Synthesis of Sulfonyloxindoles via Functional Group Exchange Between 3‐Sulfonylphthalide and Isatylidenemalononitrile

Synthesis of Phenanthrenes and Naphthoquinone Fused Benzoxepines via Hauser-Kraus Annulation of Sulfonylphthalide with Morita-Baylis-Hillman Adducts of Nitroalkenes

The Hauser-Kraus annulation of sulfonylphthalide with Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) adducts of nitroalkenes provides access to phenanthrenes and naphthoquinone fused dihydrobenzoxepines. The H-K annulation results in naphthoquinones bearing a key alcohol group in protected form, which leads to naphthoquinone fused tetracyclic oxepines upon reaction with formaldehyde. These alcohols yield functionalized phenanthrenes via oxidation and [3 + 3] annulation with β-ketoesters.

Hauser-Kraus Annulation Initiated Multi-Cascade Reactions for Facile Access to Functionalized and Fused Oxazepines, Carbazoles and Phenanthridinediones

The Hauser-Kraus (H-K) annulation of N-unsubstituted 3-olefinic oxindoles with 3-nucleophilic phthalides triggers a cascade of ring expansion and ring contraction reactions through several regioselective steps in one pot. While oxazepines were isolated in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of base at room temperature, carbazoles and phenanthridinediones were the products in the presence of excess base and microwave irradiation. Mechanistic studies guided by stepwise reactions and control experiments revealed that the isolable oxazepine intermediate, formed via ring expansion of the H-K adduct, is the key precursor to carbazole and phenanthridinedione via decarboxylative regioselective cyclizations.

Reactions of Sulfonylphthalide with Diverse Activated Imines for the Synthesis of Enaminophthalides, Spiro-isoquinolinones, and Homalicine Natural Products

The reactivity of the Hauser-Kraus (H-K) donor, 3-sulfonylphthalide, with various activated imines under basic conditions is demonstrated. The reaction of 3-sulfonylphthalide with Boc-protected aldimine provides a rapid access to 1,2-imine adducts and alkylidenephthalides depending upon the stoichiometry of the base. The alkylidenephthalides could be transformed to ketophthalides, a new class of phthalides, on acid hydrolysis, which upon reductive cyclization using Zn/AcOH afforded the natural product homalicine. On the contrary, the Boc-protected isatinimines undergo an efficient H-K annulation to provide spiro-isoquinolinone-oxindoles in excellent yields. However, the corresponding conjugated ketimines afforded Michael adducts, which were converted to the corresponding alkylidenephthalides under TBAF conditions.