Wolkenberg and Boger
SCHEME 1
F IGURE 2.
systems are well-documented,9,14 and this reactivity
defines a novel oxadiazole f furan f benzene strategy
(Scheme 1). Herein, we describe the application of this
strategy to the total synthesis of anhydrolycorinone.
The starting 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole 6 was prepared
from 4-amino-1-butene15 in three steps as indicated in
Scheme 2. Treatment of the hydrochloride salt of 4-amino-
1-butene with carbonyl diimidazole and Et3N afforded 4
in 91% yield, which was converted to the oxadiazole
precursor 5 by treatment with methyl oxalylhydrazide16
in THF-HOAc (64%). Cyclization of 5 to form the
corresponding oxadiazole was mediated by TsCl and Et3N
and proceeded in superb yield (86%). Coupling of 6
with the known carboxylic acid 75 was effected by EDCI
(1-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydro-
chloride), DMAP, and NaHCO3 to provide the Diels-
Alder reaction substrate 8.
Sequential cycloaddition reactions were observed upon
warming 8 first at 165 °C for 30 min and then at 230 °C
for 18 h. The mild conditions required for the first Diels-
Alder reaction indicate a favorable electronic pairing of
the dienophile and oxadiazole diene in agreement with
the expectation that the initial [4 + 2] cycloaddition is
LUMOdiene-controlled (inverse electron demand). The
observed product 9 is consistent with an initial cycload-
1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (Figure 2, left). In recent efforts,
we have extended the scope of this reaction beyond that
which provides symmetrical 2:1 cycloadducts by imple-
menting the reaction cascade in an intramolecular fash-
ion.11 In the cases examined, olefinic dienophiles tethered
toa 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole react toform fused oxabicyclo-
[2.2.1]heptane products with complete control of the
regio- and diastereoselectivity.
In these studies, it was observed that tethered alkynyl
dienophiles generate high yields of the furan products
resulting from a single cycloaddition reaction (Figure 2,
right).11 Additionally, some tethered olefin dienophiles
bearing a leaving group were shown to serve as alkyne
equivalents providing the analogous furan cycloaddition
reaction products presumably arising from the interme-
diate carbonyl ylide via elimination of the dienophile
substituent. This furan-forming cycloaddition reactivity
is complementary to the well-established oxazole to furan
Diels-Alder transformation12 and represents a novel
alternative strategy for construction of substituted furans
in which the retro-Diels-Alder reversion entails the more
facile loss of N2 (NtN) versus a nitrile (RCtN).13 The
furan products, themselves reactive toward intramolecu-
lar cycloadditions, offer the potential to further extend
the scope of this oxadiazole reactivity to include the
synthesis of fused carbocyclic aromatic products. The
intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of furans
with tethered alkenes or alkynes to generate benzene
(12) Boger, D. L.; Weinreb, S. M. Hetero Diels-Alder Methodology
in Organic Synthesis; Academic: San Diego, 1987; pp 301-310. For
examples, see: Grigg, R.; J ackson, J . L. J . Chem. Soc. C 1970, 552.
Ansell, M. F.; Caton, M. P. L.; North, P. C. Tetrahedron Lett. 1981,
22, 1727. J acobi, P. A.; Walker, D. G.; Odeh, I. M. A. J . Org. Chem.
1981, 46, 5. Liotta, D.; Saindane, M.; Ott, W. Tetrahedron Lett. 1983,
24, 2473. J acobi, P. A.; Craig, T. A.; Walker, D. G.; Arrick, B. A.;
Frechette, R. F. J . Am. Chem. Soc. 1984, 106, 5585. Selnick, H. G.;
Brookes, L. M. Tetrahedron Lett. 1989, 30, 6607. J acobi, P. A.; Blum,
C. A.; DeSimone, R. W.; Udodong, U. E. S. J . Am. Chem. Soc. 1991,
113, 5384. Yadav, J . S.; Valluri, M.; Rao, A. V. R. Tetrahedron Lett.
1994, 35, 3609. Rao, A. V. R.; Yadav, J . S.; Valluri, M. Tetrahedron
Lett. 1994, 35, 3613.
(13) Aside from oxazoles, few cycloaddition approaches to substituted
furans have been described: Gotthardt, H.; Huisgen, R.; Bayer, H. O.
