The Aldol Addition of Readily Enolizable 1,3-Dicarbonyl Compounds to 2-Cyanobenzaldehyde in the Synthesis of Novel 3-Substituted Isoindolinones

Asymmetric Cascade Aza-Henry/Lactamization Reaction in the Highly Enantioselective Organocatalytic Synthesis of 3-(Nitromethyl)isoindolin-1-ones from α-Amido Sulfones

The asymmetric synthesis of novel 3-substituted isoindolinones is herein reported. A new cascade reaction was developed that consisted of the asymmetric nitro-Mannich reaction of suitable α-amido sulfones designed from 2-formyl benzoates, followed by the in situ cyclization of the adducts. Very high enantioselectivities, up to 98% ee, and very good yields were obtained in the presence of the readily available neutral bifunctional organocatalyst derived from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, which is known as Takemoto’s catalyst. The investigation of the reactivity of the obtained products allowed either the selective Boc-deprotection or reduction of the nitro group, leading to further functionalized 3-substituted isoindolinones without affecting the enantiomeric purity.

Base-Promoted Cascade Reactions for the Synthesis of 3,3-Dialkylated Isoindolin-1-ones and 3-Methyleneisoindolin-1-ones

Cascade reactions of ortho-carbonyl-substituted benzonitriles with ((chloromethyl)sulfonyl)benzenes as pronucleophiles led to new isoindolin-1-ones with a tetrasubstituted C-3 position or to (Z)-3-(sulfonyl-methylene)isoindolin-1-ones. The reactions start from readily available materials, are carried out under mild conditions, and do not require metal catalysis. Promoted only by the cheap and environmentally benign K₂CO₃ as the base, up to six elemental steps can be combined in a single pot. Hence, a sequential one-pot cascade/β-elimination/alkylation furnished useful intermediates for the synthesis of aristolactam natural products. The observed selectivity and the mechanism were investigated by DFT studies.