Acetals from Grignard reagents

A high level of activity continues in connection with the synthesis of antimalarial artemisinin analogues and congeners, in which the 1,2-dioxepane moiety is embedded. Recent examples include the syntheses of various 10-substituted deoxoartemisinins of type 123 (eg. R1 = Cl COMe) from dihydroartemisinin acetate, and of type 124 (eg. R2 = a-OH, R3 = Me), from Grignard reagent addition to 10-(2-oxoethyl)deoxoartemisinin . 

Acetic formic anhydride has been prepared by the reaction of formic acid with acetic anhydride2 3 and ketene,4,5 and of acetyl chloride with sodium formate.6 The present procedure is essentially that of Muramatsu.6 It is simpler than others previously described and gives better yields. It is easily adapted to the preparation of large quantities, usually with an increase in yield. Acetic formic anhydride is a useful intermediate for the formyl-ation of amines,3,7 amino acids,8,9 and alcohols,2,10 for the synthesis of aldehydes from Grignard reagents,11 and for the preparation of formyl fluoride.12... 

The S-ifl type compounds 72, prepared from the reaction of MBH acetates and Grignard reagents, have been treated with 3 equiv. of H2SO4 at 60-70 °C, giving 3,4-dihydronaphthalenes 74 in moderate yields via an acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts-type reaction and subsequent acid hydrolysis of the ester moiety (Scheme 4.24). However, when the reactions were conducted at reduced temperature (0-10 °Q, 5,5-dimethyllactone derivatives 73 were obtained in 70-76% yields via acid-catalyzed lactonization. Such lactones could also be transformed into 3,4-dihydronaphthalenes 74 by treatment with H2SO4 in benzene at elevated temperature (60-70 °Q. 

Scheme 5). Subsequent alkylation then yielded the pheromone. Conjugated dienes have also been prepared from coupling reactions of dienyl acetates with Grignard reagents in presence of dilithium chiorocuprates. Diynes have been prepared by cuprous-chloride-... 

Cuprates from Grignard reagents react with allylic acetals to give vinyl ethers. ... 

The approach to (—)-monomorine I (efif-1562) by Harrity and his team began with the addition of the cuprate derived from the acetal-protected Grignard reagent 1594 to the (ii)-aziridine 1595, giving the A -piperideine (i .)-(—)-1596 in 95% yield (Scheme 201). This compound, a latent N-sulfonyliminium ion, reacted with aUyltrimethylsilane in acidic medium to produce the 2,6-ris-disubstituted piperidine (- -)-1597 as the only discernible... 

Alkynyl anions are more stable = 22) than the more saturated alkyl or alkenyl anions (p/Tj = 40-45). They may be obtained directly from terminal acetylenes by treatment with strong base, e.g. sodium amide (pA, of NH 35). Frequently magnesium acetylides are made in proton-metal exchange reactions with more reactive Grignard reagents. Copper and mercury acetylides are formed directly from the corresponding metal acetates and acetylenes under neutral conditions (G.E. Coates, 1977 R.P. Houghton, 1979). 

Hydroperoxides have been obtained from the autoxidation of alkanes, aralkanes, alkenes, ketones, enols, hydrazones, aromatic amines, amides, ethers, acetals, alcohols, and organomineral compounds, eg, Grignard reagents (10,45). In autoxidations involving hydrazones, double-bond migration occurs with the formation of hydroperoxy—azo compounds via free-radical chain processes (10,59) (eq. 20). 

Other Rea.ctlons, The anhydride of neopentanoic acid, neopentanoyl anhydride [1538-75-6] can be made by the reaction of neopentanoic acid with acetic anhydride (25). The reaction of neopentanoic acid with acetone using various catalysts, such as titanium dioxide (26) or 2irconium oxide (27), gives 3,3-dimethyl-2-butanone [75-97-8] commonly referred to as pinacolone. Other routes to pinacolone include the reaction of pivaloyl chloride [3282-30-2] with Grignard reagents (28) and the condensation of neopentanoic acid with acetic acid using a rare-earth oxide catalyst (29). Amides of neopentanoic acid can be prepared direcdy from the acid, from the acid chloride, or from esters, using primary or secondary amines. 

By reaction of 3-thienyllithium with magnesium bromide, the Grignard reagent, free from entrainment Grignard reagent, was obtained,- which is useful for the preparation of 3-acetothiophene by reaction with acetic anhydride at —70 0 and for the preparation of 3-t-butoxythiophene through reaction with t-butyl perbenzoate. It is the opinion of the present author that most 3-substituted thiophenes are prepared more conveniently from 3-thienyllithium than from 3-thenyl bromide. The latter method, however, is superior if the introduction of the 3-thenyl group is desired. 

Ullmann condensation of the sodium salt of p-chlorothiophe-nol (31) with 2-iodobenzoic (32) acid gives 33. Cyclization by means of sulfuric acid affords the thioxanthone, 34. Reaction with the Grignard reagent from 3-dimethylaminopropyl chloride affords the tertiary carbinol (35). Dehydration by means of acetic anhydride affords chlorprothixene as a mixture of geometric isomers, 36. (Subsequent work showed the Z isomer-chlorine and amine on the same side—to be the more potent compound.) Chlorprothixene is said to cause less sedation than the phenothiazines. ... 

In an initial step, dibenzo[a,d] cyclohepten-5-one is reacted with the Grignard reagent of 3-di-methylaminopropyl chloride and hydrolyzed to give 5-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-dibenzo[a,d] -[1,4] cycloheptatriene-5-ol. Then 13 g of that material, 40 ml of hydrochloric acid, and 135 ml of glacial acetic acid is refluxed for 314 hours. The solution is then evaporated to dryness in vacuo and added to ice water which is then rendered basic by addition of ammonium hydroxide solution. Extraction of the basic solution with chloroform and removal of the solvent from the dried chloroform extracts yields the crude product which when distilled in vacuo yields essentially pure 5-(3-dimethylaminopropylidene)-dibenzo[a/f ] [ 1,4] cycloheptatriene, BP 173°C to 177°C at 1.0 mm. 

The high diastereoselectivity which is found in the nucleophilic addition of Grignard reagents to chiral 2-0x0 acetals can be explained by a chelation-controlled mechanism. Thus, coordination of the magnesium metal with the carbonyl oxygen and the acetal moiety leads to a rigid structure 3A in the transition state with preferred attack of the nucleophile occurring from the S/-side. 

The diastereoselectivity of the reaction may be rationalized by assuming a chelation model, which has been developed in the addition of Grignard reagents to enantiomerically pure a-keto acetals7,8. Cerium metal is fixed by chelation between the N-atom, the methoxy O-atom and one of the acetal O-atoms leading to a rigid structure in the transition state of the reaction (see below). Hence, nucleophilic attack from the Si-face of the C-N double bond is favored4. 

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