An efficient protocol for the aza-Diels-Alder reaction of electron-deficient 1,3-dienes with unactivated imines in the presence of a cationic cobalt(III) porphyrin complex was developed. The transformation proceeded smoothly to afford the desired piperidine scaffold within 2 h at ambient temperature. Highly chemoselective cycloaddition of imines with dienes in the presence of a variety of carbonyl compounds was also demonstrated.
Cationic iron(III) porphyrin was found to be an efficient catalyst for the highly chemoselective hetero-Diels Alder-type reaction of aldehydes with 1,3-dienes. The catalyzed process did not require the use of electron-deficient aldehydes such as glyoxylic acid derivatives or activated electron-rich 1,3-dienes such as Danishefslcy's diene and Rawal's diene. The high functional group tolerance and robustness of the catalyst were demonstrated. Further, the potential utility of the catalyst was demonstrated by performing the cycloaddition in the presence of water and by carrying out cycloaddition of an unactivated ketone such as cyclohexanone with a diene.