Diazomethane is commonly used as efficient alkylating agent in the preparation of methyl esters and as a component in [2 + 3]-cycloaddition reactions [1]. However, there are no published data on dehydrating ability of diazomethane. With a view to accomplish cis–trans epimerization of cyclic amido acids I and II, an attempt was made to convert them into endo-cis and exo-cis amido esters III and IV by treatment with diazomethane in diethyl ether at 20°C. Unexpectedly, these reactions chemoselectively afforded the corresponding dicarboxylic acid imides V and VI, while even traces of esters III and IV were not detected. The structure of imides V and VI was confirmed by the H and C NMR spectra and independent synthesis from the corresponding anhydrides. It should be noted that known methods for the preparation of imides from amido acids require more severe conditions, in particular prolonged heating in high-boiling solvents (usually in DMF or Ac2O) in the presence of dehydrating agents [2]. rel-(1S,2R,3S,4R)-N-Benzyl-5,6,7,8-tetrachloro1,4-methano-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-2,3-dicarboximide (V). A solution of diazomethane in diethyl ether was added to a suspension of 0.9 g of amido acid I in diethyl ether until the mixture became homogeneous. The mixture was evaporated at 20oC, ISSN 1070-4280, Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2013, Vol. 49, No. 10, pp. 1548–1549. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2013. Original Russian Text © S.A. Ismailov, 2013, published in Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii, 2013, Vol. 49, No. 10, pp. 1569–1570.
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