Enantioselective Preparation of 2,4-Disubstituted Azetidines
in ethyl acetate, and this solution was filtered through Celite to
FULL PAPER
[ArNCHMe] (93), 184 [ArNCH] (100). Ϫ [α]D ϭ Ϫ166 (c ϭ 1,
afford pure 4a. Ϫ 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ 1.50 (d, J ϭ 6.8 Hz, CHCl3).
Me), 1.99 (s, Me), 2.24 (t, J ϭ 7.6 Hz, CHCH2CH), 4.32 (m, NCH).
(R,R)-2,4-Dimethyl-N-(1-naphthyl)azetidine (5e):
1H NMR
Ϫ
13C NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ 19.2 (Me), 23.4 (MeCO), 33.1 (CH2),
(CDCl3): δ ϭ 1.21 (d, J ϭ 6.2 Hz, Me), 2.19 (t, J ϭ 6.5 Hz,
CHCH2CH), 4.64 (m, NCH), 6.65 (m, 1 H), 7.3Ϫ7.5 (m, 4 H), 7.8
(m, 1 H), 7.9 (m, 1 H). Ϫ 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ 19.1 (Me), 32.8
(CH2), 57.9 (NCH), 109.7, 119.9, 123.7, 124.4, 125.6, 126.0 (CH),
126.7 (C), 128.3 (CH), 134.6 (C), 145.0 (NC). Ϫ MS: m/z (%) ϭ
51.7 (NCH), 177.5 (CO2). Ϫ MS (DCI/NH3): m/z (%) ϭ 103
[C5H12N ϩ NH3] (10), 86 [C5H12N] (100). Ϫ [α]2D5 ϭ Ϫ8 (c ϭ 1,
CHCl3).
1
(R,R)-2,4-Diethylazetidinium Acetate (4b): H NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ
0.97 (t, J ϭ 7.4 Hz, Me), 1.9 (m, 4 H, CH2), 2.06 (s, Me), 2.26 (t, 211 [Mϩ] (90), 196 [Mϩ Ϫ Me] (43), 169 [ArNCHMe] (100), 154
J ϭ 7.8 Hz, CHCH2CH), 4.25 (m, NCH). Ϫ 13C NMR (CDCl3): [ArNCH] (100). Ϫ [α]D ϭ Ϫ222 (c ϭ 1, CHCl3).
δ ϭ 9.3 (Me), 21.0 (MeCO), 26.8 (CH2), 29.2 (CH2), 58.4 (NCH),
(R,R)-2,4-Dimethyl-N-[p-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]azetidine (5f): 1H
176.0 (CO2). Ϫ MS (DCI/NH3): m/z (%) ϭ 156 [C7H16N ϩ NH3]
NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ 1.35 (d, J ϭ 6.2 Hz, Me), 2.11 (t, J ϭ 6.4 Hz,
(10), 114 [C7H16N] (100). Ϫ [α]2D5 ϭ Ϫ23 (c ϭ 1, CHCl3).
CHCH2CH), 4.36 (m, NCH), 6.43 (d, J ϭ 8.4 Hz, 2 H), 7.40 (d,
(R,R)-2,4-Dipropylazetidinium Acetate (4c): 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ
J ϭ 8.4 Hz, 1 H). Ϫ 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ 19.6 (Me), 33.0 (CH2),
0.93 (t, J ϭ 7.1 Hz, Me), 1.3 (m, 4 H, CH2), 1.8 (m, 4 H, CH2), 55.6 (NCH), 111.6 (CH), 126.2 (CH), 150.3 (NC). Ϫ MS: m/z
2.01 (s, Me), 2.24 (t, J ϭ 7.7 Hz, CHCH2CH), 4.22 (m, J ϭ 7.7 Hz, (%) ϭ 229 [Mϩ] (27), 214 [Mϩ Ϫ Me] (47), 172 [ArNCH] (100). Ϫ
NCH). Ϫ 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ 13.5 (Me), 18.3 (CH2), 30.1
(CH2), 35.5 (CH2), 56.4 (NCH). Ϫ MS (DCI/NH3): m/z (%) ϭ 142
(C9H20N). Ϫ [α]2D5 ϭ Ϫ24 (c ϭ 1, CHCl3).
[α]D ϭ Ϫ115 (c ϭ 1, CHCl3).
