Riaz F. Abdulla

Morpholines-(III): Some Further Aspects of the Cyclodehydrohalogenation of ω -[N-(aryl)-N-(halogenoacyl)]-aminoacetophenones

The formation of a 2-oxo-azetidine from N-phenyl-N-chloroacetyl-4-fluoro-phenacylamine, and 3-oxo-morpholines from corresponding 4-bromo-derivatives 2 indicates the possibility of the existence of dπ-acceptor resonance between the aromatic ring and the bromo-substituent. H-NMR studies of some morpholines reported earlier 3 indicate a planar heterocyclic structure with a rapidly inverting N₋aryl substituent. Where the rotation of the N-aryl group is strongly hindered 16, the C2 methylene protons show a geminai coupling of -14.5 Hz4. The 2-oxo-azetidine (4) shows an ABX coupling pattern for its ring protons. Preliminary work attempting to extend the synthesis of morpholines to azepines has resulted instead in the formation of a pyrrolidone.

Studies on beta-Lactams

Since the discovery 11 of the activating effect of the N- (p-Nitro-phenyl)-group on the methine hydrogen of halogenacetamino esters, it has been found that the p-Acetyl-phenyl and m-Nitro-phenyl groups exert a similar effect. It has been shown that the delocalisation of the N-non-bonded electrons across the orbitals of the N-Aryl substituent is the governing factor in the cyclisation of the above systems, and the effect of the bulk of the N-Aryl substituent is relegated to a minor position.