Synthesis of Succinimido[3,4-b]indane and 1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexahydro-1,5-methano-3-benzazocine-2,4-dione by Sequential Alkylation and Intramolecular Arylation of Enolates Derived from N,N,N'N'-Tetramethylbutanediamides and N,N,N'N'-Tetramethylpentanediamides.

The tricyclic title compounds, 4 and 5, were synthesized by initial alkylation of the lithium monoenolates of N,N,N',N'-tetramethylbutanediamide (6) and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylpentanediamide (19) with 2-iodobenzyl chloride in liquid NH(3) at -60 degrees C to afford 2-(2-iodobenzyl)-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylbutanediamide (9) and 2-(2-iodobenzyl)-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylpentanediamide (20) in yields of 88 and 87%, respectively. Treatment of 9 with KNH(2) in liquid NH(3) resulted in formation and intramolecular arylation of the less-substituted alpha-enolate to produce trans-1,2-bis(N,N-dimethylcarboxamido)indane (10a) in 60% yield. Selective hydrolysis of 10a with aqueous Na(2)O(2) gave trans-1-(N,N-dimethylcarboxamido)indane-2-carboxylic acid (17), which was then converted to bridged succinimide 4 by transformation to trans-1-(N,N-dimethylcarboxamido)indane-2-carboxamide (10c) followed by cyclization of this mixed primary/tertiary amide by means of NaH in refluxing THF. Treatment of 20 with KNH(2) in liquid NH(3) led to intramolecular arylation and accompanying ammonolysis to afford trans-1-(N,N-dimethylcarboxamido)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-3-carboxamide (21b). Conversion of 21b to 5 was similarly effected by means of NaH. Experiments designed to test the mechanistic aspects of the intramolecular arylations provided evidence for competing aryne and SET pathways.