An efficient approach to azirino and pyrrolo-fused dibenzazepines. Conformations of substituted dibenzo[c,f]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepines

An effective approach to azepino-fused heterocycles is described. trans-1-Aryl-7,11b-dihydro-1H-azirino[1,2-a]dibenzo[c,f]azepines were synthesised via a domino sequence: isomerization of gem-dichloroaziridine–intramolecular Friedel–Crafts acylation of the tethered benzene ring catalysed by SnCl₄ and subsequent hydride induced intramolecular cyclization. Cycloaddition of dibenzazepinium ylides, generated by heating these aziridines, to activated CC, CC dipolarophiles and fullerene C₆₀, leads to derivatives of dibenzo[c,f]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine. The reaction proceeds with complete stereoselectivity via cycloaddition of only W-ylide, which due to the high barrier does not undergo E,Z-isomerization under the reaction conditions. It was found that 2,3,9,13b-tetrahydro-1H-dibenzo[c,f]pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine systems can exist in conformations of two types depending on the substituents at the pyrrolidine carbons in β-position with respect to nitrogen. Details of cycloaddition reactions and the conformational behavior of cycloadducts were studied by DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level.