Addition, conjugate hydroxylation

Cyanide ion acts as a carbon nucleophile in the conjugate addition reaction. The pK of HCN is 9.3, so addition in hydroxylic solvents is feasible. An alcoholic solution of potassium or sodium cyanide is suitable for simple compounds. 

A buffer solution is usually a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate base. Added protons will be neutralized by the anionic base while a reduction in protons, e.g. due to the addition of hydroxyl ions, will be counterbalanced by dissociation of the acid (eqn [7.2]) thus the conjugate pair acts as a buffer to pH change. 

Optically pure sultams have been used by Oppolzer as chiral auxiliaries in various asymmetric transformations, including Diels-Alder reaction, aldoliza-tion, conjugate addition, his-hydroxylation, and catalytic hydrogenation [42,43]. In the literature, the most commonly used chiral sultam is derived from camphor (Oppolzer s sultam). The ready access to 80 and other chiral sultams from the Diels-Alder cycloadducts could further expand the scope of their use as chiral auxiliaries in asymmetric synthesis. 

A distinctly different reaction cascade leading to tetrahydrofurans is illustrated in Scheme 40 [74]. It was proposed that these reactions proceed by iodine-mediated deoxygenation of the peroxyl radical to an alkoxyl radical, which undergoes intramolecular C-H abstraction to form a y9-keto radical [74], Elimination of an a-hydrogen atom generates an enone, which is ultimately captured intramolecularly by conjugate hydroxyl addition to give a tetrahydrofuran (Scheme 40). 

Phenolics behave as antioxidants due to the reactivity of the phenol moiety (hydroxyl substituent) on the aromatic ring [34]. Caffeic acid is expected to have higher antioxidant activity because of additional conjugation in the propanoic side chain, which might facilitate the electron delocalization, by resonance, between the aromatic ring and proanoic group [35]. 

Clearly, in the case of (66) two amide tautomers (72) and (73) are possible, but if both hydroxyl protons tautomerize to the nitrogen atoms one amide bond then becomes formally cross-conjugated and its normal resonance stabilization is not developed (c/. 74). Indeed, part of the driving force for the reactions may come from this feature, since once the cycloaddition (of 72 or 73) has occurred the double bond shift results in an intermediate imidic acid which should rapidly tautomerize. In addition, literature precedent suggests that betaines such as (74) may also be present and clearly this opens avenues for alternative mechanistic pathways. 

With the success in Lewis acid-catalyzed thiol conjugate addition reactions mentioned above, we further tried to apply the J ,J -DBFOX/Ph-nickel(II) aqua complex catalyst to the catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition reactions of hydroxyl-amines [88, 89]. However, after some preliminary examinations, we found that... 

It will be recalled that one of the key operations in the synthesis of IJK ring system 86 is the intramolecular conjugate addition reaction (see 90—>89, Scheme 17b) to form ring J. In the context of compound 90, the electrophilic a,/ -unsaturated ester moiety and the potentially nucleophilic tertiary hydroxyl group reside in proximal regions of space, a circumstance that would seem to favor the desired cyclization evept (see Scheme 19). Indeed, exposure of a solution of 90 in THFto sodium hydride (1 equiv.) for one hour at 25 °C results in the formation of compound 89 in 92% yield. In... 

The general mechanistic features of the aldol addition and condensation reactions of aldehydes and ketones were discussed in Section 7.7 of Part A, where these general mechanisms can be reviewed. That mechanistic discussion pertains to reactions occurring in hydroxylic solvents and under thermodynamic control. These conditions are useful for the preparation of aldehyde dimers (aldols) and certain a,(3-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones. For example, the mixed condensation of aromatic aldehydes with aliphatic aldehydes and ketones is often done under these conditions. The conjugation in the (3-aryl enones provides a driving force for the elimination step. 

Scheme 2.11 shows some examples of Robinson annulation reactions. Entries 1 and 2 show annulation reactions of relatively acidic dicarbonyl compounds. Entry 3 is an example of use of 4-(trimethylammonio)-2-butanone as a precursor of methyl vinyl ketone. This compound generates methyl vinyl ketone in situ by (3-eliminalion. The original conditions developed for the Robinson annulation reaction are such that the ketone enolate composition is under thermodynamic control. This usually results in the formation of product from the more stable enolate, as in Entry 3. The C(l) enolate is preferred because of the conjugation with the aromatic ring. For monosubstituted cyclohexanones, the cyclization usually occurs at the more-substituted position in hydroxylic solvents. The alternative regiochemistry can be achieved by using an enamine. Entry 4 is an example. As discussed in Section 1.9, the less-substituted enamine is favored, so addition occurs at the less-substituted position. 

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