Convenient synthesis of ferrocenyl β-C-glycosydic spiropyrrolidines and pyrrolizidines through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction

An expedient method for the synthesis of ferrocene grafted β-C-glycosydic spiroheterocycles is reported through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction (1,3-DC reaction). The novel C-glycosyl dipolarophiles derived from d-glucose, d-mannose, and d-ribose underwent neat [3+2] cycloaddition reaction with the azomethine ylides generated from 1,2-diketones and secondary amino acids to give the corresponding β-C-glycosidic heterocycles in good yields. The electrochemical behavior of the cycloadducts is also described.