α-Ketoglutaric acid in Ugi reactions and Ugi/aza-Wittig tandem reactions

A small library of bis- and tetraamides was synthesized by the Ugi reaction with α-ketoglutaric acid, tert-butyl isocyanide, aromatic aldehydes, and aromatic amines. When o-azidoanilines were used, azidated peptidomimetics were obtained, the post-cyclization of which by the aza-Wittig reaction yielded a series of substituted 3-(3-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-2-yl)propanoic acids containing a pharmacophore quinoxalinone moiety. The tandem Ugi/aza-Wittig combination was also carried out in a one-pot procedure without isolation of the intermediate.