Acyl Ketenes and Allenes

The acylation of Wittig reagents provides the most convenient means for the preparation of allenes substituted with various electron-withdrawing substituents. The preparation of o-allenic esters has been accomplished by the reaction of resonance-stabilized phosphoranes with isolable ketenes and ketene itself and with acid chlorides in the presence of a second equivalent of the phosphorane. The disadvantages of the first method are the necessity of preparing the ketene and the fact that the highly reactive mono-substituted ketenes evidently cannot be used. The second method fails when the a-carbon... 

Abstract The photoinduced reactions of metal carbene complexes, particularly Group 6 Fischer carbenes, are comprehensively presented in this chapter with a complete listing of published examples. A majority of these processes involve CO insertion to produce species that have ketene-like reactivity. Cyclo addition reactions presented include reaction with imines to form /1-lactams, with alkenes to form cyclobutanones, with aldehydes to form /1-lactones, and with azoarenes to form diazetidinones. Photoinduced benzannulation processes are included. Reactions involving nucleophilic attack to form esters, amino acids, peptides, allenes, acylated arenes, and aza-Cope rearrangement products are detailed. A number of photoinduced reactions of carbenes do not involve CO insertion. These include reactions with sulfur ylides and sulfilimines, cyclopropanation, 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, and acyl migrations. 

The methods for generating acyl ketenes (Scheme 7-V) and their subsequent in situ participation in [4 + 2] cycloadditions with a wide range of hetero- or olefinic and acetylenic dienophiles (Scheme 7-VI), including acyl ketenes,185 186,197 carbonyl compounds, 86-188 nitriles,1874,189,191 isocyanates and isothiocyanates,1864,190,191 ketenes,191 imines,1864,1874,191,192 carbo-diimides,l87c 190,191,193 ynamines,194 ketene acetals,1864,195 enol ethers,1864,191,196 and V-sulfinylamines197 have been extensively reviewed.5,9,12 Two reports have detailed the 4-n- participation of allenic ketones in [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions [Eq. (51)].198,199... 

Under the influence of the triamine-Al catalyst, in situ generated ketene (formed from acyl bromide and diisopropylethy-lamine) reacted with aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes, affording -lactone in excellent yield and 88 96% ee (eq 5). AAC reactions deliver enatioeniiched -lactone acetate aldol surrogates, which are direct progenitors of numerous chiral building blocks (/S-amino acid, allene, and Q , -disubstituted carboxylic acids ). 

NaBOs and NaBr adds two bromine atoms across a triple bond. With allenes it is easy to stop the reaction after only 1 equivalent has added, to give X C CX=C. Addition of halogen to ketenes gives a-halo acyl halides, but the yields are not good. 

Aromatic and aliphatic acyl isocyanates participate in a similar range of [4 + 2] cycloadditions although [2 + 2] and simple addition reactions often are observed. The acyl isocyanate substituents may determine or alter the observed course of the reaction, and the substituent effects have been detailed in extensive reviews.7,71 Observed [4 + 2] cycloadditions of acyl isocyanates with selected olefins, p-quinones, allenes, the carbon-carbon double bond of ketenes, electron-rich acetylenes, imines, dianils, ethy-lenediimines, enamines, enol ethers, ketene acetals, carbodiimides, azirines, and vinyl sulfides have been described.7 0 The reaction of aromatic acyl isocyanates with carbodiimides is not a simple, direct [4 + 2] cycloaddition but proceeds by a kinetic [2 + 2] cycloaddition followed by a subsequent rearrangement to provide the observed [4 + 2] cycloadduct [Eq. (40)].97... 

---