Synthetic and Mechanistic Investigation of an Oxime Ether Electrocyclization Approach to Heteroaromatic Boronic Acid Derivatives

A range of functionalized heteroaromatic boronic acid derivatives are readily accessed by a diboration/6π-electrocyclization sequence. This study revealed the surprising observation that there is a direct relationship between oxime ether stereochemistry and reactivity towards electrocyclization. Specifically, E-oxime ethers are found to be significantly more reactive than their Z-counterparts (stereochemistry relative to azatriene scaffold). In contrast, the configuration at the azatriene alkene terminus has little impact on reaction rates. Computational analysis offers a rationale for this observation; a N_lone pair→C=C π* orbital interaction lowers the energy of the transition state in the electrocyclization of E-oxime ethers. Finally, unreactive Z-oxime ethers can be converted to the corresponding heterocyclic products by a photolytically promoted E→_Z isomerization and electrocyclization sequence.