J . Am. Chem. Soc. 1970, 92, 4340. Wilson, W. S.; Warrener, R. N. J .
Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1972, 211. Ho, M. S.; Wong, H. N. C. J .
Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1989, 1238.
(14) Heaney, H.; Ahn, J . S. In Comprehensive Heterocylic Chemistry,
2nd ed.; Katritzky, A. R., Rees, C. W., Scriven, E. F. V., Eds.;
Elsevier: New York, 1996; Vol. 2, pp 328-335. For examples, see:
Parker, K. A.; Adamchuk, M. R. Tetrahedron Lett. 1978, 18, 1689.
Sternbach, D. D.; Rossana, D. M. J . Am. Chem. Soc. 1982, 104, 5853.
Van Royen, L. A.; Mijngheer, R.; De Clercq, P. J . Tetrahedron Lett.
1983, 24, 3145. Sternbach, D. D.; Rossana, D. M.; Onan, K. D. J . Org.
Chem. 1984, 49, 3427. Trost, B. M.; Lautens, M.; Hung, M.-H.;
Carmichael, C. S. J . Am. Chem. Soc. 1984, 106, 7641. J ung, M. E.;
Street, L. J . J . Am. Chem. Soc. 1984, 106, 8327.
(9) A similar sequential cycloaddition strategy has been described
employing a substituted oxazole: Padwa, A.; Brodney, M. A.; Liu, B.;
Satake, K.; Wu, T. J . Org. Chem. 1999, 64, 3595.
(10) Vasil´ıev, N. V.; Lyashenko, Y. E.; Kolomiets, A. F.; Sokolskii,
G. A. Khim. Geterotsikl. Soedin. 1987, 562. Vasil´ıev, N. V.; Lyashenko,
Y. E.; Galakhov, M. V.; Kolomiets, A. F.; Gontar, A. F.; Sokolskii, G.
A. Khim. Geterotsikl. Soedin. 1990, 95. Vasil´ıev, N. V.; Lyashenko, Y.
E.; Patalakha, A. E.; Sokolskii, G. A. J . Fluorine Chem. 1993, 65, 227.
Thalhammer, F.; Wallfahrer, U.; Sauer, J . Tetrahedron Lett. 1988, 29,
3231. Seitz, G.; Gerninghaus, C. H. Pharmazie 1994, 49, 102. Seitz,
G.; Wassmuth, H. Chem.-Ztg. 1988, 112, 80. Review: Warrener, R. N.
Eur. J . Org. Chem. 2000, 3363. Warrener, R. N.; Margetic, D.; Foley,
P. J .; Butler, D. N.; Winling, A.; Beales, K. A.; Russell, R. A.
Tetrahedron 2001, 57, 571. Warrener, R. N.; Wang, S.; Maksimovic,
L.; Tepperman, P. M.; Butler, D. N. Tetrahedron Lett. 1995, 36, 6141.
Warrener, R. N.; Elsey, G. M.; Russell, R. A.; Tiekink, E. R. T.
Tetrahedron Lett. 1995, 36, 5275. Warrener, R. N.; Maksimovic, L.;
Butler, D. N. J . Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1994, 1831. Warrener,
R. N.; Butler, D. N.; Liao, W. Y.; Pitt, I. G.; Russell, R. A. Tetrahedron
Lett. 1991, 32, 1889. Warrener, R. N.; Groundwater, P.; Pitt, I. G.;
Butler, D. N.; Russell, R. A. Tetrahedron Lett. 1991, 32, 1885.
Warrener, R. N.; Margetic, D.; Tiekink, E. R. T.; Russell, R. A. Synlett
1997, 196.
(15) Gagne´, M. R.; Stern, C. L.; Marks, T. J . J . Am. Chem. Soc. 1992,
114, 275.
(16) Szmuszkovicz, J .; Greig, M. E. J . Med. Pharm. Chem. 1961, 4,
259.
(11) Wilkie, G. D.; Elliott, G. I.; Blagg, B. S. J .; Wolkenberg, S. E.;
Soenen, D. R.; Miller, M. M.; Pollack, S.; Boger, D. L. J . Am. Chem.
Soc. 2002, 124, 11292.
7362 J . Org. Chem., Vol. 67, No. 21, 2002