Acid-catalysed addition of N-aryl imines to dihydrofuran. Postulated dependence of the reaction mechanism on the relative face of approach of reactants

Abstract

Imines 1a and 1b react with dihydrofuran (DHF) under Lewis acid catalysis via Diels–Alder-type addition to form the tetrahydroquinoline derivatives 3a, b and 4a, b. Besides these compounds, the methanol adduct 2 of 1a, or 1a in the presence of methanol, gives the methanol-containing tetrahydrofuran derivative 7a and the hexahydrofuro[3,2-b]furan derivatives 5 and 6. In the presence of methanol, 1b gives 3b and 4b, and also 7b and 8. The products 3a, b, 5, 6 and 7a, b originate from approach of the Si(or Re) face of 1a, b onto the Si(or Re) face of DHF; 4a, b and 8 derive from interaction of the Si(or Re) face of 1a, b with the Re(or Si) face of DHF. The dependence of the product distribution on the polarity of the solvent suggests that a concerted mechanism predominates in the former mode and a zwitterionic one in the latter. In the addition of 1a or 2 the mechanistic preference may be exclusive.