THE REACTION OF DIETHYL AZODICARBOXYLATE WITH DIHYDROGELSEMINE

Abstract

Dihydrogelsemine reacts with diethyl azodicarboxylate yielding a carbinolamine which forms a methyl ether. Both this ether and the carbinolamine base can be oxidized by chromic acid to the same neutral lactam. That there has been no rearrangement of the carbon skeleton during these reactions is shown by reduction of the methyl ether of the carbinolamine with sodium borohydride to dihydrogelsemine and by reduction of the lactam with lithium aluminum hydride to tetrahydrodesoxygelsemine. It is concluded that both dihydrogelsemine and gelsemine contain a methylene group adjacent to N(b), and from the infrared spectrum of the lactam of dihydrogelsemine, N(b) appears to be part of a five-membered ring.