Zwitterions as intermediates in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of electrophilic azides to 2-alkylidenetetrahydroimidazoles and 2-alkylidenedihydrobenzimidazoles

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/jlac.199619961009

Cyclic ketene N,N-acetals derived from imidazolidine (4a, c) and 2,3-dihydrobenzimidazole (6a-c) add methanesulphonyl azide (2 a) or picryl azide (2f) to afford the zwitterions 5 and 7, respectively. The structure of 7d is elucidated by X-ray crystallography. Reversibility of formation and thermal stability of the N-sulphonyl zwitterions depend on the substitution pattern at the carbon atom to which the triazenide moiety is attached: In the case of a pair of geminal methyl groups (5a, 7a) formation is irreversible and decomposition by cyclisation and subsequent reactions occurs above -20°C, while in presence of a single alkyl group (7c, d) these processes require heating to 80°C and are accompanied by partial reversion to 2a and ketene N,N-acetals (6b, c). Cyclisation of the zwitterions yields intermediate spirocyclic [3 + 2] cycloadducts, which may undergo [3 + 2] cycloreversion into N-sulphonylimine 13 and diazo compound 14 or extrude molecular nitrogen to furnish ring-expanded 2-(sulphonyl-imino)piperazine derivatives (9, 11). VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, 1996.