An efficient non-catalytic, regioselective approach to the synthesis of angularly fused polycyclic systems

A novel approach to the synthesis of partially reduced different ring sizes of PAH analogs with sec.amino and nitrile functionalities is delineated through base-induced ring transformation of 4-sec.amino-2-oxo-5,6-dihydro-2H-benzo[h]chromene-3-carbonitriles by a carbanion, generated in situ from cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, cycloheptanone, and cyclooctanone separately in good yields. An increase in the size of cycloalkanone ring beyond cyclooctanone restricts the ring transformation under analogous reaction conditions possibly due to bulky conformation of higher homologs. The synthetic method provides an efficient general route for the construction of angularly fused partially reduced polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: 5-sec.amino-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]phenanthrene-4-carbonitriles, 6-sec.amino-2,3,4,7,8-pentahydro-1H-benzo[c]phenanthrene-5-carbonitriles, 7-sec.amino-2,3,4,5,8,9-hexahydro-1H-cyclohepta[c]phenanthrene-6-carbonitriles, and 8-sec.amino-2,3,4,5,6,9,10-heptahydro-1H-cycloocta[c]phenanthrene-7-carbonitriles.