Alkylwanderungen bei Sextettumlagerungen

Die Wanderungstendenzen von Alkylgruppen bei der Beckmann- Criegee- und Isonitril-Nitril-Umlagerung werden untersucht. Aus den relativen Reaktionsgeschwindigkeiten der substituierten Benzylreste werden Rückschlüsse auf die Ladungsverteilung im Übergangszustand dieser Reaktionen gezogen und aus dem Verhältnis der Wanderungstendenzen des exo und endo- 2- Norbornylrestes auf die Geometrie der wandernden Gruppe im Übergangszustand. Der in verschiedenen Sextettumlagerungen unterschiedliche Einfluß der -Methylverzweigung in der wandernden Gruppe wird interpretiert

Cobalt-Impregnated Magnetite as General Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Hydroacylation Reaction of Azodicarboxylates

Catalysts consisting of cobalt and nickel impregnated on magnetite have been prepared, characterized and used for the hydroacylation reaction of different azodicarboxylate compounds with aldehydes, using nearly stoichiometric amounts of both reagents in only 3 h. Furthermore, this reaction has been conducted with the smallest amount of catalyst. The cobalt catalyst is stable enough to be removed by magnetic decantation and recycled ten-fold without any detrimental effect on the results.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MICINN; CTQ2011-24151) and University of Alicante. J. M.P. thanks the MICINN (FPI program) for her fellowship

Quinones as dienophiles in the Diels-Alder reaction: history and applications in total synthesis

In the canon of reactions available to the organic chemist engaged in total synthesis, the Diels–Alder reaction is among the most powerful and well understood. Its ability to rapidly generate molecular complexity through the simultaneous formation of two carboncarbon bonds is almost unrivalled, and this is reflected in the great number of reported applications of this reaction. Historically, the use of quinones as dienophiles is highly significant, being the very first example investigated by Diels and Alder. Herein, we review the application of the Diels–Alder reaction of quinones in the total synthesis of natural products. The highlighted examples span some 60 years from the landmark syntheses of morphine (1952) and reserpine (1956) by Gates and Woodward, respectively, through to the present day examples, such as the tetracyclines