Substrate Control in the Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Cyclization of β‐Propargylamino Acrylic Esters and Further Transformations of the Resultant Dihydropyridines

Abstract

AbstractN‐Protected β‐propargylamino acrylic esters with a push‐pull olefinic bond afforded good to high yields of dihydropyridines upon treatment with 5% tris(2‐furyl)phosphine‐gold(I) chloride/silver(I) tetrafluoroborate [(TFP)AuCl/AgBF4] in anhydrous benzene. Carbamate and sulfonyl groups were employed for nitrogen protection. On a model enyne, the p‐methoxybenzenesulfonyl (MBS) group was found to be a better protective group than tosyl in terms of cyclization yield, and also the yield of elimination to the corresponding 2,3,4‐trisubstituted pyridines. Boc‐protected dihydropyridines underwent partial deprotection/oxidation under the cyclization conditions, which enabled a more straightforward, one‐pot preparation of the corresponding pyridines. In another application, an appropriately substituted derivative protected as a stable methoxycarbamate was subjected to catalytic hydrogenation affording the known precursor of paroxetine. The chemoselectivity of enyne cyclization (dihydropyridine vs. pyrrole) is governed, among other factors, by C‐3 substitution. Dihydropyridines were obtained as sole products regardless of the catalyst/conditions when C‐3 was unsubstituted.magnified image