title: Rearrangement of 2-aryl-3,3-dichloroazetidines: intermediacy of 2-azetines.
abstract: An easy synthesis of 2-aryl-3,3-dichloroazetidines, a rather unexplored class of azaheterocycles, is described. The title compounds were easily obtained by reduction of the corresponding 4-aryl-3,3-dichloro-2-azetidinones with monochloroalane, which in turn were synthesized by a ketene-imine [2 + 2] cycloaddition. The reactivity of 3,3-dichloroazetidines with bases was investigated, yielding 2-[dimethoxy(aryl)methyl]aziridines by ring contraction when treated with sodium methoxide. Furthermore, reacting the 3,3-dichloroazetidines with sodium hydride in DMSO, followed by aqueous workup, afforded 1-alkyl-2-aroylaziridines, by hydrolysis of the intermediate 2-azetines and ring closure of the transient 3-amino-2-chloro-1-phenyl-1-propanone derivatives. Monitoring this reaction in an NMR tube, using sodium hydride in DMSO-d(6), allowed the characterization of the intermediate strained heterocyclic enamines, i.e., 2-azetines, by (1)H and (13)C NMR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dejaegher
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mangelinckx
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Kimpe