Synlett 2004(9): 1589-1591  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-829076
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Novel Routes to the Kainates: Stereoselectivity in Addition Reactions to ­Pyrrole [1,2c]-oxazol-3-one

A. J. Murray, P. J. Parsons*, E. S. Greenwood, E. M. E. Viseux
Department of Chemistry, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9QJ, UK
e-Mail: P.J.Parsons@sussex.ac.uk;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 20 February 2004
Publication Date:
29 June 2004 (online)

Abstract

This paper describes the addition of a range of electrophiles to 1. An unusual and unpredicted stereochemistry of addition has been observed in line with our original photochemical observations.

6

Typical Experimental Procedure: [11]
(5 R ,6 S ,7 R )-1-aza-3-oxa-6,7-epoxybicyclo[3,3, O ]-octan-2-one ( 6) . To a stirred solution of oxazolidinone 1 (4.00 g, 32 mmol) in dimethoxymethane (130 mL) and MeCN (260 mL) were added tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate (0.43 g, 1.28 mmol), acetone (71 mL, 960 mmol) and K2CO3 (0.1 M in water, 64 mL). A solution of EDTA (4 × 10-4 M in water, 341 mL) acidified with enough HOAc to dissolve the insoluble solid was added to oxone® (78.7 g, 992 mmol). The resulting solution and a solution of K2CO3 (87.2 g, 631.5 mmol) in water (341 mL) were concomitantly added to the initial solution of oxazoline 1 over 5 h. The reaction mixture was then extracted with EtOAc (3 × 100 mL) and washed with brine (100 mL) and water (100 mL). The combined organic extracts were dried over MgSO4 and concentrated under reduced pressure. The resulting oil was purified by flash column chromatography (60% EtOAc-petroleum ether) to give epoxide 6 as a white crystalline solid (3.60 g, 80%); mp (uncorrected) 60-63 °C; [α]23 D -8.6 (c = 1.91, CHCl3). IR (film): 3059, 2922, 1748 (s), 1410 (s), 1199, 1075 (s) cm-1. 1H NMR (500 MHz, C6D6): δ = 3.95 (dd,
J = 8.7, 3.6 Hz, 1 H), 3.87 (apparent t, J = 8.7 Hz, 1 H), 3.80 (d, J = 13.2 Hz, 1 H), 3.08 (dd, J = 8.7, 3.6 Hz, 1 H), 2.97 (d, J = 2.8 Hz, 1 H), 2.91 (d, J = 2.8 Hz, 1 H), 2.50 (d, J = 13.2 Hz, 1 H). 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 163.2, 64.5, 58.4, 55.7, 55.5, 48.9. HRMS: m/z [M+] calcd for C6H7NO3: 141.0426; found: 141.0420.

10

The addition of 2-propenylmagnesium bromide in the presence of Cu(I) gave a 6:1 mixture of regioisomers in favour of desired alcohol 10 as determined by high field NMR (500 MHz).