As a step toward identifying novel ligands for new
biological targets, we also investigated the synthesis of
conformationally rigid heterocyclic templates on solid phase.
Scheme 1. Solid-Phase Synthesis of Benzopyranoisoxazolesa
10
In particular, we were intrigued by a report that the phenolic
naphthoisoxazole ring system, exemplified by 1, serves as a
novel scaffold for the synthesis of estrogen receptor modula-
tors. Thus, we speculated that the benzopyranoisoxazole ring
11
system (2) may serve as a novel steroid mimetic template,
and herein we report the efficient solid-phase synthesis of
substituted benzopyranoisoxazoles. The synthesis features a
novel method of generating nitrile oxides on a polymer
support under mild conditions followed by a subsequent
intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with a tethered
alkyne. Furthermore, we exemplify the utilization of single-
bead attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared
(
ATR-IR) microspectroscopy as an essential analytical tool
12
for reaction optimization.
a
b
Butylamine, NaHB(OAc)
3
, DCE. 3-Formyl-4-hydroxybenzoyl
c
chloride (5), 2,6-lutidine, DCM. (I) 8, propargyl alcohol, DCM;
O, THF. d
DMF. 15% TFA/DCM.
3 3
NOH‚HCl, Et N,
N, MeOH e NBS, Et
(
II) LiOH, H
2
H
2
As a starting point, we chose 3-formyl-4-hydroxybenzoic
acid as a properly functionalized starting material for the
synthesis of our benzopyranoisoxazoles. The benzoic acid
functionality would serve as a solid-phase attachment point
via an amide linkage while the salicylaldehyde functionality
contained key functionalities for elaboration of the pyrano-
isoxazole ring. Commercially available 2-(4-formyl-3-meth-
f
acid chloride (5) with thionyl chloride followed by addition
to resin 4. Fortunately, the unreacted resin-bound amine did
not interfere with the remaining synthetic steps (vide infra).
A small percentage (<5%) of ester formation was observed
between resin-bound phenol and unreacted acid chloride;
however, treatment with aqueous LiOH in 1,4-dioxane
effected saponification of the ester to the desired phenol.
With the 3-formyl-4-hydroxybenzoyl moiety successfully
loaded onto resin, our efforts focused on elaboration of the
salicylaldehyde functionality to an aldoxime containing a
phenol-tethered alkyne. Toward this end, subjection of the
1
3
oxyphenoxy)-ethyl polystyrene resin 3 was treated with
excess butylamine and sodium triacetoxyborohydride in 1,2-
dichloroethane to give the corresponding amine-functional-
ized resin 4 (Scheme 1). The absence of a residual aldehyde
following analysis by ATR-IR and magic angle spinning
1
14
(
MAS) H NMR demonstrated complete consumption of
the resin-bound aldehyde. A number of standard conditions
were evaluated for coupling of 3-formyl-4-hydroxybenzoic
acid to the amine-functionalized resin; however, no condi-
tions were identified that led to an acceptable yield or purity
of the desired amide. Successful amide formation was
realized in approximately 60% yield, as measured by differ-
ential ATR-IR, upon prior formation of the corresponding
15
resin-bound phenol to a Mitsunobu reaction by treatment
with propargyl alcohol and DEAD or DIAD provided the
propargyl ether 7. A small amount of the resin was cleaved
with 15% TFA in dichloromethane; however, several impuri-
1
ties were observed in the H NMR spectrum with the major
impurity derived from DEAD or DIAD. Variation of the
solvent, temperature, and order of addition did not improve
purity therefore alternative reagents were investigated.
Several groups have reported that sulfonamide betaine 8 is
an effective reagent for the solid-phase Mitsunobu reaction
between a resin-bound phenol and an alcohol.16 Exposure
of 6 to a solution of propargyl alcohol and 8 in dichloro-
methane provided the desired product; however, several
(9) (a) Van Levezijn, A.; van Maarseveen, J. H.; Stegman, K.; Visser,
G. M.; Kooman, G.-J. Tetrahedron. Lett. 1998, 39, 4737-4740. (b) Gong,
Y.-D.; Najdi, S.; Olmstead, M. M.; Kurth. M. J. J. Org. Chem. 1998, 63,
3
081-3086.
10) Huebner, V. D.; Lin, X.; James, I.; Chen, L.; Desai, M.; Moore, J.
C.; Krywult, B.; Navaratnam, T.; Singh, R.; Trainor, R.; Wang, L. WO
0/08001, 2000.
11) For solution-phase syntheses of the benzopyranoisoxazole skeleton
(
0
(
see: (a) Sami, M.; Izhar; Kar; Gandhi, K.; Ray, Jayanata, K. Org. Prep.
Proced. Int. 1991, 23, 186-8. (b) Fusco, R.; Garanti, L.; Zecchi, G. Chim.
Ind. 1975, 57, 16. (c) Yoshimura, H.; Nagai, M.; Hibi, S.; Kikuchi, K.;
Hishinuma, I.; Nagakawa, J.; Asada, M.; Miyamoto, N.; Hida, T.; et al.
PCT Int. Appl. WO 9414777, 1994.
impurities were present following analysis of a cleaved (15%
1
TFA/CH
2
Cl
2
) sample by LC/MS and H NMR. As before,
(
12) Yan, B.; Gremlich, H.-U.; Moss, S.; Coppola, G. M.; Sun, Q.; Liu,
(15) (a) Devraj, R, J. Org. Chem. 1996, 61, 9368-9373. (b) Hamper,
B. C.; Dukesherer, D. R.; South, M. S. Tetrahedron Lett. 1996, 37, 3671.
(16) (a) Castro, J. L.; Matassa, V. G. J. Org. Chem. 1994, 59, 2289-
2291. (b) Swayze, E. E. Tetrahedron Lett. 1997, 38, 8465-8468. (c)
Brummond, K. M.; Lu, J. J. Org. Chem. 1999, 65, 1723-1726.
L. J. Comb. Chem. 1999, 1, 46-54.
(
13) Available from Novabiochem.
(14) Luo, Y.; Ouyang, X.; Armstrong, R. W.; Murphy, M. M. J. Org.
Chem. 1998, 63, 8719-8722.
324
Org. Lett., Vol. 4, No. 3, 2002