(R,R)-N-{3-[(R,R)-2,4-Dimethyl-1-azetidinylmethyl]phenyl}-2,4-
dimethylazetidine (5g): 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ 1.12 (d, J ϭ 6.4 Hz,
Me), 1.31 (d, J ϭ 6.4 Hz, Me), 1.85 (t, J ϭ 6.4 Hz, CHCH2CH),
2.05 (t, J ϭ 6.4 Hz, CHCH2CH), 3.47 (AB, JAB ϭ 13.3 Hz, 1 H,
General Procedure for the Palladium-Catalysed Coupling Reactions:
A mixture of the aryl bromide (1 mmol), azetidinium acetate 4
(1.2 mmol), Pd2(dba)3 (9 mg, 2 mol-% Pd), and NaOtBu (0.35 g, NCH2Ph), 3.59 (m, 2 H, NCH), 3.66 (AB, 1 H, NCH2Ph), 4.28
3.6 mmol) in toluene (5 mL) was heated at 70 °C for 6Ϫ9 h. After (m, 2 H, NCH), 6.33 (dd, J ϭ 8.0 Hz, 1 H), 6.45 (s, 1 H), 6.67 (d,
cooling to room temperature, the mixture was diluted with diethyl J ϭ 7.5 Hz, 1 H), 7.10 (t, J ϭ 7.8 Hz, 1 H). Ϫ 13C NMR (CDCl3):
ether and filtered through Celite. After evaporation of the solvent
from the filtrate, the residue was purified by chromatography on
alumina eluting with cyclohexane or cyclohexane/AcOEt mixtures.
The azetidines 5 were recovered as colourless oils in the yields listed
in Table 1. In the syntheses of 5d and 5h, the reaction mixtures
were heated at 100 °C for 18 h.
δ ϭ 18.4 (Me), 19.6 (Me), 33.0 (CH2), 33.3 (CH2), 54.5 (NCH2Ph),
55.5 (NCH), 56.9 (NCH), 111.4, 113.4, 117.4, 128.6 (CH), 140.4
(C), 148.1 (NC). Ϫ MS: m/z (%) ϭ 258 [Mϩ] (18), 175 (100).
(R,R)-2,4-Diethyl-N-(o-tolyl)azetidine (5h): 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ
0.83 (t, J ϭ 7.4 Hz, Me), 1.3Ϫ1.5 (m, CH2), 2.02 (t, J ϭ 6.1 Hz,
CHCH2CH), 2.12 (Me), 4.07 (m, NCH), 6.61 (d, J ϭ 8.1 Hz, 1 H),
6.76 (t, J ϭ 7.3 Hz, 1 H), 7.02Ϫ7.11 (m, 2 H). Ϫ 13C NMR
(R,R)-2,4-Dimethyl-N-phenylazetidine (5a): 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ
1.33 (d, J ϭ 6.1 Hz, Me), 2.08 (t, J ϭ 6.4 Hz, CHCH2CH), 4.30 (CDCl3): δ ϭ 9.0 (Me), 19.2 (Me), 26.0 (CH2), 27.8 (CH2), 61.8
(m, J ϭ 6.2 Hz, NCH), 6.48 (d, J ϭ 8.4 Hz, CH-ortho), 6.70 (t,
J ϭ 7.3 Hz, CH-para), 7.20 (m, CH-meta). Ϫ 13C NMR (CDCl3):
δ ϭ 19.5 (Me), 33.0 (CH2), 55.5 (NCH), 113.1, 116.8, 128.8 (CH),
148.2 (NC). Ϫ MS: m/z (%) ϭ 161 [Mϩ] (67), 146 [Mϩ Ϫ Me] (57),
104 [PhNCH] (100). Ϫ [α]D ϭ Ϫ186 (c ϭ 1, CHCl3).
(NCH), 114.1, 119.4, 126.1 (CH), 130.8 (CH). Ϫ MS: m/z (%) ϭ
203 [Mϩ] (33), 174 [Mϩ Ϫ Et] (100), 118 [ArNCH] (77).
