Synthesis of substituted 1H- and 3H-1-benzazepines: Rearrangement of 2-alkoxycarbonyl-1H-1-benzazepines to isoquinolines

The SnCl2-mediated reduction of nitro groups in 2-nitro-4-(2-nitro-benzylidene)-alkanoates and 4-nitro-2-(2-nitro-alkylidene)-alkanoates afforded via SN2′ reaction of ethyl nitroacetate and nitroethane with the acetyl derivatives of Baylis-Hillman adducts afforded by 2-nitro-substituted benzaldehydes leads to facile synthesis of substituted 1H-1-benzazepine and 3H-1-benzazepine. During the study an unprecedented rearrangement of 2-alkoxycarbonyl-1H-benzazepine to substituted isoquinoline has been observed.

Studies on the reduction of the nitro group in 3-aryl-2-methylene-4-nitro-alkanoates afforded by the Baylis-Hillman adducts: Synthesis of 4-aryl-3-methylene-2-pyrrolidinones and 3-(1-alkoxycarbonyl-vinyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxylates

The formation of substituted 2-pyrrolidinones and indoles by the reduction of the secondary nitro group in appropriate 3-aryl-2-methylene-4-nitroalkanoates afforded by Baylis-Hillman chemistry via different reducing agents is described. The 3-aryl-2-methylene-4-nitroalkanoate obtained from SN2 nucleophilic reaction between the acetate of Baylis-Hillman adducts and ethyl nitroacetate upon reduction with indium-HCl furnishes a mixture of cis and trans substituted phenyl-3-methylene-2-pyrrolidinones. In contrast, similar reductions of analogous substrates derived from nitroethane stereoselectively furnished only the trans substituted phenyl-3-methylene-2-pyrrolidinones. On the other hand the SnCl2.2H2O-promoted reductions of substrates derived from nitro ethylacetate give oxime derivatives while the ones obtained from nitroethane yield a mixture of cis and trans 4-aryl-3-methylene-2-pyrrolidinones. Alternatively, the SnCl2.2H2O-promoted reduction of substituted 2-nitrophenyl-2-methylene-alkanoate furnished from ethyl nitroacetate yields 3-(1-alkoxycarbonyl-vinyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxylate while indium-promoted reaction of this substrate leads to a complex mixture. Analogous reactions with SnCl2.2H2O of substituted 2-nitrophenyl-2-methylene-alkanoate obtained from nitroethane yield 4-alkyl-3-methylene-2-quinolones in moderate yields