10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.08.015
The research investigates the intramolecular cycloaddition of N-phthalimidoaziridines to carbon–carbon double and triple bonds. The purpose is to explore the potential of this reaction to produce complex nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, which have applications in various fields including natural product synthesis and pharmaceuticals. The study synthesized N-phthalimidoaziridines with unsaturated side chains from salicylic aldehyde and used oxidative aminoaziridination procedures. Key chemicals involved include salicylic aldehyde, ortho-(allyloxy)- and ortho-(propargyloxy)cinnamic acids, benzylidenemalonic acid derivatives, and N-aminophthalimide. The results showed that thermolysis of these aziridines led to the formation of condensed N-phthalimidopyrrolidines, N-phthalimidopyrrolines, or their subsequent transformations, with yields and product configurations influenced by the nature of the substituents and the type of unsaturated bond. The study concludes that the reaction is a general process for the described compounds, with the rate-determining step likely being the cleavage of the aziridine to form the azomethine ylide. The configuration of the products aligns with a mechanism involving thermally allowed conrotatory ring-opening followed by a concerted 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition.