Synthesis of cucurbitine derivatives: facile straightforward approach to methyl 3-amino-4-aryl-1-methylpyrrolydine-3-carboxylates

A general three- or four-step synthesis of cis- and trans-substituted cucurbitine (3-aminopyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acid) derivatives from methyl 2-nitroacetate is reported. The first step utilizes a Knoevenagel condensation with five different aromatic imines or their corresponding aldehydes to form (Z/E)-mixtures of α-nitro acrylates. The second step gives rise to the pyrrolidine-core structures of the title compounds by a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction using an azomethine ylide. The last step consists of reduction of the nitro group to yield both diastereoisomers of the corresponding 4-aryl cucurbitine methyl esters.