Catalyst and pressure dependent reductive cyclizations for the diastereo‐selective synthesis of hexahydropyrrolo[1,2‐a]quinoline‐5‐carboxylic esters

Abstract

Abstractmagnified imageA diastereoselective synthesis of 1,2,3,3a,4,5‐hexahydropyrrolo[1,2‐a]quinoline‐5‐carboxylic esters has been developed using a tandem reduction‐double reductive amination reaction. The nitro dicarbonyl cyclization substrates were synthesized by alkylation of methyl (2‐nitrophenyl)acetate with 2‐bromomethyl‐1,5‐hexadiene derivatives, followed by ozonolysis. Catalytic hydrogenation of each substrate gave the target heterocycle, along with a deacylated product and an adduct resulting from capture of the intermediate hydroxylamine by the side chain carbonyls. The product ratio varied dramatically with the catalyst and the hydrogen pressure. Cyclization to the title compounds was highly diastereoselective, producing each hexahydropyrrolo[1,2‐a]‐quinoline as a single stereoisomer with the all‐cis geometry. The competing processes have not been observed in previous heterocyclization studies but can be attributed to greater strain in the system, which slows the final ring closure.