Acyclic enolates alkylation

The formation of g-alkyl-a,g-unsaturated esters by reaction of lithium dialkylcuprates or Grignard reagents in the presence of copper(I) iodide, with g-phenylthio-, > g-acetoxy-g-chloro-, and g-phosphoryloxy-a,g-unsaturated esters has been reported. The principal advantage of the enol phosphate method is the ease and efficiency with which these compounds may be prepared from g-keto esters. A wide variety of cyclic and acyclic g-alkyl-a,g-unsaturated esters has been synthesized from the corresponding g-keto esters. However, the method is limited to primary dialkylcuprates. Acyclic g-keto esters afford (Zl-enol phosphates which undergo stereoselective substitution with lithium dialkylcuprates with predominant retention of stereochemistry (usually > 85-98i )). It is essential that the cuprate coupling reaction of the acyclic enol phosphates be carried out at lower temperatures (-47 to -9a°C) to achieve high stereoselectivity. When combined with they-... 

In acyclic systems, the enolate conformation comes into play. p,(3-Disubstituted enolates prefer a conformation with the hydrogen eclipsed with the enolate double bond. In unfunctionalized enolates, alkylation usually takes place anti to the larger substituent, but with very modest stereoselectivity. 

These examples illustrate the issues that must be considered in analyzing the stereoselectivity of enolate alkylation. The major factors are the conformation of the enolate, the stereoelectronic requirement for an approximately perpendicular trajectory, the steric preference for the least hindered path of approach, and minimization of torsional strain. In cyclic systems the ring geometry and positioning of substituents are often the dominant factors. For acyclic enolates, the conformation and the degree of steric discrimination govern the stereoselectivity. 

Enantioselectivity can also be based on structural features present in the reactants. A silyl substituent has been used to control stereochemistry in both cyclic and acyclic systems. The silyl substituent can then be removed by TBAF.326 As with enolate alkylation (see p. 32), the steric effect of the silyl substituent directs the approach of the acceptor to the opposite face. 

The chemistry of chiral 1,3-dithiane 1-oxides, in particular their use as chiral auxiliaries, has been reviewed <19980PP145>. Some further developments in this field are the stereoselective a-alkylation with alkyl halides <1997T13149> or a-hydrazination with di-fert-butyl azodicarboxylate (DBAD) <2000T9683>. The carbonyl group of 2-acyl-l,3-dithiane 1-oxides was also used as an electrophile (Scheme 82). Interestingly, acyclic enolates react with these substrates to give a 95 5 mixture of anti- and ry -adduct, whereas cyclic enolates produce a mixture of anti- and ry -adduct in 8 92 ratio <2000JOC6027>. 

The regioselectivity of the Paterno-Biichi reaction with acyclic enol ethers is substantially higher than with the corresponding unsymmetrically alkyl-substituted olefins. This effect was used for the synthesis of a variety of 3-alkoxyoxetanes and a series of derivatives [55]. The diastereoisomeric cis-and tnms-l-methoxy-l-butenes were used as substrates for the investigation of the spin state influence on reactivity, regio- and stereoselectivity [56]. The use of trimethylsilyloxyethene 62 as electron rich alkene is advantageous and several 1,3-anhydroapiitol derivatives such as 63 could be synthesized via photocycloaddition with l,3-diacetoxy-2-propanone 61 (Sch. 17) [57]. 

The reaction of these lithium enolates with alkyl halides is one of the most important C-C bondforming reactions in chemistry. Alkylation of lithium enolates Works with both acyclic and cyclic ketones as well as with acyclic and cyclic esters (lactones). The general mechanism is shown below, alkylation of an ester enolate alkylation of a ketone enolate... 

Enolate equilibration and di- and poly-alkylation are the major side reactions, which lead to reduced yields of desired products in ketone alkylations. These processes occur as a result of equilibration of the starting enolate (or enolate mixture) with the neutral monoalkylation product(s) via proton transfer reactions. Polyalkylation may also occur when bases, in addition to the starting enolate, which are capable of deprotonating the monoalkylated ketone are present in the medium. With symmetrical ketones, e.g. cyclopentanone and cyclohexanone, the problem of regioselectivity does not arise. However, except under special conditions, polyalkylation occurs to a significant extent during enolate alkylations of more kinetically acidic ketones such as cyclobutanone, cyclopentanone and acyclic ketones, particularly methyl ketones. Polyalkylation is also a troublesome side reaction with less acidic ketones such as cyclohexanone. 

Diastereoselective Alkylations of Acyclic Enolates of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives... 

Alkylations of acyclic enolates containing a collection of chiral auxiliary groups have been used successfully for the asymmetric synthesis of carboxylic acids. The chiral, nonracemic substrates that have been used include amides, imides, esters, imine derivatives of glycinates and acyl derivatives of chiral transition metals. In these systems either extraannular or chelate-enforced intraannular chirality transfer may control the sense of the alkylation step. 

