A convenient two-step preparation of alkylidenepyrrolidines is reported.Alkylidenepyrrolidines have long been used as synthetic intermediates, particularly in the synthesis of pyrrolidines and porphyrins. 1 These compounds are generally prepared by reaction of a thioamide with a a-bromocarbonyl compound in a reaction commonly known as the Eschenmoser sulfide contraction. 2 The O-alkylation of lactams followed by treatment with a malonate-type nucleophile also gives the same compounds, 3 although we have found this method to be somewhat capricious. During the course of studies directed towards the batzelladine alkaloids, 4 we required a broad range of alkylidenepyrrolidines, and therefore sought a more convenient method for their preparation. It is well known that imides and carbamates derived from g-lactams can be selectively attacked at the lactam carbonyl by a range of nucleophiles, including Grignard reagents, 5,6 other organometallics, 7,8 heteronucleophiles 9 and stabilised anions 10-13 (Equation 1). The products of this reaction have been cyclised to the corresponding pyrrolines and pyrrolidines in a number of instances, 6,8,12 but we are aware of only a single example of the application of this general approach to alkylidenepyrrolidine synthesis, this being the preparation of sulfonyl alkylidenepyrrolidines. 14, 15 We have therefore undertaken a study of this approach, and now report an efficient and convenient two-step preparation of alkylidenepyrrolidines which can be carried out on a multi-gram scale.
Equation 1Lactams 1, 16 2 17 and 3 18 were prepared according to literature procedures. Compounds 1 and 2 underwent ready reaction with ketone and ester enolates to provide a range of compounds 4 and 5 as shown in Equation 2 (Table 1). As expected, the b-keto esters existed solely in the keto form, while the 1,3-diketones showed significant (R 2 = CH 3 ) to total (R 2 = Ph) enolisation. In all cases with ketone and ester enolates, the reactions were clean and high-yielding, and in many instances the crude products were essentially pure.