Highly Efficient Synthesis of Azabicyclo[<i>x</i>.<i>y</i>.0]alkane Amino Acids and Congeners by Means of Rh-Catalyzed Cyclohydrocarbonylation

A highly efficient method for the synthesis of 1-azabicyclo[x.y.0]alkane amino acid derivatives and their congeners by means of extremely regioselective cyclohydrocarbonylation (CHC) is described. The CHC reactions are catalyzed by Rh-BIPHEPHOS complex under mild conditions. These CHC reaction processes involve (i) an extremely linear-selective hydroformylation of the terminal alkene moiety of a dehydrodipeptide substrate, (ii) intramolecular condensation to form cyclic N-acyliminium key intermediate, and (iii) the second cyclization through intramolecular nucleophilic addition of a heteoatom nucleophile to the cyclic N-acyliminium moiety to afford the corresponding 1-azabicyclo[x.y.0] system. This consecutive double cyclization process proceeds with extremely high diastereoselectivity in most cases. This method has been successfully applied to the syntheses of 1-azabicyclo[4.4.0], -[5.4.0], and -[4.3.0] systems. The mechanisms of the reactions and the rationale for the observed extremely high diastereoselectivity are presented. This Rh-catalyzed CHC process would serve as a highly efficient and versatile method for the syntheses of a variety of conformationally restrained dipeptides, peptidomimetics, alkaloids, and other biologically active natural or unnatural products.