Rhodium(II)-catalyzed cyclization of amido diazo carbonyl compounds

A series of acyclic diazo ketoamides were prepared from N-benzoyl-N-alkylaminopropanoic acids and were treated with a catalytic amount of rhodium(II) acetate. The resultant carbenoids underwent facile cyclization onto the neighboring amide carbonyl oxygen atom to generate seven-membered carbonyl ylide dipoles. Subsequent collapse of the dipoles with charge dissipation produce bicyclic epoxides which undergo further reorganization to give substituted 5-hydroxydihydropyridones in good yield. Depending on the nature of the substituent groups, it was possible to trap some of the initially formed carbonyl ylide dipoles with a reactive dipolarophile such as DMAD. In other cases, cyclization of the dipole to the epoxide is much faster than bimolecular trapping. A related cyclization/rearrangement sequence occurred when diazo ketoamides derived from the cyclic pyrrolidone and piperidone ring systems were subjected to catalytic quantities of Rh(II) acetate. With these systems, exclusive O-cyclization of the amido group onto the carbenoid center occurs to generate a seven-ring carbonyl ylide dipole. Starting materials are easily prepared, and the cascade sequence proceeds in good yield and does not require special precautions. The overall procedure represents an efficient one-pot approach toward the synthesis of various indolizidine and quinolizidine ring systems.