Rethinking Hydrolytic Imidazoline Ring Expansion: A Common Approach to the Preparation of Medium-Sized Rings via Side-Chain Insertion into [1.4]Oxa- and [1.4]Thiazepinone Scaffolds
Attempts to extend the hydrated imidazoline ring expansion (HIRE) strategy to a series of diarene-fused [1,4]diazepinones (earlier applied successfully to bis-pyrido substrate nevirapine) resulted in no ring expansion but rather 2-aminoethyl side chain expulsion. This seeming setback (setting the limitations to the HIRE methodology substrate scope) led to the discovery of selective dopamine D2 ligands with elements of structure-activity relationships.
A pendant cubane substituent has been incorporated into an acrylate polymer side chain to give poly[methyl 4-(acryloyloxymethyl)cubane carboxylate]. Treating this polymer with a rhodium(i) salt triggers a catalytic, ring-opening rearrangement of the cubane substructure to cyclooctatetraene, with a concomitant expansion in molecular volume. This system offers a unique opportunity to reverse the shrinkage associated with polymerization.
A new vitamin D analogue with a trans-fused decalin as the CD-ring system and containing a sulphur atom in the side chain has been synthesized in our research group. The obtention of this analogue is based on a recently discovered transformation of hydrindane cores into decalins through a dyotropic ring expansion in very mild conditions.
A facile approach to hitherto unknown ten-membered ring systems via a hydrolytic imidazoline ring expansion (HIRE) is described. Medium-sized rings are scarce in the contemporary medicinal chemistry toolbox. The new HIRE strategy broadens the arsenal of synthetic methods to obtain such scaffolds.
Synthesis of a New Type of Trans-Decalin Vitamin D Analogue through a Dyotropic Ring Expansion