1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions of Azomethine Ylides with Carbonyl Dipolarophiles Yielding Oxazolidine Derivatives

We provide a comprehensive account of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of azomethine ylides with carbonyl dipolarophiles. Many different azomethine ylides have been studied, including stabilized and non-stabilized ylides. Of the carbonyl dipolarophiles, aldehydes including formaldehyde are the most studied, although there are now examples of cycloadditions with ketones, ketenes and carboxyl systems, in particular isatoic anhydrides and phthalic anhydrides. Intramolecular cycloadditions with esters can also occur under certain circumstances. The oxazolidine cycloadducts undergo a range of reactions triggered by the ring-opening of the oxazolidine ring system.

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition reactions of phthalic anhydrides with an azomethine ylide

A series of phthalic anhydrides underwent a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction with N-benzylazomethine ylide to produce unstable spiro(isobenzofuran-1,5′-oxazolidin)-3-ones, which underwent a subsequent reductive ring-opening reaction to afford 1(3H)-isobenzofuranones.