IChO 2012 · Theory problem 6

Synthesis of varenicline

Varenicline has been developed as an oral treatment for smoking addiction and can be synthesized by the route shown below. All compounds indicated by a letter (A – H) are uncharged, isolable species.

Figure 1

6.1 Suggest a structure for compound A.

6.2 Suggest a structure for compound B consistent with the following \(\ce{^1H}\)-NMR data:

\(\delta\) 7.75 (singlet, 1H), 7.74 (doublet, 1H, \(J = 7.9\ \mathrm{Hz}\)), 7.50 (doublet, 1H, \(J = 7.1\ \mathrm{Hz}\)), 7.22 (multiplet, 2 nonequivalent H), 4.97 (triplet, 2H, \(J = 7.8\ \mathrm{Hz}\)), 4.85 (triplet, 2H, \(J = 7.8\ \mathrm{Hz}\)).

Figure 2

6.3 Suggest a structure for compounds C, D, and F.

6.4 Suggest reagents X and Y to convert compound G into varenicline, and provide the isolable intermediate H along this route.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 6.1 — A: 2-(2-Bromophenyl)acetonitrile, N#CCc1ccccc1Br.

  • 6.2 — B: 3-(1,3-Dioxolan-2-ylidene)-3H-indene-1-carbonitrile, a cyclic ketene acetal: N#CC1=CC(=C2OCCO2)c2ccccc21.

  • 6.3:

  • C: The bridged lactam, namely the 2-oxo derivative of D: O=C1NC[C@H]2C[C@@H]1c1ccccc12.
  • D: 2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-1H-1,5-methano-3-benzazepine: c1ccc2c(c1)[C@H]1CNC[C@@H]2C1.
  • F: 7,8-Dinitro-N-trifluoroacetyl-D, with adjacent nitro groups at the positions occupied by the amino groups in G: O=C(C(F)(F)F)N1C[C@H]2C[C@@H](C1)c1cc([N+](=O)[O-])c([N+](=O)[O-])cc12.

  • 6.4:

  • X: Glyoxal (ethanedial), O=CC=O, for example aqueous glyoxal in ethanol.
  • H: N-Trifluoroacetylvarenicline: O=C(C(F)(F)F)N1C[C@H]2C[C@@H](C1)c1cc3nccnc3cc12.
  • Y: Aqueous sodium hydroxide, [Na+].[OH-], with warming, to hydrolyse the trifluoroacetamide and isolate varenicline as its free base.

The stereochemical SMILES specify the required cis bridge arrangement. For the chiral amino ester and C, one enantiomer is represented; the achiral synthesis gives racemic material at these stages.

Solution

The equations below describe net transformations, with neutral organic products understood to be isolated after workup. Common species appearing in the balances are water O, methanol CO, ethanol CCO, molecular hydrogen [H][H], and the proton [H+].

6.1 — Identification of A

The starting material is 1-bromo-2-(bromomethyl)benzene, BrCc1ccccc1Br.

Potassium cyanide, [K+].[C-]#N, supplies a carbon nucleophile that substitutes the benzylic bromide by an \(\mathrm{S_N2}\) reaction. The unactivated aromatic carbon–bromine bond remains available for the subsequent palladium-mediated reaction.

\[ \ce{BrC6H4CH2Br + KCN -> BrC6H4CH2CN + KBr} \]

The two substituents on the benzene ring remain ortho. Thus A is 2-(2-bromophenyl)acetonitrile, with molecular formula \(\ce{C8H6BrN}\). The salt byproduct is potassium bromide, [K+].[Br-].

6.2 — Identification of B

The intermediate drawn immediately before B is the sodium enolate of ethyl 3-cyano-1H-indene-1-carboxylate:

CCOC([O-])=C1C=C(C#N)c2ccccc21.[Na+]

Treatment with ethylene glycol (ethane-1,2-diol), OCCO, and acid incorporates both glycol oxygen atoms into a five-membered dioxolane ring. Its acetal carbon retains an exocyclic double bond to the indene skeleton, giving the cyclic ketene acetal B.

Omitting the sodium counterion, the balanced condensation is

\[ \ce{C13H10NO2^- + H+ + HOCH2CH2OH -> C13H9NO2 + C2H5OH + H2O}. \]

To sketch B precisely, draw the benzene-fused five-membered carbocycle with the sequence

\[ \ce{C(CN)=CH-C} \]

between its two benzene fusion atoms. The final carbon in this sequence has an exocyclic double bond to the carbon of a \(\ce{-O-CH2-CH2-O-}\) ring.

The NMR data account for every hydrogen:

Observed signal Assignment in B
\(\delta 7.75\), singlet, 1H The five-membered ring’s vinylic \(\ce{CH}\); neither adjacent ring carbon bears hydrogen
\(\delta 7.74\), doublet, 1H, and \(7.50\), doublet, 1H Two benzene-ring hydrogens, each with a dominant ortho coupling
\(\delta 7.22\), multiplet, 2 nonequivalent H The remaining two benzene-ring hydrogens
\(\delta 4.97\) and \(4.85\), triplets, 2H each The two distinct \(\ce{OCH2}\) groups of the dioxolane ring

The two glycol methylene groups occupy different environments relative to the unsymmetrical indene fragment. Each couples to the two hydrogens of the neighboring methylene group, consistent with the matching \(J=7.8\ \mathrm{Hz}\) triplets.

