Synlett 2008(9): 1366-1370  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1078404
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Intramolecular Cycloisomerization of Aryl-Substituted Alkylidenecyclo­propanes via NHC Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade C-C Bond Cleavage/C-H Activation/C-C Bond Formation

Yewei Yanga, Xian Huang*a,b
a Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, (Xixi Campus), Hangzhou 310028, P. R. of China,
Fax: +86(571)88807077; e-Mail: huangx@mail.hz.zj.cn;
b State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, P. R. of China
Further Information

Publication History

Received 29 January 2008
Publication Date:
07 May 2008 (online)

Abstract

A well-defined N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization reaction of aryl-substituted alkylidenecyclopropanes (ACP) to 1-aryl dihydronaphthalenes is described. The NHC salts were found to suppress β-hydride elimination from the homoallylpalladium intermediate, which may lead to unwanted alkene formation. A plausible mechanism for the cycloisomerization was proposed.

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Preparation of 4-Phenyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (2a) and (1-Phenylbuta-1,3-dienyl)benzene (3a); Typical Procedure Under an N2 atmosphere, a mixture of 1a (206 mg, 1 mmol), Cl2PdL2 (20 mg, 0.02 mmol), IMes·HCl (35 mg, 0.08 mmol) and DMA (2 mL) was stirred for 12 h at 160 °C. The reaction was monitored by TLC (eluent: hexane). After the reaction was judged complete, the reaction mixture was allowed to cool. The crude mixture was then loaded directly onto SiO2 and purified by column chromatography using hexane as the eluent to give the products 2a (86 mg, 42%) and 3a (14 mg, 7%).
Compound 2a: colorless oil. IR (film): νmax = 3059, 3026, 2934, 1720, 1662, 1597, 1489, 1447, 1269, 1157 cm-1. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 7.49-7.09 (m, 5 H), 7.00 (d, J = 7.4 Hz, 1 H), 6.08 (t, J = 4.7 Hz, 1 H), 2.84 (t, J = 8.1 Hz, 2 H), 2.42-2.37 (m, 2 H). 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 140.8, 139.7, 136.8, 135.1, 128.7, 128.2, 127.6, 127.5, 127.0, 126.9, 126.2, 125.4, 28.3, 23.5.MS (EI): m/z (%) = 207 (22.1) [M+ + 1], 206 (100) [M+], 191 (51.3), 128 (26.7), 91 (47.6). ESI-HRMS: m/z calcd for C16H14 [M+]: 206.1096; found: 206.1099.
Compound 3a: colorless oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 7.38-7.20 (m, 10 H), 6.71 (d, J = 11.0 Hz, 1 H), 6.43 (m, 1 H), 5.38 (ddd, J = 16.8, 0.7, 0.7 Hz, 1 H), 5.11 (ddd, J = 10.2, 0.9, 0.76 Hz, 1 H). 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 143.1, 142.1, 139.6, 134.9, 130.4, 128.5, 128.2, 128.1, 127.6, 127.5, 127.4, 118.6.

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The crystal data of 2f have been deposited at the CCDC with number 671565. Crystal data for 2f: C22H26O2, MW = 322.43, monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c, final R indices [I > 2σ(I)], R1 = 0.0505, wR2 = 0. 1033, a = 14.8134(19) Å, b = 16.2215(19) Å, c = 7.7787(10) Å, α = 90°, β = 100.708(2)°, γ = 90°, V = 1836.6(4) Å3, crystal size: 0.482 × 0.435 × 0.276 mm, T = 293 (2) K, Z = 4, reflections collected/unique: 10650/ 3977 (R int = 0.0921), data: 3977, restraints: 0, parameters: 222.