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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Preparation of Stable Bicyclic Aziridinium Ions and Their Ring-Opening for the Synthesis of Azaheterocycles
Published on: August 22, 2018
Synthesis of functionalized 1-azaspirocyclic cyclopentanones using bronsted acid or N-bromosuccinimide promoted ring
Gregory R Dake1, Michaël D B Fenster, Paul B Hurley
1Department of Chemistry, 2036 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z1. gdake@chem.ubc.ca
Abstract:
Azaspirocyclic ring systems are present in a variety of alkaloids. Functionalized 1-azaspirocyclopentanones (6, 7, 11, 12) can be efficiently constructed through semipinacol ring expansion reactions of 2-(1-hydroxycyclobutyl)-p-toluenesulfonylenamides (4) promoted by either a Bronsted acid ((S)-(+)-10-camphorsulfonic acid or HCl) or N-bromosuccinimide, an electrophilic bromine source. Reactions promoted by N-bromosuccinimide tend to proceed in higher yields (80-95%) and with greater diastereoselectivity (3:1-1:0) compared to those reactions promoted by a Bronsted acid. In addition, N-bromosuccinimide promoted reactions can produce a complementary stereochemical outcome compared to the reactions using Bronsted acid.
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