The total integration is

\[ 1+1+1+2+2+2=9\ \text{hydrogens}, \]

consistent with \(\ce{C13H9NO2}\).

6.3 — Identification of C, D, and F

Formation of the amino ester shown before C. Acidic methanol converts B’s cyclic ketene acetal into a methyl ester. Hydrogenation reduces the remaining carbocyclic double bond and converts the nitrile into an aminomethyl group.

The displayed product is methyl cis-3-(aminomethyl)indane-1-carboxylate:

COC(=O)[C@@H]1C[C@H](CN)c2ccccc21

The net balance is

\[ \ce{C13H9NO2 + CH3OH + H2O + 3H2 -> C12H15NO2 + HOCH2CH2OH}. \]

One equivalent of hydrogen reduces the ring double bond, and two equivalents reduce the nitrile.

C: intramolecular lactam formation. The ester and aminomethyl substituents are cis, as indicated by their dashed bonds in the problem. This places them suitably for cyclization.

Sodium tert-butoxide, CC(C)(C)[O-].[Na+], promotes intramolecular aminolysis of the methyl ester. The amino nitrogen bonds to the ester carbonyl carbon, and methanol is eliminated:

\[ \ce{C12H15NO2 -> C11H11NO + CH3OH}. \]

C therefore contains a six-membered lactam ring. To draw it, retain the indane skeleton and connect its two substituted benzylic carbons through

\[ \ce{-C(=O)-NH-CH2-}. \]

The existing one-carbon bridge between those benzylic carbons remains intact. This gives the bridged lactam specified in the Answers.

D: reduction of the lactam. Lithium aluminium hydride, [Li+].[AlH4-], reduces the amide carbonyl to a methylene group while preserving the carbon–nitrogen framework:

\[ \ce{C11H11NO + 4[H] -> C11H13N + H2O}. \]

Here \([H]\) denotes a formal reducing hydrogen equivalent supplied by the reduction and workup.

Thus the bridge

\[ \ce{-C(=O)-NH-CH2-} \]

becomes

\[ \ce{-CH2-NH-CH2-}, \]

giving the secondary amine D.

F: aromatic dinitration. The next displayed compound, E, is N-trifluoroacetyl-D:

O=C(C(F)(F)F)N1C[C@H]2C[C@@H](C1)c1ccccc12

Its subsequent hydrogenation product, G, is 7,8-diamino-N-trifluoroacetyl-D:

O=C(C(F)(F)F)N1C[C@H]2C[C@@H](C1)c1cc(N)c(N)cc12

Catalytic hydrogenation converts aromatic nitro groups into amino groups. Consequently, F must contain two adjacent nitro groups at exactly the aromatic positions bearing amino groups in G: positions 7 and 8 of the benzazepine parent.

The nitration with nitric acid, O=[N+]([O-])O, has the balance

\[ \ce{C13H12F3NO + 2HNO3 -> C13H10F3N3O5 + 2H2O}. \]

The supplied \(2.3\ \mathrm{mol}\) of nitric acid per mole of E is consistent with this two-equivalent requirement.

Reduction of F then gives the depicted G:

\[ \ce{C13H10F3N3O5 + 6H2 -> C13H14F3N3O + 4H2O}. \]

For the drawing of F, retain E’s entire bridged framework and its N-trifluoroacetyl group, and place \(\ce{NO2}\) groups on the two adjacent aromatic carbons opposite the fused saturated ring.

6.4 — Reagents X and Y, and intermediate H

X: construct the quinoxaline ring with glyoxal.

G contains an ortho aromatic diamine. Each amino group condenses with one aldehyde group of glyoxal, producing two imine bonds and eliminating two water molecules:

\[ \ce{C13H14F3N3O + OHCCHO -> C15H12F3N3O + 2H2O}. \]

The two nitrogen atoms and glyoxal’s two carbon atoms complete the new six-membered aromatic ring. In a drawing, the two adjacent amino substituents become the ring path

\[ \ce{-N=CH-CH=N-}, \]

whose ends remain attached to the adjacent benzene carbons.

The bridged nitrogen retains its trifluoroacetyl protecting group, so the isolable product H is N-trifluoroacetylvarenicline.

Y: remove the trifluoroacetyl group.

Aqueous sodium hydroxide hydrolyses the activated trifluoroacetamide, restoring the secondary amine:

\[ \ce{C15H12F3N3O + NaOH -> C13H13N3 + CF3CO2Na}. \]

The coproduct is sodium trifluoroacetate, O=C([O-])C(F)(F)F.[Na+].

The resulting varenicline is

N1C[C@H]2C[C@@H](C1)c1cc3nccnc3cc12

and has molecular formula \(\ce{C13H13N3}\), consistent with the final structure in the problem.

The answers were checked against the official answers published by the organisers.