Synthesis of the Cyclopalladated Complex 8: According to the pro-
cedure described by Cope and Friedrich,[30] a mixture of Na2PdCl4
(0.29 g, 1 mmol) and (R,R)-N-benzyl-2,4-dimethylazetidine (2a)
(R,R)-2,4-Dimethyl-N-(o-tolyl)azetidine (5b): 1H NMR (CDCl3): (0.21 g, 1.2 mmol) in methanol (10 mL) was stirred at room tem-
δ ϭ 1.19 (d, J ϭ 6.2 Hz, Me), 2.05 (t, J ϭ 6.4 Hz, CHCH2CH),
2.15 (Me), 4.32 (m, J ϭ 6.3 Hz, NCH), 6.61 (d, J ϭ 8.2 Hz, CH- ate. The product was filtered off, washed with MeOH, and dried
ortho), 6.80 (t, CH-para), 7.10 (m, CH-meta). Ϫ 13C NMR
in vacuo. It was redissolved in chloroform and the resulting solu-
perature for 16 h, which led to the deposition of a yellow precipit-
(CDCl3): δ ϭ 19.1 (Me), 19.3 (Me), 32.6 (CH2), 56.1 (NCH), 114.3, tion was filtered through Celite to afford pure 8 as a pale-yellow
119.5, 126.2 (CH), 127.1 (C), 131.0 (CH), 146.7 (NC). Ϫ MS: m/z powder. Yield: 0.29 g (93%). Ϫ 1H NMR (400.13 MHz, CDCl3):
(%) ϭ 175 [Mϩ] (50), 160 [Mϩ Ϫ Me] (40), 118 [ArNCH] (100). Ϫ δ ϭ 1.43 (d, J ϭ 7.0 Hz, Me), 1.45 (d, J ϭ 7.1 Hz, Me), 1.78 (d,
[α]D ϭ Ϫ101 (c ϭ 1, CHCl3).
J ϭ 6.6 Hz, Me), 1.81 (d, J ϭ 6.6 Hz, Me), 2.0Ϫ2.1 (m, 2 H, CH2),
2.35 (dt, J ϭ 10.6 Hz, J ϭ 7.5 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 2.45 (dt, J ϭ 10.9 Hz,
J ϭ 8.2 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.58 (m, 2 H, CH), 3.73 (AB, J ϭ 13.3 Hz,
1 H, NCH2Ph), 3.74 (AB, J ϭ 13.3 Hz, 1 H, NCH2Ph), 4.58 (AB,
1 H, NCH2Ph), 4.60 (AB, 1 H, NCH2Ph), 4.73 (m, 2 H, NCH),
6.8Ϫ6.9 (m, 6 H, Ph), 7.13 (d, J ϭ 7.7 Hz, 2 H, Ph). Ϫ 13C NMR
(100.62 MHz, CDCl3): δ ϭ 15.8 (Me), 15.9 (Me), 25.9 (Me), 26.0
(Me), 32.4 (CH2), 32.5 (CH2), 60.9 (NCH), 62.0 (NCH), 65.7
(NCH2Ph), 65.8 (NCH2Ph), 69.0 (NCH), 69.3 (NCH), 121.2,
124.3, 125.0, 125.1, 132.7, 133.1 (CH), 142.8, 143.0, 145.9, 146.1
(C). Ϫ [α]2D5 ϭ Ϫ115 (c ϭ 0.5, CHCl3).
(R,R)-N-(o-Anisyl)-2,4-dimethylazetidine (5c): 1H NMR (CDCl3):
δ ϭ 1.20 (d, J ϭ 6.2 Hz, Me), 2.05 (t, J ϭ 6.5 Hz, CHCH2CH),
3.81 (OMe), 4.33 (m, NCH), 6.6 (m, 1 H), 6.8Ϫ6.9 (m, 3 H). Ϫ
13C NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ 19.4 (Me), 33.2 (CH2), 55.0 (NCH), 56.7
(OMe), 110.3, 114.2, 119.4, 120.9 (CH), 137.7 (C), 149.8 (NC). Ϫ
MS: m/z (%) ϭ 191 [Mϩ] (63), 176 [Mϩ Ϫ Me] (57), 134 [ArNCH]
(100). Ϫ [α]D ϭ Ϫ139 (c ϭ 1, CHCl3).
(R,R)-N-(o-Bromophenyl)-2,4-dimethylazetidine (5d): 1H NMR
(CDCl3): δ ϭ 1.21 (d, J ϭ 6.2 Hz, Me), 2.06 (t, J ϭ 6.5 Hz,
CHCH2CH), 4.55 (m, NCH), 6.64 (dd, J ϭ 8.1 Hz, 1 H), 6.71 (td,
J ϭ 7.7 Hz, 1 H), 7.18 (td, J ϭ 8.1 Hz, 1 H), 7.43 (dd, J ϭ 7.8 Hz,
1 H). Ϫ 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ ϭ 19.3 (Me), 32.0 (CH2), 56.7
(NCH), 111.8 (C), 116.3, 120.5, 127.6, 133.7 (CH), 146.3 (NC).
Ϫ MS: m/z (%) (81Br) ϭ 241 [Mϩ] (50), 226 [M Ϫ Me] (43), 199
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