1984 Volume 42 Issue 4 Pages 340-354
This article deals with the synthetic utility of dioxopyrrolines in the field of heterocyclic chemistry, especially on focusing carbon-carbon bond forming reactions, in which they acted as dienophiles on Diels-Alder reaction and also as enophiles on photocycloaddition reaction yielding hydroindoles and 2- azabicyclo [3. 2. 0] heptanes respectively. The latter compounds, strained cyclobutanes, underwent skeletal rearrangements to form various heterocyclic compounds such as hydroindoles, azatropolones, azanorbornenes, azanonanes, dihydropyridones, and dihydropyridines. This methodology was successfully applied to total synthesis of erythrina alkaloids.