Synthesis of Substituted 2,3-Benzodiazepines

A simple route to 2,3-benzodiazepines from substituted indenes

Herein, we present a two-step approach for synthesizing 2,3-benzodiazepines from substituted indenes. This process involves oxidation of indenes to 1,5-diketones followed by their cyclocondensation with hydrazine hydrate. The optimized conditions for a wide range of substituted 2,3-benzodiazepines, including the well-known anxiolytic tofisopam, were investigated. A detailed mechanism for the cyclization of 1,5-diketones with hydrazine hydrate was established using 1H NMR kinetic experiments.

Friedel-Crafts-Type Acylation and Amidation Reactions in Strong Brønsted Acid: Taming Superelectrophiles

In this review, we discuss Friedel-Crafts-type aromatic amidation and acylation reactions, not exhaustively, but mainly based on our research results. The electrophilic species involved are isocyanate cation and acylium cation, respectively, and both have a common ⁺C=O structure, which can be generated from carboxylic acid functionalities in a strong Brønsted acid. Carbamates substituted with methyl salicylate can be easily ionized to the isocyanate cation upon (di)protonation of the salicylate. Carboxylic acids can be used directly as a source of acylium cations. However, aminocarboxylic acids are inert in acidic media because two positively charged sites, ammonium and acylium cation, will be generated, resulting in energetically unfavorable charge-charge repulsion. Nevertheless, the aromatic acylation of aminocarboxylic acids can be achieved by using tailored phosphoric acid esters as Lewis bases to abrogate the charge-charge repulsion. Both examples tame the superelectrophilic character.

Palladium-Catalyzed Benzodiazepines Synthesis

This review is focused on palladium-catalyzed reactions as efficient strategies aimed at the synthesis of different classes of benzodiazepines. Several reaction typologies are reported including hydroamination, amination, C–H arylation, N-arylation, and the Buchwald–Hartwig reaction, depending on the different substrates identified as halogenated starting materials (activated substrates) or unactivated unsaturated systems, which then exploit Pd(0)- or Pd(II)-catalytic species. In particular, the use of the domino reactions, as intra- or intermolecular processes, are reported as an efficient and eco-compatible tool to obtain differently functionalized benzodiazepines. Different domino reaction typologies are the carboamination, aminoarylation, aminoacethoxylation, aminohalogenation, and aminoazidation.

Facile synthesis of 2,3-benzodiazepines using one-pot two-step phosphate-assisted acylation–hydrazine cyclization reactions

We present a one-pot two-step methodology, in which an unprotected amino is tolerated, for rapidly synthesizing 2,3-benzodiazepines via phosphate-assisted acylation reaction and hydrazine cyclization reaction.

Construction of Nitrated Benzo[3.3.1]bicyclic Acetal/Ketal Core via Nitration of o-Carbonyl Allylbenzenes

Intramolecular annulation of o-carbonyl allylbenzenes was achieved to construct novel nitrated [6,6,6]tricycles having an acetal or ketal motif in good yields. The expeditious one-step nitration route provides 4 or 5 new bond formations, including 2 or 3 C-N bonds and 2 C-O bonds. The structural framework of benzobicycle [3.3.1] is confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. A plausible mechanism is proposed.

Metal triflate promoted synthesis of naphthalenes

A synthetic route to derive the skeleton of naphthalenes starting with isovanillin is described with modest total yields via the key transformation of metal triflate-mediated intramolecular benzannulation of o-formyl or o-benzoyl allylbenzenes in MeNO₂ at rt.