Stereochemical Study on 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions of Heteroaromatic N-Ylides with Symmetrically Substituted cis and trans Olefins

Abstract Stereochemistry of the cycloadditions of twenty-four heteroaromatic N-ylides with several symmetrically substituted cis and trans olefins has been investigated. Cyclic and acyclic cis olefins cycloadd to the and form of the ylides in a highly endo-selective manner giving almost quantitative yields of stereospecific endo 3+2 cycloadducts. N-Ylides stabilized with a substituent of carbonyl type react with trans olefins to form mostly two stereoisomeric 3+2 cycloadducts to the anti form of the ylides. In most cases, they undergo the stereospecific interconversion through a retro cycloaddition process, the isomer ratios and the easiness of transformation depending upon the nature and size of substituents on the five-membered ring which has been built up in the cycloaddition step. On the other hand, N-ylides stabilized with a substituent of noncarbonyl type react with trans olefins to give stereospecific and stereoselective 3+2 cycloadducts as single isomers which are assigned as the cycloadducts to the syn form of the ylides.