Whereas acyclic stereoselection in enolate alkylations is now a relatively mature field, the stereoselective alkylation of acyclic dipole-stabilized systems is virtually undeveloped. The only report to date... 

In 2001, Funk reported a synthesis of ( )-FR901483 using an approach very different from those described previously, taking advantage of his amidoacrolein cycloaddition methodology to prepare 1 -alkyl-1 -aminocyclohexane derivatives, starting the synthesis from acyclic compounds. Moreover, Funk neither uses tyrosine derivatives nor needs an inversion at C(9) to install the phosphate unit. In Funk s retro synthetic analysis, shown in Scheme 23, he envisaged that lactam 60 possessed the necessary functionality for the introduction of the C(6) p-methoxy benzyl and C(3) methylamino substituents via enolate alkylation and amination reactions, respectively. 

Acyl Anion Conjugate Additions. The lithio reagent readily undergoes 1,4-addition to unsaturated substrates (eq 6), in direct contrast to the corresponding 2-lithio-2-trimethylsilyl-l,3-dithiane, which is a poor Michael donor. The initial Michael adducts can also be alkylated to provide highly functionalized products. Very good levels of diastereoselectivity have been observed in the 1,4-addition and enolate alkylations of cyclic enoates (eq 7)2 and acyclic enones (eq 8). ... 

Even in acyclic templates, enolate alkylations are strongly influenced by adjacent stereogenic centers, in particular when these are incorporated in a rigid heterocycle. 

Acyclic a,a-disubstituted tin enolates 6 inevitably form as cis/trans-mixtures. Nevertheless, application of the chromium alkylation protocol with the modified salen complex 7 provides fair enantioselectivity with various alkylating agents R CH2X hke allyl bromide, benzyl bromide, allyl iodide, and ethyl iodoacetate, as outlined in Scheme 5.5. A plausible explanation is based on the assumption of a rapid cis/trans-isomerization of the tin enolates 6 through the C-bound tautomer and the postulate that one of the enolate diastereomers reacts distinctly faster than the other. The role of the additive BugSnOMe, which has a beneficial effect on the enantioselectivity, might be to catalyze the cis/trans-isomerization of the enolate. Several models have been proposed for the mechanisms of the enantioselective enolate alkylation like transmetallation of tin into a chromium enolate, formation of a stannate by iodine transfer from chromium to tin, as well as activation of the alkyl halide by chromium [5]. 

Bicyclic compounds have apparently never been detected in the products resulting from the carbonium ion reactions of either acyclic precursors [e.g., (33-X) or (34-X)], or monocyclic menthane reactants [e.g., (35-X)] under quite a variety of conditions (77, 84, 86, 87), It appears to be necessary to provide additional driving force as in the acid-catalyzed cyclization of carvone enol acetate (44) 87) or the intramolecular enolate alkylation of keto tosylate (45) 88, 89) in order to overcome the strain energy of the bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane and bicyclo-[3.1.1]heptane rings. An additional factor in the latter case is, of course, increased electrophilic demand at a primary, as opposed to a tertiary, center. 

Thus the reactions of cyclic or acyclic enamines with acrylic esters or acrylonitrile can be directed to the exclusive formation of monoalkylated ketones (3,294-301). The corresponding enolate anion alkylations lead preferentially to di- or higher-alkylation products. However, by proper choice of reaction conditions, enamines can also be used for the preferential formation of higher alkylation products, if these are desired. Such reactions are valuable in the a substitution of aldehydes, which undergo self-condensation in base-catalyzed reactions (117,118). Monoalkylation products are favored in nonhydroxylic solvents such as benzene or dioxane, whereas dialkylation products can be obtained in hydroxylic solvents such as methanol. The difference in products can be ascribed to the differing fates of an initially formed zwitterionic intermediate. Collapse to a cyclobutane takes place in a nonprotonic solvent, whereas protonation on the newly introduced substitutent and deprotonation of the imonium salt, in alcohol, leads to a new enamine available for further substitution. 

NHC-promoted enolate formation from an enal, followed by a desymmetrising aldol event to generate P-lactones and loss of CO, has been exploited by Scheidt and co-workers to generate functionalised cyclopentenes 240 in high ee from enal substrates 238 (Scheme 12.52) [94]. Interestingly, the use of alkyl ketones in this reaction manifold allows the isolation of the p-lactone intermediates with acyclic diketones, P-lactones 239 are formed with the R group anti- to the tertiary alkox-ide, while with cyclic diketones the P-lactone products have the R group with a syn relationship to the alkoxide [95]. 

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