NMR (CDCl3): 7.42 (dd, J 8.5, 2.5, 1 H); 6.99 (dd, J 8.5, 2.5, 1 H); 6.84 (d, J 2.5, 1 H); 6.69
(d, J 8.5, 1 H); 6.58 (d, J 2.5, 1 H); 6.54 (d, J 8.5, 1 H); 5.55 ± 5.44 (m, 2 H); 4.16 ± 4.08 (m, 3 H); 3.88 ±
3.84 (m, 1 H); 2.65 ± 2.51 (m, 2 H); 2.30 ± 2.21 (m, 2 H). Anal. calc. for C16H16N2O2: C 71.62, H 6.01, N 10.44;
found: C 71.92, H 6.20, N 10.34.
3.2. 10,13-Dioxa-8-azatetracyclo[12.2.2.26,9.02,5]eicosa-6,8,14,16,17,19-hexaene (6). Prepared according to
GP 2. Isolated yield: 78%. Colorless solid. M.p. 126.4 ± 127.28. 1H-NMR (CDCl3): 7.26 (dd, J 7.9, 2.1, 1 H);
6.88 (d, J 2.1, 1 H); 6.72 (dd, J 8.5, 2.4, 1 H); 6.63 (dd, J 8.5, 2.4, 1 H); 6.43 (d, J 7.9, 1 H); 6.41 (dd, J 8.5,
2.4, 1 H); 6.28 (dd, J 8.5, 2.4, 1 H); 5.49 (dd, J 14.7, 5.8, 1 H); 4.63 (dd, J 14.7, 5.8, 1 H); 4.40 (dd, J 14.7,
5.8, 1 H); 4.17 ± 4.11 (m, 2 H); 3.99 ± 3.97 (m, 1 H); 2.62 ± 2.49 (m, 2 H); 2.36 ± 2.29 (m, 2 H). HR-EI-MS:
267.1259 (M , C17H17NO2 ; calc. 267.1259). X-Ray crystallography: see Sect. 5 and Fig. 1.
3.3. 8,15-Dimethyl-10,13-dioxatetracyclo[12.2.2.26,9.02,5]eicosa-6,8,14,16,17,19-hexaene (isomers 9 ± 11). Pre-
pared according to GP 2.
Data of cis,endo,syn-Isomer 9. Isolated yield: 27%. Colorless solid. M.p. 176.0 ± 176.98. 1H-NMR (CDCl3):
6.64 (s, 2 H); 6.43 (d, J 8.2, 2 H); 6.31 (d, J 8.2, 2 H); 4.34 (s, 4 H); 4.10 ± 4.08 (m, 2 H); 2.49 (m, 4 H); 2.18
(s, 6 H). Anal. calc. for C20H22O2: C 81.60, H 7.53; found: C 81.48, H 7.60. X-Ray crystallography: see Sect. 5 and
Fig. 1.
Data of cis,exo,syn-Isomer 10. Isolated yield: 3%. Colorless solid. 1H-NMR (CDCl3): 6.72 (d, J 8.2, 2 H);
6.54 (d, J 8.2, 2 H); 6.28 (s, 2 H); 4.34 (s, 4 H); 4.06 ± 4.03 (m, 2 H); 2.49 (m, 4 H); 2.10 (s, 6 H). HR-EI-MS:
294.1630 (M , C20H22O2 ; calc. 294.1620).
Data of cis,anti-Isomer 11. Isolated yield: 29%. Colorless solid. M.p. 101.3 ± 102.18. 1H-NMR (CDCl3): 6.72
(d, J 2.1, 1 H); 6.51 (d, J 8.3, 1 H); 6.46 (dd, J 8.3, 2.1, 1 H); 6.40 (d, J 8.3, 1 H); 6.33 (d, J 2.1, 1 H);
6.08 (dd, J 8.3, 2.1, 1 H); 4.43 ± 4.41 (m, 2 H); 4.36 ± 4.28 (m, 2 H); 4.11 ± 4.08 (m, 1 H); 4.06 ± 3.95 (m, 1 H);
2.56 ± 2.37 (m, 4 H); 2.16 (s, 3 H); 2.06 (s, 3 H). Anal. calc. for C20H22O2: C 81.60, H 7.53; found: C 81.72, H 7.70.
3
)
For the X-ray crystal structure of a homologue of 3, see [6].