Synthesis of aza-bicyclic compounds via palladium-catalyzed cascade cyclization reactions

Abstract

A palladium-catalyzed oxidative cascade cyclization reaction has been developed to prepare pyrrolizidine and indolizidine derivatives from simple aliphatic alkenyl amides 2.1ak in one step in moderate to good yields, using Pd(TFA)2 as the catalyst and molecular oxygen (1 atm) as a green oxidant. This cascade cyclization can also proceed for ring-containing unsaturated amides 2.1ln to afford azatricyclic systems. Palladium(II)-catalyzed dehydrohalogenation cascade cyclization reactions have been developed to synthesize polycyclic pyrrolizidine derivatives from iodoalkenylanilides 4.1ai in satisfactory to excellent yields under mild conditions. This reaction produces two stereocenters in one step and only one single diastereomer was obtained in the cyclization of 4.1. The reaction is proposed to proceed through an organopalladium(IV) species, formed by oxidative addition after the aminopalladation. This organopalladium(IV) species then undergoes reductive elimination to give the cyclized product. This cyclization is a fast and efficient way to construct natural alkaloids that contain pyrrolizidine or indolizidine cores.