Synthesis and conformational analysis of naphth[1′,2′:5,6][1,3]oxazino[3,2-c][1,3]benzoxazine and naphth[1′,2′:5,6][1,3]oxazino[3,4-c][1,3]benzoxazine derivatives

A new functional group, the hydroxy group, was inserted into a Betti base by reaction with salicylaldehyde, and the naphthoxazine derivatives thus obtained were converted by ring-closure reactions with formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde or phosgene to the corresponding naphth[1'2:5,6][1,3]oxazino[3,2-c][1,3]benzoxazine derivatives. Further, the conformational analysis of these polycyclic compounds by NMR spectroscopy and an accompanying molecular modelling are reported; especially, both quantitative anisotropic ring current effects of the aromatic moieties in these compounds and steric substituent effects were employed to determine the stereochemistry of the naphthoxazinobenzoxazine derivatives. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.