The neuroactive algal metabolite (-)-isodomoic acid C, a kainoid amino acid, has been synthesized for the first time. Asymmetric dearomatizing cyclization of an aromatic amide using a chiral lithium amide base generates a bicyclic enone containing a pyrrolidinone ring with the relative and absolute stereochemistry of the target. A further 15 synthetic steps, including conjugate cuprate addition to the enone of a side chain precursor, a Ru-promoted oxidation of the phenyl ring to the C2-carboxylic acid substituent, a regioselective Baeyer-Villiger reaction, and an E-selective Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, elaborate the cyclization product into the target molecule.
Treatment of N-benzyl benzamides with a strong base (LDA or t-BuLi) followed by irradiation with a 500 W tungsten lamp provides, according to the substitution pattern of the starting amides, either norcaradienes or cycloheptadienones by overall insertion of the N-benzyl group into the benzamide's aromatic ring system. Chiral benzamides undergo the ring expansion with high (sometimes complete) stereospecificity. The reaction appears to occur via a series of pericyclic reactions (photochemical or thermal sigmatropic rearrangements and thermal electrocyclic reactions) following an initial dearomatizing cyclization.
Lithiation of benzamides derived from a chiral and enantiomerically pure a-methylbenzylamine leads to diastereoselective and regioselective dearomatising cyclisations with overall conservation of the stereochemistry of the starting stereogenic centre.
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