Iron-Mediated and -Catalyzed Metalative Cyclization of Electron-Withdrawing-Group-Substituted Alkynes and Alkenes with Grignard Reagents

Treatment of ethyl (E)-5,5-bis[(benzyloxy)methyl]-8-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)-2-octen-7-ynoate with an iron reagent generated from FeCl2 and tBuMgCl in a ratio of 1: 4 (abbreviated as FeCl2/4 tBuMgCl) afforded ethyl [4,4-bis[(benzyloxy) methyl]-2-[(E)(N, N-diethylcarbamoyl) methylene] cyclopent-1-yl] acetate in good yield. Deuteriolysis of an identical reaction mixture afforded the bis-deuterated product ethyl [4,4-bis[(benzyloxy) methyl]-2-[(E)-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)deuteriomethylene] cyclopent-1-yl]deuterioacetate, thus confirming the existence of the corresponding dimetalated intermediate. The latter intermediate can react with halogens or aldehydes to facilitate further synthetic transformations. The amount of FeCl2 was reduced to catalytic levels (10 mol% relative to enyne), and catalytic cyclizations of this sort proceeded with yields comparable to those of the aforementioned stoichiometric reactions. The cyclization of diethyl (E, E)-2,7-nonadienedioate with a stoichiometric amount of FeCl2/4 tBuMgCl, followed by the addition of sBuOH as a proton source, afforded a mixture of 2-(ethoxycarbonyl)-3-bicyclo[3.3.0]octanone and its enol form in good yield. The use of aldehyde or ketone in place of sBuOH afforded 2-(ethcarbonyl)-3bicyclo[3.3.0] octanone, which has an additional hydroxyalkyl side chain. Additionally, the metalation of a carboncarbon unsaturated bond in N, N-diethyl-5,5-bis[(benzyloxy) methyl]-7,8-epoxy-2-octynamide or (E)-3,3-dimethyl-6-(N, N-diethylcarbamoyl)-5-hexenyl p-toluenesulfonate with FeCl2/4 tBuMgCl or FeCl2/4 PhMgBr was followed by an intramolecular alkylation with an epoxide or alkyl p-toluenesulfonate to afford 5,5-bis[(benzyloxy)methyl]- 3-[(E)-(N, N-diethylcarbamoyl) methylene]-1-cyclohexanol or N, N-diethyl(3,3-dimethylcyclopentyl)amide after hydrolysis. In both cases, the remaining metalated portion a to the amide group was confirmed by deuteriolysis and could be utilized for an alkylation with methyl iodide.